On Beauty

On Beauty

 

Where shall you seek beauty, and how shall you find her unless she herself be your way and your guide? And how shall you speak of her except she be the ¹⁾weaver¹ of your speech?

The ²⁾aggrieved² and the ³⁾injured say, "Beauty is kind and gentle. Like a young mother half-shy of her own ⁴⁾glory she walks among us."

And the ⁵⁾passionate³ say, "Nay⁴, beauty is a thing of ⁶⁾might and ⁷⁾dread⁵. Like the ⁸⁾tempest she shakes the earth beneath us and the sky above us."

The tired and the ⁹⁾weary say, "Beauty is of soft ¹⁰⁾whisperings. She speaks in our spirit. Her voice ¹¹⁾yields to our silences like a ¹²⁾faint light that ¹³⁾quivers ¹⁴⁾in fear of the shadow."

But the ¹⁵⁾restless say, "We have heard her shouting among the mountains, and with her cries came the sound of hoofs⁶, and the beating of wings and the ¹⁶⁾roaring of lions."

At night the watchmen of the city say, "Beauty shall rise with the dawn from the east."

And at ¹⁷⁾noon-time the ¹⁸⁾toilers and the ¹⁹⁾wayfarers say, "We have seen her leaning over the earth from the windows of the sunset."

In winter say the ²⁰⁾snow-bound, "She shall come with the spring leaping upon the hills."

And in the summer heat the ²¹⁾reapers say, "We have seen her dancing with the autumn leaves, and we saw a drift of snow in her hair."

All these things have you said of beauty, yet in truth you spoke¹⁰ not of her but of needs unsatisfied, and beauty is not a need but an ²²⁾ecstasy¹¹. It is not a mouth ²³⁾thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth¹², but rather a heart  ²⁴⁾enflamed and a soul ²⁵⁾enchanted. It is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear, but rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears. It is not the ²⁶⁾sap within the ²⁷⁾furrowed^{14 28)}bark, nor a wing attached to a ²⁹⁾claw, but rather a garden for ever in bloom and a flock of angels for ever in flight.

Beauty is life when life ³⁰⁾unveils her holy face.

 

美

 

如果美不以自身为途径，为向导，你们到哪里，又如何能找到她呢？如果她不是你们言语的编织者，你们又如何能谈论她呢？

伤心痛苦者说：“美是善良而温柔的。她像一位因自己的荣耀而半含羞涩的年轻母亲，走在我们的身边。”

热情奔放者说：“不，美是强烈而令人惊畏的。她如暴风雨般震动我们脚下的大地，摇撼我们头上的天空。”

疲惫怠倦者说：“美是温柔的低语，她在我们的心中诉说。她的声音波动在我们的沉默中，犹如一道微弱的光在对阴影的恐惧中颤抖。”

但活泼好动者说：“我们曾听到她在山谷中大声呼叫，随其呐喊而来的是足蹄踏地、翅膀拍击和雄狮怒吼的声音。”

夜晚，城市的守夜人说：“美将与晨光一同从东方升起。”

正午，辛勤劳作者和长途跋涉者说：“我们曾看到她透过黄昏之窗眺望大地。”

严冬，困在风雪中的人说：“她将与春同至，雀跃于山峦之间。”

酷暑，收割庄稼的人说：“我们曾看到她与秋叶共舞，雪花点缀于她的发梢。”

你们谈到关于美的所有这些，实际并非关于她本身，而是关于你们未被满足的需求，但美并不是一种需求，而是心醉神迷的欣喜。她不是焦渴的唇，也不是伸出的空空的手，而是一颗燃烧的心，一个充满喜悦的灵魂。她不是你们想看到的形象，也不是你们想听到的歌声，而是你们闭上眼睛看到的形象，堵住耳朵听到的歌声。她不是伤残树皮下的树液，也不是悬在利爪下的翅膀。而是一座鲜花永远盛开的花园，一群永远在天空飞翔的天使。

当生命摘去遮盖她圣洁面容的面纱时，美就是生命。

 

注释:

1) weaver [5wi:vE] n. 编织者，织工

2) aggrieved [E5^ri:vd] a. 苦恼的，悲伤的  the aggrieved指苦恼的人，悲伤的人

3) injured [5indVEd] a. 受伤的，受损害的 the injured指受伤的人，受损害的人

4) glory [5^lC:ri] n. 荣誉，光荣

5) passionate [5pAFEnit] a. 热情的  the passionate指充满热情的人

6) might [mait] n. 力量，威力

7) dread [dred] n. 惧怕，担心

8) tempest [5tempist] n. 暴风雨

9) weary [5wiEri] a. 疲倦的  the weary指疲倦的人

10) whispering [5wispEriN] n. 耳语

11) yield to 屈服于，屈从于

12) faint [feint] a. 微弱的，模糊的

13) quiver [5kwivE] v. 颤抖

14) in fear of 对……惧怕，担忧

15) restless [5restlis] a. 不能安静的   the restless指好动的人

16) roaring [5rC:riN] n. 咆哮，呼喊

17) noon-time [5nu:ntaim] n. 正午，白昼

18) toiler⁷ [tCilE] n. 辛劳者

19) wayfarer⁸ [5weifZErE] n. 旅人，徒步旅行者

20) snow-bound [snEu-baund] a. 被大雪困阻的  the snowbound指被大雪困阻的人

21) reaper⁹ [5ri:pE] n. 收割者

22) ecstasy [5ekstEsi] n. 入迷

23) thirsting [WE:stiN] a. 口渴的

24) enflame [in5fleim] v. 燃烧

25) enchant¹³ [in5tFB:nt] v. 施魔法，使迷惑

26) sap [sAp] n. 树液

27) furrowed [5fQrEud] a. 有犁沟的，有皱纹的

28) bark [bB:k] n. 树皮

29) claw [klC:] n. 爪

30) unveil [Qn5veil] v. 揭开，除去面纱

1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 aggrieved   

adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He felt aggrieved at not being chosen for the team. 他因没被选到队里感到愤愤不平。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is the aggrieved person whose fiance&1& did not show up for their wedding. 她很委屈，她的未婚夫未出现在他们的婚礼上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

4 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

5 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

6 hoofs   

n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
• The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句

7 toiler   

辛劳者，勤劳者

参考例句：

• Says the soul of the toiler to itself, "I shall soon be free. ”那些辛劳一天的人们在对自己说：“总算可以歇口气了。”
• What do you have in the way of toiler soap? 你们有哪些香皂？

8 wayfarer   

n.旅人

参考例句：

• You are the solitary wayfarer in this deserted street.在这冷寂的街上，你是孤独的行人。
• The thirsty wayfarer was glad to find a fresh spring near the road.口渴的徒步旅行者很高兴在路边找到新鲜的泉水。

9 reaper   

n.收割者，收割机

参考例句：

• The painting is organized about a young reaper enjoying his noonday rest.这幅画的画面设计成一个年轻的割禾人在午间休息。
• A rabbit got caught in the blades of the reaper.一只兔子被卷到收割机的刀刃中去了。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

12 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

13 enchant   

vt.使陶醉，使入迷；使着魔，用妖术迷惑

参考例句：

• The spectacle of the aurora may appear to dazzle and enchant the observer's eyes.极光的壮丽景色的出现,会使观察者为之眩目和迷惑。
• Her paintings possess the power to enchant one if one is fortunate enough to see her work and hear her music.如果你有幸能欣赏她的作品，“聆听”她的音乐，她的作品将深深地迷住你。

14 furrowed   

v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Overhead hung a summer sky furrowed with the rash of rockets. 头顶上的夏日夜空纵横着急疾而过的焰火。 来自辞典例句
• The car furrowed the loose sand as it crossed the desert. 车子横过沙漠，在松软的沙土上犁出了一道车辙。 来自辞典例句