英文散文翻译示例——A Bouquet for Miss Benson/送给卞老师的一束花

(Excerpt/节选）

Paul Villard/保罗· 维拉德

Miss Benson was the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful creature that ever walked on the earth. She was my second-grade teacher, and I was going to marry her when I grew up – if she would wait. I would sit squirming in my seat for the entire morning to keep from raising my hand. I could not bear to miss one precious moment of her presence by leaving the room.

My hand was always the first to be raised, however, when Miss Benson called for volunteers to clean the blackboards or to gather papers and bring them to her desk. That was the best chore of all. It made possible getting near enough to her to close out the others in the classroom. I would arrange and rearrange the papers. They had to be in perfect order before I would make my reluctant way back to my seat.

在我心目中，卞老师是这个世界上最最善良，最最温柔，最最美丽的女孩子。她是我二年级的老师，我长大后一定要娶她—只要她愿意等我的话。通常我整个上午都会在座位上扭来扭去，就是不举手。我舍不得离开教室，以免错过和卞老师待在一起的每一个宝贵时刻。

但每每卞老师需要志愿者帮忙擦黑板，收卷子放到讲台上时，我总是班里第一个举手的。这可是天底下最好的差使了。因为这样可以避开教室里的其他同学，光明正大地走到卞老师身边。我会把手上的卷子理了又理，理了又理，直到把卷子码得整整齐齐，无可挑剔，才依依不舍地回到自己的座位上。

Early in the term, I started pestering my mother to put an extra apple or peach in my lunch. I never quite worked up the courage to say it was for my teacher, as I never quite worked up the courage to hand my offering to Miss Benson directly. Each day the delicacy found its way unobserved to the corner of her desk. And each day the response was the same.

Miss Benson would come in and sit down. “Good morning, children.” “Good morning, Miss Benson,” in unison.

开学不久，我就缠着妈妈在午餐袋里多放一个苹果或者桃子。想鼓起勇气告诉妈妈多出来的水果是要送给老师的，但我从来没有说出口，正如我总是鼓起勇气想亲手把水果送给卞老师却从来没有这样做过一样。每天，都有好吃的偷偷放在讲台边。老师每天的反应也都一样。

卞老师走进教室，坐下来，“早上好，孩子们。”

“早上好，卞老师，”同学们齐声回答。

"Why, how nice!" She would pick up the offering of the day, then look around the room. "What thoughtful little boy or girl brought me this?"

No one claimed the honor, least of all me. I kept my head low, looking at my desk.

"Can it be that I have a secret admirer?" she would ask.

“哦，太棒了！”她拿起当天的礼物，在教室里环顾一周，“是哪个贴心的小男生还是小女生送给我的？”

没有人争这份荣誉，尤其是我。我低着头，两眼盯着课桌。

“难道是我的某个暗恋者吗？”她问。

I would feel the red rising in my face. I was certain that everyone was looking at me, and I would sigh with relief when Miss Benson put the fruit away and started the lesson.

One fall morning, the class was abuzz with excitement. Someone had discovered that the next day, Friday, was Miss Benson’s birthday. Everyone wanted to get her a present. My heart gave a leap, at last I could give her something openly. That afternoon was spent combing the fields for wild flowers. Not many were in bloom at that time of year, but I found several kinds of bright berries on shrubs, some dry thistle heads. And finally I came upon a patch of gorgeous crimson leaves…

这时，我总会羞得满脸通红。我确信教室里的每个人都在看我。直到卞老师把水果放好开始上课，我才会默默松一口气。

一个秋天的上午，全班闹腾起来了。原来有人得知明天--也就是星期五，是卞老师的生日。每个人都想送她礼物。我的心不由“扑通”猛跳了一下，终于有机会可以大大方方送她东西了。那天下午，我一直都在田野里搜寻野花。在一年中的这个时节里，开花的植物已经不多了，但我还是在灌木丛里找到了好几种色彩鲜艳的浆果和一些风干的蓟花。后来，我还发现了一大片美丽的深红色叶子……

In the morning I hung back as others presented their gifts. Finally I went to the desk and gave the bouquet to Miss Benson. She exclaimed with pleasure as she took it, and held it to her cheek for a moment. My reward was a smile and a pat on the head.

The next Monday, Miss Benson was not in class. About the middle of the morning, I was asked to go to the principal's office. When I arrived, I was surprised to see my mother. On a table was my bouquet.

第二天早晨，同学们纷纷把自己的礼物献给老师，我却在一旁犹犹豫豫。终于，我鼓起勇气走到老师的讲台前，把自己精心准备的那束花递出去。卞老师接过花束，快乐地惊叹一声，还把花放在脸颊上贴了一会。然后老师朝我微微一笑，亲昵地拍拍我的头，做为奖赏。

接下去那个星期一，卞老师没来上课。大约上午十点钟，有人叫我去校长办公室。进去后没想到，我妈妈也在。桌上放着我送给卞老师的那束花。