精美英文欣赏:蒲公英

Lessons from a dandelion

蒲公英

I recall as a young child bringing bouquets¹ of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother.

我想起了孩提时代我把几束鲜艳的黄色花朵送给妈妈的事。

It didn't matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed the presence of these flowers in the lawn.

我记得那些花的华茎很黏，我爸妈当时都在埋怨草坪里怎么会长出这些花，但我都没在意，

I thought they were beautiful!

因为我觉得这些花非常美丽。

And there were so many of them!

而且这美丽的花是那么多！

We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers.

那天我们花了几个小时拔这些蒲公英，然后再用手把花给掐掉。

But the supply of dandelions never ran out.

不过，草坪里一直都没少了蒲公英，

My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawn mower² at least once a week,but that didn't stop these hardy³ wonders.

要么爸爸，要么我的兄弟们至少每星期都会用除草机割蒲公英，但那根本不能阻止这些坚强的小生命继续生长。

And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawn mower,there was another level of existence.

而那些无缘被拔掉送到我妈妈那里或是被除草机锋利的刀锋割掉的蒲公英却以另外一种生命高度存活了下来。

The soft, round puffs⁴ of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless giggles⁵ and squeals⁶ of delight as we unwittingly spread this flower across the yard.

蒲公英那柔软的圆圆的蓬松的绒球里结满了种子，逗得我们不停地又喊又笑，我们无意中把这种花儿播撒到了整个院子里。

As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven⁷ for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers,I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed.

上周，当我在花园里拔杂草，给西红柿，玉米，豌豆和向日葵腾地方的时候，我又惊奇地发现了这个有人称之为杂草的花。

And I thought, If only I had the staying power of a dandelion.

我心里想:要是我能有蒲公英这样的生命力该多好啊。

If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging⁸ on my stem couldn't separate me completely from the source that feeds me life.

如果我能像蒲公英一样深深地，直直地扎根该多好，那样即便有人用力拽我的茎也不能完全把我和培育我生命的大地分离。

If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse,purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me.

如果有锄草机在我身上碾过或是更糟糕些—有人意图彻底摧毁我，而我却能像蒲公英一样依然微笑着面对这个世界，那该有多好。

If only my foliage⁹ was a nutritious¹⁰ source of vitamins that help others grow.

如果我的叶子是营养源，富含维他命，可以帮助他人成长该有多好。

If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully¹¹ as this flower spreads seeds of itself.

如果，我能像蒲公英自行传播种子一样传播我对他人的爱和鼓舞又该多好。

The lawns at my parents' home are now beautiful green blankets.

现在，我爸妈的草坪是一片美丽的绿色，

The only patches of color come from well-placed, well-controlled flowerbeds.

颜色不同的地方就是那些精心培育的花床了。

Chemicals have managed to kill what human persistence¹² couldn't.

那些人们怎么除都没除掉的东西已经被化学药物除掉了。

I hope you and I can be different.

但愿你我能与此不同。

I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can't reach our souls.

但愿我们的根能伸到即便是最猛烈的毒药也触及不到的地方。

I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness.

但愿我们能抵抗得住愤怒，憎恶，批判还有攀比这些毒物。

I hope that we can see flowers in a world that sees weeds.

但愿，我们能在一个看到种子的世界里看到那美丽的花朵。

1 bouquets   

n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香

参考例句：

• The welcoming crowd waved their bouquets. 欢迎的群众摇动着花束。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• As the hero stepped off the platform, he was surrounded by several children with bouquets. 当英雄走下讲台时，已被几名手持花束的儿童围住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 mower   

n.割草机

参考例句：

• We need a lawn mower to cut the grass.我们需要一台草坪修剪机来割草。
• Your big lawn mower is just the job for the high grass.割高草时正需要你的大割草机。

3 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

4 puffs   

n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里，轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
• Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句

5 giggles   

n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名词复数 )；傻笑；玩笑；the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Her nervous giggles annoyed me. 她神经质的傻笑把我惹火了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I had to rush to the loo to avoid an attack of hysterical giggles. 我不得不冲向卫生间，以免遭到别人的疯狂嘲笑。 来自辞典例句

6 squeals   

n.长而尖锐的叫声( squeal的名词复数 )v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• There was an outburst of squeals from the cage. 铁笼子里传来一阵吱吱的叫声。 来自英汉文学
• There were squeals of excitement from the children. 孩子们兴奋得大声尖叫。 来自辞典例句

7 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

8 tugging   

n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. 汤姆捏住一个钮扣眼使劲地拉，样子显得很害羞。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• She kicked him, tugging his thick hair. 她一边踢他，一边扯着他那浓密的头发。 来自辞典例句

9 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

10 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。