美国学生世界地理教材 第190期:白象(3)

 The Buddhists¹ believe that when they die their souls go into the bodies of animals. 佛教徒相信自己死后灵魂会进入动物体内，

The kings' souls they think go into the bodies of white elephants, so in Thailand the White Elephant is sacred. 他们认为国王的灵魂会进入白象体内，因此，在泰国白象是神圣的。

The white elephants are, however, more gray than white. 不过，白象与其说是白色，还不如说是灰色的。

Once any white elephant found in a herd² had to be presented to the King to bring good luck to him and to the kingdom. 一旦在象群中发现了白象，就必须献给国王，希望它给国家和国王带来好运。

Because these royal white elephants did no work, we have come to call something we may have that is of no use, 因为这些皇家白象不干活、无所事事，所以，如果我们有个无用的东西,

and yet we must keep and take care of, "a white elephant." 但又不得不留着它、照顾它，我们就把这个东西叫做“白象”。

A friend of mine has an old worn-out automobile³ that will not run, that he can neither sell nor give away, 我的一个朋友有辆破旧的汽车，不能开了，他卖不掉也送不了人，

and as it takes up space in his garage he calls it his "white elephant." 由于它还占着车库的位子，他就把这辆汽车叫做“白象”。

In Burma the ordinary gray elephant is used as we use an automobile, truck, or tractor and costs about the same as an automobile does. 在缅甸，普通的灰色大象可以当做汽车、卡车、拖拉机使用，一头大象的价格和一辆汽车差不多。

An elephant carries people, he carries loads, he lifts logs, he plows⁴. 大象运载人和货物、装卸木料、耕地。

A driver sits on the elephant's head and taps him on one side or the other to let him know just what he is to do and he does it. 驾驭者坐在大象的头上，轻轻拍打它一侧或者另一侧，让他明白该去做什么，大象就会按指令去做。

He works regular hours and knows when it's time to start work and when it's time to quit. 按固定时间工作，知道什么时候开始干活，什么时候停工，

It is as if he belonged to a labor⁵ union, and he will not work at all unless he has had one or more baths each day! 好像它是属于某个工会工人似的，大象每天至少洗一次澡，否则它绝不肯干活。

We always say wood will float, but there is a kind of wood in Burma that is so heavy it will not float. It is called "Teak." 我们总说木头都会浮在水中，但是在缅甸有一种木头很重，放在水中都浮不起来，这种木头叫做“柚木”。

They use teak instead of other woods in making furniture, for white ants eat up and destroy anything made out of softer woods. 人们用柚木代替别的木头来做家具，因为白蚁可以吃掉并毁坏所有较软木材做的东西。

1 Buddhists   

n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒，用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后，并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句

2 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

3 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

4 plows   

n.犁( plow的名词复数 )；犁型铲雪机v.耕( plow的第三人称单数 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• Alex and Tony were turning awkward hands to plows and hoe handles. 亚历克斯和托尼在犁耙等农活方面都几乎变成新手了。
• Plows are still pulled by oxen in some countries. 在一些国家犁头仍由牛拖拉。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。