【双语有声阅读】如何慢慢变老(上)

In spite of the title，this article will really be on how not to grow old，which，at my time of life，is a much more important subject.

 

尽管有这样一个题目，这篇文章其实将主要讨论怎样才能不老。这，在我这个年龄段，是一个更为重要的话题。

My first advice would be to choose your ancestors carefully.

我的第一个建议是—仔细选择自己的先人。

Although both my parents died young，I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors.

尽管我的父母都较早辞世，但考虑到我的其他前辈，在这方面我还是做得不错的。

My maternal¹ grandfather，it is true，was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of sixty-seven，but my other three grandparents all lived to be over eighty.

的确，我的外祖父在他六十七岁那样的如花盛年就丢了脑袋，然而我的另外三位祖辈却都活过了八十岁。

Of remote ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age，and he died of a disease which is now rare，namely，having his head cut off.

在我的祖先中，我只发现一位未能得享高龄，而且他死于一种今天已极为罕见的病症—他让自己被砍了脑袋。

A great-grandmother of mine，who was a friend of Gibbon，lived to the age of ninety-two，and to her last day remained a terror to all her descendants.

我的一位曾祖母，她是吉布的朋友，她活到九十二岁，直到最后一天，她一直是她所有子孙们害怕的人。

My maternal grandmother，after having nine children who survived，one who died in infancy，and many miscarriages，as soon as she became a widow devoted² herself to women's higher education.

我的外祖母，有九个孩子长大成人，一个幼年夭折，曾经多次流产，在成为寡妇后立即献身于女子高等教育。

She was one of the founders³ of Girton College，and worked hard at opening the medical profession to women.

她作为格腾学院的创始人之一，为开设女子医学专业付出过艰苦卓绝的努力。

She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad.

她曾给我们讲述她在意大利遇见一位神情悲哀的老年绅士的情形。

She inquired the cause of his melancholy⁴ and he said that he had just parted from his two grandchildren.

她询问忧郁的原因，他说他刚与他的两个孙儿诀别。

Good gracious，she exclaimed，I have seventy-two grandchildren，and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them，I should have a dismal⁵ existence！Madre snaturale，he replied.

感谢恩典吧，她大声说，我有七十二个孙辈，如果我每送走一个就悲哀一次，我将活得多么凄凉？多自然的一位老妈妈！他答道。

But speaking as one of the seventy-two，I prefer her recipe.

然而作为她的七十二个孙辈之一，我更喜欢她的处方。

1 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

2 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

3 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

4 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

5 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。