Waking at early dawn used to be one of the things I most dreaded. The night which made me capable of resuming labour had brought no such calm as should follow upon repose; I woke to a vision of the darkest miseries and lay through the hours of daybreak--too often -- in very anguish. But that is past. Sometimes, ere yet l know myself, the mind struggles as with an evil spirit on the confines of sleep; then the light at my window, the pictures on my walls restore me to happy consciousness, happier for the miserable dream. Now, when I lie thinking, my worst trouble is wonder at the common life of man. I see it as a thing so incredible that it oppresses the mind like a haunting illusion. Is it the truth that men are fretting, raving, killing each other for matters so trivial that I, even I, so far from saint or philosopher, must needs fall into amazement when I consider them? I could imagine a man who, by living alone and at peace, came to regard the everyday world as not really existent, but a creation of his own fancy in unsound moments. What lunatic ever dreamed of things less consonant with the calm reason than those which are thought and done every minute in every community of men called sane? But I put aside this reflection as soon as may be; it perturbs me fruitlessly. Then I listen to the sounds about my cottage, always soft, soothing, such as lead the mind to gentle thoughts. Sometimes I can hear nothing; not the rustle of a leaf, not the buzz of a fly, and then I think that utter silence is best of all.
清晨时分早早醒来,曾是我最恐惧的事情之一。那本应使我重新投入工作的夜晚,并没有带来休息之后应有的安宁。在最黑暗、悲惨的幻影中醒来,在黎明时分那几个小时的巨大痛苦中一直躺在那里——这是太常有的事。然而,这都已经过去了。有时,在我清醒之前,我的思想仿佛在梦境边缘与恶魔争斗;随即，窗上跃动的晨光和挂在墙上的画作，将我拉回了快乐的意识中——那悲惨的梦境甚至让我更加快乐。现在,当我躺着思考的时候,最大的烦恼来自于对人类的日常生活的困惑。我认为这是一件令人难以置信的事情，它像一个挥之不去的幻象一样压在我的心头。人们真的在为微不足道的小事而焦躁、暴怒、相互残杀,甚至连我这个远非圣人或哲学家的人,在想到他们的时候，也势必大为震惊吗?我能够想象得出，一个人会因为生活在孤独且平和的氛围中,而认为日常世界并不真的存在,认为那只是他自己在不清醒时幻想出来的东西。疯子曾梦想过的那些事情,会比所谓的心智健全之人无时无刻不在筹划并实施的那些事更不符合冷静和理智吗?然而我还是尽可能抛开这种想法，它只会令我感到不安。我转而聆听小屋周围的那些声响，它们总是那样悦耳,令人感到慰藉,将我的心引领到温和的思绪之中。有时,我什么也听不到,没有落叶的沙沙声,也没有苍蝇的嗡嗡声;在那样的时刻,我就会想,阅寂无声是最好的了。
This morning I was awakened by a continuous sound which presently shaped itself to my ear as a multitudinous shrilling of bird voices. I knew what it meant. For the last few days I have seen the swallows gathering, now they were ranged upon my roof, perhaps in the last council before their setting forth upon the great journey. I know better than to talk about animal instinct and to wonder in a pitying way at its resemblance to reason. I know that these birds show to us a life far more reasonable, and infinitely more beautiful, than that of the masses of mankind. They talk with each other, and in their talk is neither malice nor folly. Could one but interpret the converse in which they make their plans for the long and perilous flight -- and then compare it with that of numberless respectable persons who even now are projecting their winter in the South!
今天早晨,我是被一阵连续不断的声音给吵醒的;我渐渐听出,那是一片交织混杂、清脆尖利的鸟鸣声。我明白那意味着什么。最近几天,我已经看到了群集的燕子,现在它们就一排排地落在我的屋顶上,这或许是它们踏上逼远的征途前的最后一次会议了吧。我知道最好不要去谈论动物的本能,也不要以同情的方式对这种与理智十分相似的本能表示惊讶。这些鸟儿向我们展示的,是一种远较人类大众的生活更加合理、更加美好的生活。它们互相交谈——在它们的谈话中,既不含恶意中伤,也没有愚蠢的言论。如果有人能将它们计划这漫长而艰险的飞行的谈话给翻译出来一一然后与现在正计划着到南方过冬的无数名声显赫之人的谈话比较一番,那该有多好!
责任编辑：admin
上一篇：没有了
下一篇：散文翻译示例——四季随笔（二十七）
微信公众号搜索“译员”关注我们，每天为您推送翻译理论和技巧，外语学习及翻译招聘信息。