学生翻译练习材料.docx

学生翻译练习材料.docx

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学生翻译练习材料

Passage1

Technically,itbeginsnextweek.Actually,itbeganwiththeepicsighofreliefthatcouldbesensedallovertheU.S.rightafterLaborDay.Evenbeforeitarrives,Americansalwaysmanagetogetintoautumn.Andnowonder.Itiseasilythemosthabitableseasonoftheyear.

Indeed,autumndeservesahymn—andithasreceivedfarlesstributethanitdeserves.True,somemixednoticeshavecomeinoverthecenturies.Horaceslanderedautumnasa“dead”period—“harvest-seasonoftheGoddessofDeath.”Hewasdeadwrong,ofcourse,forasOvidnoted,oncehegothismindoffsex,autumnis“cumformossisimusannus”—“thefairestseasonoftheyear.”Hadhelivedalittlelater,HoracemighthavefoundoutfromtheU.S.censusBureauthatthedeathrateisusuallylowerinautumnthaninwinterandspring.Why?

Sciencedoesn’tknow,butitisquitepossiblethatthewilltoliveisstrongerinthefall.Conversely,thewilltomayhemweakens:

nobodyhaseverworriedaboutaLongHotAutumn.

Soautumnisablatantlyvitalseason,contrarytotheallegationofsorrowfulpetswhomisconstruethemessageofdyingleaves.Amorerealisticpoet,ArchibaldMacLeish,saysthat“AutumnistheAmericanseason.InEuropetheleavesturnyelloworbrownandfall.Heretheytakefireonthetreesandhangthereflaming.Life,too,wethink,iscapableoftakingfireinthiscountry;ofcreatingbeautyneverseen.”

Autumnisalsotheauthenticseasonofrenewal.YaleLecturerWilliamZinsserhitthenailsquarely:

“ThewholenotionofNewYear’sDayasthetimeoffreshstartsandboldresolutionsisfalse.”Intruththattimeisautumn.Popularpleasureshowsitselfinthosehasteningstepsandbrightenedsmilesencounteredasstheairgrowsnippier.Somepsychiatristshavepatientswhogrowalmostalarmedathowcongenialtheysuddenlyfeel.Autumnisafriendliertime.

Passage2

Thereisatimeineveryman’seducationwhenhearrivesattheconvictionthatenvyisignorance;thatimitationissuicide;thathemusttakehimselfforbetter,forworse,ashisportion;thatthoughthewideuniverseisfullofgood,nokernelofnourishingcorncancometohimbutthroughhistoilbestowedonthatplotofgroundwhichisgiventohimtotill.Thepowerwhichresidesinhimisnewinnature,andnonebutheknowswhatthatiswhichhecando,nordoesheknowuntilhehastried.Notfornothingoneface,onecharacter,onefact,makesmuchimpressiononhim,andanothernone.Thissculptureinthememoryisnotwithoutpre-establishedharmony.Theeyewasplacedwhereonerayshouldfall,thatitmighttestifyofthatparticularray.Webuthalfexpressourselves,andareashamedofthatdivineideawhicheachofusrepresents.Itmaybesafelytrustedasproportionateandofgoodissues,soitbefaithfullyimparted,butGodwillnothavehisworkmademanifestbycowards.Amanisrelievedandgaywhenhehasputhisheartintohisworkanddonehisbest;butwhathehassaidordoneotherwise,shallgivehimnopeace.Itisadeliverancewhichdoesnotdeliver.Intheattempthisgeniusdesertshim;nomusebefriends;noinvention,nohope.

Trustyourself:

everyheartvibratestothatironstring.Accepttheplacethedivineprovidencehasfoundforyou,thesocietyofyourcontemporaries,theconnectionofevents.Greatmenhavealwaysdoneso,andconfidedthemselveschildliketothegeniusoftheirage,betrayingtheirperceptionthattheabsolutelytrustworthywasseatedattheirheart,workingthroughtheirhands,predominatinginalltheirbeing.Andwearenowmen,andmustacceptinthehighestmindthesametranscendentdestiny;andnotminorsandinvalidsinaprotectedcorner,notcowardsfleeingbeforearevolution,butguides,redeemers,andbenefactors,obeyingtheAlmightyeffort,andadvancingonChaosandtheDark.

Passage3

The20thcentury—thecenturyofmetamythsandofmegadeaths—spawnedfalsenotionsoftotalcontrol,derivedfromarrogantassertionsacceptedrealityasGod-ordained,hadgivenwaytothesecularfanatic,increasinglyinclinedtousurpGodintheefforttoconstructheavenonearth,increasinglyinclinedtousurpGodintheefforttoconstructheavenonearth—subordinatingnotonlynaturebuthumanityitselftohisownutopianvision.

Inthecourseofthecentury,thisvisionwaspervertedintothemostcostlyexerciseofpoliticalhubrisinmankind’shistory:

thetotalitarianattempttocreatecoerciveutopias.Allofreality—ontheobjectivelevelofsocialorganizationandonthesubjectivelevelofpersonalbeliefs—wastosubjecttodoctrinalcontrolemanatingfromasinglepoliticalcenter.Thepricepaidinhumanlivesforthisexcessisbeyondcomprehension.

Addingthemallup,somewherebetween167millionand175millionindividualhumanbeingsweredeliberatelyextinguishedthroughpoliticallymotivatedcarnage—thescoresofmillionsof