- 捕捉伟大思想的那些美文:英文(环球时代美文读本)
- 吴中东 宫玉波主编
- 1564字
- 2022-11-04 18:42:12
Love
爱
导读
从古至今,无数人想尽办法寻找爱情……可结果有人欢喜有人忧……你感觉她来了,其实她已经走了;你感觉她走了,她其实却已经在你的身边了。
这就是她的属性:捉摸不定……
Who can say in what remoteness(remoteness: the property of being remote 遥远;时间久远) of time, in what difference of earthly shape,love first came to us as a stranger in the jungle?
We, in our human family, know him through dependence in childhood, through possession in youth, through sorrow and loss in their season.
In childhood we are happy to receive;it is the first opening of love. In youth we take and give, dedicate and possess—rapture(rapture: a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion 兴高采烈)and anguish are mingled, until parenthood brings a dedication that, to be happy, must ask for no return.
All these are new horizons of content,which the lust of holding, the enemy of love, slowly contaminates(contaminate: to make impure 弄脏;污染;污损). Loss, sorrow and separation come, sickness and death;possession, that tormented us, is nothing in our hands; it vanishes.
Love’s elusive entrenchment, his ubiquitous(ubiquitous: being everywhere 普遍存在的;无所不在的)pretence, again become apparent; and in age we may reach a heaven that asking for nothing knows how to enjoy.
无论在多么远古的时代,无论是以怎样世俗的形态出现,爱初次光临时,总是宛如在丛林中所见到的陌生人一样,是谁也说不清的事。
作为人类的我们, 在孩童时代因依靠爱自己的人而认识爱,青年时代因占有所爱的人而认识爱,在人生的节令里由于悲伤和失落而认识爱。
孩提时代我们乐于接受是爱的最早的萌芽。青年时代我们有取有舍,献身与占有,这时悲喜交集。直到做了父母时,我们对儿女心甘情愿地奉献,不望回报。
所有的这一切都是使人满足的爱之新疆界, 但它总要为那爱的死敌—— 占有欲慢慢地加以污损。失落、悲哀以及离别就要到来, 还有疾病与死亡。结果以前那种使我们受苦的占有,已不在手中,而是灰飞烟灭了。
爱的不可捉摸的魅力,那若即若离的灵性,又一次明显了;接着到了老年,我们或许可到达一种平静安乐的心境,不求报答、自得其乐的佳境。
Cloze
完形填空
in which that until must nothing receive first give no
1 childhood we are happy to 2 ; it is the 3 opening of love. In youth we take and 4 , dedicate and possess—rapture and anguish are mingled, 5 parenthood brings a dedication that, to be happy, 6 ask for 7 return. All these are new horizons of content, 8 the lust of holding, the enemy of love, slowly contaminates. Loss, sorrow and separation come, sickness and death;possession, 9 tormented us, is 10 in our hands; it vanishes.
1. In 2. receive 3. first 4. give 5. until 6. must 7. no 8. which 9. that 10. nothing
Translation Practice
翻译练习
I am blessed with the greatest blessing one can have: to love someone with all my heart who also loves me. Because of the gift of your love, you mean everything to me.
You make my world all that it is, a much better place than it would be without you. I can’t even imagine what it would be like if we weren’t together. Our love defines my life, and it is what I’m most thankful for.
You’re the one I want to spend every moment with: every dream, every wonder,and every goal. You’re the reason that I care about trying to do anything, the one I want to please besides myself; you’re the one who knows every corner of my soul. You’re the one I love enough to give my life for, the one I want to breathe my last breath with;you’re the biggest deal of all.
参考译文
我拥有凡人所能拥有的最大幸福:全心爱着一个爱我的人。你对我意味着一切,因为你爱的馈赠。
你造就了我的世界。没有你,它将会黯然失色。我甚至不能想象,没有你世界会是怎样。我们的爱给了我生活的意义,这是我最感激的事情。
我愿与你分享每一刻:每一个梦想、每一个奇迹、每一个目标。做任何事情的时候,我都会记挂着你。除了自己,我只想取悦于你。你了解我心灵的每一个角落。我是如此爱你,愿为你献出生命,愿与你一同死去。一切之中你最重要。
Emulation
美文自己写得出——学生仿写
On Complex Chinese Characters
As one famous professor stated, “ One can only appreciate the beauty of ancient Chinese literature through the complex Chinese characters. ” What the professor wants to convey is that complex Chinese characters are manifestation of traditional Chinese aesthetics. However, since the foundation of the PRC, China began to adopt simplified Chinese characters, so that illiteracy can be more easily eliminated. Undoubtedly, the introduction of simplified Chinese characters contributes to China’s modernization. So when a member of the national committee of CPPCC proposed that we should return to complex Chinese characters, ongoing debates ensued with vehemence. Personally, it is impractical to return to complex Chinese characters, but individuals can voluntarily make efforts to know complex Chinese characters.
Firstly, since the simplified characters have played an indispensable role in people’s lives, we will have to pay the price if we return to complex Chinese characters. To be specific, education administration has to bear the burden of changing textbooks;the corporate world will have to change their advertisements, contracts and other documents; the government has to change their seals, documents, agreements and treaties with foreign nations. Of course there are other costs resulting from the return to complex Chinese characters. But the question lies in who are willing to bear the costs.
In some impoverished areas, many families cannot afford to receive education; when the global economy is reduced to a slow-down, the corporate world is making efforts to cut costs. Therefore, I perceive the policy of returning to complex Chinese characters will trigger oppositions from the public.
Secondly, considering the amount of complex Chinese characters, can all the Chinese learn to recognize them overnight? While students have the time to learn complex Chinese characters, what about people in other domains? The corporate world cannot afford to interrupt their business, government officials and civil servants cannot be distracted from running our country, doctors and nurses have to be at work in case that emergency arises, just to list three typical domains that will be affected by the policy.
Admittedly, returning to complex Chinese characters will help preserve traditional Chinese culture. When China becomes more involved in the world, western cultures,especially American culture, have influenced Chinese people at an unprecedented level.
Many young people look on learning foreign culture as fashionable. However, the obvious benefits cannot make us embrace the policy with open arms, for we should also bear in mind whether the policy is feasible.