问答题
"The days that make us happy make us wise." ——John Masefield
When I first read this line by England"s Poet Laureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.
Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.
Active happiness—not mere satisfaction or contentment—often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.
Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles.
The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you—people, thoughts, emotions, pressures—are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】“快乐的日子使人睿智。”——约翰·梅斯菲尔德
第一次读到英国桂冠诗人梅斯菲尔德的这行诗时,我感到十分震惊。他想表达什么意思?我以前从未对此仔细考虑过,总是认定这行诗所表达的意思反过来才正确。但他冷静而又胸有成竹的表达引起了我的注意,令我难以忘怀。
终于,我似乎领会了他的意思,并意识到这行诗意义深远。快乐带来的睿智存在于敏锐的洞察力中,不会因忧虑而含混,也不会因绝望和厌倦而模糊,更不会因恐惧而造成盲点。
积极的快乐——并非单纯的满足或知足——通常不期而至,就像四月里突然下起的春雨,或是花蕾的突然绽放。然后,你就会发觉与快乐结伴而来的究竟是何种智慧。草底更为青翠,鸟鸣更为甜美,朋友的缺点也更能让人理解,更加可以原谅。快乐就像是一副眼镜,可以矫正你的精神视力。
快乐的视野并不仅限于你周围的事物。你不快乐时,你的思维陷入情感上的悲哀,你的眼界就像是被一道墙给阻隔了;你快乐时,这道墙就会砰然倒塌。
你的眼界变得更为宽广。你脚下的大地,你身边的世界,包括人、思想、情感和压力,现在都融入了更为广阔的景象之中,每件事物的比例更加合理。而这就是睿智的起始。
[解析] "The days that make us happy make us wise."——John Masefield
这句话中出现了人名,诗人John Masefield是著名的桂冠诗人,对它的中文翻译,需要考生掌握。
“快乐的日子使人睿智。”——约翰·梅斯菲尔德
But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.
首先,这两句话之间存在着因果联系,翻译时为了体现逻辑关系的连贯,将其合并为一句话。其次,第一句话中对“sober assurance”的翻译是个难点,一个是形容词一个是名词,但是表达的都是形容词的含义,都是形容他这句话的语气的,一为冷静,二为肯定,使用文学词汇就是“胸有成竹”。
但他冷静而又胸有成竹的表达引起了我的注意,令我难以忘怀。
The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.
这句话需要注意的是对两个动词和一个介词的翻译,分别为:fog、dim和without。翻译“fog”时,要结合它的名词的含义,“dim”则要结合它的形容词的含义。“without”不一定要译为“没有”,这里可译为“不会因为恐惧造成盲点”。
快乐带来的睿智存在于敏锐的洞察力中,不会因忧虑而含混,也不会因绝望和厌倦而模糊,更不会因恐惧而造成盲点。
Active happiness—not mere satisfaction or contentment—often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud.
这句话写得很美。将积极的快乐比作了突然而来的春雨和绽放的花蕾。“suddenly”原意是“突然地”,这里表达的是“快乐来临的突然,让人摸不着任何规律”,因此可译为“不期而至”。
积极的快乐——并非单纯的满足或知足——通常不期而至,就像四月里突然下起的春雨,或是花蕾的突然绽放。
Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.
精神也会像眼睛一样审视这个世界,因此这里的“spiritual vision”可译为“精神视力”。
快乐就像是一副眼镜,可以矫正你的精神视力。
Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles.
这两句话是说快乐和不快乐两种状态下思维的情境,翻译时可用分号隔开,放在一个句子中。
你不快乐时,你的思维陷入情感上的悲哀,你的眼界就像是被一道墙给阻隔了;你快乐时,这道墙就会砰然倒塌。