双语有声阅读：论美

2. 论美

And a poet said, "Speak to us of Beauty."

一位诗人接着说:"请给我们谈淡美。"

Where shall you seek beauty, and how shall you find her unless she herself be your way and your guide?

他答道：你们将去哪里寻找美呢?如果她不出现在你们的旅途中，指引着你们，你们如何能够找到她?

And how shall you speak of her except she be the weaver¹ of your speech?

倘若她不是你们话语的编织者，你们如何能够谈论她呢?

The aggrieved² and the injured say, "Beauty is kind and gentle.

被虐者和受伤者说:"美仁慈而温柔。

Like a young mother half-shy of her own glory she walks among us."

就像一位年轻的妈妈，因自己的荣光半遮着面孔，走在我们的中间。"

And the passionate³ say, "Nay⁴, beauty is a thing of might and dread⁵.

激情澎湃者说:"不，美强烈而可畏。

Like the tempest she shakes the earth beneath us and the sky above us."

就像风暴雨一般，震撼着我们脚下的大地和头上的天空。"

The tired and the weary say, "beauty is of soft whisperings. She speaks in our spirit.

疲乏者说:"美是柔声细语，她在我们的心灵中讲话。

Her voice yields to our silences like a faint light that quivers in fear of the shadow."

她的声音沉浸在我们的寂静中，正如一抹微光在阴影的恐惧中颤抖。"

But the restless say, "We have heard her shouting among the mountains,

但好动者说:"我们曾听过她在山峦中呼喊，

And with her cries came the sound of hoofs⁶, and the beating of wings and the roaring of lions."

她的呼喊唤来了马蹄声、展翅声和雄狮怒吼声。"

At night the watchmen of the city say, "Beauty shall rise with the dawn from the east."

晚上城市的守夜人说:"美与晨曦一起从东方升起。"

And at noontide the toilers and the wayfarers⁷ say, "we have seen her leaning over the earth from the windows of the sunset."

午日，含辛茹苦者和风尘仆仆者说:"我们曾看见她斜倚在黄昏之窗眺望着大地。"

In winter say the snow-bound, "She shall come with the spring leaping upon the hills."

冬日，困在风雪中的人说:"她将与春天一同来临，在山谷里跳跃。"

And in the summer heat the reapers⁸ say, "We have seen her dancing with the autumn leaves, and we saw a drift of snow in her hair."

夏日，收割庄稼的人说:"我们曾看见她与秋叶相拥共舞，她的发梢缀着雪花。"

All these things have you said of beauty.

你们刚刚谈及关于美的一切，

Yet in truth you spoke⁹ not of her but of needs unsatisfied,

事实上，并非她本身，而是你们未被满足的要求，

And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy¹⁰.

美并不是一种需求，而是一种狂喜。

It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth¹¹,

她不是干渴的嘴唇，也不是伸出的空手，

But rather a heart enflamed and a soul enchanted¹².

而是一颗滚烫的心，一个愉悦的灵魂。

It is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear,

她不是你们想看到的样子，也不是你们想听到的乐曲，

But rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears.

而是你们虽闭上眼睛也能看到的样子，虽掩住耳朵也能听到的旋律。

It is not the sap within the furrowed¹³ bark, nor a wing attached to a claw,

她不是蕴涵在褶皱树皮下的汁液，也不是利爪一下垂死的鸟儿。

But rather a garden forever in bloom and a flock of angels for ever in flight.

她是一座永远绽放花朵的花园，一群永远翱翔天穹的天使。

People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face.

奥菲里斯城的人们啊，当生命揭下她圣洁的面纱时，美就是生命。

But you are life and you are the veil.

然而，你们是生命，也是而纱。

Beauty is eternity¹⁴ gazing at itself in a mirror.

美是永生揽镜自照。

But you are eternity and you are the mirror.

但你就是永生，你也是镜子。

1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 aggrieved   

adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He felt aggrieved at not being chosen for the team. 他因没被选到队里感到愤愤不平。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is the aggrieved person whose fiance&1& did not show up for their wedding. 她很委屈，她的未婚夫未出现在他们的婚礼上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

4 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

5 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

6 hoofs   

n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
• The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句

7 wayfarers   

n.旅人，（尤指）徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Days have been when wayfarers came here to wash their weary feet. 从前曾有过路人到这里来洗疲乏的脚。 来自互联网
• You are the way and the wayfarers. 你们是道路，也是行路者。 来自互联网

8 reapers   

n.收割者，收获者( reaper的名词复数 )；收割机

参考例句：

• Ripe white wheat reapers reap ripe white wheat right. 成熟的白色小麦收割者最懂得收获成熟的白色小麦。 来自互联网
• A pair of reapers help fend off the attack. 几个收割者辅助攻击这些小狗。 来自互联网

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

11 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

12 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

13 furrowed   

v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Overhead hung a summer sky furrowed with the rash of rockets. 头顶上的夏日夜空纵横着急疾而过的焰火。 来自辞典例句
• The car furrowed the loose sand as it crossed the desert. 车子横过沙漠，在松软的沙土上犁出了一道车辙。 来自辞典例句

14 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。