英语美文背诵 以书为伴

Companionship of Books

A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as the company he keeps;

通常可由一个人所阅读的书以及所结交的朋友而知其为人;

for there is a companionship of books as well as of men;

因为书可作伴就和人可作伴一样;

and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.

而且人们应该永远与最好的为伴，不管是书或是人。

A good book may be among the best of friends.

一本好书可能就是最好的朋友之一。

It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change.

这本书往昔如此，今日亦复如此，而且永不改变。

It is the most patient and cheerful of companions.

所有同伴中，它是最有耐心而且最令人愉悦的一位。

It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress².

我们不论身处逆境或困境，它都不会背弃我们。

It always receives us with the same kindness, amusing and instructing us in youth，and comforting and consoling us in age.

它永远总是那么仁慈地接纳我们，我们年轻时，它给我们快乐与教导，而我们年华老去时，则给我们安抚与慰藉。

Men often discover their affinity³ to each other by the love they each have for a book.

人们常发现他们对彼此的喜爱乃是由于他们对某本书的共同爱好所使然。

The book is a truer and higher bond of union.

书更能真实而又强有力地凝聚感情。

Men can think, feel，and sympathize with him each other through their favorite author.

人们可以透过他们共同喜爱的作者彼此作心灵、感情的交流。

They live in together, and he, in them.

他们活在作者的世界里，而作者亦活在他们的心中。

A good book is often the best urn¹ of a life enshrining the best that life could think out，

好书往往是人生的宝库，里头蕴含着人生的思想精华，

for the world of a man's life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts.

因为大体而言，一个人的生活世界不过就是他的思想世界。

Thus the best books are treasuries⁴ of good words，the golden thoughts, which，remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters.

因此最好的书就是藏有金玉良言一一亦即伟大思想的宝库，我们若能牢记并珍惜这些金玉良言，它们就会一辈子跟着我们、安慰我们。

Books possess an essence of immortality⁵.

书具有不朽的特性。

They are by far the most lasting⁶ products of human effort.

它们是为人类努力创造的最为持久的成果。

Temples and statues decay，but books survive.

庙宇和雕像会腐朽，而书依然长存。

Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their authors' minds ages ago.

与伟大的思想相较，时间则显得微不足道，这些伟大的思想至今仍然鲜明，鲜明得就像多年前它们才从作者的脑海里浮现出来一样。

What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly⁷ as ever from the printed page.

当时的言词及思想至今仍透过书本生动地与我们沟通。

Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived.

书引导我们与最优秀的人为伍;它们带领我们到古今最伟大的思想家的面前。

We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them，grieve with them;

我们可以听见他们的所言所行: 我们可以见到他们，仿佛他们仍活在世上;我们与他们情感交流，与他们共喜共悲;

their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

他们的经验变成我们自己的经验，而我们觉得自己仿佛了有些像演员，与他们共同在他们所描述的场景中一块演出。

1 urn   

n.（有座脚的）瓮；坟墓；骨灰瓮

参考例句：

• The urn was unearthed entire.这只瓮出土完整无缺。
• She put the big hot coffee urn on the table and plugged it in.她将大咖啡壶放在桌子上,接上电源。

2 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

3 affinity   

n.亲和力，密切关系

参考例句：

• I felt a great affinity with the people of the Highlands.我被苏格兰高地人民深深地吸引。
• It's important that you share an affinity with your husband.和丈夫有共同的爱好是十分重要的。

4 treasuries   

n.（政府的）财政部( treasury的名词复数 )；国库，金库

参考例句：

• Yields on Treasuries, Bunds and gilts can remain at historically low levels. 美国国债、德国国债和英国国债的收益率仍然可以维持在历史低位。 来自互联网
• Treasuries and gold rose in response but the dollar fell sharply. 接着，国债和黄金的价格上涨，而美元价格则猛跌。 来自互联网

5 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

6 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

7 vividly   

adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地

参考例句：

• The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
• The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。