《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》 17 男孩进退两难

He could see almost the entire city from where he sat, including the plaza¹ where he had talkedwith the old man.

从那上面，也能看到城市的大部分，包括他刚才跟老人交谈时所在的广场。

Curse the moment I met that old man, he thought.

这次遇见老人可真不是时候，他想。

He had come to the town only to find a woman who could interpret his dream.

此行的目的仅仅是想找那个会解梦的老妇人。

Neither the woman nor the old man were at all impressed by the fact that he was a shepherd.

他是个牧羊人，可那老妇人和那老人全都拿这个事实不当一回事。

They were solitary² individuals who no longer believed in things, and didn't understand thatshepherds become attached to their sheep.

他们形单影只，已经对生活失去信心，不明白牧羊人最后的归宿是与他们的羊群相依为命。

He knew everything about each member of his flock: he knew which ones were lame³, whichone was to give birth two months from now, and which were the laziest.

他熟悉每只羊：知道哪只羊瘸腿，哪只羊两个月后会下小崽儿，哪几只羊最懒惰。

He knew how to shear⁴ them, and how to slaughter⁵ them.

他还知道如何剪羊毛，如何宰羊。

If he ever decided⁶ to leave them, they would suffer.

如果他决定离开，羊群将会受罪。

The wind began to pick up. He knew that wind:

起风了。他熟悉这种风。

people called it the levanter, because on it the Moors⁷ had come from the Levant at the easternend of the Mediterranean⁸.

人们将其称作“地中海东风”，因为当年摩尔人就是从地中海东部尽头乘这种风来的。

The levanter increased in intensity⁹. Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, the boythought.

地中海东风越刮越猛。面对羊群和宝藏，我现在进退两难，男孩想。

He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something hewanted to have.

在已经习以为常的东西和意欲得到的东西之间，他必须作出抉择。

There was also the merchant's daughter, but she wasn't as important as his flock, because shedidn't depend on him.

还有那个商人的女儿。不过，她不像羊群那么重要，因为她并不依赖他。

Maybe she didn't even remember him.

说不定她都不记得他了。

He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared:

他敢说，如果两天后他没出现，女孩也不会有感觉。

for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's becausepeople fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.

对她来说，生活日复一日，天天如此。实际上，每天都一成不变，是因为人们已经失去了对美好事物的敏锐感觉。

I left my father, my mother, and the town castle behind.

我离开了我的父亲、我的母亲，还有家乡的城堡。

They have gotten used to my being away, and so have I.

他们都已经习惯了，我自己也习惯了。

The sheep will get used to my not being there, too, the boy thought.

羊群没有我，也会习惯的。男孩想。

From where he sat, he could observe the plaza. People continued to come and go from thebaker's shop.

他从城堡上朝广场望去，人们从面包店进进出出。

A young couple sat on the bench where he had talked with the old man, and they kissed.

一对年轻恋人在先前他和老人聊天的长凳上坐下来，长时间拥吻着。

1 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

2 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

3 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

4 shear   

n.修剪，剪下的东西，羊的一岁；vt.剪掉，割，剥夺；vi.修剪，切割，剥夺，穿越

参考例句：

• Every spring they shear off the sheep's wool and sell it.每年春天他们都要剪下羊毛去卖。
• In the Hebrides they shear their sheep later than anywhere else.在赫伯里兹，剪羊毛的时间比其他任何地方都要晚。

5 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 moors   

v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• the North York moors 北约克郡的漠泽
• They're shooting grouse up on the moors. 他们在荒野射猎松鸡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

9 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。