精美英文欣赏:牧羊人咖啡

I used to like sheepherder coffee,

　　a cup of grounds in my old enameled¹ pot,

　　then three cups of water and a fire,

　　过去我喜欢牧羊人咖啡,

　　往我那旧搪瓷壶里倒入一杯咖啡粉,

　　再加三杯水及一炉火,

　　and when it’s hot, boiling into froth,

　　a half cup of cold water

　　to bring the grounds to the bottom.

　　当咖啡烧热,沸腾冒泡,

　　加半杯冷水

　　让咖啡粉沉底。

　　It was strong and bitter and good

　　as I squatted² on the riverbank,

　　under the great redwoods all those years ago.

　　许多年前,当我蹲在河堤上那些

　　魁梧的红杉下品尝它时,

　　味道那么浓,那么苦,那么好。

　　Some days, it was nearly all I got.

　　I was happy with my dog,

　　and cases of books in my funky³ truck.

　　有那么一些时日,它几乎成了我仅有的一切。

　　有我的狗和我那古怪前卫的卡车里的

　　几箱书相伴,我很开心。

　　But when I think of that posture⁴ now,

　　I can’t help but think

　　of Palestinians huddled⁵ in their ruins,

　　但如今,当我想起那个姿势时,

　　我便忍不住想到

　　蜷缩在废墟中的巴勒斯坦人,

　　the Afghan shepherd with his bleating⁶ goats,

　　the widow weeping, sending off her sons,

　　the monk⁷ who can’t go home.

　　赶着咩咩叫着的羊群的阿富汗牧羊人,

　　哭着给儿子们送行的寡妇,

　　无家可归的僧侣。

　　There are fewer names for coffee

　　than for love. Squatting⁸, they drink,

　　thinking, waiting for whatever comes.

　　咖啡的名称远远少于

　　爱的名称。他们蹲着,边喝

边想,等待一切降临。

1 enameled   

涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The grey walls were divided into artificial paneling by strips of white-enameled pine. 灰色的墙壁用漆白的松木条隔成镶板的模样。
• I want a pair of enameled leather shoes in size 38. 我要一双38号的亮漆皮鞋。

2 squatted   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上与一个人谈话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 funky   

adj.畏缩的，怯懦的，霉臭的；adj.新式的，时髦的

参考例句：

• The kitchen smelled really funky.这个厨房有一股霉味。
• It is a funky restaurant with very interesting art on the walls.那是一家墙上挂着很有意思的绘画的新潮餐馆。

4 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

5 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

6 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句

7 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

8 squatting   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• They ended up squatting in the empty houses on Oxford Road. 他们落得在牛津路偷住空房的境地。
• They've been squatting in an apartment for the past two years. 他们过去两年来一直擅自占用一套公寓。 来自《简明英汉词典》