精靈鼠小弟 第88期:北邊有值得留戀的東西

"There's something about north," he said, "something that sets it apart from all other directions."

“北邊有些值得留戀的東西，”他說，“這是它和別的方向都不同的原因。”

A person who is heading north is not making any mistake, in my opinion.

一個人要是一直朝北走就準不會出錯，我個人認為。

"That's the way I look at it," said Stuart.

“我也這么看，”斯圖亞特說。

I rather expect that from now on I shall be traveling north until the end of my days.

我希望從現(xiàn)在起一直向北走，直到生命的結(jié)束。

"Worse things than that could happen to a person," said the repairman.

“一個人在路上也可能遇到比死亡更可怕的事情。”修理工說。

"Yes, I know," answered Stuart.

“是的，我知道，”斯圖亞特回答。

"Following a broken telephone line north, I have come upon some wonderful places," continued the repairman.

“沿著北邊的那根破電線桿的方向往北走時，我曾發(fā)現(xiàn)過一些精彩的地方，”修理工繼續(xù)說。

Swamps where cedars grow and turtles wait on logs but not for anything in particular;

沼澤那里有青蔥的香柏還有在樹干上若有所待的甲魚此外就沒什么別的了;

fields bordered by crooked fences broken by years of standing still;

被破籬笆圈起來的田地早已荒蕪，多少年來就那么靜靜地站在那里;

orchards so old they have forgotten where the farmhouse is.

果園也已破敝不堪早就被人遺忘了。

In the north I have eaten my lunch in pastures rank with ferns and junipers, all under fair skies with a wind blowing.

我在北邊的草場上吃我的午飯時，身邊是成排的羊齒植物和杜松，四周是嗚嗚作響的風(fēng)。

My business has taken me into spruce woods on winter nights where the snow lay deep and soft, a perfect place for a carnival of rabbits.

在冬夜里由于工作的需要我會來到覆蓋著松軟深厚的積雪的美麗森林，那里是野兔藏身的好地方。

I have sat at peace on the freight platforms of railroad junctions in the north, in the warm hours and with the warm smells.

我也曾很多次靜靜地坐在朝北的貨運站的月臺旁，呼吸著溫暖的空氣，靜度我安閑的時光。