Once More to the Lake

 

旧湖重游

Summertime, oh summertime, pattern of life indelible,

夏日，哦，夏日，生命中的印记留存不去，

the fade proof lake,

那永不消失的湖泊，

the woods unshatterable,

永不摧折的林木，

the pasture with the sweet fern and the juniper forever and ever,

牧场上遍布香蕨木和桧树，年年岁岁，郁郁蓊蓊，

summer without end;

夏日没有尽头；

this was the background,and the life along the shore was the design,

这是背景，湖边的生活是画面，

the cottages with their innocent and tranquil design,their tiny docks with the flagpole and the American flag floatingagainst the white clouds in the blue sky,

度假者勾勒的一幅单纯而安谧的图画，他们的小码头上竖着旗杆，美国国旗在蓝天白云下飘扬，

the little paths over the roots of the trees leading from camp to camp and the paths leading back to the outhousesand the can of lime for sprinkling,and at the souvenir counters at the store the miniature birch-bark canoes and the post cards that showed things looking a little better than they looked.

树根盘绕，上面的小路引向一个个营地，又折回户外厕所，那里有石灰水罐，供喷洒用，商店的纪念品柜台上，摆了桦树皮做的袖珍小划子，还有明信片，上面的景物看去比实物要好些。

This was the American family at play, escaping the city heat,

美国人逃离城里的溽热，阖家在这里游憩，

wondering whether the newcomers at the camp at the head of the cove were "common" or "nice,"

琢磨小湾顶头营地的新住户是“小门小房”，还是“体面人家”，

wondering whether it was true that the people who drove up for Sunday dinner at the farmhouse were turned away because there wasn't enough chicken.

寻思有人星期日驱车来农庄用餐，是否真的因为人多鸡少，终于没有口福。

It seemed to me, as I kept remembering all this,that those times and those summers had been infinitely precious and worth saving.

这些记忆时时涌上心头，对我来说，那些时光，那些夏日，似乎无比宝贵，值得珍藏。

There had been jollity and peace and goodness.

那是曾经有过的欢乐、宁静与美好。

The arriving had been so big a business in itself,

游客的抵达本身 就是件了不起的大事，

at the railway station the farm wagon drawn up,the first smell of the pine-laden air,the first glimpse of the smiling farmer,

在火车站，农庄的大篷车停过来，闻到松树第一缕浓郁的香气，瞥见第一个笑呵呵的农夫，

and the great importance of the trunks and your father's enormous authority in such matters,and the feel of the wagon under you for the long ten-mile haul,and at the top of the last long hill catching the first view of the lake after eleven months of not seeing this cherished body of water.

行李箱子非常重要，这类事情由父亲全权做主，坐在大篷车上，经受十英里的漫长颠簸，在最后一道蜿蜒伸展的山顶，头一眼望见那湖，这片念兹在兹的水面，一别就是十一个月。

The shouts and cries of the other campers when they saw you,and the trunks to be unpacked, to give up their rich burden.

其他的度假者见到你，一片欢呼叫闹声，行李箱子得打开，卸去它们的重负。