英语美文翻译练习

1、·第一篇：Youth 青春 Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, 青春不是生命中的一段时间，它是心灵上的一种状态；它不是红润的脸陜、red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a 嘴唇和柔软的膝盖的物体；它是一种意愿的东西，一种想象的质量，一种vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness

2、 of the deep springs of life.情感的精力；它是生命深处里新鲜的春天.Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the青春意味着一种气质的卓越，勇敢胜于胆怯， appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more冒险的欲望胜于对安逸的喜好。这通常存在于一个60岁的男人than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a

3、number of years. We grow old 多于一个20岁的男孩。没有人仅通过许多年就成熟。我们通过遗弃我们的理想by deserting our ideals.而成长Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry,岁月也许会使皮肤发皱，但是放弃你的热情就会使你的精神疲劳。担忧、 fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.恐惧、畏缩使心灵歪曲并使你的精神回归于3无。Whethe

4、r 60 or 16, there is in every human beings heart the lure of wonders, the无论是60还是16，在每个人心中都有好奇心的诱惑： unfailing appetite for whats next and the joy of the game of living. In the center对未来无尽的欲望与对生活游戏的乐趣。 of your heart and my heart, there is a wireless station; so long as it receives在你我的心中，有个无线电站，只要它收到 m

5、essages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, 来自于人并无穷的美丽、希望、勇气和力量的信息，so long as you are young. 只要你年轻。When your aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism当你的天线掉下时，你的精神将被冷嘲热讽的雪和悲观的冰覆盖and the ice of pessimism, then youve grown old, even at 20; but a

6、s long as your，然后你就成熟了，甚至在20岁时，只要你的天线是直的，捕捉到乐观向上的aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, theres hope you may die young at 80. 电波，你就有希望死在年轻的80岁。·第二篇： Three Days to See(Excerpts)假如给我三天光明（节选） All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and 我们全部都看过哪些英雄只有一段有限的规定的sp

7、ecified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year, sometimes as short as 刺激的时间去生存。有时是长达一年的时间，有事是短短的24小时。24 hours. But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed hero 但是我们总会乐于发现注定的英雄chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak, of course, of free men who 怎样选择运用这最后一

8、天或一小时。当然,我这里所说的人的自由have a choice, not condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly有一个选择,而不是罪犯的活动范围被严格限定范围。 delimited.Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar这些故事启迪我们思考,诱发我们想象,当我们处于这类情况,该做的。 circumstances. What events, what experiences, what associations s

9、hould we什么事件,什么经历,什么交往的人,我们应该在那最终的几个小时内crowd into those last hours as mortal beings, what regrets?,作为注定要死的人后悔吗?Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we 有时我想那将是个很好的规则在我们每天的生活中如果我们明天就会死去。should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of

10、 这样的态度可以鲜明地强调生命的价值。life. We should live each day with gentleness, vigor and a keenness of appreciation每一天我们都应该以和善的态度、充沛的精力和热情的欣赏which are often list when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of 恰恰是在来日方长时往往被我们不变的全景图时天,more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, wh

11、o would 几个月和几年来，当然,有那么一些人,他们采纳了adopt the Epicurean motto of “Eat, drink, and be merry”. But most people 享乐主义的格言:“吃、喝、玩、乐”。但是大多数人would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.要受到即将面临死亡的必然性。In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of在故事里,注定要死的主人公往往在最后一刻由保存

12、交上好运,但 fortune, but almost always his sense of values is changed. He becomes more几乎总是他的价值观被改变了。 appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanent spiritual values. It has他更加珍视生命的意义及其永恒而神圣的价值。 often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring人们常常注意到,那些生活在或者曾经生活在死亡阴

13、影下的人,都带 a mellow sweetness to everything they do.着成熟的甜蜜去做。Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die,但是,我们大多数人把生活认为是理所当然的。 but usually we picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant 我们知道,某一天我们一定会死,但通常我们把那天想象在遥远的将来。health, death is all but unimagina

14、ble. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out 当我们心宽体健时,死亡几乎是不可想象的。我们很少想到它。in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks, hardly aware of our listless时日在无穷的展望中延展着。于是我们干着琐碎的事情,几乎意识。 attitude toward life.不到我们对生活的倦怠态度The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and

15、同样的昏睡,恐怕,描述了利用我们所有的本能和感觉。 senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold只有聋者才知道听觉的重要,只有盲人才给人带来的各种恩赐, blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this observation apply to those who躺在了眼前。这是否观察特别适用于那些在成人丧失视觉和听觉的生活。 have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those

16、who have never suffered而那些从没有遭受视觉或 impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed听觉损伤之苦的人却很少充分利用这些天赐的官能。 faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without他们的眼睛和耳朵在所有的景象和声音以浓度和模糊地 concentration and with little appreciation. It is the same old st

17、ory of not being漫不经心地、不太多的回报。还是那相同的老话说的 grateful for what we have until we lose it, of not being conscious of health until 不失去不懂得我们所拥有的,直至失去它, 对被我们的健康意识不到,直至生病时。we are ill.I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken我经常想如果每个人他年轻生命时期某些时间的几天被盲和耳聋打击的话 blind and deaf for

18、 a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness 那将是一个赐福。黑暗将令他对光更加感激would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of沉默将教会他声音的乐趣。 sound.·第三篇：Companionship of Books 以书为伴（节选）A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he一个人

19、通常会因为他读的书和他经营的公司而被得知。 keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should 因为有个书的伴侣和人类的伴侣；还有一个人应该always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.一直与最好的伴侣生活，不管是一本书或是一个人。A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always一本好熟或许是

20、在最好的朋友间。现在也是，一直都是，永不改变。 was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions.这是最耐心的和激励的伴侣。 It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always他不会在逆境和困境中背叛我们。 receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and他总是用相同的和蔼接受

21、我们；在乃年轻时和我们娱乐并知道我们， comforting and consoling us in age.在年龄上舒缓和安慰我们。Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a 人们常常发现彼此之间亲密无间相互爱他们book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which 书就像有时两个人发现一个朋友的赞赏both entertain for a third. There is

22、an old proverb, Love me, love my dog.” But 两个娱乐第三。古谚说:“爱屋及乌”。但是there is more wisdom in this:” Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and 有更多的智慧在这个:“爱我,爱我的书。这本书是真实和higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other 更高的联系纽带。人能思考,感觉,和彼此同情through their favorite author. They l

23、ive in him together, and he in them.通过他们最喜爱的作家。他们住在他里面、他也住在一起。A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think 一本好书通常是最好的缸生活其中规定可以认为生活最美好的东西out; for the world of a mans life is, for the most part, but the world of his 世界中,一个人的生命,在大多数情况下,但他的世界thoughts. Thus the be

24、st books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, 思想。因此,最好的书是金玉良言的金色的思想,which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. 因此,最好的书是金玉良言的金色的思想,铭记于心并多加珍视,就会成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰藉。Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting 书籍具有不朽的本质。它是迄今为止最

25、深刻的products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is 产品的人类发明。寺庙会坍塌,神像会朽烂,而书籍却永存。时间是of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first 不重要,那些伟大的思想,都新鲜今天第一passed through their authors minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought 经过了多年前初次闪现在作

26、者心头。当年说的和思考的东西still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time 还对我们说话像以往一样生动地在印刷的纸上。时间唯一的作用have been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive e but what is really good.去过它筛除了糟粕,因为什么文学作品才能生存只有真正优秀的。Books introduce us into the best so

27、ciety; they bring us into the presence of the 书籍把我们引入最美好的环境,使我们与各个greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see the 伟大的心灵中曾经住过的地方。我们听到他们在说什么,而行;我们看到的as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve 好像他们是真的活着,我们深切同情他们的遭遇,享受,悲伤with them; thei

28、r experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.他们的体验变成我们的,我们感到仿佛我们是在一个衡量演员用他们所描述的场景。The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books, their 伟大的和良好的死亡,即使在这个世界。载入书册,spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice

29、. It is an intellect to which on still listens.精神去户外散步。书是充满活力的声音。这是一个智力上停了下来听·第四篇：If I Rest,I Rust 如果我休息，我就会生锈 The significant inscription found on an old key-“If I rest, I rust”-would be an最重大的发现是在一条古老的钥匙“如果我休息，我会生锈”这对于哪些将是一个 excellent motto for those who are afflicted with the slightest bit o

30、f idleness. Even 被点点懒惰影响人将是一个优越的座右铭the most industrious person might adopt it with advantage to serve as a reminder甚至最勤劳的人会接受他的优点并以之为提示。 that, if one allows his faculties to rest, like the iron in the unused key, they will如果一个人允许他的身体休息，就像废弃钥匙里的铁，他们很快展现 soon show signs of rust and, ultimately, cannot

31、 do the work required of them.生锈的迹象，最后将不能做完安排给他们自己的工作。Those who would attain the heights reached and kept by great men must keep那些想要获得与伟人相同的成就的人,必须持续 their faculties polished by constant use, so that they may unlock the doors of 通过不断运用自身的能力抛光,以便开启的门knowledge, the gate that guard the entrances to the

32、 professions, to science, art, literature, agriculture-every department of human endeavor.知识,门口的守卫入口专业,科学,文学,农业- - - - - - -人类努力的每部门。Industry keeps bright the key that opens the treasury of achievement. If Hugh勤勉能使钥匙发亮并开启宝库的成就。如果休 Miller, after toiling all day in a quarry, had devoted his evenings t

33、o rest and米勒在采石场劳作一天后,晚上停下来休息的时间 recreation, he would never have become a famous geologist. The celebrated消遣的话,他就不会成为著名的地理学家。这位著名的 mathematician, Edmund Stone, would never have published a mathematical 数学家爱德蒙斯通,就不会出版数学dictionary, never have found the key to science of mathematics, if he had given词典,

34、也不会发现开启数学之门的钥匙,如果他给了 his spare moments to idleness, had the little Scotch lad, Ferguson, allowed the 闲暇时无所事事,没有孩子,弗格森,允许苏格兰威士忌busy brain to go to sleep while he tended sheep on the hillside instead of 忙碌的大脑去放羊时,而不是在山坡上calculating the position of the stars by a string of beads, he would never have be

35、come a famous astronomer.计算星星的位置串珠、他就不会成为著名的天文学家。Labor vanquishes all-not inconstant, spasmodic, or ill-directed labor; but劳动征服一切没有无常、思绪劳动,但是,或编导 faithful, unremitting, daily effort toward a well-directed purpose. Just as truly忠实,坚持不懈,每天一个掌握得当的目的努力。就像真正的 as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,

36、 so is eternal industry the price of noble and enduring success. 作为自由的代价是永远警惕,所以是永恒的产业的价格取得伟大的,持久的成功。·第五篇：Ambition 抱负 It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition. It would probably be a不难想象一个缺少野心的世界。那将是个和谐的世界。 kinder world: with out demands, without abrasions, without disappointmen

37、ts.有需求,没有磨损,没有失望。 People would have time for reflection. Such work as they did would not be for人会思考的时间。这样的工作将会不一样 themselves but for the collectivity. Competition would never enter in. conflict本身,而是为集体。竞争永远不会进入归冲突 would be eliminated, tension become a thing of the past. The stress of creation张力会被淘汰,

38、成为过去。创造的压力 would be at an end. Art would no longer be troubling, but purely celebratory in 会走到尽头。艺术将不再是麻烦,但纯粹庆祝its functions. Longevity would be increased, for fewer people would die of heart其功能。长寿会增加,因为更少的人将死于心脏 attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor. Anxiety would be extinct发作或中风混乱引起的努力。焦虑

39、会灭亡Time would stretch on and on, with ambition long departed from the human heart.时间会伸展,在长时间离开有雄心壮志的人类的心灵。哎,怎么引枯燥的生活!Ah, how unrelieved boring life would be!哎,怎么引枯燥的生活!There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth, and ambition therefore a 有一种强烈的观点认为,成功是一种神话,因此抱负sham. Does this mean that

40、success does not really exist? That achievement is at假的。这是否意味着成功并不真的存在吗?这个伟大的成就是在 bottom empty? That the efforts of men and women are of no significance底部是空的?,那努力的男性和女性是没有意义的 alongside the force of movements and events now not all success, obviously, is在运动和事件的力量现在并不是所有的成功,很明显 worth esteeming, nor al

41、l ambition worth cultivating. Which are and which are值得推崇的野心,不值得培养的。是,哪些 not is something one soon enough learns on ones own. But even the most 不是一个很快就学会什么是自己。但即便是最cynical secretly admit that success exists; that achievement counts for a great 愤世嫉俗的成功秘密承认存在这个伟大的成就是无益的,一个人最大的优点deal; and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless. To交易;真正的神话是人类的行为和女人是无用的。对 believe oth