英文小说佳句欣赏

洋八路

45. Lady Dedlock, I have no occasion to tell you that Sir Leicester is a very proud man; that his reliance upon you is implicit; that the fall of that moon out of the sky, would not amaze him more than your fall from your high position as his wife.  -- Charles Dickens [Bleak House]

-- Now imagine this:  that the fall of that sun out of the sky, would not amaze her more than your fall from your high position as her husband......

[ 本帖最后由 洋八路 于 2011-5-14 12:06 编辑 ]

洋八路

46. I found them looking one another across the table; the one so open, and the other so close; the one so broad and upright, and the other so narrow and stooping; the one giving out what he had to say in such a rich ringing voice, and the other keeping it in in such a cold-blooded, gasping, fish-like manner; that I thought I never had seen two people so unmatched.   -- Charles Dickens [Bleak House]

--  so unmatched.... wonder how they could even tolerate sitting around the same table for a long minute.

拙泥

太喜欢这个帖子了, 得留着仔细读. 我也贡献一个:

"Each day, I sacrificed a few crumbs of bread on the windowsill for them. The sparrows pecked away, hopping and peeping. I was sometimes tempted to deny them this beakful of my bread. But each time, I was moved by their tiny birds' bellies. I very much wanted to touch them. Caress their plumage with my fingertips. I never managed this, but it was a joy and a consolation to feel them close by and to be able- I the destitute one- to provide for them and, in my ugliness, to admire their beauty. They gave me the blessing of my tenderness for them" -Lena Costante "3000 days in Romanian Prisons"

[ 本帖最后由 拙泥 于 2011-5-15 12:38 编辑 ]

JuJu

Most toddlers have to be approached as you would a madman wired with explosives. The usual method involves a combination of threats, entreaties and bribes. It's much like the US policy in Pakistan. It's about as effective. You then reach for distraction: ''Oh, look! A wincey little spider is tickling your tummy.'' This ploy, of course, brings an intake of breath, as the surprised toddler forgets to cry while considering the matter of the wincey little spider.

讲有时公共场合父母对不给面子的toddler必须拿出美国对付巴基斯坦的办法, 威胁, 恳求加贿赂, 比较搞笑, 也很有同感.

拙泥

是这样么: 本来的状态一直是被" tied" or "fastened",所以这个"tie"  才可以unfasten  她

洋八路

原帖由 拙泥 于 2011-5-15 23:00 发表
是这样么: 本来的状态一直是被" tied" or "fastened",所以这个"tie"  才可以unfasten  她

unfastened by any ties of right or wrong:  飞机上的安全带，那个带是 'tie', 那个扣子要靠 tie 来解开，而这个tie就是对和错的纠结， 所以，如果作者这里写的‘解开的对象’，不是这个‘对错纠结’，而是‘languid sweet’ 那么这样理解会不会顺一点？ 就是：

languid sweet (金属扣子） in her belly, was unfastened by any ties （布带） of right or wrong.

不过，还是有点问题：安全带解开不是靠带来解，而是靠扣子本身，带子总是用来系紧扣子的。。 现在我更相信是语法错误，作者随意一写，让我们‘纠结’了好长一阵。。。。

洋八路

47. The lizards clung unconcernedly to walls like dozing sun bathers unaware of the looming thunder clouds.  [??] [????]

-- 形象比喻。。

洋八路

floraz 积分 +4 我不是很理解，一个是unconcerned，一个是unaware，应该并不相同吧
-- 还是你理解的细致，这两个是很不一样。。一个是‘知道而不理会’，另一个根本就是‘不知道’。。不过，不管知道还是不知道，那种‘懒洋洋，享受今日‘的身体状态还是很一样的。。

拙泥

搞得我也纠结了

non-fasten 是一个消极的词,表示一种状态, 没有被束缚的状态; 而unfasten是积极的动作,解开了原有的束缚, 或者说"束缚放手了,松开了她", 因而束缚是动作的施加者.

用any ties 而不是 the ties: "any ties that there may be", indicating that she might not be conscious of what exactly they are, or even of their existence.

拙泥

"Some changes of countenance was necessary for each gentleman as they walked into Mrs. Weston's drawing-room;- Mt. Elton must compose his joyous looks, and Mr. John Knightley disperse his ill-humour. Mr. Elton must smile less, and Mr. John Knightley more, to fit them for the place" ( Jane Austin, "Emma")

在圣诞夜去往Mrs. Weston家作客的路上,Mt. Elton因为受到了自己喜欢的女孩Emma的邀请而兴奋不已,而脾气有些生硬的Mr. John Knightley 因为不得不在这样一个雪夜出行而感到懊恼.一路上的对话格格不入,一个在点火,一个在泼水.两人都执着的沉浸在自己的情绪中,拒绝被对方所感染.坐在同一个马车里的Emma感到ammused.现在终于到Mrs. Weston家了...

compose,disperse

洋八路

原帖由 拙泥 于 2011-5-16 23:14 发表
搞得我也纠结了

non-fasten 是一个消极的词,表示一种状态, 没有被束缚的状态; 而unfasten是积极的动作,解开了原有的束缚, 或者说"束缚放手了,松开了她", 因而束缚是动作的施加者.

用any ties 而不是 the ties:  ...

I like this one: 'indicating that she might not be conscious of what exactly they are, or even of their existence' - a sentence delicately composed, not to mention the thoughful insight into the subject...

洋八路

48. ‘Because you have known it perfectly, before you prayed me to give you that information. Because you have known perfectly that I was en-r-r-raged!’ It appears impossible for Mademoiselle to roll the letter r sufficiently in this word, notwithstanding that she assists her energetic delivery, by clenching both her hands, and setting all her teeth. -- Charlies Dickens [Bleak House]

-- impossilbe to roll r sufficiently, 卷舌, 北方人容易发这个音？Mademoiselle 是法国人。。

洋八路

原帖由 拙泥 于 2011-5-16 23:14 发表
搞得我也纠结了

non-fasten 是一个消极的词,表示一种状态, 没有被束缚的状态; 而unfasten是积极的动作,解开了原有的束缚, 或者说"束缚放手了,松开了她", 因而束缚是动作的施加者.

用any ties 而不是 the ties:  ...

最后纠结一下：理解成解开鞋带，好象就通了。鞋带两端（一对一错）把鞋（道德概念或者sweet都可以）系的很紧，那么用鞋带来松开（unfasten) 这个鞋子，就好理解了；飞机安全带的概念不适合，因为安全带的松开不是靠带子来松的，而鞋子却是用鞋带本身来松的，领带也是一样。。  unfastened by any ties of right or wrong...呵呵，用对或错的鞋带来松开这只受到道德拘束的鞋子。。。。

洋八路

49. At last we stood under a dark and miserable covered way, where one lamp was burning over an iron gate, and where the morning faintly struggled in. The gate was closed. Beyond it, was a burial-ground – a dreadful spot in which the night was very slowly stirring; but where I could dimly see heaps of dishonoured graves and stones, hemmed in by filthy houses, with a few dull lights in their windows, and on whose walls a thick humidity broke out like a disease. On the step at the gate, drenched in the fearful wet of such a place, which oozed and splashed down everywhere, I saw, with a cry of pity and horror, a woman lying – Jenny, the mother of the dead child.
......
I passed on the gate, and stooped down. I lifted the heavy head, put the long dank hair aside, and turned the face. And it was my mother, cold and dead.  -- Charles Dickens [Bleak House]

-- I (主人公 Esther) 的母亲，倒在墓地的大门口。这个墓地里埋着她第一个男人（也是私生女Esther的父亲），不是特别清楚为什么她在事情败露后要前往他的墓地（因为爱？--她现在的老公非常非常的爱她，即使这个事情之后，丝毫没有改变，还在病床上等着她回来）。 这段是 Esther 和一个侦探在冰雪天气找了一天一夜，直到快天亮的时候找到墓地的情形（她穿着另一个人Jenny的衣服，以躲避跟踪，因为被怀疑谋杀了一个知道她内情的律师，其实是一个恶意佣人杀的，为了嫁祸给她）。

拙泥

原帖由 洋八路 于 2011-5-18 09:08 发表
49. At last we stood under a dark and miserable covered way, where one lamp was burning over an iron gate, and where the morning faintly struggled in. The gate was closed. Beyond it, was a burial-grou ...

"faintly struggled in"; "slowly stirring"

歪一下楼: 这样depressing 的文字适合 夜深人静时在卧室里读呢,还是在懒洋洋的下午在后院里读,或是阳光明媚的清晨在河边读呢?

洋八路

原帖由 拙泥 于 2011-5-18 23:31 发表


"faintly struggled in"; "slowly stirring"

歪一下楼: 这样depressing 的文字适合 夜深人静时在卧室里读呢,还是在懒洋洋的下午在后院里读,或是阳光明媚的清晨在河边读呢?

悲剧和喜剧都是用来欣赏的，读者读“痛苦”的时候其实是在体会着“快乐”，在哪里读很重要么？

洋八路

50. 'What else can I be' returned the uncle, 'when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in 'em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will, ' said Scrooge, indignantly, 'every idiot who goes with "Merry Christmas" on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!'  Charles Dickens  [A Christmas Carol]

-- a pessimistic and radical view on Christmas...

[ 本帖最后由 洋八路 于 2011-5-19 10:50 编辑 ]

floraz

原帖由 拙泥 于 2011-5-18 23:31 发表


"faintly struggled in"; "slowly stirring"

歪一下楼: 这样depressing 的文字适合 夜深人静时在卧室里读呢,还是在懒洋洋的下午在后院里读,或是阳光明媚的清晨在河边读呢?

我会选择后者
尽管前者也许气氛更适合

floraz

原帖由 洋八路 于 2011-5-19 10:49 发表
50. 'What else can I be' returned the uncle, 'when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without  ...

是很消极

洋八路

51. It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour.   --  Charles Dickens  [A Christmas Carol]

----  if we can't rid of disease and sorrow, let's sit by the laughter and good-humour...

洋八路

52. Stephen looked older, but he had a hard life. It is said that every life has its roses and thorns; there seemed, however, to have been misadventure or mistake in Stephen’s case, whereby someone else had become possessed of his roses, and he had been possessed of the same somebody else’s thorns in addition to his own. -- Charles Dickens [Hard Times]

---- Please give me your thorns, and I give you my roses; then I use all my thorns, to prick all your roses.

拙泥

的确是个没有什么意义的问题 . 只是感慨这段文字所渲染的气氛太压抑了filthy houses, dull lights, a thick humidity broke out like a disease..

洋八路

原帖由 拙泥 于 2011-5-21 19:04 发表
的确是个没有什么意义的问题 . 只是感慨这段文字所渲染的气氛太压抑了filthy houses, dull lights, a thick humidity broke out like a disease..

是很压抑 -- 不过，坟墓，肮脏，疾病，痛苦，死亡本来就是现实存在的，作者用这样的气氛，是为了衬托对照出Esther的母亲，一个生前非常高贵尊严的女人，最后孤独痛苦死去的人生悲剧。。。-- 这个气氛在哪里看都是‘压抑’的，有了压抑，才有释放，你看完这段，再看看月亮，朝霞，河水和鸟鸣，感觉会不会不同呢？

洋八路

53. Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and some people do the same by their religion. -- Charles Dickens [Great Expectation]

-- 洁癖？

[ 本帖最后由 洋八路 于 2011-5-24 09:48 编辑 ]

洋八路

54. I remembered Mr. Hubble as a tough high-shouldered stooping old man, of a sawdusty fragrance, with his legs extraordinarily wide apart; so that in my short days I always saw some miles of open country between them when I met him coming up the lane. -- Charles Dickens [Great Expectation]

-- would be dangerous for a woman like that...

拙泥

原帖由 洋八路 于 2011-5-22 11:28 发表
53. Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself. Leanliness is next to Godliness, and some people do  ...

Leanliness 该怎样理解呢, "intolerant", "illiberal"?

floraz

原帖由 拙泥 于 2011-5-23 23:54 发表


Leanliness 该怎样理解呢, "intolerant", "illiberal"?

应该是typo
Cleanliness is next to godliness.

洋八路

55. When we came to riverside and sat down on the bank, with the water rippling at our feet, making it all more quiet than it would have been without that sound, I resolved that it was a good time and place for the admission of Biddy into my inner confidence. --  Charles Dickens [Great Expectation]

-- 体会一下 -- all more quiet than it would have been without that sound...

洋八路

56. It was a hurried breakfast with no taste in it. I got up from the meal, saying with a sort of briskness, as it had only just occurred to me, ‘Well! I suppose I must be off!’ and then I kissed my sister who was laughing and nodding and shaking in her usual chair, and kissed Biddy, and threw my arms around Joe’s neck. Then I took up my portmanteau and walked out. The last I saw of them, was, when I presently heard a scuffle behind me, and looking back, saw Joe throwing an old shoe after me and Biddy throwing another old shoe. I stopped then, to wave my hat, and dear old Joe waved his strong right arm above his head, crying huskily “Hooroar!’ and Biddy put her apron to her face.

I walked away at a good pace, thinking it was easier to go than I had supposed it would be, reflecting that it would never have done to have had an old shoe thrown after the coach, in sight of all the high-street. I whistled and made nothing of going. But the village was very peaceful and quiet, and the light mists were solemnly rising, as if to show me the world, and I had been so innocent and little there, and all beyond was so unknown and great, that in a moment with a strong heave and sob I broke into tears. It was by the finger-post at the end of the village, and I laid my hand upon it, and said, ‘Good-by O my dear, dear friend!’

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlaying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before – more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle. If I had cried before, I should have had Joe with me then.

So subdued I was by those tears, and by their breaking out again in the course of the quiet walk, that when I was on the coach, and it was clear of the town, I deliberated with an aching heart whether I would not get down when we changed horses, and walk back, and have another evening at home, and a better parting. We changed, and I had not made up my mind, and still reflected for my comfort that it would be quite practicable to get down and walk back, when we changed again. And while I was occupied with these deliberations, I would fancy an exact resemblance to Joe in some man coming along the road towards us, and my heart would beat high. – As if he could possibly be there!

We changed again, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me.  Charles Dickens [Great Expectation]

-- 欣赏一个离别场景（I 离开乡下，赴伦敦开始接受绅士教养）， Joe 是他的姐夫，感情最好。很有意思的事，英国人有一个风俗，在离别的时候用扔旧鞋来表达‘好运’（听说现在只有在结婚的时候扔旧鞋）。 仔细阅读一下，看Dickens如何描写悲欢离合中的离别情感。。

[ 本帖最后由 洋八路 于 2011-5-25 13:03 编辑 ]

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Dickon went and knelt down by them, smiling his wide smile.

Frances Hodgson Burnett [The Secret Garden]

smiling his wide smile 笑得好灿烂！