中英文對(duì)照翻譯文章
中英文對(duì)照翻譯文章
不少英文文章都是帶有翻譯的,為的就是方便讀者在不理解文章的時(shí)候能夠找到對(duì)照的意思。下面就是學(xué)習(xí)啦小編給大家整理的中英文對(duì)照翻譯文章,希望大家喜歡。
中英文對(duì)照翻譯文章篇1:A Sailor's Christmas Gift
一個(gè)水手的圣誕禮物
William J·Lederer
威廉·J·萊德勒
Last year at Christmas time my wife,three boys,and I were in France,on our way from Paristo Nice.For five wretched days ererything had gone wrong.Our hotels were“touristtraps”;our rented car broke down;we were all restless and irritable in the crowded car.OnChristmas Eve,when we checked into a dingy hotel in Nice,there was no Christmas spirit inour hearts.
去年,在圣誕節(jié)期間,我和我的妻子以及我們的三個(gè)孩子,從法國(guó)踏上由巴黎到尼斯的旅途。由于接連五天的惡劣天氣,旅途上一切很不順心。我們下榻的旅館盡是些敲詐勒索旅客的“陷阱”;我們租用的那輛汽車?yán)鲜前l(fā)生故障,在擁擠不堪的車子上大家個(gè)個(gè)顯得煩躁不安。圣誕節(jié)前夕,我們住進(jìn)了尼斯的一家旅店,這家旅店又臟又暗,我們打心眼里感覺不到絲毫的節(jié)日氣氛。
It was raining and cold when we went out to eat.We found a drab littlejoint shoddily decoratedfor the holiday.It smelled greasy.Only five tables in the restaurant were occupied.Therewere two German couples,two French families,and an American sailor,by himself.In thecorner a piano player listlessly played Christmas music.
我們外出就餐時(shí),天正下著小雨,天氣寒冷。我們找到了一家死氣沉沉的小餐館。為點(diǎn)綴一下節(jié)日的氣氛,這家餐館剛剛做了番粗劣的裝潢。一進(jìn)門就聞到一股刺鼻的油污氣味。整個(gè)餐廳只有五張桌子有人就餐:兩對(duì)德國(guó)夫婦,兩戶法國(guó)家庭和一名孑然一身的美國(guó)水手。在餐廳的一個(gè)角落里,有位鋼琴師在無(wú)精打采地彈奏著圣誕樂曲。
I was too stubborn and too tired and miserable to leave.I looked around and noticed thatthe other customers were eating in stony silence.The only person who seemed happy was theAmerican sailor.While eating,he was writing a letter,and a half-smile lighted his face.
我情緒低落,加之疲憊不堪,執(zhí)意不愿離開這兒去找別的餐館了。我環(huán)顧四周,見這里的顧客一個(gè)個(gè)沉默不語(yǔ),只顧吃著、喝著,唯獨(dú)那位美國(guó)水手看上去興高采烈。他一邊吃著,一邊寫信,面帶微笑,神采奕奕。
Mywife ordered our meal in French.The waiter brought us the wrong thing.I scolded my wifefor being stupid.She began to cry.The boys defended her,
and I felt even worse.
我的妻子給我們叫來(lái)了法國(guó)式的飯菜,而服務(wù)員給我們端來(lái)的卻是別的東西。我斥責(zé)妻子盡干些蠢事,她哭了起來(lái)。孩子們一個(gè)個(gè)都護(hù)著他們的媽媽,于是我的情緒變得更加糟糕。
Then,at the table with the French family on our left,the father slapped one of his children forsome minor infraction,and the boy began to cry.On our right,the German wife beganberating her husband.
繼而,坐在我們左側(cè)餐桌上的那家法國(guó)人父親因?yàn)橐稽c(diǎn)雞毛蒜皮的小事動(dòng)手打了他的一個(gè)孩子一記耳光,那個(gè)小男孩哇哇大哭起來(lái)。在我的右邊,那個(gè)德國(guó)婦女不知因何緣故開始喋喋不休地?cái)?shù)落、責(zé)罵起她的丈夫來(lái)。
Allof us were interupted by an unpleasant blast of old air.Through the front door came an oldFrench flower woman.She wore a dripping,tattered overcoat,and shuffled in onwet,rundown shoes.Carrying her basket of flowers,she went from one table to the other."
我們大家都被一陣令人不快、死灰復(fù)燃的陳規(guī)陋習(xí)弄得心煩意亂。這時(shí),從前門進(jìn)來(lái)一個(gè)賣花的法國(guó)老嫗。她渾身濕透,衣衫襤褸,腳穿一雙水淋淋的破鞋,手里提著花籃,沿桌叫賣。
Flowers,monsieur?Only one franc."
“買花嗎,先生?一束才一個(gè)法郎哩。”
No one bought any.
誰(shuí)也沒有答理她。
Wearilyshe sat down at a table between the sailor and us.To the waiter she said,"A bowl ofsuop.I haven't sold aflower all afternoon." To the piano player she said hoarsely,"Can youimagine,Joseph,soup on Christmas Eve?"
她疲憊不堪,在水手和我們之間的那張餐桌旁邊坐了下來(lái),對(duì)服務(wù)員說(shuō):"請(qǐng)來(lái)碗湯吧。整整一下午,我連一朵花也不曾脫手。"接著,她轉(zhuǎn)向那位鋼琴師,用嘶啞的聲音問,"在圣誕節(jié)前夕喝碗湯,約瑟夫,你能設(shè)想這種滋味嗎?"
He pointed to his empty"tipping plate".
鋼琴師指了指身旁的那只空空如也的"放小費(fèi)的盤子"。
The young sailor finished his meal and got up to leave.Putting on his coat,he walked over tothe flower woman's table.
那位年輕的海員已用罷晚餐,欠起身來(lái)準(zhǔn)備離開餐館。他披上外套,走到賣花老嫗的桌前。
"Happy Christmas," he said,smiling and picking out two orsages."How much are they?"
"祝您圣誕快樂!"說(shuō)著,他笑嘻嘻地從花籃里挑出兩束專供婦女佩帶在前胸的鮮,"多少錢?"
"Two francs,monsieur.
"兩個(gè)法郎,先生。"
Pressing one of the small corsages flat,he put it into the letter he had written,then handedthe woman a twentyfranc note."
他把其中的一束花壓平,放進(jìn)一封已經(jīng)寫好的箋里,然后將一張20法郎面額的鈔票遞給了老嫗。
I don't have change,monsieur," she said."I'll get some from the waiter."
"我沒有零錢找您,先生。"她說(shuō),"我這就向服務(wù)員去借。"
"No,ma'am," said the sailor,leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek."This is myChristmas present to you."
"不用了,夫人。"說(shuō)著,水手俯身吻了吻老太婆那張皺紋褶褶的老臉,"這是我送給您的圣誕禮物。"
Straightening up, he came to our table,holding the other corsage in front of him."Sir," he saidto me,"may I have permission to present these flowers to your beautiful daughter?"In onequick motion he gave my wife the corsage,wished us a Merry Christmas,and departed.
他直起身軀,朝我們的餐桌走來(lái),那另一束鮮花擎在他的胸前。"先生,"他對(duì)我說(shuō),"我可以將這束花作為禮物送給您漂亮的妻子嗎?"說(shuō)著,他迅速地將那束鮮花塞到我妻子的手中,道了聲"圣誕快樂",便轉(zhuǎn)身走出了餐館。
Everyonehad stopped eating.Everyone had been watching the sailor.Everyone was silent.Afew seconds later,Christmas exploded throughout the restaurant like a bomb.The old flowerwoman jumped up, waving the twenty franc note.Hobbling to the middle of the floor she did amerry jig and shouted to the piano player, "Joseph, my Christmas present! And you shall havehalf, so you can have a feast, too."
人們都放下手中的餐具,個(gè)個(gè)目不轉(zhuǎn)睛地看著那位水手,整個(gè)餐廳悄無(wú)聲息。幾秒鐘后,圣誕節(jié)日那固有的歡樂激情像枚炸彈似地爆裂開來(lái)。賣花老嫗騰身站起,揮動(dòng)著她手中的那張20法郎的鈔票。她跌跌絆絆地走到餐廳的中央,歡快地踏起了舞步,沖著鋼琴師大聲嚷:"約瑟夫,瞧瞧我這份圣誕禮物吧!說(shuō)什么我也得讓你分享其中的一半,讓你也能吃上一頓豐盛的圣誕晚餐。"
The piano player began to belt out"Good King Wenceslaus," beating the keys with magic hands,nodding his head in rhythm.
鋼琴師急速地彈起了《好國(guó)王溫西斯勞斯》舞曲,魔術(shù)般的指頭敲擊著琴鍵,頭部和著樂曲的旅律頻頻點(diǎn)動(dòng)。
My wife waved her corsage in time to the music.She was radiant and appeared twenty yearsyounger.The tears had left her eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up in laughter.Shebegan to sing, and our three sons joined her, bellowing the song with uninhibitedenthusiasm.
我的妻子也隨著音樂的節(jié)奏揮動(dòng)著那束鮮花。她容光煥發(fā),仿佛一下子年輕了20歲。幸福的淚水奪眶而出,嘴角上綻出青春的笑容。她啟動(dòng)歌喉,放聲歌唱,我們的三個(gè)孩子隨聲和了起來(lái)。他們縱情高歌,沒有一絲半縷的拘謹(jǐn)感。
"Gut! Gut! "shouted the Germans.They jumped on their chairs and began singing the words inGerman. The waiter embraced the flower woman.Waving their arms, they sang inFrench.The Frenchman who had slapped the boy beat rhythm with his fork against abottle.The lad climbed on his lap, singing in a youthful soprano.
"好!好!"德國(guó)人高聲喝彩。他們跳到椅子上,并用德語(yǔ)唱起這支歌。服務(wù)員上前擁抱著賣花的老太太,兩人同時(shí)揮舞手臂,用法語(yǔ)唱了起來(lái)。那個(gè)曾打了他的兒子一巴掌的法國(guó)男子用餐叉敲擊著酒瓶打起了拍子,那男孩爬上他爸爸的膝蓋,用童聲歌唱起來(lái)。
TheGermans ordered wine for everyone.They delivered it themselves, hugging the othercustomers.One of the French families called for champagne-made the rounds, kissing each ofus on both cheeks.The owner of the restaurant started "The First Noel," and we all joined in,half of us crying.
德國(guó)人請(qǐng)?jiān)趫?chǎng)的每個(gè)人喝酒。人們自斟自飲,相互擁抱。那家法國(guó)人當(dāng)中的一位要來(lái)了香檳---到每張桌上給人敬酒,并吻了每個(gè)人的雙頰。飯館老板帶頭唱起圣誕歌,我們大家都跟著唱,其中有半數(shù)人是含著眼淚唱的。
Peoplecrowded in from the street until many customers were standing.The walls shook ashands and feet kept time to the Christmas carols.
人們絡(luò)繹不絕地從街上向餐館涌來(lái),其中一些顧客由于沒有空位而只好站在那里。人們和著圣誕歌的節(jié)奏手舞足蹈,聲音震得餐廳的四壁陣陣發(fā)顫。
Themiserable evening in a shoddy restaurant ended up being the very best Christmas Eve wehad ever experienced just because of a young sailor who had Christmas spirit in his soul.Hereleased the love and joy that had been smothered within us by anger anddisappointment.He gave us Christmas.
沒想到在這家簡(jiǎn)陋的小餐館里所度過(guò)的那個(gè)凄涼的夜晚,結(jié)果竟變成我們終生難忘的最最美好的圣誕之夜。這全虧那位靈魂中閃爍著圣誕精神的年輕海員。是他把我們由于憤懣和失望而被壓抑在內(nèi)心深處的愛心和歡樂給引發(fā)出來(lái)的。他賜給了我們圣誕的歡樂。
中英文對(duì)照翻譯文章篇2:Canadian Eskimo Lithographs
加拿大愛斯基摩人的石版畫
Hela Goetz
海拉·戈也茲
Since the Eskimos of Cape Dorset began making prints in 1959, their graphics have continuedto delight art lovers around the world. Interest has spread, not only in the south but to Arcticcommunities as well. Currently,four other Eskimo settlements are producing prints.
自從1959年多塞特角的愛斯基摩人開始創(chuàng)作版畫以來(lái),他們的作品一直為全世界的藝術(shù)愛好者所喜聞樂見。這種創(chuàng)作的興趣已經(jīng)不限于“南部”,而是遍及北極各個(gè)村落?,F(xiàn)在,其他四個(gè)居住地的愛斯基摩人也在制作版畫了。
Cape Dorset is probably the best known of the printmaking communities. For a dozen years,prints of consistently high quality have been produced; successful experiments with stencils,etchings and engravings have addedvariety and interest; individual artists are receivingrecognition and acclaim. As modern technology encroaches upon these formerly isolatedpeople, the prints have become a record of an earlier life style.
多塞特角可能是最有名的版畫創(chuàng)作之鄉(xiāng)了。多年來(lái),這地方不斷出有高質(zhì)量的版畫;不論蠟刻、蝕刻、雕刻,都是成果累累,作品豐富多彩,趣味橫生;各路藝人都備受重視,為人贊許?,F(xiàn)代技術(shù)逐漸滲入這些昔日與世隔絕的人們中間,這些版畫也就成了他們?cè)缙谏ǚ绞降膶懻铡?/p>
When one considers the limited means available to these artists, both in obtaining materialsand being exposed to print-making techniques, their success is indeed phenomenal. Graphicimages had been made by Eskimo artists prior to the advent of printmaking in the Arctic,usually in the form of incised figures and designs on ivory carvings, but the idea of reproducingan image many times on paper was totally new. James Houston, then Northern AffairsAdministrator at Cape Dorset, and himself an artist, guided the Eskimo artists in their firstexperiment, and gradually a cooperative print shop was established.
想想這些藝術(shù)家工作受到多么大的限制——搞不到設(shè)備,不懂印刷技術(shù),竟然能有如此成就,確實(shí)非同小可。愛斯基摩藝人在印刷術(shù)傳到北極之前,就已有各種雕像之作,通常是把人物和圖案雕刻在象牙上,但要在紙上多次復(fù)制同一圖像,卻是前所未聞。當(dāng)時(shí)駐多塞特角的北部事務(wù)行政官詹姆斯·豪斯頓,本人就是一位藝術(shù)家,他指導(dǎo)愛斯基摩藝人初試其道,后來(lái)他們逐步建立起了一家合作性質(zhì)的版畫店。
Carving of the image on to a flat stone block was a natural step for artists accustomed toproducing stone carvings; drawing the images to be repro-duced was more radical. Many ofthe women, who were far ouf flumbered as carvers by the men, took readily to the newmedium, and soon drawingsfor possible translation into prints became a major artistic activity.People began to take a great interest in recording everyday activities on paper, realisticallyreproducing the animals and birds which were the objects of the hunt and played such a centralrole in their existence, and drawing images of the spirits and strange creatures which peopledtheir mythology. Economic aspects played an important part, too, in the development of thisnew medium of artistic expression. For a people entering a new phase of civilization, it becamean absolute necessity to replace the older hunting economy with a new form of subsistence.The sale of carvings had, for thepast ten years, been an increasing source of income; thedevelopment of print-making techniques promised another means to survive economically.
把圖像刻在平石板上,是制作石雕的藝術(shù)家習(xí)以為常的一個(gè)步驟:把圖像描畫下來(lái),再?gòu)?fù)制出來(lái),就非同尋常了。拿雕刻師來(lái)說(shuō),男人的數(shù)量本來(lái)遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)婦女,但這時(shí)許多婦女也欣然從事這種新的工藝,于是描圖制版很快成為一種主要的藝術(shù)活動(dòng)。大家都開始熱衷于把日常的活動(dòng)記錄在紙上:他們逼真地再現(xiàn)了各種飛禽走獸,這些都是獵物,在他們的生活中起著簡(jiǎn)直是核心的作用;他們還畫出了許多精靈鬼怪的形象,這些又都是棲息在他們神話里的生靈。在這種新的藝術(shù)表現(xiàn)手段的發(fā)展過(guò)程中,經(jīng)濟(jì)方面也起了重要的作用。一個(gè)民族在進(jìn)入文明的一個(gè)新階段時(shí),勢(shì)必要用一種新的生存方式來(lái)取代舊的狩獵經(jīng)濟(jì)。在過(guò)去的十年中,出售雕刻品一直是增加收入的一個(gè)財(cái)源;發(fā)展制版工藝,提供了又一種賴以生存的經(jīng)濟(jì)手段。
The possibility of recording the old ways of life and the world of the spirits appealed especiallyto the older generation.
老一代人特別感興趣的是如今可以把古老的生活方式和鬼怪世界記錄下來(lái)了。
The recurring theme of monsters and spirits is not entirely the choice of theartiststhemselves. They have been encouraged to draw the old ways andto let their imagination runfree in conjuring up spirits, as these subjects areintensely interesting to southerners. Still, theidea of these fantastic crea-tures is a very real part of the Eskimo's spiritual heritage, andthey are asmuch a part of the old ways as was the nomadic existence in igloos andsHn tents.
精靈鬼怪的主題反復(fù)出現(xiàn),并非完全出自藝術(shù)家本人的選擇。。南方人”對(duì)這類題材極有興趣,藝術(shù)家因而也受到鼓舞,情愿畫。古老的方式”,任憑自己的想像力呼風(fēng)喚雨,自由馳騁。不過(guò),構(gòu)思出這批稀奇古怪的生靈,正是愛斯基摩人精神生活中的一個(gè)極為真實(shí)的傳統(tǒng),它們構(gòu)成了“古老的方式”的一個(gè)部分,猶如圓頂茅屋和獸皮帳篷體現(xiàn)了游牧生活一樣。
Strange species of birds are another favourite subject of the Cape Dorsetartists.
千奇百怪的飛禽是多塞特角的藝術(shù)家所鐘愛的又一個(gè)題材。
One of the marvellous things about carving and print maHng activities inthe Arctic is the numberof artists who take part-from young children tothe very old.
在北極,從事雕刻和版畫創(chuàng)作活動(dòng)的藝術(shù)家,下自少年兒童,上至耄耋老人,其人數(shù)之眾多,蔚為一大奇觀。
The old ways are all but gone, but the community spirit remains, support-ing new ideas andwelcoming new art forms without forgetting the heritageof the past.
“古老的方式”已經(jīng)消失殆盡,但他們那種群體精神今猶長(zhǎng)存,它不斷支持新的思想,迎來(lái)新的藝術(shù)形式,而又保住往昔的傳統(tǒng),并不忘本。
中英文對(duì)照翻譯文章篇3:A Visit with the Folks
探訪故親
periodically i go back to a churchyard cemetery on the side of an Appalachian hill in northernVirginia to call on family elders. it slows the juices down something marvelous.
弗吉尼亞北部阿巴拉契亞山脈的一個(gè)小山坡上, 有一處教堂墓地。每隔一段日子,我都要回到那里探望先輩們。這種 探訪有一種奇妙的力量,能讓人的心境歸于平靜。
they are all situated right behind an imposing brick church with a tall square brick bell-towerbest described as honest but not flossy. some of the family elders did construction repair workon that church and some of them, the real old timer, may even have helped build it ,but icounldn't swear to that because it's been there a long, long time.
先輩們的墓地全都在一座莊嚴(yán)醒目的磚石教堂后面。高高聳立的方形鐘樓也是磚石結(jié)構(gòu)的,說(shuō)它“樸實(shí)而不粗糙”在再合適不過(guò)了。家族先輩中有些參與過(guò)教堂的修繕工作,另一些人,那些真正的老祖宗們,或許還為教堂的建造出過(guò)力,但對(duì)此我可沒有絕對(duì)把握,因?yàn)榻烫媒ㄔ谀抢锂吘挂呀?jīng)很久很久了。
The view, especially in early summer, is so pleasing that it’s a pity they can’t enjoy it. Wildroses blooming on fieldstone fences, fields white with daisies, that soft languorous air turningthe mountains pastel blue out toward the West.
那兒的景色非常怡人,尤其是在初夏時(shí)節(jié)。石柵籬上的野薔薇競(jìng)相開放,田野被雛菊染成一片白色,微醺的和風(fēng)給群山抹上淡淡的藍(lán)色,一直向西邊延伸而去。先輩們無(wú)法欣賞這些美景,真是一樁憾事。
The tombstones are not much to look at. Tombstones never are in my book, but they do helpin keeping track of the family and, unlike a family, they have the virtue of never chafing at you.
那些墓碑倒是沒什么看的。在我看來(lái),墓碑從來(lái)就沒有什么好看的。但它們確實(shí)有助于尋根問祖,而絕不會(huì)像現(xiàn)在的家人,總跟你嘮叨個(gè)沒完。
This is not to say they don’t talk after a fashion. Every time I pass Uncle Lewis’s I can hear itsay, “Come around to the barber shop, boy, and I’ll cut that hair.” Uncle Lewis was a barber. Heleft up here for a while and went to the city. Baltimore. But he came back after the end. Almostall of them came back finally, those that left, but most stayed right here all along.
但這兒并不是說(shuō)他們總是“一聲不吭”。每次走過(guò)劉易斯大叔的墓前,我都能聽見這樣的話:“回頭到理發(fā)店來(lái),孩子,我給你剪剪頭。”劉易斯大叔是個(gè)理發(fā)的,有一段時(shí)間他曾離開家鄉(xiāng),到大都市巴爾的摩謀生,但最后還是回來(lái)了。幾乎所有的人,我是說(shuō)那些離開過(guò)的人們,最終都回來(lái)了,但大多數(shù)人——一輩子都呆在這里。
Well, not right here in the churchyard, but out there over the fields, two, three, four milesaway. Grandmother was born just over that rolling field out there near the woods the year theCivil War ended, lived most of her life about three miles out the other way there near themountain, and has been right here near this old shade tree for the past 50 years.
對(duì)了,“這里”當(dāng)然不是指這片墓地,而是鄉(xiāng)間那邊,離墓地二三英里或三四英里的地方。內(nèi)戰(zhàn)結(jié)束那年,祖母就出生在樹林子附近那片起伏不平的地頭。她大半輩子都在離林子大約三英里的大山邊生活,如今安躺在這棵綠蔭如蓋的老樹下也有50年了。
We weren’t people who went very far. Uncle Harry, her second child, is right beside her. Acarpenter. He lived 87 years in these parts without ever complaining about not seeing Paris. Toget Uncle Harry to say anything, you have to ask for directions.
先輩們都不大出遠(yuǎn)門兒。就拿哈里大伯來(lái)說(shuō)吧,他是祖母的二兒子,就葬在她的墓旁。他是個(gè)木匠,一輩子87年都在這一帶度過(guò),從未抱怨過(guò)自己沒去過(guò)巴黎,見識(shí)見識(shí)外面的世界。要想讓哈里大伯開口說(shuō)點(diǎn)什么,你得向他問路才行。
“Which way is the schoolhouse?” I ask, though not aloud of course.
“去學(xué)堂走哪條路呀?”我問道,當(dāng)然聲音不大。
“Up the road that way a right good piece,” he replies, still the master of indefinite navigationwhom I remember from my boyhood.
“沿那條道一直走就行,還得走好一陣子呢。”他回答道。在我兒時(shí)的記憶中,他一直就是這個(gè)樣子,總是那副好給別人之路卻又指不清的含糊口氣。
It’s good to call on Uncle Lewis, grandmother and Uncle Harry like this. It improves yourperspective to commune with people who are not alarmed about the condition of NATO orwhining about the flabbiness of the dollar.
像這樣探訪劉易斯大叔、祖母和哈里大伯,感覺真好。他們既不會(huì)因?yàn)楸奔s現(xiàn)狀而憂心忡忡,又不會(huì)因?yàn)槊涝\浂悟}滿腹,同這樣的人傾心交談能使你更加明察事理。
The elders take the long view. Of course, you don’t want to indulge too extensively in thatlong a view, but it’s useful to absorb it in short doses. It corrects the blood pressure and putsthings in a more sensible light.
先輩們大都看得開,想得遠(yuǎn)。當(dāng)然,你并不想沉迷于用太長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)的目光去看問題,但偶爾合理地用上一次卻大有裨益。這樣可以使你心平氣和,更加理智地看待各種事物。
After a healthy dose of it, you realize that having your shins kicked in the subway is not thegravest insult to dignity ever suffered by common humanity.
學(xué)會(huì)適當(dāng)?shù)匕涯抗夥砰_一點(diǎn)之后,你就會(huì)明白,在地鐵里被人踹了一腳并不算是普通人所受的什么奇恥大辱。
Somewhere in the vicinity is my great-grandfather who used to live back there against themountain and make guns, but I could never find him. He was born out that way in 1817—JamesMonroe was President then—and I’d like to find him to commune a bit with somebody of bloodkin who was around when Andrew Jackson was in his heyday.
就在這附近哪個(gè)地方埋著我的一個(gè)曾祖父。生前他依山而居,還造過(guò)槍,但我一直沒能找到他的墓。1817年他就出生在那里——當(dāng)時(shí)的總統(tǒng)是詹姆斯·門羅——我極想找到他,好跟這位親眼目睹了安德魯·杰克遜鼎盛時(shí)期的親人好好聊上幾句。
After Jackson and Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, he would probably not be very impressedabout much that goes on nowadays, and I would like to get a few resonances off histombstone, a cool frisson of contempt maybe for a great-grandchild who had missed all thereally perilous times.
這位曾祖父生活在杰克遜、亞伯拉罕·林肯當(dāng)政時(shí)期,又經(jīng)歷了內(nèi)戰(zhàn),對(duì)時(shí)下發(fā)生的事兒可能不會(huì)有太大的感觸。但我仍想從墓碑中聽他講上幾句,哪怕他會(huì)對(duì)我這個(gè)沒經(jīng)歷過(guò)真正危難時(shí)世的曾孫表示出冷漠和不屑,會(huì)令我不寒而栗。
Unfortunately, I am never able to find him, but there is Uncle Irvey, grandmother’s oldest boy.An unabashed Hoover Republican. “Eat all those string beans, boy,” I hear as I nod at histombstone.
遺憾的是,我始終沒能找到他的墓,卻碰到了祖母大兒子歐維大伯的墓。他是個(gè)鐵桿胡佛派共和黨人。“孩子,把那些菜豆全吃了。”我朝他的墓碑點(diǎn)頭時(shí),聽見他這么說(shuō)。
And here is a surprise: Uncle Edgar. He has been here for years, but I have never bumped intohim before. I don’t dare disturb him, for he is an important man, the manager of the baseballteam, and his two pitchers, my Uncle Harold and my Cousin-in-law Howard, have both beenshelled on the mound and Uncle Edgar has to decide whether to ask the shortstop if he knowsanything about pitching.
這可是個(gè)意外的發(fā)現(xiàn):埃德加大叔的墓,他埋在這里已有好些年了??山裉爝€是我第一次看見他的墓。我沒敢驚動(dòng)他,因?yàn)樗莻€(gè)大人物,棒球隊(duì)經(jīng)紀(jì)人。記得有一次,他的兩個(gè)投手——我的哈羅德大叔和霍華德表姐夫,在投球區(qū)被對(duì)方連連安打得分,他只得決定去找游擊手,問他有沒有信心上場(chǎng)充當(dāng)投手去投球。
My great-grandfather who made guns is again not to be found, but on the way out I pass thetombstone of another great-grandfather whose distinction was that he left an estate of.87. It is the first time I have passed this way since I learned of this, and I smile his way, butsomething says, “In the long run, boy, we all end up as rich as Rockefeller,” and I get into thecar and drive out onto the main road, gliding through fields white with daisies, past fencesperfumed with roses, and am rather more content with the world.
造槍的曾祖父的墓還是沒找到,但離開墓地的時(shí)候我卻發(fā)現(xiàn)了另一個(gè)曾祖父的墓。他的與眾不同之處就是只留下了3.87美元的遺產(chǎn),這是我聽說(shuō)這樁事后第一次從這兒經(jīng)過(guò),我笑他的寒酸,卻聽見有個(gè)聲音在說(shuō):“從長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)看,孩子,到最后我們都會(huì)跟洛克菲勒一樣有錢的。”于是我鉆進(jìn)汽車,穿過(guò)被雛菊染白的田野,經(jīng)過(guò)薔薇飄香的石柵籬,把車開到大路上。此刻,這對(duì)這個(gè)世界又多了幾許滿足。
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