美国语文第五册 第110期:慷慨的俄国农民(1)

 　　Let Vergil sing the praises of Augustus, genius celebrate merit, and flattery extol¹ the talents of the great. 让·维吉尔唱响献给奥古斯都的赞歌，历史上天才睿者颂扬罗马大帝的圣明与伟绩。

　　"The short and simple annals of the poor" engross² my pen; 《贫民简略编年史》一书，耗费我大量的写作时间，

　　and while I record the history of Flor Silin's virtues³, though I speak of a poor peasant, I shall describe a noble man. 包括叙述具有无私美德的菲洛·斯林一生，这位慷慨好施、品质高尚的人只是俄罗斯一位穷苦农民。

　　I ask no eloquence⁴ to assist me in the task; modest worth rejects the aid of ornament⁵ to set it off. 我无需用花哨雄辩的语言维系自己写作，唯有内心谦卑，摒弃辞藻华美，才能径入主题。

　　It is impossible, even at this distant period, to reflect without horror on the miseries⁶ of that year known in Lower Volga by the name of the "Famine Year." 即使年代沧桑久远，回想起来，我的内心恐惧依然挥之不去，总会联想那本题为《饥馑记年》一书中描述的当年纪实。

　　I remember the summer, whose scorching⁷ heats had dried up all the fields, and the drought had no relief but from the tears of the ruined farmer. 我还记得灾难发生的那个夏天，炙热烧焦舔干田野里所有庄稼，干旱未见丝毫减轻，绝望无助的农民眼里只有泪水。

　　I remember the cold, comfortless autumn, and the despairing rustics⁸, crowding round their empty barns,  那年秋天，天气寒冷难挨。饥饿的乡民聚集在自家空空的谷仓周围，

　　with folded arms and sorrowful countenances⁹, pondering on their misery¹⁰, instead of rejoicing, as usual, at the golden harvest. 他们束手无策，脸上满是悲哀迷惘，村庄不再像往年那样，庆贺秋天丰收季节的来临。

　　I remember the winter which succeeded, and I reflect with agony on the miseries it brought with it. 我还清楚记得那个接踵而至的冬天，空中弥漫一股濒死气息，

　　Whole families left their homes to become beggars on the highway. 无数家庭背井离乡外出乞讨。

　　At night the canopy¹¹ of heaven served them as their only shelter from the piercing winds and bitter frost. 夜晚，饥民们只能在野外露天安歇栖身，尽管天寒地冻，北风刺骨，那是他们歇宿的唯一选择。

　　To describe these scenes would be to harm the feelings of my readers; therefore, to my tale. 就我书中记录来看，描述那些悲哀场面可能会伤害读者的情感。

　　In those days I lived on an estate not far from Simbirsk; 当年饿殍遍野，我居住的地方离辛比尔斯克不远，

　　and, though but a child, I have not forgotten the impression made on my mind by the general calamity¹². 尽管我那时尚且年幼，那场饿殍遍野的恐怖印象仍然记忆犹新。

1 extol   

v.赞美，颂扬

参考例句：

• We of the younger generation extol the wisdom of the great leader and educator.我们年轻一代崇拜那位伟大的引路人和教育家的智慧。
• Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 我要天天称颂你，也要永永远远赞美你的名。

2 engross   

v.使全神贯注

参考例句：

• I go into bookshops and engross myself in diet books and cookbooks.我走进书店，聚精会神地读关于饮食的书以及食谱。
• If there was one piece of advice I would offer to improve your reading rate it would be simply to engross yourself in the material you are studying.如果让我给你一个忠告来提高你的阅读速度的话，那就是全神贯注的研究你的资料。

3 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

4 eloquence   

n.雄辩；口才，修辞

参考例句：

• I am afraid my eloquence did not avail against the facts.恐怕我的雄辩也无补于事实了。
• The people were charmed by his eloquence.人们被他的口才迷住了。

5 ornament   

v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
• She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。

6 miseries   

n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人

参考例句：

• They forgot all their fears and all their miseries in an instant. 他们马上忘记了一切恐惧和痛苦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• I'm suffering the miseries of unemployment. 我正为失业而痛苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

8 rustics   

n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 )；粗野的；不雅的；用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的

参考例句：

• These rustics are utilized for the rough work of devoton. 那样的乡村气质可以替宗教做些粗重的工作。 来自互联网

9 countenances   

n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持

参考例句：

• 'stood apart, with countenances of inflexible gravity, beyond what even the Puritan aspect could attain." 站在一旁，他们脸上那种严肃刚毅的神情，比清教徒们还有过之而无不及。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• The light of a laugh never came to brighten their sombre and wicked countenances. 欢乐的光芒从来未照亮过他们那阴郁邪恶的面孔。 来自辞典例句

10 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

11 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

12 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。