世界英文散文精粹中英对照文本经典

世界英文散文精粹中英对照WORD文本

01_Of Beauty论美
Virtue is fairer far than beauty
美德远胜于美貌
Of Beauty 论美 By Francis Bacon 弗兰西斯.培根
Virtue is like a rich stone,
美德好比宝石
best plain set; and surely virtue is best,in a body that is comely,
它在朴素背景的衬托下 反而更华丽。
though not of delicate features;
同样，一个打扮并 不华贵
and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect.
却端庄严肃而有美德者 是令人肃然起敬的
Neither is it almost seen,that very beau- tiful persons
外表美丽的人，
are otherwise of great virtue;
未必也具有内 在的美
as if nature were rather busy, not to err,
因为造物主似乎是吝啬 的，
than in labor to produce excellency.
他给了此就不再予 彼
And therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit;
所以许多容颜俊秀的人 往往过于追求外在
and study rather behavior, than virtue.
美丽而忽略了内心的美
But this holds not always:
但这也并非绝对
for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle of France,
因为奥古斯都·恺撒、 菲斯帕斯、法兰西的 菲力普王
Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia,
英格兰的爱德华四世、 雅典的阿尔西巴 底斯、波斯的伊斯梅尔 等
were all high and great spirits;
既是大丈夫
and yet the most beautiful men of their times.
又是美男子
In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color;
美不在颜色艳丽 而在面目端正，
and that of decent and gracious motion, more than that of favor.
又不尽在面目 端正而在举止 文雅合度
That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express;
最高的美是画家 所无法表现的
no,nor the first sight of the life.
因为它是难于 直观的
There is no excellent beauty,
没有哪种 美
that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.
能极致到不存在 比例上的暇疵
A man cannot tell whether Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler;
whereof the one,
曾经有两位画家-阿皮 雷斯和艾伯特.丢勒 滑稽地认为，
would make a personage by geometrical proportions;
按照几何比例，
the other, by taking the best parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent.
或者通过摄取不同人身 上最美的特点，可以用 画合成一张最完美的人 像
Such personages, I think, would please nobody,
其实像这样画出来的 美人
but the painter that made them.
，恐怕只表现了画 家本人的某种偏爱。
Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was;
画家不能通过这样 画出更好看的脸
but he must do it by a kind of felicity
创造它的常常是构思,
(as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by rule.
(正如为曲子营造的 氛围的音乐家)而不是 公式。
A man shall see faces, that if you

examine them part by part,
you shall find never a good; and yet altogether do well.
看并不优美,但 作为整体却非常 动人。
If it be true that the principal part of beauty
虽然美之菁华 无疑在于
is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel,
优雅的举止
though persons in years seem many times more amiable;
但有些老人更 显得很可爱
pulchrorum autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely but by pardon,
这印证了一句拉丁谚语 :"暮秋之色更美。"
and considering the youth, as to make up the comeliness.
而尽管有的年轻人具有 美貌，却由于缺乏完美 的修养而不配得到最好 的赞美。
Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last;
美犹如盛夏的水果，是 容易腐烂而难保持的
and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth,
世上有许多美人 他们有过放荡的青春
and an age a little out of countenance;
却迎受着愧悔的晚年
but yet certainly again, if it light well,
因此，应该把美的 形貌与美的德行 结合起来
it maketh virtue shine, and vices blush.
这样，美才会发出夺目 的光辉。


02_Youth青春
Nobody grows merely by a number of years we grow older by deserting our ideas.
人老不仅仅是岁月流逝 所致,更主要的是懒惰 不思进取的结果。
Youth By Samuel Erman 青春 塞缪尔.俄尔曼
Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind,
青春不是生命的一段 时光
it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees,
不是指红润的脸颊、 红扑扑的嘴唇 和柔韧的双膝
it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination,
它是一种精神状态， 是指不懈的干劲、 丰富的想象力和滚烫 的情怀。
a vigor of the emotions,
它是生命春意 正浓时的活力。
it is the freshness of the deep spring of life.
它是生命之源勃勃 生机的涌泉。
Youth means a temperamental predominance
青春意味着战胜 懦弱的
of courage over timidity,
那股大丈夫气概
of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.
和摈弃安逸的 那种冒险精神
This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20.
往往一个60岁的 老者比一个 20岁的青年更多一 点这种劲头
Nobody grows merely by a number of years,
人老不仅仅是 岁月流逝所致
we grow old by deserting our ideas.
更主要的是懒惰、 不思进取的结果
Years may wrinkle the skin,
光阴可以在颜面 上留下印记
but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
而热情之火的熄灭 则在心灵上刻下皱纹
Worry, fear,self- distrust bows the heart
忧虑、恐惧、缺乏 自信，会扭曲人的 灵魂
and turns the spirit back to dust.
并将青春化为灰烬。
Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonders,
无论是60岁还是16岁 你需要保持永不衰竭 的好奇心，
the unfailing childlike appetite of what's next

永不熄灭的孩提般 求知的渴望
and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart, and my heart,
和追求生活乐趣 的热情。 在你我的心底，
there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty,
都有一座无线电台： 它能在多长时间里 接收到人间万物传 递来的美好、
hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite,
希望、欢乐、鼓舞和 力量信息，
so long as you are young.
你就会年轻 多长时间
When the aerials are down,
当天线倒塌时
and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism,
你的精神就被玩世不恭 和悲观厌世的冰雪所覆 盖，
then you've grown old, even at 20,
你就已经衰老了， 即使你只是20岁；
but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism,
而你的天线巍然矗立着 的时候，凭着高昂的乐 观主义
there's hope you may die young at 80.
你就有希望在 80岁死去时仍然 韶华不逝。


03_What I have Lived for我的人生追求
Three passions simple but overwhelmingly strong
有三种简单而无比强烈 的激情
have governed my life:the longing for love,the search for knowledge,
左右了我的一生: 对爱的渴望 对知识的探索
and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.
和对人类苦难的难以忍 受的怜悯。
What I Have Lived For By Bertrand Russell
我的人生追求 伯特兰.罗素
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong,
有三种简单然 而无比强 烈的激情
have governed my life:
左右了我的一 生:
the longing for love, the search for knowledge,
对爱的渴望， 对知识的探索
and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.
和对人类苦难的难以忍 受的怜悯。
These passions,in a wayward course,over a deep ocean of anguish,
这些激情像飓风， 无处不在、反复 无常地吹拂着我，
reaching to the very verge of despair.
吹过深重的苦海， 濒于绝境。
I have sought love, first,
我寻找爱，首先
because it brings ecstasy-ecstasy so great
是因为它使人 心醉神迷， 这种陶醉是 如此的美妙
that I would often have sacrificed
使我愿意牺牲
all the rest of life for a few hours of this joy.
所有的余生去换 取几个小时这样 的欣喜
I have sought it, next,
我寻找爱，
because it relieves loneliness-that terrible loneliness
还因为它解除孤独 在可怕的孤独中
in which one shivering consciousness
一颗颤抖的灵魂
looks over the rim of the world into the cold
从世界的边缘看到 冰冷、
unfathomable lifeless abyss.
无底、死寂 的深渊。
I have sought it, finally,
最后，我寻找爱
because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature,
还因为在爱的交融中 神秘的缩影中
the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined.
我看到了圣贤和诗 人们想象出的天堂 的

前景。
This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life,
这就是我所寻找的，而 且，虽然对人生来说似 乎过于美妙，
this is what-at last-I have found.
这也是我终于 找到了的。
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
怀着同样的激情 我探索知识。
I have wished to understand the hearts of men.
我希望能够理解人类的 心灵
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
我希望能够知道 群星为何闪烁。
And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power
我试图领悟 毕达哥拉斯所 景仰的数字 力量，
by which number holds sway above the flux.
它支配着此消彼涨。
A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.
仅在不大的一定 程度上，我达到 了此目的。
Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible,led upward toward the heavens.
爱和知识，只要 有可能，通向天堂。
But always pity brought me back to earth.
但是怜悯总把 我带回尘世。
Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart.
痛苦呼喊的回声回荡在 我的内心
Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors,
忍饥挨饿的孩子， 惨遭压迫者摧残 的受害者
helpless old people a hated burden to their
被儿女们视为可憎的负 担的无助的老人
pain make a mockery of what human life should be.
使人类所应有的 生活成为了笑柄。
I long to alleviate the evil, but I can't, and I too suffer.
我渴望能够减少邪恶， 但是我无能为力， 而且我自己也在 忍受折磨。
This has been my life.
这就是我的一生。
I have found it worth living,
我发现它值得一过。
and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.
如果再给我一次机会， 我会很高兴地再活它一 次。


04_Spell of the Rising Moon月亮升起来
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
月光沉睡在这岸 边多么轻柔！
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears
我们要坐在这里让音乐 之声潜入我们的耳内。
——— Shakespeare ———— 莎士比亚
Spell of the Rising Moon By Peter Steinhart
月亮升起来 彼得.斯坦哈特
There is a hill near my house that I often climb at night.
我家附近有座小山。 晚上，我常爬上山去。
The noise of the city is a far-off murmur.
此时，城市的喧 嚣成了遥远的低语。
In the hush of dark I share the cheerfulness of crickets
在这黑夜的静谧中， 我可以尽情分享 蟋蟀的欢乐，
and the confidence of owls.
感受猫头鹰的自信。
But it is the drama of the moonrise that I come to see.
可我上山是来 看月出的。
For that restores in me a quiet and clarity
that the city spends too freely.
因为这可以让 我重新得到在 城市中失去的 宁静与清新
From this hill I have watched many moons rise.
在这座山上，我已欣赏 过许多次月亮升起的景 象。
Each one had its o

wn mood.
每一次,月的脾性都有 所不同。
There have been broad,confident harvest moons in autumn;
秋天,满月如轮, 充满自信;
shy,misty moons in spring;
春天,月色朦胧, 月亮羞羞答答；
lonely,white winter moons rising into the utter silence of an ink-black sky
冬天，银白的月亮 挂在漆黑的、悄无 声息的夜空中， 显得那么孤寂
and smoke smudged orange moons over the dry fields of summer.
夏天，橘黄的月似 被烟尘笼罩，俯瞰 干燥的田野
Each, like fine music, excited my heart and then calmed my soul.
每一种月景， 都像美妙的音乐， 震撼我的心灵令 我的灵魂平静
Moongazing is an ancient art.
观月自古有之。
To prehistoric hunters the moon
在远古的猎人眼里，
overhead was as unerring as heart-beat.
月亮变化的规律 如同心跳一样准确 无误。
They knew that every 29 days it became full-bellied and brilliant,
他们知道每29天， 月亮都要变得 明亮饱满
then sickened and died, and then was reborn.
然后萎缩、消失， 然后又复活：
They knew the waxing moon appeared larger
他们知道，月盈期间
and higher overhead after each succeeding sunset.
每经一次日 落，头顶的月亮 就会显得更高远 丰满：
They knew the waning moon rose later each night
他们还知道 月亏期间， 月亮每晚都 要迟迟升起，
until it vanished in the sunrise.
待到日出才隐没
To have understood the moon's patterns from experience
他们竟能从经验中 捕捉到月亮的行踪 变化，
must have been a profound thing.
真可谓心 深意广。
But we, who live indoors, have lost contact with the moon.
但我们这些人 却因深居斗室， 与月亮疏于联系。
The glare of street lights and the dust of pollution veil the night sky.
城市炫目的街 灯,污浊的烟尘 掩盖了夜晚的天空。
Though men have walked on the moon, it grows less familiar.
虽然人类已在月亮 上行走过,但月亮 对于我们却更加 陌生了
Few of us can say what time the moon will rise tonight.
有几人能说得出 今晚月亮会几时 升起?
Still, it tugs at our minds.
但无论怎样， 月亮依旧牵动 我们的心灵。
If we unexpectedly encounter the full moon,huge and yellow over the horizon,
倘若我们偶尔遇见 一轮黄灿灿的硕大 的满月高悬中天，
we are helpless but to stare back at its commanding presence.
都会禁不住停下来 凝神瞩望她尊贵的 姿容。
And the moon has gifts to bestow upon those who watch.
而月亮也会向 注视她的人 赐予厚礼。
I learned about its gifts one July evening in the mountains.
我领略到她的馈赠 是在山间七月的 一个夜晚。
My car had mysteriously stalled,
我的车突然熄 火，
and I was stranded and alone. The sun had set,
将我孤身 一人困在 山中,太阳 已经西沉，
and I was watching what seemed to be the bright-orange
我看见

东边山头涌 出一团橘红色的明光
glow of a forest fire beyond a ridge to the east.
好像森林起火一般。
Suddenly, the ridge itself seemed to burst into flame.
突然山头自己 也似乎迸出火焰，
Then, the rising moon,huge and red
一会儿， 大大的月亮 涨红着脸
and grotesquely misshapen by the
从密林中鬼魅 似地钻了 出来，
dust and sweat of the summer atmosphere loomed up out of the woods
夏天空气中弥漫 的尘雾与汗气 把它扭曲变形。
Distorted thus by the hot breath of earth,
大地灼热的 呼吸扭曲了它
the moon seemed ill-tempered and imperfect.
它变得格外暴躁， 不再完美
Dogs at nearby farmhouses barked nervously,
附近农舍的狗 紧张地狂吠起来，
as if this strange light had wakened evil spirits in the weeds.
似乎这团奇怪 的光亮叫醒了 野草中的魔鬼。
But as the moon lifted off the ridge it gathered firmness and authority.
然而当月亮缓缓 升起，离开山头， 它聚集了浑身的 坚定与威严
Its complexion changed from red, to orange, to gold, to impassive yellow.
它的面孔也由红 变成了橘红。 又变成金色,最后 是平静的明黄色。
It seemed to draw light out of the darkening earth,
它似乎从渐暗 的大地中吸走 光明，
for as it rose, the hills and valleys below grew dimmer.
随着它的升起，下面的 丘陵山谷愈来愈黯淡朦 胧
By the time the moon stood clear of the horizon,
待到皓月当空
full-chested and round and the color of ivory,
满月如盘，闪耀着象 牙般乳白的清辉
the valleys were deep shadows in the landscape.
山谷便成了 风景中一片片 幽深的阴影
The dogs, reassured that this was the familiar moon, stopped barking.
那些狗明白了那团光 原是它们熟悉的月亮， 也安定下来，停止了 吼叫。
And all at once I felt a confidence and joy close to laughter.
霎时间，我也觉得 信心倍增，心情舒畅， 近乎笑了起来。
The drama took an hour.
这奇特的景观 持续了一个小时。
Moonrise is slow and serried with subtleties.
月出是缓慢的， 充满神奇。
To watch it, we must slip into an older, more patient sense of time.
观看月出，我们 得重拾过去那种 对时间的耐心。
To watch the moon move inexorably higher
观看月亮不可 阻挡地升到空中，
is to find an unusual stillness within ourselves.
能让我们找到 内心的安宁，
Our imaginations become aware of the vast distances of space,
the immensity of the earth and the huge improbability of our own existence.
我们的神思能让我们看 到宇宙的广漠和大地 的宽阔，能让我们忘掉 自己。
We feel small but privileged.
我们感到自身的渺小 和大自然的厚待。
Moonlight shows us none of life's harder edges.
月色下，我们 看不到生活坚硬 的棱角
Hillsides seem silken and silvery,
月光下山坡如同 笼上了柔和

的轻纱, 一片银白;
the oceans still and blue in its light.
海水在月光下碧蓝而静 谧;
In moonlight we become less calculating,
我们在月光 下也不再像白日 那般精于算计
more drawn to our feelings.
而是沉醉于自己 的情感中。
And odd things happen in such moments.
在那样的时候， 往往会有奇特 的事发生。
On that July night, I watched the moon for an hour or two,
在那个七月的夜晚， 我欣赏了一两个 小时的月景后
and then got back into the car,
回到车中， 转动钥匙点火，
turned the key in the Ignition and heard the engine start,
发动机居然响了 起来，
just as mysteriously as it had stalled a few hours earlier.
就像几个 小时前熄火那般 突然而神秘
I drove down the mountains with the moon
我驱车沿 着山路回家,
on my shoulder and peace in my heart. I return often to the rising moon.
肩上披着明月， 心灵一片宁静。 后来我常回到 山上观月出
I am drawn especially when events crowd ease
and clarity of vision into a small corner of my life.
尤其是在接踵 而来的事使我 身心疲惫、 头晕眼花时
This happens often in the fall.
这种境况经常 发生在秋天
Then I go to my hill and await the hunter's moon,
这时我就登上那座 小山，守侯猎人的 月亮出现，
enormous and gold over the horizon,
等着那金色巨大 的圆月跃出地平线，
filling the night with vision.
为黑夜带来光明。
An owl swoops from the ridgetop, noiseless but bright as flame.
一只猫头鹰自山头俯冲 下来，静悄悄地如一团 火焰闪过。
A cricket shrills in the grass.
一只蟋蟀在草 丛长鸣。
I think of poets and musicians.
我想起诗人和 音乐家
Of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata"
想起了贝多芬 的"月光 奏鸣曲"
and of Shakespeare, whose Lorenzo declaims in The Merchant of Venice,
和莎士比亚笔下 《威尼斯商人》 中洛伦佐的话
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!/
月光沉睡在这 岸边多么 轻柔!／
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music/ Creep in our ears.
我们要坐在这里 让音乐之声／ 潜入我们的耳内。
I wonder if their verse and music, like the music of crickets,
我不知道他们的诗句 与乐韵，连同蟋蟀 的歌声
are in some way voices of the moon.
是否都可算作月 的微语
With such thoughts,
想到这些
my citified confusions melt into the quiet of the night.
我那被喧嚣的城市 扰乱了的心也融化 在夜的幽静之中。
Lovers and poets find deeper meaning at night.
恋人和诗人在夜里 能找到生活更深刻 的意义。
We are all apt to pose deeper questions-
about our origins and destinies.
其实我们都爱问 一些关于生命的 源头和命运的 深刻问题。
We indulge in riddles,
在夜里，我们沉溺 于百思而不得其解 的谜团中,
rather than in the impersonal geome- tries that govern th

e daylit world.
而不是那些主导着白天 世界的枯燥的几何教科 书。
We become philosophers and mystics.
At moonrise, as we slow our minds to the pace of the heavens,
月出之时，当我们 放慢自己的思想， 它跟天国的节奏 同步
enchantment steals over us.
一种心醉神迷的 感觉就会流遍全身。
We open the vents of feeling
我们会打开 情感的窗口，
and exercise parts of our minds that reason locks away by day.
会让白天被理智 锁住的那部分思绪 尽情奔涌
We hear, across the distances, murmurs of ancient hunters
我们能越过遥远 的时空，听见 远古猎人的低语
and see anew the visions of poets and lovers of long ago.
再次看到很久 以前的恋人与 诗人眼中的景象。


05_Glories of the Storm壮丽的暴风雨
You will never enjoy the world aright,
人们才能真正 享受世界的美。
till the sea itself floweth in your vein,
血脉里流淌着 海水,
till you are clothed with the heavens,
直到以苍天作衣,
and crowned with the stars.
以星辰作冠，
——— Thomas Taherne British poet
———— 英国诗人 汤姆斯.特拉赫恩
Glories of the Storm By Nancy M.Peterson
壮丽的暴风雨 南希.M.彼得森
It begins when a feeling of stillness creeps into my consciousness.
起初，有一种万籁 俱寂的感觉袭上心头
Everything has suddenly gone quiet.
我感到万物突然静了 下来，
Birds do not chirp. Leaves do not rustle.
鸟儿不再啁啾． 树叶不再沙沙作响，
Insects do not sing.
虫儿也不再鸣唱。
The air that has been hot all day becomes heavy.
燥热了一天的空气 陡然凝重起来，
It hangs over the trees,
沉甸甸地挂在 树梢上
presses the heads of the flowers to the ground,
压垂了花朵，
sits on my shoulders.
也压在我的肩头上。
With a vague feeling of uneasiness I move to the window.
我隐约感到有些不安， 便走到窗前
There, in the west, lies the answer ———
在西边天际，
cloud has piled on cloud to form a ridge of mammoth white towers,
云朵层层叠叠， 筑成一座座嵯峨 的白塔，
rearing against blue sky.
高耸在蓝天之上。
Their piercing whiteness is of brief duration.
云朵那炫目的白光 转瞬问消失了。
Soon the marshmallow rims flatten to anvil tops,
棉花糖似的云团 很快变得像铁砧 一般平展
and the clouds reveal their darker nature.
云露出了它们 阴暗的面目
They impose themselves before the late afternoon sun,
挡住了西斜的太阳，
and the day darkens early.
天早早暗了下来。
Then a gust of wind whips the dust along the road,
紧接着，狂风骤起， 一路抽打起地上的 尘土
chill warning of what is to come.
冷飕飕地警示着 即将到来的一切。
In the house a door shuts with a bang, curtains billow into the room.
“砰”地一声， 一扇房门关上了， 窗帘也随风鼓

起， 在房间里翻卷着
I rush to close the windows, empty the clothesline,
我急忙跑过去 关上窗户， 收起晾晒的衣服
secure the patio furnishings.
安顿好露台上 的家什。
Thunder begins to grumble in the distance.
这时，远处响起了 隆隆的雷声。
The first drops of rain are huge.
雨开始大滴 大滴落下来
They splat into the dust and imprint the windows
噼里啪啦摔进尘土里， 在窗户上。
with individual signatures.
洒下点点印记
They plink on the vent pipe and plunk on patio roof.
雨点叮叮当当敲打着 烟囱，乒乒乓乓撞击 在露台顶棚。
Leaves shudder under their weight before rebounding,
树叶让雨点砸得 瑟瑟发抖， 抬不起头来，
and the sidewalk wears a coat of shiny spots.
人行道则披上了 闪闪发亮的外衣。
The rhythm accelerates;
雨加快了节奏。
plink follows plunk faster and faster until the sound is a roll of drums
叮当声、乒乓声， 一阵紧似一阵， 最后连成一片绵密 的鼓点
and the individual drops become an army marching over fields and rooftops.
点点雨滴也汇成千军 万马，扑向田野、 屋顶。
Now the first bolt of lightning stabs the earth.
这时，第一道闪 电刺向大地，
It is heaven's exclamation point. The storm is here!
这是天国的惊叹号。 暴风雨来了!
In spite of myself, I jump at the following crack of thunder.
紧接着一个霹雳， 我不禁跳了起来。
It rattles the windowpane and sends the dog scratching to get under the bed
这一声雷震得窗玻璃格 格作响,吓得小狗不停 地在地上抓， 直往床底下钻。
The next bolt is even closer.
第二道闪电更近了，
It raises the hair on the back of my neck,
我吓得寒毛倒竖，
and I take an involuntary step away from the window.
不由得从窗口后 退了一步
The rain now becomes a torrent, flung capriciously by a rising wind.
这时雨如洪水一般， 倾盆而泻， 渐紧的狂风把雨 挥来扫去。
Together they batter the trees and level the grasses.
风和雨交织在一起， 肆意抽打着树木， 压伏着小草。
Water streams off roofs and out of rain spouts.
雨水漫出排水槽， 从屋檐奔流而下
It pounds against the window in such a steady wash that I am sightless.
不停地泼洒在窗户上， 完全挡住了我的视 线。
There is only water. How can so much fall so fast?
眼前只有水。 真不知道， 这么多雨水， 怎么会落得这么急?
How could the clouds have supported this vast weight?
云是怎么撑起这 巨大重量的?
How can the earth endure beneath it?
而大地又如何 承受得起?
Pacing through the house from window to window,
我在屋里踱来踱去，
I am moved to open-mouthed wonder.
从一个窗口走到 另一个窗口。
Look how the lilac bends under the assault,
瞧,紫丁香在暴雨袭击 下折弯了腰，
how the day lilies are flattened,
百

合花也倒伏在地上
how the hillside steps are a new-made waterfall!
山坡的石阶小道则 变成了一帘崭新的 瀑布!
Now hailstones thump upon the roof.
此时，屋顶上响起了 乒乓砰砰的声音， 下冰雹了。
They bounce white against the grass and splash into the puddles.
这些银色的小球在 草地上纷乱地跳着， 又落到水洼里， 溅起许多水花。
I think of the vegetable garden, the fruit trees,
我开始担心蔬菜园、 果树
the crops in the fields; but, thankfully,
和地里的庄稼; 不过，谢天谢地，
the hailstones are not enough in numbers or size to do real damage.
这冰雹还不够大， 也不算多，还不会 造成什么损害，
Not this time. For this storm is already beginning to pass.
至少这次不会的。 暴风雨快要过去了，
The tension is released from the atmosphere,
紧张的空气 缓和下来
the curtains of rain let in more light.
雨幕也透进更多亮 光。
The storm has spent most of its energy,
暴风雨己耗去了 大部分精力
and what is left will be expended on the countryside to the east.
还有一点余威它 拿到东边的乡间 去施展了。
I am drawn outside while the rain still falls.
雨还在下着，我却 已忍不住来到屋外。
All around, there is a cool and welcome feeling.
四周一片清凉 宜人的气息。
I breathe deeply and watch the sun's rays streak through breaking clouds.
我深深呼吸着新鲜 的空气，抬眼看一 道道阳光穿过裂开 的云团。
One ray catches the drops that form on the edge of the roof
有束阳光正好射在 屋檐的水珠上，
and I am treated to a row of tiny, quivering colors-my private rainbow.
上天便赐予了我一条 细细的、微微颤动的 七色彩带——这是一道 属于我自己的彩虹。
I pick my way through the wet grass,
我小心翼翼地穿过 湿漉漉的草地，
my feet sinking into the saturated soil.
双脚不时陷进雨水 浸透的泥土。
The creek in the gully runs bank-full of brown water,
河谷的小溪满载浑浊 的泥水奔流而去，
but the small lakes and puddles are already disappearing into the earth.
而那些小水洼却 早已渗入地下， 不见了踪影。
Every leaf, brick, shingle and blade of grass is fresh- washed and shining.
每片树叶和草叶,每块 砖头和瓦片都冲洗得 干干净净、闪闪发光。
Like the land, I am renewed, my spirit cleansed.
我也像大地一样， 焕然一新,我的灵魂 净化了,
I feel an infinite peace.
我的心情变 得无比平静。
For a time I have forgotten the worries
一时间，我全然忘却 了
and irritations I was nurturing before.
曾积郁于心的一切 忧愁与恼恨，
They have been washed away by the glories of the storm.
它们都已被这辉煌 壮丽的暴风雨冲刷得 无影无踪。


07_Spring the Resurrection Time春,复活的季节
In the serene certainty of spring recurring,

当我们发现,春已切切 实实地回来了,在恬静 之中,
who can fear the distant fall?
谁还会害怕遥远的 秋天呢？
Spring,the Resurrection Time
春，复活的季节
By James J. Kilpatrick
詹姆斯.J.基尔帕 特里克
Springs are not always the same.
春不总是 千篇一律的。
In some years,April bursts upon our Vir- ginia hills in one prodigious leap
有时侯,四月一个 健步就跃上了我们 弗吉尼亚的小山丘。
and all the stage is filled at once,
顿时,整个舞台 活跃起来：
whole choruses of tulips,arabesques of forsythia,
郁金香们引吭高歌。 连翘花翩翩起舞，
cadenzas of flowering plum.
梅花表演起了独奏，
The trees grow leaves overnight.
树木也在一夜 之间披上新绿。
In other years, spring tiptoes in.
有时侯， 春又悄然而入
It pauses, overcome by shyness, like my grandchild at the door,
羞涩腼腆， 欲前又止， 就像我的小孙女， 倚在门边。
peeping in, ducking out of sight,
偷偷往里瞅， 又一下子跑开了， 不见踪影，
giggling in the hallway.
只听见她在门 厅咯咯地笑。
"I know you're out there, I cry. "
我喊了一声： "我知道 你在那里，
Come in!" And April slips into our arms.
进来吧!"于是四月 便倏地一下 飞进我们怀中。
The dogwood bud, pale green, is inlaid with russet markings.
山茱萸的花骨朵儿 嫩绿嫩绿的,镶着 赤褐色的花边。
Within the perfect cup a score of clustered seeds are nestled.
在那漂亮的花萼里 竟稳稳地簇拥着 几十颗小种子，
One examines the bud in awe:
我们不禁要 惊羡地问一句：
Where were those seeds a month ago?
一个月前这些种子 还在哪儿呢?
The apples display their milliner's scraps of ivory silk, rose-tinged.
苹果树则像卖帽人， 向人们展示他帽子 上那一片片带点玫瑰 红的乳白色丝缎。
All the sleeping things wake up- primrose, baby iris, blue phlox.
所有熟睡的都醒了 ——樱草花、蝴蝶花、 草夹竹桃。
The earth warms-you can smell it, feel it, crumble April in your hands.
大地也暖和起来了 你可以闻到四月的气息 感觉到它那股馨香， 把它捧在手中赏玩。
The dark Blue Ridge Mountains in which I dwell,great-hipped big-breasted,
我所居住的漆黑的 蓝岭山脉像一群丰满 美丽的少妇，
slumber on the western sky.
沉睡在 西边的天空。
And then they stretch and gradually awaken.
这会儿，她们 伸伸懒腰， 渐渐苏醒了
A warm wind, soft as a girl's hair,
温暖的清风如姑娘 的长发一般柔和
moves sailboat clouds in gentle skies.
吹动着平静的 天空中帆船似 的白云。
The rains come-good rains to sleep by-
细雨飘了下来—— 好雨伴美梦
and fields that were dun as oatmeal turn to pale green, then to kelly green.
——而田野却在这细雨 中由燕麦粉般的灰褐 色变成了浅绿色， 而后又转为

黄绿
All this reminds me of a theme that runs through my head like a line of music.
所有这一切都向 我暗示着一个主题， 就像一行弦乐拂过 我的脑际。
Its message is profoundly simple,
这主题极简单，
and profoundly mysterious also; Life goes on.
又极神奇，那就是： 生命在继续。
That is all there is to it. Everything that is, was;
所有现在的一切， 过去也如此;
and everything that is, will be.
所有现在的一切。 将来仍如此。
I am a newspaperman, not a preacher.
我是报业从业员， 不是传教士。
I am embarrassed to write of "God's presence." God is off my beat.
若去赞颂"上帝无所 不在"，我觉得有些 牵强，写上帝不是我 的本行
But one afternoon I was walking across the yard
可有天下午， 我穿过后院，
and stopped to pick up an acorn-one acorn,
偶然停下来 拾起一粒橡子
nut brown, glossy, cool to the touch;
那是一粒赤褐色 的橡子。光洁圆 润，触之清凉
the crested top was milled and knurled
圆圆的冠顶如 同经过琢磨
like the knob on a safe.
就像保险柜 的圆把手。
There was nothing unique about it. Thousands littered the grass.
这粒橡子并没什么 特别，有成千上万粒 这样的橡子散铺在 草地上。
I could not tell you what Saul of
我不知道当信徒 保罗
Tarsus encountered on that famous road to Damascus
走在通往大马 士革的那条著名的 小道上，
when the light shone suddenly around him, but I know what he left.
突然被光芒笼罩时， 遇见了什么， 但我知道他当时 的感受
He was trembling, and filled with astonishment,
他一定是 惊鄂不已， 浑身颤栗
and so was I that afternoon.
那天下午我 就是这种感觉。
The great chestnut oak that towered above me
那棵在我面前挺拔 入云的高大橡树
had sprung from such an insignificant thing as this;
竟是从这么一粒 毫不起眼的小东西 生长而成的;
and the oak contained within itself
而橡树本身又蕴涵着
the generating power to seed whole forests.
足以在森林每个角 落繁衍生命的力量。
All was locked in this tiny, ingenious safe-the mystery,
这所有的竟都锁 在这个小小的、 精巧的保险柜中。
the glory, the grand design.
神奇、恢弘和伟大 的计划
The overwhelming moment passed, but it returns.
那个触人心弦 的时刻去而复返。
Once, in February, we were down on the hillside pulling up briars
有年二月，我们在 南面山坡上拔欧石 南，
and honeysuckle roots.
和金银花根
I dug with my hands through rotted leaves and crumbling moldy bark.
我用双手扒开腐臭 的树叶和发霉破碎 的树皮
And behold: at the bottom of the dead,
忽然发现在那堆 枯枝烂叶底下，
decaying mass a wild rhizome was raising a green,
一株野生的根茎上 竟发出一道绿光，
impertinent shaft toward the unseen sun.
倔强地

朝着被遮蔽 的冬日伸展。
I am not saying I found Divine Revelation.
我不是说我得到 了上帝的启示
What I found, I think, was a wild iris.
我想我发现的是 一株野蝴蝶花。
The iris was doing something more than surviving.
这株蝴蝶花可不仅仅 只是活了下来
It was growing, exactly according to plan,
它在生长， 完全遵循着应 有的程序生长
responding to rhythms and forces that were old before man was young.
应和着那在人类 还很年轻时就已很 古老的节奏和力量。
And it was drawing its life from the dead leaves of long-gone winters.
而且它的生命还 是从早已远去的 冬季留下的枯叶里 滋生出来的。
I covered this unquenchable rhizome,
这根茎的生命 是不可扼杀的 我掩上土，
patted it with a spade, and told it to be patient: spring would come.
用铲子拍拍它， 告诉它要耐心等待： 春天会来的。
And that is part of this same, unremarkable theme: spring does come.
其实，它揭示了那个 同样的寻常主题： 春确实来了
In the garden the rue anemones come marching out,
花园里，紫红的 白头翁花争相 竟放，
bright as toy soldiers on their parapets of stone.
鲜艳夺目，像一群群 玩具士兵站在石筑 的护墙上;
The dogwoods float in casual clouds among the hills.
山茱萸则 像朵朵彩云， 缭绕山际。
This is the Resurrection time.
这是复活的季节。
That which was dead, or so it seemed,
那些死去的， 或看起来好像 死去的，
has come to life again-the stiff branch, supple;
又重新获得了生命 ——僵直的枝条 柔软起来；
the brown earth, green.
枯黄的大地绿意融融。
This is the miracle: There is no death; there is, in truth, eternal life.
这就是奇迹： 世上没有死亡， 只有永恒的生命。
These are lofty themes for a newspaperman.
谈这些主题对报业 从业员而言似乎 太高深了，
I cover politics, not ontology.
我报导的应是政 治，而不是本体论。
But it is not required that one be learned in metaphysics
但并不是非得精通 玄学才能去对着
to contemplate a pea patch.
一片豌豆畦 沉思
A rudimentary mastery of a shovel will suffice.
只要基本上懂得 如何使用铁揪 即已足够。
So, in the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot
不妨试试， 在春日里， 用铁揪翻动菜畦，
turn under the dark compost, rake fine the crumbling clods,
翻搅黑色的肥料， 把耙子耙平干裂 的泥团，
and press the inert seeds into orderly rows.
把沉睡的种子一 排排齐齐整整地 埋在土里。
These are the commonest routines.
这些都是再普通不 过的日常工作，
Who could find excitement here?
谁会从中感到兴奋呢?
But look! The rain falls, and the sun warms,
但是，看! 下雨了， 太阳暖了，
and something happens.
奇迹也发生了!
It is the germination process.
种子

发芽了!
Germ of what? Germ of life, germ inexplicable, germ of wonder.
那是怎样的芽啊? 是生命的芽， 是无以名状的芽， 是奇迹的芽。
The dry seed ruptures and the green leaf uncurls.
干枯的种子裂开， 嫩绿的叶子伸展 出来。
Here is a message that transcends the rites
这其中传达的 寓义胜过任何 一座教堂、
of any church or creed or organized religion.
任何一套教义、任何一 种有组织的宗教所传授 的训导。任何人如果 对此有什么怀疑，
I would challenge any doubting Thomas in my pea patch.
我愿在我的豌豆畦 里与他明辩一番。
A year or so ago, succumbing to the lures of a garden catalogue,
大约一年前，我们读 到一本花草目录， 深深着迷，
we went grandly into heather.
不由兴致勃勃
Over the winter it looked as though the grand investment
买来一些石南。 整个冬天，
had become a grand disaster.
我们以不菲价格 买来的石南犹如遭 受重创，
Nothing in the garden seemed deader than the heather.
园子里再也找不到 比它更了无生气的 植物了，
But now the tips are emerald,
可如今，石南的枝头 翡翠一样的绿，
and the plants are coronets for fairy queens..
一株株石南宛 若仙子的花冠。
Everywhere, spring brings the blessed reassurance
春在每个角落 传递着慰勉的 福音，
that life goes on,
告诉人们生命在继续
that death is no more than a passing season.
死亡不过是 短暂的片刻。
The plan never falters; the design never changes.
生命的程序永远 不会停滞，生命的 构设永远不会改 变
Look to the rue anemone,if you will, or to the pea patch,
去看看白头翁花吧， 如果你愿意． 或去看看豌豆畦
or to the stubborn weed that thrusts
或去看看那倔强地
its shoulders through a city street.
将手臂伸过城市 街道的顽强野草。
This is how it was, is now, and ever shall be, the world without end.
从前是这样，现在 是这样，将来还会 是这样，这就是生生 不息的世界
In the serene certainty of spring recurring,
当我们发现，春已 切切实实地回来了， 在恬静之中，
who can fear the distant fall?
谁还会害怕遥远 的秋天呢?


08_The Enchantment of Creeks迷人的小溪
It flows between us, over us and with us.
它(小溪)流淌在我们 中间,在我们身上, 跟随着我们,
And it is time, strength,tone, light,life, and love.
它就是时间、力量、 音律、光明、生活 和爱。
--Robert Frost
———— 罗伯特.弗罗斯特
The Enchantment of Creeks
迷人的小溪
By Peter Steinhart
彼得.斯坦哈特
Creeks don't get named for Civil War generals or India chiefs.
小溪从不以内战时 的将军或印第安酋 长的名字命名，
They take their names from whatever's handy;
它们的名字都是 信手拈来的;
Rock Creek, Mill Creek or Mud Creek.
石溪、磨坊溪 抑或

土溪
They don't get celebrated is travel literature or national anthems.
小溪也不是游记或 国歌赞美的对象，
Creeks are the trivial part of our landscape,
它们只是风景中 微不足道的一个 角落，
what scoundrels and rusting shopping carts are thrown into.
是丢弃垃圾和废旧 购物车的地方。
But nearly everybody has a creek in his past,
然而几乎每个人 过去都曾有过 一条小溪，
a confiding waterway that rose in the spring of youth.
一条流淌于 内心深处的 少年时代的 小溪。
A park ranger's voice softens as he talks of a boyhood creek in Louisiana
一个守园人谈及他儿 时在路易斯安那州一条 小溪里
where he swam and fished.
游泳、捞鱼， 语调便柔和起来；
A conservationist's eyes sparkle as he recalls building dams
一个环保工作者 记起少时在加利福 尼亚州的草莓溪边 筑水坝
on Strawberry Creek in the California of his youth
双眼就熠熠发光
An Ohio woman feels suddenly at home again
俄亥俄州的一位妇 女每每忆起
as she remembers catching crayfish in the creek behind her parents' house.
在父母屋后的小溪 中捉虾的情景， 便恍如重回故乡
My creek wound between Grandfather's apricot orchard
我孩童时代的小溪 蜿蜒流淌于祖父的 杏树园
and a neighbor's hillside pasture.
和邻家山腰上的草 场之间。
Its banks were shaded by cotton- woods and redwood trees
两岸是浓郁的三角 叶杨和红树
and thick tangle of blackberries and wild grapevines.
还有密密匝匝、 盘根错节的野 葡萄藤和黑果莓
On hot summer days the quiet water flowed clear and cold over gravel bars
炎热的夏日里， 清凉的溪水静静 流过露出水面的 小沙堆
where I fished for trout.
我就站在这些 小沙堆上钓鳟鱼。
Nothing historic ever happens in these recollected creeks.
在这些记忆中的小溪 里从未发生过什么 惊天动地的大事
But their persistence in memory suggests
然而这些小溪却 长久地驻留在 脑海深处，
that creeks are bigger than they seem,
它们远比看上去 的更宽广，
more a part of our hearts and minds than mighty rivers.
远比汹涌澎湃的 江河更是我们 心灵的一部分。
Creek time is measured in the lives of strange creatures,
小溪是以一些 奇特的小动物 的生命来计算
in sandflecked caddis worms under the rocks,
那些藏匿于石块底 下裹着沙粒的 石蛾幼虫，
sudden gossamer clouds of mayflies in the afternoon,
那些午后如浮云般 忽然飘来的蜉蝣，
or minnows darting like slivers of inspiration into the dimness of creek fate
还有窜上跳下的鲦鱼， 银鳞闪耀，宛若点点 灵光投入命途多舛的 小溪
Mysteries float in creeks' riffles, crawl over their pebbled bottoms
小溪里每个微波都翻卷 着神奇的浪花，匍匐于 鹅卵石水底
and slink under the roots of trees.
潜行于树根

下。
While rivers are heavy with sophistication and sediment,
大江大河满是 诡秘和积淀， 显得那样沉重
creeks are clear, innocent,boisterous, full of dream and promise.
而小溪却是清澈、 纯真、活泼的， 充满梦想和希望。
A child can wade across them without a parent's cautions.
孩子们无须父母的 告戒，便可以从小 溪涉水而过。
You can go it alone, jig for crayfish, swing from ropes along the bank.
他们也可以独自一人 去小溪玩耍。在水中蹦 来跳去捉小虾，在岸边 系根绳子荡秋千。
Creeks belong to childhood, drawing you into the wider world,
小溪属于童年， 把孩子们引领向 一个更广阔的世界，
teaching you the curve of the earth.
教会孩子们勾勒 大地蜿蜒的轮廓。
Above all, a creek offers the mind a chance
更重要的是， 小溪能让心灵
to penetrate the alien universe of water, of tadpoles and trout.
走进一个奇特的 属于蝌蚪和鳟鱼 的水中世界。
What drifts in creek water
在小溪中漂流的
is the possibility of other worlds inside and above our own.
是另一番世界， 既在我们这个世界 之中，又在我们这个 世界之外。
Poet Robert Frost wrote:
正如诗人罗伯特· 弗罗斯特所写的：
"It flows between us, over us, and with us.
"它(小溪)流淌在 我们中间，在我们 身上，跟随着我们，
And it is time, strength, tone, light, life, and love."
它就是时间、 力量、音律、 光明、生活和爱。
Creeks lead one on, like perfume on the wind.
小溪就像那迎风 飘来的芳香，领着 我们前进
A creek is something that disappears around a bend,
它们会在弯处消 失，
into the ground, into the next dimension.
钻进土里， 钻进另一处空间。
To follow a creek is to seek new acquaintance with life.
所以追随小溪就是 寻觅生活新 的体验。
I still find myself following creeks.
我至今仍常去 追寻小溪。
In high mountain meadows I'll trace their course into the limegreen grass
在高山的草原上， 我循着它们的足迹 来到娇绿的草丛中
and deep glacial duff, marveling at the sparkle of quartz and mica.
或是清冷的枯叶深处， 总会看到闪亮的云母 和石英，每每令我惊叹 不已
The pursuit liquefies my citified haste
这种追寻能洗去我 都市生活的匆忙，
and lifts weight from my shoulders.
卸去我肩头的重负。
Once, in the California desert,
有一次，在加利福 尼亚的沙漠中，
as hummingbirds darted from cactus blossoms,
看着蜂鸟在 仙人掌花间往来飞舞，
I heard the babble of rushing water.
忽然听见潺潺流水声。
My ears led me over dusty hillsides and down scabrous ravines
我循声穿过尘积的山 坡，走下陡峭的峡谷，
to an unexpected ribbon of clear, cold water, leaping from rock to rock,
眼前竟是一条清凉 的小溪，跃过一块 又一块岩石，
filling

little pools.
注入一汪汪小水洼中
The discovery seemed Biblical. It filled me with joy.
这一切仿佛是 上帝的安排， 我不禁心旷神怡。
My boyhood creek long ago fell victim to ground-water pumping,
我儿时的小溪早 已被用来抽取地 下水
subdivision and channelization into San Francisco Bay.
分流和建造水渠， 把水引入旧金山湾。
Not a single one is left without at least some stretch straightened
如今，没有一条小溪 不是加上了笔直的 出口
and enclosed in concrete.
并且用混凝土围 了起来
With the creeks went the intimacies of the valley,
小溪已不在， 随之而去的是 山谷的亲昵，
the song of thrushes the cool shade of cottonwoods, inspiration.
画眉的鸣唱， 三角叶杨的阴翳， 还有灵气。
But I keep yet another vision of creeks as consolation.
然而，在我脑海里， 总有小溪的另一种 幻景慰藉我。
In it,the water flows through a small alpine meadow in the Sierra Nevada
在这图景中。有条小溪 流过内华达山脉上一个 小小的草原
It is summer, and the late afternoon sun lines the golden haze with long,
时值盛夏，黄昏的 斜阳洒下金色的余辉， 这幽辉镶着森林长长 的
blue forest shadows.
淡蓝的倩影。
My six-year-old son's blond hair catches the light
我那六岁的儿子
as he stretches a fishing rod over the creek
将鱼竿拉长， 他那金色的头发 浸在光影中。
The water fairly boils with leaping rainbow trout.
欢蹦乱跳的虹鳟鱼 溅起朵朵浪花，
They dart impulsively，
它们上下跳跃
trying to draw him into their world just as he tries to lure them to his.
试图将儿子吸引到它们 的世界中去，而儿子也 在引诱它们到自己的 世界中来。
When one finally becomes snagged, the boy dances triumphantly,
终于有一条 咬 钩了， 儿子得意地 手舞足蹈。
the silvery fish wriggling on his upheld leader.
银亮的鱼在 鱼线上扑腾着，
In that vision it is clear who has been caught.
看到这幅景， 究竟是谁捉住 了谁还用说么。


09_Have You Seen the Tree你见过那棵树吗
If the constellations appeared only once in a thousand years
倘若星座一千年 才出现一次．
he observed in Nature imagine what an exciting event it would be.
那么星座的出现该 是一桩多么激动 人心的事：
But because they're up there every night we barely give them a look.
可正因为星座每夜 都挂在天上． 人们才很少 抬头看上一眼。
Have You Seen the Tree? By Robert S.Kyff
你见过那棵树吗? 罗伯特.S.凯弗
My neighbor Mrs.Gargan first told me about it.
关于那棵树， 最初是我的邻居 加根太太告诉我的
"Have you seen the tree?"
"你见过那棵树 吗?"
she asked as I was sitting in the back yard enjoying the October twilight.
那天，我坐在后院 欣赏着十月的暮色， 加根太太过来问我：
"The on

e down at the corner," she explained.
她接着说；"就是那边 下去拐角的一棵，
"It's a beautiful tree-all kinds of colors.
五颜六色的， 漂亮极了，
Cars are stopping to look. You ought to see it."
好多车路过 都停下来看， 你该去看看才是。"
I told her I would, but I soon forgot about the tree.
我对她说我会去看的， 可转眼我就把这事 全忘了
Three days later, I was jogging down the street,
三天后， 我在街上跑步
my mind swimming with petty worries,
脑子里牵挂着 几件扰人的小事， 昏昏沉沉的
when a splash of bright orange caught my eye.
忽然，一片耀眼 的橘红色跃入眼帘。
For an instant,
一时间。
I thought someone's house had caught fire.
我还以为是 谁家的房子 着火了
Then I remembered the tree.
但我马上就想到了 加根太太说的那棵树。
As I approached it, I slowed to a walk.
我朝那棵树走去时， 不由渐渐放慢脚步。
There was nothing remarkable about the shape of the tree,
这棵树的形状并没有 什么特别之处。
a medium-sized maple.
只是一株不大 不小的枫树。
But Mrs. Gargan had been right about its colors.
但加根太太说得不错， 它的颜色确实奇特。
Like the messy whirl of an artist's palette,
整棵树就像画家手 中五彩斑斓的调色板，
the tree blazed a bright crimson on its lower branches,
树底部的枝丫 是鲜艳的梅红色
burned with vivid yellows and oranges in its center,
树的中部则燃烧着 明快的鹅黄色和 橘红色，
and simmered to deep burgundy at its top.
再往上，到了树梢， 枝条又缓缓地过渡 成绛红色。
Through these fiery colors cascaded thin rivulets of pale-green leaves
在这火样的色彩中， 流淌着浅绿的叶子 汇成的小溪，
and blotches of deep-green leaves, as yet untouched by autumn.
深绿的叶子则斑驳 点缀其间，竟似至今 未曾受过一点秋天 的侵袭。
Edging closer-like a pilgrim approaching a shrine-
我慢慢走近这棵枫树， 就像虔诚的朝圣者 缓缓步向神殿。
I noticed several bare branches near the top,
我发现靠近树梢的 地方有几根光秃秃 的枝桠
their black twigs scratching the air like claws.
上面黑乎乎的小枝 像鹰爪一般伸向天空
The leaves they had shed lay like a scarlet carpet around the trunk.
这些枯枝上落下 的叶子一片猩红， 像地毯似的铺在 树干周围。
With its varied nations of color, this tree seemed to become a globe,
这棵枫树集各国颜色 之大成于一身，
embracing in its broad branches all seasons and continents:
它张开宽大的枝丫， 历数着四季轮回， 容纳着五湖四海， 俨然是一个地球。
the spring and summer of the Southern Hemisphere in the light and dark greens
深浅错落的绿叶， 昭示着南半球的春夏，
the autumn and winter of the Northern in the blazing yellows and bare bran

ches.
灿黄的花叶和光秃秃 的枝丫勾勒出北半 球的秋冬
The whole planet seemed poised on the pivot of this pastiche.
整个星球就是围绕 这一时空的交集点 和谐运转。
As I marveled at this all- encompassing beauty,
我不禁为这棵树无所 不包的美惊叹不已。
I thought of Ralph Waldo Emerson's comments about the stars.
这时，我想起了著名 作家拉尔夫·沃尔多· 爱默生有关星星的 那段评论
If the constellations appeared only once in a thousand years,
倘若星座一千年才 出现一次
he observed in Nature, imagine what an exciting event it would be.
他在《自然》一书中 写道:那么，星座的 出现该是一桩多么 激动人心的事,
But because they're up there every night, we barely give them a look.
可正因为星座每夜 都挂在天上，人们才 很少抬头看上一眼。
I felt the same way about the tree.
对于眼前这棵树， 我也有同感。
Because its majesty will last only a week,
这棵树此时的华美 只能维持一个星期
it should be especially precious to us.
所以它对于 我们就相当珍贵
And I had almost missed it.
可我竟差一点错过了。
Once when Emily Dickenson's father
有一次，当著名诗人 埃米莉·狄更生的父亲
noticed a brilliant display of northern lights in the sky over Massachusetts,
偶然看见马萨诸塞 州上空一道炫目 的北极光时，
he tolled a church bell to alert townspeople.
他立刻跑到教堂 鸣钟以告知所有 市民。
That's what I felt like doing about the tree.
现在，对这棵树， 我也产生了这种 传颂它的冲动。
I wanted to become a Paul Revere of autumn,
我愿成为秋天 忠诚的信使，
awakening the countryside to its wonder.
让田园乡村每一个 角落的人们都了解 它的奇妙。
I didn't have a church bell or a horse,
可我没有教堂的大钟， 也没有快马，
but as I walked home,I did ask each neighbor
但我因在回家路上 每遇见一位邻居，
I passed the same simple but momentous question Mrs. Gargan had asked me:
就会去问他那个 加根太太曾问过 我的极其简单又 极其重要的问题：
"Have you seen the tree?"
"你见过那棵树吗?"


10_Shooting an Elephant射象
I often wondered whether any of the others grasped
我常常在想． 别人知不知道
that I had down it solely to avoid looking a fool.
我射死那象只是 为了不想在大家 面前显得像个 傻瓜而已。
Shooting an Elephant
射象
By George Orwell
乔治.奥威尔
I had halted on the road.
我在碎石路上 就停了步。
As soon as I saw the elephant
我一见到那头象
I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him.
就明确知道不应该打 死它。
It is a serious matter to shoot a working elephant-
把一头能做工的 象打死是桩严重 的事，
it is comparable to destroying a huge and costly piece of machinery-
这等于

是捣毁一台昂 贵的巨型的机器，
and obviously one ought not to do it if it can possibly be avoided.
事情很明显， 只要能够避免就 要尽量避免。
And at that distance, peacefully eating,
在那么一段距离之外， 那头象安详地在嚼草
the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow.
看上去像一头 母牛一样不 构成危险。
I thought then and I think now
我当时想-- 我现在也 这么想--
that his attack of "must" was already passing off;
它的发情期 大概已经 过去了，
in which case he would merely wander harmlessly about
因此它顶多就是 毫无攻击力地在 这一带闲逛，
until the mahout came back and caught him.
等驯象人 回来逮住它。
Moreover, I did not in the least want to shoot him.
何况，我当初根本 不想开枪打它。
I decided that I would watch him for a little while to make sure
因此我决定 从旁观察，
that he did not turn savage again, and then go home.
看它不再撒野了， 我就回去。
But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me.
但是这时我回头 看了一眼跟我来 的人群。
It was an immense crowd,two thousand at the least and growing every minute
人越聚越多， 至少已经有 两千人了
It blocked the road for a long distance on either side.
把马路两头 都远远地 堵死了。
I looked at the sea of yellow faces above the garish clothes-
我看着花花绿绿衣服 上是一张张黄色的脸，
faces all happy and excited over this bit of fun,
这些脸上都为了 这一点热闹的乐趣 而现出快乐和兴奋 的神情
all certain that the elephant was going to be shot.
大家都认定这头象 是必死无疑了。
They were watching me
他们看着我，
as they would watch a conjurer about to perform a trick.
就像看着正准备 变法的魔术师一样。
They did not like me,
他们并不喜欢我，
but with the magical rifle in my hands I was momentarily worth watching.
但是在那一刻， 由于我手中有 那支神奇的枪， 我就值得一观了。
And suddenly I realized
我突然明白 了，
that I should have to shoot the elephant after all.
我非得射杀 那头大象不可。
The people expected it of me and I had got to do it;
大家都期待我这么做， 我非这么做不可;
I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly.
我可以感觉到他们 两千个人的意志在 不可抗拒地把我推 向前
And it was at this moment,as I stood there with the rifle in my hands,
就在这个当儿， 就在我手中握着 那支步枪站在 那儿的时候，
that I first grasped
我第一次感觉到了
the hollowness, the futility of the white man's dominion in the East.
白人在东方的统治 的空虚和无用。
Here was I, the white man with his gun,
我这个手中握枪的 白人，
standing in front of the unarmed native crowd-
站在没有任何 武装的