Pride and Prejudice — Page 10

English → Chinese Preface Level 7/10

Miss Austen, too, drew back when the white frost touched her shoes; but I think she would have made a pretty good journey even in a black one.

奥斯汀小姐在白霜触及她鞋子时也会退缩；但我认为即使在黑霜中，她也能走出一段相当不错的旅程。

For if her knowledge was not very extended, she knew two things which only genius knows.

因为如果说她的学识并不十分广博，她却懂得两件只有天才才懂得的事情。

The one was humanity, and the other was art.

其一是人性，其二是艺术。

On the first head she could not make a mistake; her men, though limited, are true, and her women are, in the old sense, "absolute."

在前者上她从不出错；她笔下的男性虽然描写有限，却真实可信，而她笔下的女性，用旧时的说法，是"完美的"。

As to art, if she has never tried idealism, her realism is real to a degree which makes the false realism of our own day look merely dead-alive.

至于艺术，如果说她从未尝试过理想主义，她的现实主义之真实程度，足以使当今那种虚假的现实主义显得不过是半死不活。

Take almost any Frenchman, except the late M. de Maupassant, and watch him laboriously piling up strokes in the hope of giving a complete impression.

随便拿一位法国作家来看，除了已故的莫泊桑先生之外，看他们如何费力地堆砌笔墨，希望借此给人留下完整的印象。

You get none; you are lucky if, discarding two-thirds of what he gives, you can shape a real impression out of the rest.

你什么也得不到；如果能将他所给予的东西舍去三分之二，再从剩余部分中勉强拼凑出一个真实的印象，那已算是万幸了。

But with Miss Austen the myriad, trivial, unforced strokes build up the picture like magic.

但在奥斯汀小姐笔下，那无数细微、自然流露的笔触如魔法般构筑出完整的图景。

Nothing is false; nothing is superfluous.

没有任何虚假，没有任何多余。

When (to take the present book only) Mr. Collins changed his mind from Jane to Elizabeth "while Mrs. Bennet was stirring the fire" (and we know how Mrs. Bennet would have stirred the fire), when Mr. Darcy "brought his coffee-cup back himself," the touch in each case is like that of Swift--"taller by the breadth of my nail"--which impressed the half-reluctant Thackeray with just and outspoken admiration.

就以眼前这本书为例：柯林斯先生将心意从简转向伊丽莎白，是发生在"班纳特太太拨弄炉火之时"（我们心知班纳特太太会是如何拨弄那炉火的）；达西先生"亲自将咖啡杯端了回去"——每一处笔触都宛如斯威夫特所写的"高出我一个指甲盖的宽度"，令那半推半就的萨克雷也不得不由衷地公开赞叹。

Vocabulary

小姐: xiǎojiě — Miss; young woman; polite address for women
在: zài — at; in; on; indicates location or time
白霜: báishuāng — white frost; hoarfrost on surfaces
触及: chùjí — to touch; to reach; to come into contact with
她: tā — she; her; third-person feminine pronoun
鞋子: xiézi — shoes; footwear
时: shí — when; at the time of; moment
也会: yě huì — will also; would also do something
退缩: tuìsuō — to shrink back; to flinch; to recoil
但: dàn — but; however; yet; nevertheless
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
认为: rènwéi — to think; to believe; to consider
即使: jíshǐ — even if; even though; regardless of
黑霜: hēishuāng — black frost; severe killing frost
中: zhōng — in; within; among; middle
也能: yě néng — can also; is also able to
走出: zǒuchū — to walk out; to go through; to complete
一段: yī duàn — a section; a period; a stretch of
相当: xiāngdāng — quite; fairly; considerably; rather
不错: búcuò — not bad; pretty good; quite well
的: de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
旅程: lǚchéng — journey; trip; course of travel
因为: yīnwèi — because; since; due to
如果: rúguǒ — if; supposing; in case
说: shuō — to say; to speak; to tell
学识: xuéshí — knowledge; learning; academic attainment
并不: bìng bù — not at all; by no means; actually not
十分: shífēn — very; extremely; fully; ten points
广博: guǎngbó — extensive; broad; wide-ranging knowledge
却: què — but; yet; however; on the contrary
懂得: dǒngde — to understand; to know; to grasp
两件: liǎng jiàn — two items; two things; two matters
只有: zhǐyǒu — only; only if; it takes only
天才: tiāncái — genius; talent; gifted person
才: cái — only then; just; indicates prerequisite condition
事情: shìqing — matter; thing; affair; business
其一: qí yī — the first one; number one of them
是: shì — to be; is; am; are
人性: rénxìng — human nature; humanity; human character
其二: qí èr — the second one; number two of them
艺术: yìshù — art; artistic skill; creative work
前者: qiánzhě — the former; the first-mentioned one
上: shàng — on; above; upper; in the domain of
从不: cóng bù — never; at no time; not ever
出错: chūcuò — to make a mistake; to go wrong
笔下: bǐxià — under one's pen; in one's writing
男性: nánxìng — male; man; masculine gender
虽然: suīrán — although; even though; though
描写: miáoxiě — to describe; to portray; depiction in writing
有限: yǒuxiàn — limited; finite; restricted in scope
真实: zhēnshí — true; real; authentic; genuine
可信: kěxìn — believable; credible; trustworthy
而: ér — and; but; yet; while; linking conjunction
女性: nǚxìng — female; woman; feminine gender
用: yòng — to use; to employ; using; by means of
旧时: jiùshí — old times; former days; in the past
说法: shuōfǎ — way of saying; expression; formulation
完美的: wánměi de — perfect; flawless; ideal and complete
至于: zhìyú — as for; as to; regarding; concerning
从未: cóng wèi — never; have never; not once ever
尝试: chángshì — to try; to attempt; to make an effort
过: guò — experiential aspect particle; have done before
理想主义: lǐxiǎng zhǔyì — idealism; belief in ideals over reality
现实主义: xiànshí zhǔyì — realism; artistic focus on actual reality
之: zhī — classical possessive particle; of; 's
程度: chéngdù — degree; extent; level; standard
足以: zúyǐ — sufficient to; enough to; adequate to
使: shǐ — to make; to cause; to enable; to let
当今: dāngjīn — nowadays; present-day; contemporary
那种: nà zhǒng — that kind of; that type of
虚假: xūjiǎ — false; fake; hypocritical; insincere
显得: xiǎnde — to appear; to seem; to look like
不过: búguò — only; merely; however; no more than
半死不活: bàn sǐ bù huó — half-dead; lifeless; barely alive; lethargic
随便: suíbiàn — casually; arbitrarily; at random; carelessly
拿: ná — to take; to hold; to grab; to fetch
一位: yī wèi — one (person); a (respectful measure word)
法国: Fǎguó — France; the French nation
作家: zuòjiā — writer; author; literary figure
来看: lái kàn — to look at; to examine; to consider
除了: chúle — except for; apart from; besides
已故: yǐgù — deceased; the late; no longer living
先生: xiānsheng — Mr.; sir; gentleman; husband
之外: zhī wài — outside of; beyond; apart from
看: kàn — to look; to see; to watch; to read
他们: tāmen — they; them; third-person plural pronoun
如何: rúhé — how; in what way; what kind of
费力: fèilì — to exert effort; laboriously; with great difficulty
地: de — adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
堆砌: duīqì — to pile up; to heap; to pad with words
笔墨: bǐmò — pen and ink; writing; literary expression
希望: xīwàng — to hope; hope; wish; expectation
借此: jiè cǐ — by means of this; through this; thereby
给人: gěi rén — to give people; to leave someone with
留下: liúxià — to leave behind; to remain; to retain
完整: wánzhěng — complete; whole; intact; comprehensive
印象: yìnxiàng — impression; image; perception of something
你: nǐ — you; second-person singular pronoun
什么: shénme — what; anything; something; whatever
也: yě — also; too; as well; even
得不到: dé bu dào — unable to get; cannot obtain; unattainable
能: néng — can; able to; capable of; possible
将: jiāng — will; shall; about to; classical object marker
他: tā — he; him; third-person masculine pronoun
所: suǒ — classical particle before verb indicating object
给予: jǐyǔ — to give; to grant; to provide; to bestow
东西: dōngxi — thing; stuff; object; item
舍去: shěqù — to discard; to give up; to leave out
三分之二: sān fēn zhī èr — two-thirds; 2/3 fraction
再: zài — again; once more; then; additionally
从: cóng — from; since; following; through
剩余: shèngyú — remaining; leftover; surplus; residual
部分: bùfen — part; portion; section; component
勉强: miǎnqiǎng — barely; reluctantly; with difficulty; to force
拼凑: pīncòu — to piece together; to patch up; to cobble
出: chū — out; to come out; to produce; to emerge
一个: yī gè — one; a; an (general measure word)
那: nà — that; then; in that case
已算: yǐ suàn — already counts as; can be considered
万幸: wànxìng — extremely lucky; very fortunate; blessing
了: le — completion or change-of-state aspect particle
无数: wúshù — countless; innumerable; numberless; infinite
细微: xìwēi — subtle; tiny; minute; delicate and fine
自然: zìrán — natural; naturally; spontaneous; of course
流露: liúlù — to reveal; to show; to express naturally
笔触: bǐchù — brushstroke; touch of the pen; writing style
如: rú — like; as if; such as; to be like
魔法: mófǎ — magic; sorcery; magical power
般: bān — like; as; in the manner of
构筑: gòuzhù — to construct; to build; to create a structure
图景: tújǐng — picture; scene; vision; panoramic image
没有: méiyǒu — to not have; there is no; without
任何: rènhé — any; whatever; whichever; no matter what
多余: duōyú — superfluous; unnecessary; surplus; redundant
就: jiù — just; then; right away; precisely
以: yǐ — using; with; by means of; take as example
眼前: yǎnqián — before one's eyes; at present; right now
这本: zhè běn — this (book); this volume
书: shū — book; volume; written work
为例: wéi lì — as an example; as a case in point
心意: xīnyì — intention; feelings; goodwill; one's heart
转向: zhuǎnxiàng — to turn toward; to shift direction; to change
发生: fāshēng — to happen; to occur; to take place
太太: tàitai — Mrs.; wife; married woman; madam
拨弄: bōnòng — to poke; to stir; to fiddle with
炉火: lúhuǒ — fire in a stove; hearth fire; fireplace flames
之时: zhī shí — at the time of; when; at the moment
我们: wǒmen — we; us; first-person plural pronoun
心知: xīn zhī — to know in one's heart; to be well aware
会是: huì shì — will be; it will turn out to be
亲自: qīnzì — personally; in person; by oneself
咖啡杯: kāfēi bēi — coffee cup; cup for drinking coffee
端了: duān le — carried away (on a tray); took and brought
回去: huíqù — to go back; to return; to go away
每一处: měi yī chù — every place; each spot; every single detail
都: dōu — all; both; every; each; entirely
宛如: wǎnrú — just like; as if; resembling exactly
所写: suǒ xiě — what is written; that which is written
高出: gāochū — to be higher than; to exceed in height
指甲盖: zhǐjiagài — fingernail; the surface of a fingernail
宽度: kuāndù — width; breadth; measure of width
令: lìng — to cause; to make; to order; to have
半推半就: bàn tuī bàn jiù — half-reluctant half-willing; yielding coyly
不得不: bùdébù — cannot but; have to; be forced to
由衷: yóuzhōng — heartfelt; sincere; from the bottom of heart
公开: gōngkāi — openly; publicly; to make public
赞叹: zàntàn — to exclaim in admiration; to praise; to marvel

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