英语期末翻译

2）画蛇添足（西汉）刘向

楚有祠者，赐其舍人卮酒。舍人相谓曰：“数人饮之不足，一人饮之有余。请画地为蛇，先成者饮酒。”一人蛇先成，引酒且饮之，乃左手持卮，右手画蛇曰：“我能为之足！”未成，一人之蛇成夺取卮曰：“蛇固无足，子安能为之足？”遂饮其酒。为蛇足者，终亡其酒。

白话译文：

古代楚国有个人祭过祖宗以后，把一壶酒赏给来帮忙祭祀的门客一壶酒。门客们互相商量说：“大家一起喝这壶酒不足够，一个人喝它还有剩余。要求大家在地上画蛇，先画好的人喝这壶酒。”一个人最先完成了，拿起酒壶准备饮酒，却左手拿着酒壶，右手画蛇，说：“我能够为它画脚。”他还没有把脚画完，另一个人的蛇画好了，抢过他的酒壶，说：“蛇本来就没有脚，你怎么能给它画脚呢?”话刚说完，就把那壶酒喝完了。那个给蛇画脚的人，最终失掉了那壶酒。

英译：The Man Who Draws a Snake and Adds Feet to It

By Liu Xiang of the Western Han Dynasty

A native of Chu after worshipping his ancestors gave his retainers a pot of wine. One of the retainers said, “It is insufficient for all of us, but too much for one of us. I suggest, therefore, that we draw snakes on the ground, and the one who first finishes drawing the snake will win the pot of wine.”When one retainer had completed his drawing, he took the pot to drink. As he held it in his left hand, he continued to draw the snake with his right hand, saying: “I can add feet to it.”While he was adding feet to his snake, another man who had then drawn his snake snatched the pot from his hand, protesting: “No snake has feet. How can you add feet to it?”Then he took the wine. The man who added feet to the snake lost his prize at last.

参考译文：

1）根据传说，伏羲生于中国西部，出生之前在其母腹中孕育了12年。伏羲教会了人类打猎、捕鱼、驯养野兽、饲养家禽。伏羲制定了人类的嫁娶制度，教会人们劈柴取火和烹煮食物；此外，他还通过龟背上的裂纹创立了八卦，这些八卦成为数学、医学、占卜学和风水的基础。伏羲创造了中华民族的图腾龙，被认为是中国历史上第一个真正的统治者。

1）Fuxi was born in the west part of China and, according to legend, he was carried in his mother’s womb for twelve years before birth. He taught people how to hunt, fish, domesticate animals and tend their flocks. He instituted marriage and taught people how to devise tools to split wood, kindle fire and cook food. He devised the Trigrams, which evolved from markings on tortoise shells. These trigrams served as the basis for mathematics, medicine, divination and geomancy. Furthermore, he created the Chinese dragon as the totem of the nation and was considered as the first real ruler.

1）儒家的创始人是孔子（公元前551—479），他提出了一套道德规范，基于五种美德：仁、义、礼、智、信。其中“仁”被认为是他的哲学理念的基石，代表着忠诚、孝道(filial piety)、宽容和善良。他还提倡人与人之间和谐相处、按照行为规范标准建立生活社区。他的追随者之一孟子(公元前372-289)不断地向统治者们游说，试图说服他们修身养德，为人典范，以仁政赢得人民的尊重。

1）Confucius (551—479 BC) was the founder of Confucianism. He advocated a set of moral code on basis of five merits: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. Among them, benevolence was considered as the cornerstone of his philosophy, which stands for faithfulness, filial piety, tolerance and kindness. He also requested people to keep in good harmony with each other and establish a community ruled by standard manners and behavior. One of his followers, Mencius (372-289BC), repeatedly tried to convince rulers that the ruler should cultivate moral perfection in order to set a good example to the people and the ruler who governed benevolently would earn the respect of the people.

2）中国哲学有着几千年的历史，其起源可以追溯到《易经》，其中介绍一些最重要的中国哲学概念。自始至终中国哲学的核心就是对人与社会的现实关注、如何过理想的生活，以及如何去组织社会。伦理（ethics）和政治哲学(political philosophy)常常要超越在形而上学（metaphysics）和现象学（epistemology）理论之上。中国哲学的另一个特征是反映了自然和自我，因而产生了天人合一、人在天地之间的位置，以及对差异（differentiation）和变化的阐释。

2）Chinese philosophy has a history of several thousand years; its origins are often traced back to the I Ching (the Book of Changes), which introduced some of the most fundamental terms of Chinese philosophy. The central focus of Chinese philosophy throughout the ages has been a practical concern with man and society, how to live an ideal life, and how best to organize society. Ethics and political philosophy have often taken precedence over metaphysics and epistemology. Another characteristic of Chinese philosophy has been reflections on nature and the self, which has resulted in the development of themes like unity between man and Heaven, the place of man in the cosmic order, and the explanations of differentiation and change.

1) “送别”是唐诗里常见的主题。通过赠诗给一个即将离别的友人，诗人常常表达自己的悲伤之情。送别诗里常用的意象(image)有音乐、酒和柳枝。音乐是送别仪式必不可少的部分。音乐通常由琵琶等古典乐器演奏，旋律优美而悲伤。在这种场合，喝酒也是必要的。也许这是因为酒能够让人得到安慰，忘却生活中的烦恼以及与友人离别的愁绪。送别的另一个风俗便是为友人送上柳枝。因为“柳”和“留”同音。通过这种方式，诗人就表达了让友人永远留下来的愿望。

‘Parting’was a common theme in Tang poetry. By writing a poem to a friend who was leaving, the poet usually showed his sorrow and sadness. Images frequently used in a parting poem included music, liquor and a willow twig. Music was an important section of the parting ceremony. The music, which was often melodious and sorrowful, was played by traditional instruments such as ‘Pipa’. Drinking liquor was also a necessary part on these occasions. Perhaps it was because liquor could console people and help them forget troubles in life and the sadness of parting from a friend. Another custom was giving a willow twig to the leaving friend, since ‘willow’in Chinese