英语PK台 第401期:英国绅士把中国寻常百姓故事写成畅销书

 　　Track One

　　The story is compiled¹, one of many stories that I have been able to enjoy, learning from people.

　　这个故事是创作的，是我很喜欢的故事之一

　　This one is called 'The Foreign Office worker and two baskets of pineapples'.

　　叫做《外交部公务员和两篮菠萝》

　　I was unusually early

　　这天，我起得不同寻常地早

　　Beijing traffic can never be so unpredictable as when there are foreign dignitaries visiting

　　除非有外国政要来访，北京的交通向来不可预测

　　Unusually it was free moving that day

　　不寻常的是，这天竟然一路畅通。

　　The roads were not closed as often as they might have been

　　道路并没有像往常一样被管控。

　　we had a speedy, uninterrupted passage to the location

　　我们有一条快速无障碍的直达通道。

　　I had time on my hands so I wandered around the gardens

　　时间尚且充裕，于是我在花园里漫步着

　　so carefully laid out among the high-rise blocks of the now fashionable Jinsong area of east Beijing

　　花园布局在北京东部时尚的劲松地区的高层建筑中。

　　Within easy reach of one of Beijing's largest and most fashionable public spaces

　　北京最大最时尚的地段几乎近在咫尺

　　These and each tower house a mixture of government officials and middle class families

　　每幢高楼都居住着政府官员和中产阶级家庭吧

　　away from the unceasing roar of the Capital's traffic

　　远离嘈杂的首都交通。

　　Li Zhu comes down from his apartment to greet me

　　李竺从他的公寓下来迎接我

　　"Oh welcome, welcome. No smog today!"

　　“哦欢迎，欢迎。今天没有雾霾！”

　　If you ever thought that talking about the weather was a specifically British phenomena², think again!

　　如果你认为谈论天气是英国独特的现象，请再想想

　　It is nearly as ubiquitous as a small talk subject in Beijing as in Bradford, Bedford or Beckensfield in the UK.

　　在北京它几乎是无处不在的一个谈话小主题，就像在英国的布拉德福德、贝德福德或贝肯斯菲尔德一样

　　Some say the bad weather kills thousands every year around the Capital from respiratory diseases.

　　有些人说，每年首都数千人因恶劣的天气罹患呼吸道疾病而死亡

　　You can taste it on a bad day

　　你可以在某个糟糕的日子体验一下

　　It otherwise stops Beijing from being one of the World's most liveable cities

　　另外这会阻止北京成为世界上最宜居的城市之一

　　we bemoan³ the constant problems of bad air and my recent difficulties in acquiring air filters—as we ascend⁴ the unusually well lit lift to Li Zhu's well appointed apartment

　　当我们乘坐灯光通明的电梯到达李竺设备齐全的公寓时，我们哀叹着空气问题和我最近在买空气过滤器方面遇到的困难

　　He lives with his wife and 17 month old son and ayi, in a spacious⁵, well for Beijing, upper floor apartment.

　　他和他的妻子、17个月大的儿子以及阿姨住在一个宽敞的高层公寓里

　　The 'ayi' translated as 'aunt' or 'mother-sister' is a nurse maid and has a very particular place in Chinese middle class families.

　　“阿姨”意思是“母亲的姐妹”，是一名保姆，在中国中产家庭中占有特别的位置

　　Indeed, no self-respecting working family would be without one.

　　事实上，所有体面的家庭都有保姆

　　Often from poorer part of the city or surrounding regions, many ayis 'live-in' as a permanent 'home help'

　　通常来自城市或周边地区，许多阿姨住在雇主家里，作为固定的生活助手

　　Something as a cross between a nanny, a cook, cleaner or general help.

　　身兼多种角色，是带孩子的保姆，也是厨师、清洁工或日常助理。

　　The ayi is an indispensable⁶ part of many young families' lives

　　保姆是许多年轻家庭生活中不可或缺的一部分

　　releasing the parents as they do to work or spend time on other activities

　　可以解放父母们腾出时间做工作或其他活动

　　such as the care of elderly parents

　　例如照顾年迈的父母

　　Track Two

　　We sit quietly as the son is asleep in the next room with the ayi

　　孩子与阿姨在隔壁房间睡着了，我们静静地坐着。

　　Li Zhu's wife prepares tea and sits down quietly

　　李竺的妻子准备好茶水，安静地坐下

　　Tea is served and we pass pleasantries and gifts

　　喝过茶，我们说着客套话并送上礼物。

　　We do not take our coats off—the heating is not turned on in Beijing each year until the 15th November.

　　我们没有脱下外套——北京每年11月15日才通暖气。

　　The early November freeze across northern China has everyone quietly cold and grumbly⁷

　　在中国北方11月初寒乍到，每个人都感觉寒冷阴郁。

　　Li Zhu is happy to talk.

　　李竺侃侃而谈

　　I was born in Anhui Province—and went to school there too.

　　我出生在安徽省——在那里上学

　　Later I went to study science and technology as my degree at Wuhan University

　　后来我去武汉大学学习科学技术

　　I graduated in 1998.

　　我1998年毕业

　　At the end of it I sat the government entrance exams and passed

　　毕业时，我参加公务员考试并通过

　　I spent the next thirteen years in the government foreign affairs office

　　我在外交部工作了十三年

　　Working mainly in the neighbouring countries to China in Southeast Asia

　　主要在东南亚邻国工作

　　I never dreamed I would end up in the Foreign Office

　　我从来没有想过我能有朝一日在这里工作

　　At that time it used to collect students from all over China, and from many different degree courses

　　那时外交部经常录用来自中国各地不同专业的学生。

　　I was the only one from the science and technology discipline

　　我是科学技术专业中唯一的一个

　　They even sent me to Hong Kong for two years at one point.

　　他们甚至把我派到香港两年。

　　It was amazing.

　　这是很光荣的事情

　　My parents were teachers in the local middle school.

　　我的父母是当地中学的老师

　　My two brothers are a teacher and a worker in the 'courts of justice'

　　我的两个兄弟一个是老师，另一个在法院工作

　　I was taught well and I studied hard—I was top of the class in middle school

　　我努力学习——中学时是班级尖子生

　　My parents were so proud of me—I was good at studying and was rewarded as one of the best in my subjects in the country

　　我的父母为我感到自豪——我擅长学习，并作为本专业最优秀的学生获得了认可和奖励

　　I became one of the youngest department leaders and division chiefs in the Foreign Ministry⁸

　　我成为外交部最年轻的部门领导和部门主管之一

　　Li Zhu became one of the few global travellers in the Government of the day.

　　李竺成为当时少数在国外工作的员工之一

　　Amongst other places he spent time in were the US, Germany and most of the local Southeast Asian neighbours.

　　他还到过其他地方，如美国、德国和大多数东南亚邻国

　　However, as he recounted, the diplomatic⁹ life had its sacrifices.

　　然而，正如他所说的，外交生活有牺牲

　　I found it impossible to be with my parents as much as I wanted, or to start a family.

　　我发现不可能经常和我的父母团聚或成家

　　There is a choice—to serve the country or have a family

　　我必须做出选择——为国家服务或成家

　　To truly serve the country you have to give up family

　　要真正服务于国家，你必须放弃家庭

　　As China develops in the role as it is, it is the role of the diplomats¹⁰ to work hard

　　随着中国发展起来，外交官的角色就是努力工作

　　and tirelessly to keep pace with the speed of change.

　　并不知疲倦地跟上变化的速度。

　　Li Zhu found the time in the Foreign Office exciting as well as exacting¹¹.

　　李竺发现外交部工作很令人兴奋，同时也事无巨细

　　After thirteen years he wanted to have another challenge

　　十三年后，他想接受另一个挑战

　　He also wanted to have a wider understanding of business

　　他想对商务有更广泛的了解

　　so he left the department to move into a state-owned consultancy working for the foreign affairs function on large projects and was there for three years

　　所以他离开了部门进入一家国有顾问公司，为大型项目做外事工作，并在那里了工作了三年。

1 compiled   

v.收集( compile的过去式和过去分词 )；编辑；编制；编译

参考例句：

• They have compiled a collection of Elementary Readings on the Natural Scieces to help young people in their studies. 为了便于青少年学习，他们编了一套《自然科学小丛书》。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Bibliographies are lists of books and are compiled in many different forms. 书目是以许多不同形式编制的图书目录。 来自辞典例句

2 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

3 bemoan   

v.悲叹，哀泣，痛哭；惋惜，不满于

参考例句：

• Purists bemoan the corruption of the language.主张语文纯正的人哀叹语言趋于不纯。
• Don't bemoan anything or anyone that you need to leave behind.不要再去抱怨那些你本该忘记的人或事。

4 ascend   

vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上

参考例句：

• We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
• We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

5 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。

6 indispensable   

adj.必不可少的，绝对必要的

参考例句：

• He is indispensable to our work,we cannot do it without him.对于我们的工作来说，他是不可缺少的，没有他我们就做不了。
• This is an indispensable part of his creed.这是他的信条中必不可少的一部分。

7 grumbly   

[人名] 格伦布利

参考例句：

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 diplomatic   

adj.外交的，从事外交的，策略的，有手腕的

参考例句：

• There are certain forms that must be followed in diplomatic circles.在外交界有一些礼节是必须遵守的。
• You must be more diplomatic in handling the situation.你在处理这一情况时，必须圆滑。

10 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 exacting   

adj.苛求的，要求严格的

参考例句：

• He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
• The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。