精美英文欣赏:飘忽的云

Clouds

飘忽的云

I've opened the curtain of my east window here above the computer,

拉开了房间东边电脑上方的窗帘，

and I sit now in a holy theater before a sky-blue stage.

感觉自己仿佛身处一个神圣的剧场，天蓝的舞台展现在面前。

A little cloud above the neighbor's trees resembles Jimmy Durante's nose for a while,

有好一会儿，邻居家树丛上飘着一朵像杰米·杜兰特那大鼻子形状的云朵，

then becomes amorphous¹ as it slips on north.

但渐渐云朵就往北飘移，大鼻子也就散了状。

Other clouds follow, big and little and tiny on their march toward whereness.

周围的云，大的、小的、丁点儿的都随之往不知什么地方飘走了。

Wisps of them lead or droop² because there must always be leading and drooping³.

缕缕白云或前行，或散去，这最自然不过了。

The trees seem to laugh at the clouds while yet reaching for them with swaying branches.

树梢随风轻摆，像往上攀附云朵，也像在嘲笑云朵。

Trees must think that they are real, rooted, somebody,

树肯定在想自己才是实实在在、稳稳扎根的重量级人物，

and that perhaps the clouds are only tickled⁴ water which sometimes blocks their sun.

而云朵只不过是积聚的水珠，只会偶尔挡住太阳的光辉。

But trees are clouds, too, of green leaves-clouds that only move a little.

其实树也是一种云，是绿叶做的云，是不怎么动的云。

Trees grow and change and dissipate like their airborne cousins.

树会成长、变化、老去，就跟天空的浮云一样。

And what am I but a cloud of thoughts and feelings and aspirations⁵?

我不也是一朵云吗？一朵怀着种种想法、感受和抱负的云。

Don't I put out tentative mists here and there?

我不是也到处作尝试，制造一个个雾团吗？

Don't I occasionally appear to other people as a ridiculous shape of thoughts without my intending to?

我的那些异想天开不也常不经意地在人面前变成了一团奇形怪状的云吗？　

Don't I drift toward the north when I feel the breezes of love and the warmth of compassion⁶?

在感受到爱的微风和怜悯的温暖时，我不也像一朵朝北畅快游走的浮云吗？

If clouds are beings, and beings are clouds,

若浮云如人，人亦如浮云，

are we not all well advised to drift,

我们是否都应该飘，

to feel the wind tucking us in here

感受风的力量，

and plucking us out there?

让我们一时扎根这里，一时又把我们拔起吹走？

Are we such rock-hard bodily lumps as we imagine?

难道我们真的就如自己想像中的那样稳如磐石吗？

Drift, let me. Sing to the sky, will I.

飘吧，让我飘吧！我要向天高歌。

One in many, are we.

我们都是沧海一粟。

Let us breathe the breeze and find therein our roots in the spirit.

让我们一起感受微风的气息，在其中寻找我们的精神之根吧。

1 amorphous   

adj.无定形的

参考例句：

• There was a weakening of the intermolecular bonds,primarily in the amorphous region of the polymer.分子间键合减弱，尤其在聚合物的无定形区内更为明显。
• It is an amorphous colorless or white powder.它是一种无定形的无色或白色粉末。

2 droop   

v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡

参考例句：

• The heavy snow made the branches droop.大雪使树枝垂下来。
• Don't let your spirits droop.不要萎靡不振。

3 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

4 tickled   

（使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐

参考例句：

• We were tickled pink to see our friends on television. 在电视中看到我们的一些朋友，我们高兴极了。
• I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的脚，使她发笑。

5 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

6 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。