a high survival rate,其中用enjoy a high survival rate(成活率高)表达“好种易活”;用hardy(耐寒、耐劳、能吃苦)表达“会奋斗的”。
(4)“自己会奋斗”译为able to weather through by themselves,其中动词短语to weather through
的意思是“对付困难”、“渡过风暴”等。此句也可译为able to carry on the struggle for existence by themselves,但用字太大、太多。
(5)“任其自生自灭”不宜按字面直译,现意译为abandon them to their own fate。
(6)“一来二去”的意思是“经过一定的时间”,故译为in the course of time。
(7)“三年五载”以灵活的办法译为year in year out。
(8)“然后再出去,如此循环”不宜按字面直译,现译为I’ll go through the same back-and-forth
process again and again,其中定语back-and-forth作“来来往往”解;go through the same process
作“重复同一过程”解。
(9)“有益身心”可有两种译法:to keep me fit in mind and body或to keep me mentally and
physically fit。
(10)“就得全家动员”译为the whole family will have to turn out,其中动词短语to turn out的
意思是“出动”或“出来参加”。
(11)“十分紧张”译为feel keyed up,其中动词短语to key up的意思是“使紧张”,因此keyed
up和excited、tense等同义。
(12)“更有秉烛夜游的神气”中的“秉灯夜游”是成语,比喻“及时行乐”,今结合上下文
按“夜间秉烛作乐”的意思译为nocturnal merry-making under candle lights。又“更有……神气”意即“带有……的味道”,故全句译为in an atmosphere smacking of nocturnal merry-making under candle lights.
白杨礼赞
茅盾
白杨树实在是不平凡的,我赞美白杨树!
当汽车在望不到边际的高原上奔驰,扑入你的视野的,是黄绿错综的一条大毡子
(1);黄的,那是土,未开垦的处女土,几十万年前由伟大的自然力所堆积成功的黄土
高原的外壳;绿的呢,是人类战胜自然的结果,是麦田,和风吹送,翻起了一轮一轮
的绿波——这时你会真心佩服昔人所造的两个字“麦浪”,若不是妙手偶得,便确是
经过锤炼的语言的精华;黄与绿主宰着,无边无垠,坦荡如砥(2),这时如果不是宛若
并肩的远山的连峰提醒了你(这些山峰凭你的肉眼来判断,就知道是在你脚底下的),
你会忘记了汽车是在高原上行驶。这时你涌起来的感想也许是“雄壮”,也许是“伟
大”,诸如此类的形容词;然而同时你的眼睛也许觉得有点倦怠,你对当前的“雄壮”
或“伟大”闭了眼(3),而另一种味儿在你的心头潜滋暗长(4)了——“单调”!可不是,
单调,有一点儿吧?
然而刹那间,要是你猛抬眼看见了前面远远地有一排,——不,或者甚至只是三
五株,一二株,傲然地耸立,像哨兵似的树木的话,那你的恹恹欲睡(5)的情绪又将如
何?我那时是惊奇地叫了一声的!
那就是白杨树,西北极普通的一种树,然而实在不是平凡的一种树!
那是一种力争上游的一种树,笔直的干,笔直的枝。它的干呢,通常是丈把高,
像是加过人工似的,一丈以内,绝无旁枝;它所有的丫枝呢,一律向上,而且紧紧靠
拢,也像是加过人工似的,成为一束,绝无横斜逸出(6);它的宽大的叶子也是片片向
上,几乎没有斜生的,更不用说倒垂了;它的皮,光滑而有银色的晕圈,微微泛出淡
青色。这是虽在北方的风雪的压迫下却保持着倔强挺立的一种树!哪怕只有碗来精细
罢,它却努力向上发展,高到丈许,二丈,参天耸立,不折不挠,对抗着西北风。
这就是白杨树,西北极普通的一种树,然而决不是平凡的树!它没有婆娑的姿态,
没有屈曲盘旋(7)的虬枝,也许你要说它不美丽,——如果美是专指“婆娑”或“横斜
逸出”之类而言,那么白杨树算不得树中的好女子;但是它却是伟岸(8),正直,朴质,
严肃,也不缺乏温和,更不用提它的坚强不屈与挺拔,它是树中伟丈夫!当你在积雪
初融的高原上走过,看见平坦的大地上傲然挺立这么一株或一排白杨树,难道你觉得
树只是树?难道你就想不它的朴质,严肃,坚强不屈,至少也象征了北方的农民;难
道你竟一点也不联想到,在敌后的广大土地上,到处有坚强不屈,就像这白杨树一样
傲然挺立的守卫他们家乡的哨兵(9),难道你又不更远一点想到这样枝枝叶叶靠紧团
结,力求上进的白杨树,宛然象征了今天在华北平原纵横激荡(10),用血写出新中国
历史的那种精神和意志。
白杨不是平凡的树。它是西北极普遍,不被人重视,就跟北方农民相似;它有极
强的生命力(11),磨折不了,压迫不倒,也跟北方的农民相似。我赞美白杨树,就因
为它不但象征了北方的农民,尤其象征了今天我们民族解放斗争中所不可缺的(12)朴
质,坚强,以及力求上进的精神。
让那些看不起民众,贱视民众,顽固的倒退的人们去赞美那贵族化的楠木(13)(那┆┆文┆檔┆共┆享┆與┆在┆線┆閱┆讀┆
也是直干秀颀(14)的),去鄙视这极常见,极易生长的白杨罢,但是我要高声赞美白
杨树!
Tribute to the White Poplar
Mao Dun
The white poplar is no ordinary tree. Let me sing its praises.
When you travel by car through Northwest China’s boundless plateau, all you see
before you is something like a huge yellow-and-green felt blanket. Yellow is the soil—the
uncultivated virgin soil. It is the outer covering of the loess plateau accumulated by Mother
Nature several hundred thousand years ago. Green are the wheat fields signifying man’s
triumph over nature. They become a sea of rolling green waves whenever there is a soft
breeze. One is here reminded of Chinese expression mai lang meaning “rippling wheat”
and cannot help admiring our forefathers’ ingenuity in coining such a happy phrase. It
must have been either the brainwave of a clever scholar, or a linguistic gem sanctioned by
long usage. The boundless highland, with dominant yellow and green, is flat like a
whetstone. Were it not for distant mountain peaks standing side by side (which, as your
naked eyes tell you, are bellow where you stand), you would probably forget that you are
on the highland. The sight of the scene will probably call up inside you a string of epithets
like “spectacular” or “grand”. Meanwhile, however, your eyes may become weary of
watching the same panorama, so much so that you are oblivious of its being spectacular or
grand. And you may feel monotony coming on. Yes, it is somewhat monotonous, isn’t it?
Now what will become of your weariness if you suddenly raise your eyes only to
catch sight of distant row of trees (or just a couple of them) sta