双语有声阅读：郁金香(5)

He seemed a very plain honest man, and a person of good sense，had not his head been touched with that distemper which Hippocrates calls the Tulippomania;in so much that he would talk very rationally on any subject in the world but a tulip.

 

他看上去是位单纯老实的人，有较高的品位，头脑也很理智。除了郁金香，他可以理性地谈论世间的任何事物。

He told me, that he valued the bed of flowers which lay before us，and was not above twenty yards in length and two in breadth，more than he would the best hundred acres of land in England, and added, that it would have been worth twice the money it is, if a foolish cook, maid of his had not almost ruined him in the last winter, by mistaking a handful of tulip roots for a heap of onions, and by that means，said he, made me a dish of pottage that cost me above thousand pounds sterling¹.

他告诉我，他特别珍惜我们面前的那个花坛。虽然那个花坛不足二十码长，宽也不足两码，但是即使有人用英国最肥沃的百亩良田来换，他也坚决不换。他又补充说，去年冬天，要不是他的一个愚蠢的厨娘误把一堆郁金香球茎当成洋葱做了汤，差点要了他的命，否则，这个花坛的价钱至少是现在的两倍。他说：厨娘做的那碗汤，花了我整整一千多英镑。

 

He then showed me what he thought the finest of his tulips, which I ound received all their value from their rarity，and odd ness, and put me in mind of our great fortunes,which are not always the greatest beauties.

 

随后他又给我看了他心目中最好的郁金香。我觉得那些郁金香珍贵的原因，主要是稀有，形态也非常奇异。

I have often looked upon it as a piece of happiness, that I have never fallen into any of these fantastical tastes, nor esteemed² anything the more for its being the uncommon³ and hard to be met with.

我认为这是一件高兴的事。因此，我把春日的乡野看做是一座花园，时常去看看雏菊，看看紫罗兰，就像花匠照看自己的花坛一样。周围绽放的每一朵花儿，都是那么的熟悉，我不会错过一朵水仙、一簇迎春，即使它们的凋谢我也都知道。

For this reason I look upon the whole country in springtime as a spacious⁴ garden, and make as many visits to a spot of daisies or a bank of violets，as a florist⁵ does to his borders or parterres.

由此我想到，不论我们有多少财富，都没有什么可珍贵的。

There is not a bush in blossom within a mile of me, which I am not acquainted with, nor scarce a daffodil of cowslip that withers⁶ away in my neighborhood without my missing it,I walked home in this temper of mind through several fields and meadows with hand unspeakable pleasure,not without reflecting on the bounty⁷ of Providence⁸ which has made the most pleasing and most beautiful objects the most ordinary and most common.

我从来没有捕风捉影的嗜好，不会因为某样东西不同寻常、很稀有，便用不同的眼光看待它。带着这种心情，我穿过几处农田，几片草地，向家走去。我想，这是普罗维登斯的赏赐，他把那些最令人高兴的、最美丽的事物变得那么平凡，那么简单。

1 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

2 esteemed   

adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为

参考例句：

• The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

4 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

5 florist   

n.花商；种花者

参考例句：

• The florist bunched the flowers up.花匠把花捆成花束。
• Could you stop at that florist shop over there?劳驾在那边花店停一下好不好？

6 withers   

马肩隆

参考例句：

• The girl's pitiful history would wring one's withers. 这女孩子的经历令人心碎。
• "I will be there to show you," and so Mr. Withers withdrew. “我会等在那里，领你去看房间的，"威瑟斯先生这样说着，退了出去。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

7 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

8 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。