英语PK台 第340期:带着孩子的心去修筑一座沙堡

 　　Building

　　建造

　　A little boy is on his knees scooping¹ and packing the sand with plastic shovels² into a bright blue bucket.Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.

　　一个小男孩儿正跪着用塑料锹挖沙子，并把沙子装进一个鲜艳的蓝色桶里，然后把桶底朝上扣在地上，再提起来。让这位小建筑师开心的是，一座城堡诞生了。

　　All afternoon he will work. Spooning out the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries³. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.

　　整个下午他都在工作；挖护城河，砌城墙。瓶盖做岗哨，木棍当桥梁。一座沙堡就建成了。

　　Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling⁴ traffic.

　　大城市里，车水马龙。

　　A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles⁵ papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled⁶ and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.

　　办公室里，一位男士坐在办公桌旁，把文件堆放在一起，开始分配任务。他一边把电话夹在肩头与别人通话，一边用手指敲击着键盘。数据被修改，合同签成，让这位男士高兴的是，一笔利润到手了。

　　All his life he will work. Formulating⁷ the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities⁸ will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.

　　整个一生他都在工作；制定计划，预测未来。利润就是岗哨，资本收益就是桥梁。一个王国建成了。

　　Two builders of two castles.

　　两座城堡、两个建筑师

　　They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent⁹ and determined¹⁰. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.

　　他们有许多共同点；他们把细小的沙石变成宏伟的建筑；他们从无到有地建造，他们勤奋、有决心；对于他们而言、涨潮终会发生，一切都会结束。

　　Yet that is where the similarities cease. For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it.

　　然而，至此他们之间的相似之处结束了。因为男孩儿看见了结局，而这位男士忽视了它。

　　Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.

　　黄昏来临的时候再看看男孩儿吧。

　　As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.

　　风浪来了，聪明的男孩儿跳起来高兴地鼓掌，没有悲伤，没有恐惧，没有遗憾。他知道这一切迟早会发生，他并不感到惊讶。当这位巨大的破坏者击毁他的城堡，将他的杰作吞没在大海中的时候，男孩儿笑了，收拾好他的工具，拉着父亲的手回家了。

　　The grownup, however, is not so wise.

　　然而，这位成年人却不那么明智。

　　As the wave of years collapses¹¹ on his castle he is terrified. He hovers¹² over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls¹³ at the incoming tide.

　　当岁月的巨浪击毁他的城堡，他吓坏了。他试图保护这座沙质建筑，阻止巨浪冲毁他建造的城墙。咸咸的海水浸透了他的全身，他战栗着，向即将到来的潮水咆哮。

　　"It's my castle," he defies.

　　“这是我的城堡。”他反抗着。

　　The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...

　　大海不需要做出回应。彼此都明白沙子最终归属何处……

1 scooping   

n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• Heated ice cream scoop is used for scooping really cold ice cream. 加热的冰淇淋勺是用来舀非常凉的冰淇淋的。 来自互联网
• The scoop-up was the key phase during a scooping cycle. 3个区间中，铲取区间是整个作业循环的关键。 来自互联网

2 shovels   

n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份

参考例句：

• workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人
• In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天，我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句

3 sentries   

哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We posted sentries at the gates of the camp. 我们在军营的大门口布置哨兵。
• We were guarded by sentries against surprise attack. 我们由哨兵守卫，以免遭受突袭。

4 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

5 shuffles   

n.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的名词复数 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的第三人称单数 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼

参考例句：

• She shuffles cards expertly, all the guys stare in amazement. 她熟练地洗着牌，爷们都看呆了。 来自互联网
• Fortune shuffles cards, but we discard them. 命运负责洗牌，而出牌的是我们自己。 来自互联网

6 juggled   

v.歪曲( juggle的过去式和过去分词 )；耍弄；有效地组织；尽力同时应付（两个或两个以上的重要工作或活动）

参考例句：

• He juggled the company's accounts to show a profit. 为了表明公司赢利，他篡改了公司的账目。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The juggler juggled three bottles. 这个玩杂耍的人可同时抛接3个瓶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 formulating   

v.构想出( formulate的现在分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese government is formulating nationwide regulations on the control of such chemicals. 目前，中国政府正在制定全国性的易制毒化学品管理条例。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Because of this, the U.S. has taken further steps in formulating the \"Magellan\" programme. 为此，美国又进一步制定了“麦哲伦”计划。 来自百科语句

8 annuities   

n.养老金；年金( annuity的名词复数 )；（每年的）养老金；年金保险；年金保险投资

参考例句：

• Many companies in this country grant their old employees annuities after they retire. 这个国家的许多公司在老年雇员退休后发给他们养老年金。 来自辞典例句
• Can I interest you in one of our Easter Annuities or IRA accounts? 您对我们的复活节年金保险或者个人退休金帐户有兴趣吗？ 来自电影对白

9 diligent   

adj.勤勉的，勤奋的

参考例句：

• He is the more diligent of the two boys.他是这两个男孩中较用功的一个。
• She is diligent and keeps herself busy all the time.她真勤快，一会儿也不闲着。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

12 hovers   

鸟( hover的第三人称单数 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• A hawk hovers in the sky. 一只老鹰在天空盘旋。
• A hen hovers her chicks. 一只母鸡在孵小鸡。

13 snarls   

n.（动物的）龇牙低吼( snarl的名词复数 )；愤怒叫嚷（声）；咆哮（声）；疼痛叫声v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的第三人称单数 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• I don't know why my hair snarls easily. 我不知道我的头发为什么容易缠结。 来自辞典例句
• She combed the snarls out of her hair. 她把头发的乱结梳理通。 来自辞典例句