中英對照
182.The raft
182.漂流筏
I left the small village on my way to my destination, and I quivered at the thought that my next step was to take a raft down the raging rapids of a river. The sun was radiant, and the people about me, some with ghetto blasters listening to rap music as they walked by, radiated with the happiness that comes from doing their daily activities.
我離開小村莊繼續(xù)朝著目的地前進(jìn),但一想到下一步將是乘小筏子經(jīng)過一條狂暴湍急的河流時,我的內(nèi)心就禁不住顫抖不已。當(dāng)時太陽很耀眼,光芒四射;周圍的人群中有些人隨身帶著廉價錄放機(jī),他們一邊走,一邊聽著說唱音樂,臉上發(fā)出日常生活中常見的那種幸福光芒。
I located a ragged looking rancher, who gave me a very high quotation, which rankled me a bit, on a ragged looking raft. "I am being held ransom," I thought, "but I know that due to the recent floods and the subsequent rationing of rafts, rafts have been rarefied. Besides, extortion is rampant in this country." So I rallied my gumption and bought it at the extortionate price he asked for and headed, along with my rare raft, for the river. As I left, I thought, "It is certainly a rapacious age we live in. I wonder if he has his quota for the day."
我找到了一個衣衫襤褸的人,看起來他就像是一個牧場工人。我想租他那條破破舊舊的小筏子,但是他給了我一個很高的報價單,這讓我多多少少有一點惱怒。"我被敲詐了,"我暗自想道,"可這可能是因為最近發(fā)了大水,接著就對筏子進(jìn)行定量配給,所以筏子的數(shù)量相應(yīng)來說也就很稀少。再說,這個國家敲詐勒索的現(xiàn)象也非常猖獗。"所以我恢復(fù)了我的雄心大志,花了一個他索要的天價買下了這艘小筏子,然后,坐著這條稀有的筏子,我朝河流前進(jìn)了。走的時候,我心想,"我們真是活在一個貪婪的時代。他今天的份額有了嗎?"
It is difficult to describe the rapture one receives as one goes down the rapids. It ranks up there with beautiful music or riding a bull. You may think it is radical, but it is a ration of the senses as your senses are taken to the brink. As the raft rocks and the water sprays, you never know if that next big rock has your name on it. It is the danger, the not knowing that makes it exciting.
要描述在激流中前進(jìn)的狂喜心情并不容易。河流一會兒唱著優(yōu)美動聽的歌兒次序井然地向前走,一會兒又像騎牛一樣一路狂奔。你可能會認(rèn)為河流很湍急,但這實際上是你在瀕臨絕境時非常正常的一種心理感覺。當(dāng)筏子搖擺不定,水花噴濺的時候,你根本無法預(yù)知到你是否還能再活著見到下一個大巖石。乘筏漂流的吸引人之處就在于其危險性加未知數(shù)。
I did not rashly decide to take the rapids, nor was it a rational decision. There was no need to have it ratified by a governing body, for there was no other choice if I wanted to get where I was going. I simply got in and rode the rapids as best I could.
我并沒有魯莽地決定下河漂流,但這實際上也并非一個有理性的選擇。這樣做并不需要主管部門的批準(zhǔn),可是如果我決定要去我的目的地的話,我別無選擇。我只能跳上筏子盡我所能與激流周旋到底了。
n. 配額,限額,最低票數(shù)
radiant['reidjənt]adj. 發(fā)光的,明亮的,輻射的
describe[dis'kraib]vt. 描述,畫(尤指幾何圖形),說成
rapacious[rə'peiʃəs]adj. 貪婪的,強(qiáng)奪的
raft[rɑ:ft]n. 筏,救生艇,大量 v. 乘筏,制成筏
decision[di'siʒən]n. 決定,決策
rational['ræʃənəl]adj. 合理的,理性的,能推理的
n. 有理
n. 狂喜
vt. 使狂喜
adj. 稀罕的,稀薄的,罕見的,珍貴的
ad
n. 定額,定量,配給 vt. 限量供應(yīng)