大学英语第三册A篇翻译.doc

A FABLE FOR TOMORROWRachel Carson当前语速:英音150词/分钟 美音130词/分钟 There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of color that flamed and flickered across a backdrop（背景） of pines. Then foxes barked in the hills and deer silently crossed the fields, half hidden in the mists of the fall mornings.从前在美国中心有一个小镇，那里的万物看上去都与其四周的环境融洽相处。 小镇的四周是像棋盘交错的兴旺的农庄，还有一块块的田地和一座座遍布山坡的果园。春天来了，白色的鲜花云彩般地漂浮在绿色的田野上； 秋天到了，橡树、枫树和桦树色彩斑斓，在一片松树林间火焰般地燃烧与跳跃。 小山上狐狸吠叫，田野间小鹿静静地跃过，所有的一切都在秋天清晨的薄雾中半隐半现。 Along the roads, laurel, viburnum and alder, great ferns and wildflowers delighted the travelers eye through much of the year. Even in winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed on the berries and on the seed heads of the dried weeds rising above the snow. The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life, and when the flood of migrants was pouring through in spring and fall people traveled from great distances to observe them. Others came to fish the streams, which flowed clear and cold out of the hills and contained shady pools where trout lay. So it had been from the days many years ago when the first settlers raised their houses, sank their wells, and built their barns.在路的两旁，一年中许多时候，月桂树、荚莲、桤木、蕨类植物和各样的野花都能让过往的行人赏心悦目。 即使是冬天，路边的景色依旧是美不胜收，那里无数的小鸟来觅取浆果莓和露在雪地上的枯枝上的种子。 事实上，这乡村正是由于鸟类的数量和种类之繁多而出名的。在候鸟群潮涌而来的春秋季节，人们从大老远的地方慕名前来欣赏。 还有的人来这里的小溪垂钓。清冽的溪水从山中流出，溪水中有许多鳟鱼藏身的背阴的水潭。 所以，从许多年前开始，第一批居住者就在这里盖房挖井，搭起了自己的谷仓。 Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community: mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours.后来，一种奇怪的摧毁力悄然袭击了这个地区，所有的一切都开始变了。 某种邪恶的符咒笼罩了这个社区：神秘的疾病攻击了鸡群，牛、羊也纷纷病死， 到处都有一层死亡的阴影。 农夫们谈论着家中的许多疾病； 镇上的医生也越来越因病人中出现的新的病症而感到迷惑。 在成人和孩子中发生了好几起突发的不明其由的死亡，那些孩子在玩耍中突然病倒，几小时后就死去了。 There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example - where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh.这里是一派奇怪的寂静。 就说鸟儿们吧-它们都去哪儿了？ 许多人说起鸟儿的时候都充满了迷惑与不安。 他们后院的饲养站已经没有鸟儿光顾了。 随处能见到的几只鸟都奄奄一息。他们猛烈地颤抖，却飞不起来。 这是一个无声的春天。 曾经是震动着画眉鸟、猫鸟、鸽子、樫鸟、欧鹪和许多鸟儿的黎明合唱声的清晨如今却寂然无声。田野间、树林中和沼泽地里也是一片寂静。 On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs - the litters were small and the young survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit.在农庄，母鸡下蛋却孵不出小鸡。 农夫们抱怨无法养猪，因为刚生下的猪崽太小了，小猪也只能活几天的功夫。 苹果树开花了，可是没有蜜蜂在花丛中嗡嗡地采蜜，没有蜜蜂的授粉，也就没有任何果子。 The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These, too, were silent, deserted by all living things. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them, for all the fish had died.曾经是如此迷人的路旁如今却铺着黑黑的枯干的草木，仿佛是被一场大火烧过一般。 那里也是一片寂静，因为所有的生物都遗弃了它。 即使是溪流中也没有了生命。 因为所有的鱼都已经死了，垂钓者也就不再来了。 In the gutters under the eaves and between the shingles of the roofs, a white granular powder still showed a few patches; some weeks before it had fallen like snow upon the roofs and the lawns, the fields and streams.在屋檐下的天沟里，屋顶的木瓦之间仍旧可见几片白色的粒状的粉末。几个星期之前，它像白雪一样洒在了屋顶上、草地上、田野里和溪流里。 No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves.在这个遭受袭击的地球上，没有巫术，也没有敌人的行动抑制了新生命的复苏； 这一切都是人自身造成的。 Since the mid-1940s, over 500 basic chemicals have been created for use in killing insects, weeds, rodents, and other organisms described in the modern vernacular as pests, and they are sold under thousand different brand names.自20世纪40年代中期起，人们制造了500多种基本的化学药品来杀死在现代语言中被称作害虫的昆虫、杂草、啮齿动物和其他的生物体，以几千种的品牌名称来出售它们。 These sprays, dusts, and aerosols are now applied almost universally to farms, gardens, forests, and homes - nonselective chemicals that have the power to kill every insect, the good and the bad, to still the song of birds and the leaping of fish in the streams, to coat the leaves with a deadly film, and to linger on in soil - all this though the intended target may be only a few weeds or insects. Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life?这些液体喷剂、粉末和雾状喷剂现在几乎普遍使用于农庄、花园、森林和家庭。非选择性的化学药品能杀死每只昆虫（不管是好的还是坏的），能使鸟儿不再歌唱，溪流中的鱼儿不再跳跃，能在树叶上覆盖一层致命的薄膜，并能存留在土地中。而造成这一切的预定的目标可能仅仅是一些杂草和昆虫。 难道真的有人认为，我们在地球的表面撒下如此多的毒药，同时还能使它继续成为一个任何生命都能存活的地方吗？ This town does not actually exist, but it might easily have a thousand counterparts in America or elsewhere in the world. I know of no community that has experienced all the misfortunes I describe. Yet every one of these disasters has actually happened somewhere, and many real communities have already suffered a substantial number of them. A grim specter has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know. 这个小镇事实上并不存在，但是在美国或地球的别的地方我们能轻易地找到一千个与它对应的地方。 我知道没有一个社区经历了我所描述的所有不幸， 但是其中的每一个灾难都已经在某个地方发生了，许多社区已经遭受了相当多的灾难。 一个冷酷的幽灵几乎是在不经意间已悄悄向我们走来了，而这个想像的悲剧也许很容易就成为一个我们都应该知道的严酷的事实。 The JokerJake Allsop当前语速:英音150词/分钟 美音130词/分钟 It was a very happy funeral, a great success. Even the sun shone that day for the late Henry Ground. Lying in his coffin, he was probably enjoying himself too. Once more, and for the last time on this earth, he was the centre of attention. Yes, it was a very jolly affair. People laughed and told each other jokes. Relatives who had not spoken for years smiled at each other and promised to stay in touch. And, of course, everyone had a favourite story to tell about Henry.这是一个非常欢快的葬礼，一个巨大的成功。 就连天上的太阳都为刚刚过世的亨利格兰德灿烂地照耀着。 躺在棺材里的亨利或许也在欣赏自己。 在这个世界里最后一次，他，亨利又一次成为人们关注的中心。 是的，这真是一件非常愉快的事情。 人们笑着，彼此讲着笑话。 多少年不来往的亲戚们相互微笑着，承诺今后保持联络。 并且，当然，每个人都有自己最为得意的关于亨利的笑话。 I was once having dinner with him in a posh restaurant. When the wine-waiter brought the wine, he poured a drop into Henrys glass and waited with a superior expression on his face, as if to sayTaste it, you peasant. Its clear that you know nothing about wine. So Henry, instead of tasting it, the way any normal person would do, dipped his thumb and forefinger into the wine. Then he put his hand to his ear and rolled his forefinger and thumb together as if he were listening to the quality of the wine! Then he nodded to the wine-waiter solemnly, as if to say Yes, thats fine. You may serve it. You should have seen the wine-waiters face! And how Henry managed to keep a straight face, Ill never know!有一次我们俩在一家豪华的饭店吃饭。送酒的服务生走过来，倒了一点酒到亨利的杯子里，然后等在一旁，满脸高人一等的表情，仿佛在说：尝尝吧，乡巴佬。很显然你根本不了解葡萄酒。亨利没有去尝酒，在这种场合人们通常都会尝一下。而他却用拇指和食指在酒里沾了一下，接着把手放到耳边，捻动起食指和拇指，仿佛在聆听酒的质量。之后他朝送酒的服务生严肃地点点头，仿佛在说：是的，不错。你可以上酒了。你真该去看一看那个服务生的脸！真不知道亨利怎么能绷着脸忍住不笑的。 Yes, old Henry loved to pull peoples legs. Once, when he was invited to an exhibition of some abstract modern painters latest work, he managed somehow to get in the day before and turn all the paintings upside down. The exhibition ran for four days before anyone noticed!.是啊，老亨利就是爱捉弄人。有一次，他被邀请去参观一个现代抽象派画家的近期作品展览，他居然设法提前一天进入展览馆，把所有的画都颠倒过来。结果画展进行了四天，楞没有人发现。 The stories went on even while the coffin was being lowered into the grave. People held handkerchiefs to their eyes, but their tears were tears of laughter, not sadness. Afterwards, there was a funeral breakfast, by invitation only. It was attended by twelve of Henrys closest friends. Henry Ground had asked his brother, Colin, to read out his will during the funeral breakfast. Everyone was curious about Henry Grounds will. Henry had been in debt all his life, hadnt he? What could he possibly have to leave in a will?笑话一个接着一个，连棺材被放入墓穴时都没有停止。 人们拿手帕去擦脸、擦眼睛，擦掉的不是悲伤的眼泪，而是笑出的眼泪。 稍后，是葬礼早餐，只有接到请柬的人能够参加。 出席者是亨利的十二位最好的朋友。 亨利格兰德曾嘱咐弟弟柯林在葬礼早餐上宣读他的遗嘱。 每个人都想知道亨利的遗嘱会是什么内容。 亨利可是一辈子债台高筑，不是吗？ 他的遗嘱里还能留什么东西？ Colin cleared his throat. Ahem! If you are ready, ladies and gentlemen. Everyone settled down expectantly. Colin opened the will, and began to read it out in a singsong voice.柯林清了清嗓子， 呃哼！你们都准备好了吧，女士们，先生们。 每个人都安静下来，期待着。 柯林打开遗嘱，开始一板一眼地大声宣读： I, Henry Ground, being of sound mind. last will and testament. do hereby bequeath.我，亨利格兰德，心智正常特立遗嘱将此传与 The legal phrases rolled on and on, and the audience grew impatient to get to the important part. It came soon enough. When Colin announced that Henry Ground, despite his reputation as a good-for-nothing, had invested his money very wisely, and was in fact worth at least three-quarters of a million, everyone gasped. But who was going to get it? Eyes narrowed and throats went dry.法律术语滚滚而来，听众有些不耐烦，急着听关键的部分。 很快就到了。 当柯林宣布亨利格兰德虽然声名不好，一直被认为游手好闲，一事无成，但却聪明地将钱做了投资，现在实际上有价值至少七十五万的遗产时，每个人都倒吸了一口气。 不过，谁将得到这笔钱呢？ 所有人的眼睛都眯起来，喉咙开始发干。 You are all such dear friends of mine, Colin went on, reading out Henry Grounds words in a monotone, which, in other circumstances, would have sent everyone to sleep, that I cannot decide which of you to leave my money to. Colin paused. In the silence, you could have heard a pin drop. He resumed. So, dear friends, I have set you a little competition. Each of you in turn must tell the funniest joke he or she can think of, and the one who gets the most laughter will inherit my fortune. Colin will be the sole judge of the best joke.你们都是我这么好的朋友，柯林接着往下读着亨利格兰德的遗言，那种单调的语调，换任何别的场合早叫人听得睡着了。我真无法决定该将我的钱留给你们当中的哪一个。柯林停顿了一下。 周围一片沉寂，要是有根针掉到地上也能听得见。 他接着念道， 所以，亲爱的朋友们，我给你们设立了一场小小的比赛。你们每个人都要轮流讲一个你认为最滑稽的笑话。谁的笑话得到的笑声最多，谁将继承我的财产。柯林将作为惟一裁判，遴选出最佳笑话。 So, ladies and gentlemen, said Colin, putting the will down on the table, its up to you now. Who will go first? May I suggest that you go in alphabetical order of surnames?所以，女士们，先生们，柯林把遗嘱放在桌上，说道，现在全看你们的了。谁第一个讲呢？我可不可以建议你们按姓氏字母顺序进行呢？ The first person stood up and told a very funny joke about an Englishman who fell in love with his umbrella. When he finished, he was in tears of laughter, for he always laughed at his own jokes. The rest of the company remained absolutely silent. You could tell from their red faces and their screwed-up eyes that they found the joke funny, but not one of them was prepared to laugh, and give him the chance to win the competition. The second told a story about a three-legged pig, which was so good that, some years later, MGM made a cartoon of it. When she sat down, the others buried their faces in their handkerchiefs, coughed, pretended to sneeze, dropped pencils under the table, anything to cover up their laughter. And so it went on, joke after wonderful joke, the sort of jokes that make your sides ache. And nobody dared to laugh!第一个人站起来，他讲的是一个英国人爱上自己的雨伞的笑话。笑话很滑稽。 讲完以后，他笑得眼泪直流，因为他总是对自己的笑话大笑不已。 周围的人保持着绝对的安静。 从他们涨红的脸膛和上翻的眼睛你可以看出，他们觉得这个笑话可笑极了。但是没有一个人准备笑，他们决不会给他赢得比赛的机会。 第二个人讲的是一只三条腿的猪的笑话。这个笑话棒极了，几年后米高梅公司根据这个笑话制作了一部卡通片。 她坐下后，其他人都把脸埋进手帕里，咳嗽，假装打喷嚏，有的装作到桌子下面找铅笔，凡此种种用以遮掩自己的笑声。 于是，情形就这样继续着，一个笑话接着一个笑话，都是能让人笑痛肚子的笑话， 可是没有一个人笑出声来。 You know what its like when you want to laugh, but cannot. It happens in classrooms all the time. Somebody starts to giggle, and then tries to stop. Immediately three or four others will want to giggle. The desire to laugh spreads like an infection, and soon the entire class is choking, while the teacher looks round baffled, wondering what all the snuffling noises are.你知道想笑但又不能笑是怎样一种情景。 教室里经常发生这样的事。 开始一个人咯咯两声，接下来拼命想憋住不笑。 马上就会有三四个人也想笑出声来。 想笑的欲望就像传染病一样，很快整个班里一片吭哧之声。而老师则四处张望，不知道那一片抽鼻子的声音是怎么回事。 Well, by the time the last joke had been told, every one of the twelve was sitting perfectly still, desperately holding in the laughter which was bursting to get out. Their suppressed laughter had built up such a pressure: it was like a volcano ready to erupt.不过，到最后一个笑话讲完，全体十二个人都静静地坐着，拼命憋着随时可以迸发的笑声。 他们压抑的笑聚集成一种巨大的压力：就像一座随时准备喷发的火山。 Silence. Painful silence.沉默， 痛苦的沉默。 Suddenly, Colin sneezed. A perfectly ordinary sneeze. Atishoo. Then he took out a ridiculously large spotted-red handkerchief and blew his nose. Bbbrrrrrrppp.突然，柯林打了个喷嚏。 一个再平常不过的喷嚏了。 啊嚏 接着他拿出一块巨大无比的红点手帕揩鼻子。 哼啵 That was enough. Someone burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. That started the others off. In no time, everyone was doubled up, tears streaming from their eyes, their shoulders heaving as wave after wave of laughter erupted like lava from a volcano. Of course, they were not just laughing at the sneeze, nor even at the twelve jokes. No, they were laughing at themselves as it dawned on them that Henry Ground had led them into his last, and funniest, practical joke, setting their need to laugh against their greed for money.这就够了。 有一个人再也憋不住突然大笑起来， 其他人全都跟着笑了。 顷刻之间，大家笑弯了腰，眼泪顺着脸颊流淌下来。随着一波一波的笑声，他们的肩膀起伏着。那笑声就像火山的熔岩一般不停地喷发着。 当然，大家笑的不是柯林的喷嚏，甚至也不是他们那十二个笑话。 不，他们在笑自己，因为他们都明白了，亨利格兰德把他们拉进了他一生中最后的也是最滑稽的恶作剧，让他们用自己对笑的需求来抵御对金钱的贪欲。 When, at long last, the laughter died down, Colin cleared his throat once more. Forgive my little piece of theatre, he said, his eyes twinkling. I have been practising that sneeze for a week or more. He folded the enormous handkerchief and stuffed it into his pocket. Henrys idea, of course, he added, unnecessarily: all twelve guests realised they had been set up beautifully.过了很久，终于，笑声平息下来，柯林又清了清嗓子。 请原谅我这个小小的戏剧表演，他说着，眨了眨眼睛，这个喷嚏我练了一个星期了。 他把那块巨大的手帕叠起来，塞回到口袋里。 亨利的主意，他补充说。其实这个补充已经没有必要了，所有十二个客人都明白：他们这次又被老亨利漂漂亮亮地耍了一把。 Ahem! May I read you the rest of the will now? Colin asked.嗯哼！请允许我将遗嘱的剩余部分读完，好吗？柯林问道。 My friends, the last paragraph began, forgive me, but I couldnt resist playing one last little joke on you. Its good to know that your love of laughter finally overcame your love of money.我的朋友，最后一段开始了，原谅我，但我实在忍不住要跟你们开最后一个小小的玩笑。知道你们对笑的热爱最终战胜了你们对金钱的热爱，这真是好极了。 Colin paused, letting the meaning of the words sink in. Then he read out the final part of the late Henry Grounds last will and testament.柯林顿了顿，让人们慢慢地领悟这句话的意思。 接着他大声读出刚刚过世的亨利格兰德遗嘱的最后一部分。 My friends, thank you for letting me have the last laugh. As for the money: because I love you all, my fortune will be divided equally among you. Enjoy your share, and think of me whenever you hear laughter.我的朋友们，感谢你们让我听到这最后的笑声。至于钱，因为我爱你们每一个人，我的财产将平分给你们。享受你自己的一份，并记住在每次听到笑声时想想我吧。 The company fell silent. For the first time that day, there was a feeling of sadness in the air. 大家一片沉寂。 那一天里第一次，空气中漫起了一丝悲伤。 The Company ManEllen Goodman当前语速:英音150词/分钟 美音130词/分钟 He worked himself to death, finally and precisely, at 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning.他终于倒在了自己的工作岗位上，这一天恰好是星期天的凌晨3点整。 The obituary didnt say that, of course. It said that he died of a coronary thrombosis - I think that was it - but everyone among his friends and acquaintances knew it instantly. He was a perfect Type A, a workaholic, a classic, they said to each other and shook their heads - and thought for five or ten minutes about the way they lived.讣告上当然不能这么说。 它告诉人们他是死于冠状动脉血栓-我想就是这么个名字，可是他所有的朋友和同事们很快就知道了事情的真相。 他们彼此摇摇头说，他的性格是典型的A型，他是一个工作狂，而且还是个第一流的工作狂-然后，他们又用几分钟的时间来思考了一下自己的生活方式。 This man who worked himself to death finally and precisely at 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning - on his day off - was fifty-one years old and a vice-president. He was, however, one of six vice-presidents, and one of three who might conceivably - if the president died or retired soon enough - have moved to the top spot. Phil knew that.这位最终在星期天-他应休的假日-凌晨3点整工作致死的人51岁，是公司的副总裁。 他只是6个副总裁之一，不过他却是最有希望提升的3位副总裁（如果总裁不久亡故或者退休的话）之一。 费尔自己对此是心里有数的。 He worked six days a week, five of them until eight or nine at night, during a time when his own company had begun the four-day week for everyone but the executives. He worked like the Important People. He had no outside extracurricular interests, unless, of course, you think about a monthly golf game that way. To Phil, it was work. He always ate egg salad sandwiches at his desk. He was, of course, overweight, by 20 or 25 pounds. He thought it was okay, though, because he didnt smoke.他每周工作六天，其中的五天都是干到晚上八九点钟。除了公司的管理者，其他的员工每周工作四天。 他工作起来俨然是个重要人物， 他没有工作之余的课外兴趣，除非你把他每月一次的高尔夫球算上。 对费尔来说，打高尔夫球也是工作。 他总是在办公室吃鸡蛋沙拉三明治， 他的体重当然是超常的，多出了20或25磅， 不过他认为这没什么，因为他不吸烟。 On Saturdays, Phil wore a sports jacket to the office instead of a suit, because it was the weekend.星期六，费尔总是穿着运动衣去上班，不穿西服，因为这是周末。 He had a lot of people working for him, maybe sixty, and most of them liked him most of the time. Three of them will be seriously considered for his job. The obituary didnt mention that.有很多人在他的手下干，可能有60来个，大多数人在大多数情况下是喜欢他的。 其中有三个人会角逐他的位置， 不过讣告上没有提这件事。 But it did list his survivors quite accurately. He is survived by his wife, Helen, forty-eight years old, a good woman of no particular marketable skills, who worked in an office before marrying and mothering. She had, according to her daughter, given up trying to compete with his work years ago, when the children were small. A company friend said, I know how much you will miss him. And she answered, I already have.可是讣告上却精确地列出了他的未亡人。 他撇下的妻子海伦48岁，是一个没有特殊市场技能的善良女人。在结婚和生孩子之前她是办公室的职员。 按照她女儿的说法，她在多年以前孩子还很小的时候，就放弃了与丈夫的工作一争高下的企图。 一位公司的朋友对她说，我知道你会非常怀念（miss）他的。 她回答道