美国学生世界地理教材 第196期:一条巨大的海蛇怪(1)

 When the World was young and people believed in sea-serpents they used to say there was a huge sea-serpent a thousand miles long in the sea near China. 在人类历史的早期阶段，人们相信世界上有海蛇怪，他们常说在中国海域附近，有一条巨大的海蛇怪，有1,000英里长。

Wherever the humps on the sea-serpent's back stuck out of the water they looked like islands, 凡是在海蛇怪背部隆肉拱出水面的地方，看起来就像岛屿；

and whenever the sea-serpent twisted¹ or turned in his age-long sleep the islands would shake. 海蛇怪长期沉睡不醒，每当它偶尔扭动或翻转身体的时候，这些岛屿就会晃动。

Yet, long ago people from China went to these islands on the sea-serpent's back and made their homes there,  然而，很久以前，中国人来到海蛇怪背部上的这些岛屿，并在那儿定居下来，

in spite² of the fact that he was squirming in his sleep. 尽管海蛇怪会在沉睡中时不时扭动一下。

We now know that these islands are simply old volcanoes³ in the water, most of which have burned out, 现在，我们都知道这些岛屿只是海里古老的火山，大多数火山已经熄灭了；

and when they shake, as they still do almost every day, we know that the shakes are just earthquakes. 当岛屿晃动的时候——现在差不多每天都会发生，我们知道这些晃动只不过是地震。

We call these islands on the sea-serpent "Japan" and the people "Japanese." 我们称海蛇怪背上的这些岛屿为“日本”，称那儿的人为“日本人”。

The Japanese, however, don't call their island Japan; they call their country of islands "Nippon," which means⁴ the Land of the Rising Sun. 然而，日本人并不称他们的岛为“日本”，而是称为“立邦”，意思是“太阳升起的大地”。

Of course, the sun rises in other lands too, but when the Japanese went to Japan it was, for them, the land where the sun rose. 当然，太阳也从世界各地升起，但是，当初日本人朝着日本前行的时候，对他们来说，这片土地就是太阳升起的地方。

So their white flag has on it the picture of a red sun with rays. 所以他们白色国旗的图案是一轮光芒四射的红太阳。

The Chinese and the Japanese both belong to the yellow race. 中国人和日本人都属于黄种人。

But the Japanese are as different from the Chinese in most ways as the white people of our country are different from the white people of India. 但是，在很多方面，日本人与中国人差别很大，就像美国的白种人与印度的白种人差别很大一样。

The Japanese are quick to learn and quick to copy. 日本人学东西很快，仿效别人也很快。

The Japanese used to copy the Chinese writing, the Chinese Buddha⁵, the Chinese way of eating with chop-sticks, 日本人过去仿效中国的文字、中国的佛教、中国人用筷子吃饭的方法等，

for they knew no other people and no other country but China and, like the Chinese, they kept all others out of their country. 因为他们对其他民族毫不了解，而且，除了中国，他们也毫不了解世界上其他国家。像中国人一样，日本人也闭关锁国，

It was as if they had put up a sign, "No Admittance." 好像他们也竖起一块“禁止入内”的告示牌。

Now, for some reason or other, most people whenever they see a sign "Keep Out" want to "Go in"—like Mary, Mary quite contrary,  然而，不知什么原因，大多数人每次看到“禁止入内”的告示，他们就想“进去”——就像玛丽，那个好与人作对的玛丽。

they want to do what they are told they mustn't. 你告诫他们不可做的事情，他们偏想去做。

1 twisted   

adj.（感情、欲望等）反常的，变态的v.扭，搓，缠绕( twist的过去式和过去分词 )；歪曲；转动；扭转

参考例句：

• After the crash the car was a mass of twisted metal. 那辆车撞成了一堆扭曲的废铁。
• The rope had twisted itself around the wheel, stopping the motor. 绳子把轮子缠住，电动机就不转了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 spite   

n.（用于短语）虽然，不顾，尽管

参考例句：

• He has modern ideas in spite of his great age.尽管他年事很高，但思想观念却很入时。
• In spite of his anger,his remarks were restrained.他尽管生气，说的话还是有节制的。

3 volcanoes   

n.火山( volcano的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Volcanoes and geysers erupt. 火山和间歇喷泉均能喷发。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has been able to tell us more about active volcanoes than any man alive. 他现在比任何人都能更多地向我们讲述有关活火山的情况。 来自《用法词典》

4 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

5 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。