精美英文欣赏:假如给我三天光明 Three Days to See

Three Days to See

假如给我三天光明

All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified¹ time to live.

我们大家都读过一些令人激动的故事，这些故事里的主人公仅仅活在有限并且特定的时间内，

Sometimes it was as long as a year;

有时长达一年，

sometimes as short as twenty-four hours.

有时却短至一日。

But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed² man chose to spend his last days or his last hours.

但我们总是想要知道，注定要离世人的会选择如何度过自己最后的时光。

I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice,not condemned³ criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly⁴ delimited.

当然，我说的是那些有选择权利的自由人，而不是那些活动范围受到严格限定的死囚。

Such stories set us thinking,wondering what we should do under similar circumstances.

这样的故事让我们思考，在类似的处境下，我们该做些什么？

What events, what experiences, what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings?

作为终有一死的人，在临终前的几个小时内我们应该做什么事，经历些什么或做哪些联想？

What happiness should we find in reviewing the past,what regrets?

回忆往昔，什么使我们开心快乐？什么又使我们悔恨不已？

Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow.

有时我想，把每天都当作生命中的最后一天来边，也不失为一个极好的生活法则。

Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life.

这种态度会使人格外重视生命的价值。

We should live each day with a gentleness, a vigor,and a keenness of appreciation⁵ which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama⁶ of more days and months and years to come.

我们每天都应该以优雅的姿态，充沛的精力，抱着感恩之心来生活。但当时间以无休止的日，月和年在我们面前流逝时，我们却常常没有了这种子感觉。

There are those, of course,who would adopt the Epicurean motto of "Eat, drink, and be merry,"

当然，也有人奉行“吃，喝，享受”的享乐主义信条，

but most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending⁷ death.

但绝大多数人还是会受到即将到来的死亡的惩罚。

Most of us, however, take life for granted.

然而，我们中的大多数人都把生命看成是理所当然的。

We know that one day we must die,but usually we picture that day as far in the future.

我们知道有一天我们必将面对死亡，但总认为那一天还在遥远的将来。

When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable.

当我们身强体健之时，死亡简直不可想象，

We seldom think of it.

我们很少考虑到它。

The days stretch out in an endless vista⁸.

日子多得好像没有尽头。

So we go about our petty tasks,hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.

因此我们一味忙于琐事，几乎意识不到我们对待生活的冷漠态度。

The same lethargy, I am afraid,characterizes the use of all our faculties⁹ and senses.

我担心同样的冷漠也存在于我们对自己官能和意识的运用上。

Only the deaf appreciate hearing,only the blind realize the manifold blessings¹⁰ that lie in sight.

只有聋子才理解听力的重要，只有盲人才明白视觉的可贵，

Particularly does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life.

这尤其适用于那些成年后才失去视力或听力之苦的人很少充分利用这些宝贵的能力。

But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties.

他们的眼睛和耳朵模糊地感受着周围的景物与声音，心不在焉，也无所感激。

Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily,without concentration and with little appreciation.

他们对所见所闻不关注，不欣赏。

It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it,of not being conscious of health until we are ill.

这与常说的不失去不懂得珍贵，不生病不知道健康可贵的道理是一样的。

1 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

2 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

3 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

4 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

5 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

6 panorama   

n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置]

参考例句：

• A vast panorama of the valley lay before us.山谷的广阔全景展现在我们面前。
• A flourishing and prosperous panorama spread out before our eyes.一派欣欣向荣的景象展现在我们的眼前。

7 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

8 vista   

n.远景，深景，展望，回想

参考例句：

• From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去，远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
• These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路，未来看不到一点儿希望。

9 faculties   

n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院

参考例句：

• Although he's ninety, his mental faculties remain unimpaired. 他虽年届九旬，但头脑仍然清晰。
• All your faculties have come into play in your work. 在你的工作中，你的全部才能已起到了作用。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》