翻译练习：飞蛾之死

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2007:02:25 15:30:24
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

THE　DEATH　OF　THE　MOTH飞蛾之死

Moths　that　fly　by　day　are　not　properly　to　be　called　moths.　they　do　not　excite　that　pleasant　sense　of　dark　autumn　nights　and　ivy–blossom　which　the　commonest　yellow–underwing　asleep　in　the　shadow　of　the　curtain　never　fails　to　rouse　in　us.　日间活动的飞蛾不宜称之为飞蛾：他们未能像沉睡于帘幕阴影下那些最普通的黄尾翅蛾，总煽起类似沉沉秋夜和常春藤花朵带来的那些快感。They　are　hybrid　creatures,　neither　gay　like　butterflies　nor　sombre　like　their　own　species.他们是杂交的产物，既不像蝶类那么艳然，也不像同类那么黯然。　Nevertheless　the　present　specimen,　with　his　narrow　hay–coloured　wings,　fringed　with　a　tassel　of　the　same　colour,　seemed　to　be　content　with　life.　不过眼前这翅呈干草色、翅缘逾深的窄翅蛾子，看来倒也乐天知命。It　was　a　pleasant　morning,　mid–September,　mild,　benignant,　yet　with　a　keener　breath　than　that　of　the　summer　months.　这是一个愉快的早晨，时值九月中旬，天气和煦宜人，但较之夏日略带凉意。The　plough　was　already　scoring　the　field　opposite　the　window,　and　where　the　share　had　been,　the　earth　was　pressed　flat　and　gleamed　with　moisture.　农夫正在犁耕窗子对面的田地，犁头到处，土地被压平，因潮湿而泛着幽光。Such　vigour　came　rolling　in　from　the　fields　and　the　down　beyond　that　it　was　difficult　to　keep　the　eyes　strictly　turned　upon　the　book.　盎然生机从田野和远处丘陵席卷而来，使得我目光禁不住游离书本。The　rooks　too　were　keeping　one　of　their　annual　festivities.　soaring　round　the　tree　tops　until　it　looked　as　if　a　vast　net　with　thousands　of　black　knots　in　it　had　been　cast　up　into　the　air.　which,　after　a　few　moments　sank　slowly　down　upon　the　trees　until　every　twig　seemed　to　have　a　knot　at　the　end　of　it.白嘴鸦也在举行它们一年一度的节日庆典，盘旋于树顶，越飞越高，有如一张千纲万目的黑色巨网撒向天空，片刻后又徐徐降落披散在树上，每根枝条的末梢因而都好似有了一个黑结。Then,　suddenly,　the　net　would　be　thrown　into　the　air　again　in　a　wider　circle　this　time,　with　the　utmost　clamour　and　vociferation,　as　though　to　be　thrown　into　the　air　and　settle　slowly　down　upon　the　tree　tops　were　a　tremendously　exciting　experience.巨网旋又撒向天空，张得更大，喧哗嘈杂无以复加，仿佛被撒向天空然后徐徐降落披伏在树顶是极其值得激动的经历。

The　same　energy　which　inspired　the　rooks,　the　ploughmen,　the　horses,　and　even,　it　seemed,　the　lean　bare–backed　downs,　sent　the　moth　fluttering　from　side　to　side　of　his　square　of　the　window–pane.　这股鼓舞白嘴鸦、农夫、耕马甚或贫瘠不毛的丘陵的活力，也鼓舞着飞蛾，在一方窗玻璃里来回翻飞。One　could　not　help　watching　him.　One　was,　indeed,　conscious　of　a　queer　feeling　of　pity　for　him.　你忍不住端详它，一股说不清道不明的怜悯之情从心底里油然而生。The　possibilities　of　pleasure　seemed　that　morning　so　enormous　and　so　various　that　to　have　only　a　moth’s　part　in　life,　and　a　day　moth’s　at　that,　appeared　a　hard　fate,　and　his　zest　in　enjoying　his　meagre　opportunities　to　the　full,　pathetic.　那天清晨生活的乐趣如此丰富多彩，如果只是像只飞蛾那样只有一天的寿命，并要想方设法享受这宿命的些许生趣，也堪称可悲可怜罢。He　flew　vigorously　to　one　corner　of　his　compartment,　and,　after　waiting　there　a　second,　flew　across　to　the　other.　它振翅飞到窗格的一角，停留片刻，又飞往另一个角落。What　remained　for　him　but　to　fly　to　a　third　corner　and　then　to　a　fourth?　除了再飞向第三个角落，然后第四个角落，它又能做些什么呢！That　was　all　he　could　do,　in　spite　of　the　size　of　the　downs,　the　width　of　the　sky,　the　far–off　smoke　of　houses,　and　the　romantic　voice,　now　and　then,　of　a　steamer　out　at　sea.　它能做的只有这些，无论丘陵多么广袤，天空多么辽阔；无论炊烟飘的有多远，海上不时传来的汽船鸣笛声有多动人。What　he　could　do　he　did.　它能做的它都做了。Watching　him,　it　seemed　as　if　a　fibre,　very　thin　but　pure,　of　the　enormous　energy　of　the　world　had　been　thrust　into　his　frail　and　diminutive　body.　端详着它，好似天地间的无限生机，在它细弱的躯体中，注进了一丝稀薄而纯粹的活力。As　often　as　he　crossed　the　pane,　I　could　fancy　that　a　thread　of　vital　light　became　visible.　He　was　little　or　nothing　but　life.我看着它在窗台间四处翻飞，仿佛看到了一束生命之光。它虽然微不足道，却是实实在在的生命。

Yet,　because　he　was　so　small,　and　so　simple　a　form　of　the　energy　that　was　rolling　in　at　the　open　window　and　driving　its　way　through　so　many　narrow　and　intricate　corridors　in　my　own　brain　and　in　those　of　other　human　beings,　there　was　something　marvellous　as　well　as　pathetic　about　him.不过，在涌进窗口，通过纷繁仄窄的曲经回廊向我、向芸芸众生脑中长驱直入的那些活力当中，飞蛾如此细小、如此微不足道，仍令人对之惊叹而唏嘘不已。　It　was　as　if　someone　had　taken　a　tiny　bead　of　pure　life　and　decking　it　as　lightly　as　possible　with　down　and　feathers,　had　set　it　dancing　and　zig–zagging　to　show　us　the　true　nature　of　life.　Thus　displayed　one　could　not　get　over　the　strangeness　of　it.　仿佛有人将生命之珠轻轻饰以毛羽，使其舞之蹈之，左翔右翥，把生命的本质，展现在我们面前，让我们明白生命神奇之不可参透。One　is　apt　to　forget　all　about　life,　seeing　it　humped　and　bossed　and　garnished　and　cumbered　so　that　it　has　to　move　with　the　greatest　circumspection　and　dignity.看着它腹背隆起，身披纹饰，行动不便，飞舞时谨小慎微，仪态凝重，关于生命的一切一切，统统都要被我们置诸脑后了。Again,　the　thought　of　all　that　life　might　have　been　had　he　been　born　in　any　other　shape　caused　one　to　view　his　simple　activities　with　a　kind　of　pity.然而一想到倘若飞蛾生来是另一副模样，它的命运该如何不同，又令人对其碌碌无为生出一丝怜悯来。

After　a　time,　tired　by　his　dancing　apparently,　he　settled　on　the　window　ledge　in　the　sun,　and,　the　queer　spectacle　being　at　an　end,　I　forgot　about　him.　飞舞片刻之后，飞蛾已然疲惫，歇息于阳光下的窗沿上；不寻常的一幕既已告终，我也就把它忘了。Then,　looking　up,　my　eye　was　caught　by　him.后来，偶一抬头，它又引起了我的注意。　He　was　trying　to　resume　his　dancing,　but　seemed　either　so　stiff　or　so　awkward　that　he　could　only　flutter　to　the　bottom　of　the　window–pane.　and　when　he　tried　to　fly　across　it　he　failed.它正试着再飞起来，但不知是由于费劲还是笨拙，只能拍翅飞到窗格底部；当试图飞到顶部时却没有成功。　Being　intent　on　other　matters　I　watched　these　futile　attempts　for　a　time　without　thinking,　unconsciously　waiting　for　him　to　resume　his　flight,　as　one　waits　for　a　machine,　that　has　stopped　momentarily,　to　start　again　without　considering　the　reason　of　its　failure.　我心不在焉，看着它徒然的努力，下意识地期待它重新飞起来，就像机器偶尔发生故障，期待它重新运转而不查究故障原因一样。过了片刻，After　perhaps　a　seventh　attempt　he　slipped　from　the　wooden　ledge　and　fell,　fluttering　his　wings,　on　to　his　back　on　the　window　sill.　飞蛾在大约第七次尝试飞上窗格顶部时从木窗沿上滑落下来，扑扇着翅膀，仰面朝天掉落在窗台上。The　helplessness　of　his　attitude　roused　me.　它无助的样子使我回过神来。It　flashed　upon　me　that　he　was　in　difficulties.　he　could　no　longer　raise　himself.　his　legs　struggled　vainly.　我这才明白它陷入了困境，飞不起来，只是还在徒劳地蹬腿。But,　as　I　stretched　out　a　pencil,　meaning　to　help　him　to　right　himself,　it　came　over　me　that　the　failure　and　awkwardness　were　the　approach　of　death.　I　laid　the　pencil　down　again.我正要伸出铅笔，帮它翻转身来，突然意识到它这是在作垂死的挣扎，就把铅笔搁下了。