美国学生世界地理教材 第186期:对面脚踩之地续(3)

 I had come half-way round the World to see this sight  我曾环绕地球半圈专程来看这景观。

and had traveled days in such terrific heat that a sunstroke was as much to be feared as a stroke of lightning. 在旅行的那几天里，天气非常炎热，人们害怕中暑就像害怕被闪电击中一样。

I saw the Taj by the full moon and was so busy looking that I stepped into a pool of water up to my knees, 我在满月的银光之下看见了泰姬陵。我那么专注地看着，不知不觉竟步入一个水池，水没到膝盖，

and I had hardly clambered out when I stepped off a platform and sprained¹ my ankle. 刚爬出来，从一个平台上走下来，又扭伤了脚踝。

But it was worth it. And yet to me the most beautiful building in the World is not the Taj. It is the Pearl Mosque², which is also at Agra. 但受伤也是值得的。然而，对我来说，世界上最美的建筑不是泰姬陵，而是珍珠清真寺，它也在阿格拉镇。

I don't know what the buildings in Heaven look like, but I don't believe they could be more beautiful than the Pearl Mosque. 我不知道天堂里的建筑是什么样的，但我相信，就算是天堂里的建筑也不会比珍珠清真寺更美丽。

On the east side of the country is the sacred river of India; it is called the Ganges. 印度的圣河，在这个国家的东边，叫做恒河。

It has several mouths and at one of these mouths is Calcutta. 它有好几个河口，加尔各答在其中一个河口。

Calcutta is in India but most of the mouths of the Ganges are in Pakistan. 加尔各答在印度，但大部分恒河河口在巴基斯坦。

Farther up the sacred river is the sacred city of the Hindus. It is called Benares. 在圣河上游有印度教徒的圣城——贝拿勒斯。

No one but a Mohammedan may go to the sacred city of Mecca, but any one may go to Benares. 圣城麦加，唯有伊斯兰教徒可以去，但任何人都可以去贝拿勒斯。

Benares is built on the banks of the river, and covering the banks are long stone steps leading down into the river. 贝拿勒斯建在恒河河畔，河岸铺着长长的石阶，石阶向下延伸到恒河。

Hindus come from all over India to bathe in the Ganges at Benares, not to wash away dirt but to wash away sins. 印度教徒从印度各地来到贝拿勒斯，在恒河里沐浴，不是洗去污垢而是洗去罪恶。

They go in about waist-deep and, filling a bowl with the sacred water, pour it over their heads. 他们走到齐腰深的地方，舀起一碗圣水，浇到自己的头上。

Especially do they come to the Ganges when they think they are about to die. Good Hindus are not afraid to die. 当他们认为自己快要死的时候，就会特地来到恒河。虔诚的印度教徒并不怕死。

In fact, if they are miserably³ poor and unhappy they are glad to die, for if their sins are washed away they expect, by dying, 事实上，如果生活贫穷，痛苦不堪，他们宁愿死去，

they will immediately be changed into the body of a happier creature. 因为如果他们的罪恶一旦洗去，他们期望通过死亡立刻转世成为一个比以前幸福的人。

1 sprained   

v.&n. 扭伤

参考例句：

• I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤，把脚脖子扭了。
• When Mary sprained her ankles, John carried her piggyback to the doctors. 玛丽扭伤了足踝，约翰驮她去看医生。

2 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

3 miserably   

adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地

参考例句：

• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
• It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》