The Angel in the House — Page 1

English → Chinese Book I. Level 7/10

THE PROLOGUE.

序言。

'MINE is no horse with wings, to gain

「我的马没有翅膀，无法翱翔

The region of the spheral chime;

那天籁齐鸣的苍穹之境；

He does but drag a rumbling wain,

它不过拖拉着一辆隆隆作响的货车，

Cheer'd by the coupled bells of rhyme;

靠着韵脚双铃的叮当声鼓舞前行；

And if at Fame's bewitching note

若是被名声那迷人的音符所惑，

My homely Pegasus pricks an ear,

我这朴素的飞马竖起耳朵聆听，

The world's cart-collar hugs his throat,

尘世的轭圈便紧扼着它的咽喉，

And he's too wise to prance or rear.'

它太过老练，不会腾跃或扬蹄。」

Thus ever answer'd Vaughan his Wife,

沃恩如此总是回答他的妻子，

Who, more than he, desired his fame;

而她渴望他成名之心，远胜于他本人；

But, in his heart, his thoughts were rife

然而在他心中，念头涌动不息，

How for her sake to earn a name.

思量着如何为她的缘故赢得声名。

With bays poetic three times crown'd,

他三度荣获诗歌桂冠，

And other college honours won,

并赢得其他种种学院荣誉，

He, if he chose, might be renown'd,

他若有意，本可声名远播，

He had but little doubt, she none;

他对此几乎毫不怀疑，她则丝毫不疑；

And in a loftier phrase he talk'd

于是他以更为高昂的言辞倾诉，

With her, upon their Wedding-Day,

在他们的婚礼纪念日与她畅谈，

(The eighth), while through the fields they walk'd,

（第八个年头），他们漫步田野之间，

Their children shouting by the way.

孩子们在身旁一路欢呼雀跃。

'Not careless of the gift of song,

「并非漠视诗歌的天赋，

Nor out of love with noble fame,

也非不爱慕崇高的声名，

I, meditating much and long

我苦苦思索，久久沉吟，

What I should sing, how win a name,

当咏何物，如何赢得名声，

Considering well what theme unsung,

细思哪些主题尚未被吟咏，

What reason worth the cost of rhyme,

何种情思值得付诸诗韵，

Remains to loose the poet's tongue

尚待诗人开口放声歌唱，

In these last days, the dregs of time,

在这末世，岁月的残渣之中，

Learn that to me, though born so late,

方知对我而言，尽管生于如此之晚，

There does, beyond desert, befall

竟有一件远超应得之事降临，

(May my great fortune make me great!)

（愿此宏运使我成就伟大！）

The first of themes, sung last of all.

那最首要的主题，却由我最后吟唱。

In green and undiscover'd ground,

在那青翠而尚未探明的土地上，

Yet near where many others sing,

却近在众多诗人吟唱之处旁边，

I have the very well-head found

我已寻得那真正的源头，

Whence gushes the Pierian Spring.

皮厄里亚泉水正从那里奔涌而出。

Vocabulary

序言: xùyán — Preface or introduction to a written work.
我: wǒ — First-person pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'.
的: de — Possessive or attributive particle in Chinese grammar.
马: mǎ — Horse, a large domesticated mammal.
没有: méiyǒu — To not have; absence of something.
翅膀: chìbǎng — Wings of a bird or other flying creature.
无法: wúfǎ — Unable to; having no way to do something.
翱翔: áoxiáng — To soar or glide freely through the sky.
那: nà — That; referring to something previously mentioned.
天籁: tiānlài — Sounds of nature; celestial or heavenly music.
齐鸣: qímíng — To sound or ring out together in unison.
苍穹: cāngqióng — The vast sky or firmament above.
之境: zhī jìng — The realm or domain of something.
它: tā — Third-person pronoun for non-human things.
不过: bùguò — However; merely; only; no more than.
拖拉: tuōlā — To drag along slowly; sluggish or procrastinating.
着: zhe — Aspect particle indicating ongoing action or state.
一辆: yī liàng — A measure word for vehicles; one vehicle.
隆隆: lónglóng — Rumbling sound, like thunder or heavy machinery.
作响: zuòxiǎng — To make a sound; to produce noise.
货车: huòchē — Freight truck or cargo vehicle for transporting goods.
靠: kào — To rely on; to lean against; by means of.
韵脚: yùnjiǎo — Rhyme ending of a line in poetry.
叮当声: dīngdāng shēng — Jingling or tinkling sound of small bells.
鼓舞: gǔwǔ — To inspire, encourage, or uplift someone's spirit.
前行: qiánxíng — To move forward; to proceed ahead.
若是: ruòshì — If; supposing that; in the event that.
被: bèi — Passive marker indicating an action done to subject.
名声: míngshēng — Reputation or fame; one's public standing.
迷人: mírén — Charming, enchanting, or captivating to people.
音符: yīnfú — Musical note in a score or composition.
所惑: suǒ huò — Confused or misled by something; beguiled.
这: zhè — This; referring to something near or just mentioned.
朴素: pǔsù — Simple, plain, and unadorned; unpretentious.
飞马: fēimǎ — Pegasus; a flying or winged horse.
竖起: shùqǐ — To prick up; to raise upright.
耳朵: ěrduo — Ear; the organ for hearing.
聆听: língtīng — To listen attentively and carefully to something.
尘世: chénshì — The mortal world; earthly human existence.
便: biàn — Then; consequently; as a result.
咽喉: yānhóu — Throat; pharynx; a critical chokepoint.
太过: tàiguò — Too much; excessively; overly.
老练: lǎoliàn — Experienced, seasoned, and skilled through practice.
不会: bù huì — Cannot; will not; not able to.
腾跃: téngyuè — To leap or bound upward energetically.
或: huò — Or; either; alternatively.
如此: rúcǐ — Like this; in this way; so.
总是: zǒngshì — Always; invariably; at all times.
回答: huídá — To answer or respond to a question.
他: tā — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun.
妻子: qīzi — Wife; a man's female spouse.
而: ér — Conjunction meaning 'but,' 'yet,' or 'and.'
她: tā — She; her; third-person feminine pronoun.
渴望: kěwàng — To yearn or long for something intensely.
成名: chéngmíng — To become famous or achieve renown.
之心: zhī xīn — The heart or desire for something.
远胜: yuǎnshèng — Far surpassing or greatly exceeding something else.
于: yú — In; at; from; than; preposition in literary Chinese.
本人: běnrén — Oneself; the person in question; I myself.
然而: rán'ér — However; nevertheless; yet; conjunction of contrast.
在: zài — At; in; located at a place or time.
心中: xīn zhōng — In one's heart or mind; inwardly.
念头: niàntou — Thought, idea, or notion in one's mind.
涌动: yǒngdòng — To surge or well up continuously.
不息: bùxī — Ceaseless; unending; without stopping.
思量: sīliang — To ponder, consider, or think over carefully.
如何: rúhé — How; in what way; by what means.
为: wèi — For the sake of; on account of.
缘故: yuángù — Reason, cause, or purpose for something.
赢得: yíngdé — To win or earn something through effort.
声名: shēngmíng — Fame, reputation, or renown.
三度: sān dù — Three times; on three occasions.
荣获: rónghuò — To be honored with; to win an award.
诗歌: shīgē — Poetry; poems as a literary form.
桂冠: guìguān — Laurel crown; prize for poetic achievement.
并: bìng — And; also; as well as; moreover.
其他: qítā — Other; the rest; additional items or people.
种种: zhǒngzhǒng — Various kinds; all sorts of things.
学院: xuéyuàn — Academy, college, or institute of learning.
荣誉: róngyù — Honor, glory, or prestigious recognition.
若: ruò — If; supposing; like; as if.
有意: yǒuyì — Intentionally; on purpose; having a mind to.
本可: běn kě — Originally could have; might well have done.
声名远播: shēngmíng yuǎn bō — Fame spreading far and wide; widely renowned.
对此: duì cǐ — Regarding this; concerning this matter.
几乎: jīhū — Almost; nearly; all but.
毫不: háo bù — Not in the least; absolutely not.
怀疑: huáiyí — To doubt or suspect; to question something.
则: zé — Then; in that case; a conjunctive particle.
丝毫: sīháo — The slightest bit; not at all; iota.
不疑: bù yí — To have no doubt; without suspicion.
于是: yúshì — Therefore; as a result; thereupon.
以: yǐ — Using; with; by means of; in order to.
更为: gèng wéi — Even more; to a greater degree.
高昂: gāo'áng — Soaring, lofty; high-spirited; elevated in tone.
言辞: yáncí — Words, speech, or manner of expression.
倾诉: qīngsù — To pour out one's feelings; to confide.
他们: tāmen — They; them; third-person plural pronoun.
婚礼: hūnlǐ — Wedding ceremony; marriage celebration.
纪念日: jìniànrì — Anniversary; a day commemorating a special event.
与: yǔ — And; with; together with.
畅谈: chàngtán — To talk freely and extensively about something.
第八: dì bā — The eighth; ordinal number eight.
个: gè — General measure word for countable nouns.
年头: niántou — Year; a period or number of years.
漫步: mànbù — To stroll or walk leisurely without hurry.
田野: tiányě — Fields and open countryside; rural landscape.
之间: zhījiān — Between; among; in the middle of.
孩子们: háizimen — Children; kids; plural of child.
身旁: shēn páng — Beside one; at one's side.
一路: yīlù — All the way; throughout the journey.
欢呼: huānhū — To cheer or shout joyfully in celebration.
雀跃: quèyuè — To jump for joy; to be elated.
并非: bìng fēi — Is not at all; by no means.
漠视: mòshì — To ignore or disregard with indifference.
天赋: tiānfù — Natural talent or innate gift; endowment.
也非: yě fēi — Nor; neither is it the case that.
不: bù — No; not; negation particle.
爱慕: àimù — To admire and adore; to look up to.
崇高: chónggāo — Lofty, noble, and sublime in character.
苦苦: kǔkǔ — Bitterly; painstakingly; with great effort.
思索: sīsuǒ — To think deeply and ponder carefully.
久久: jiǔjiǔ — For a long time; lingering; prolonged.
沉吟: chényín — To muse quietly; to deliberate in murmurs.
当: dāng — When; at the time of; as.
咏: yǒng — To chant, sing, or compose poetry about.
何物: hé wù — What thing; what object or subject.
细思: xì sī — To think carefully and in detail.
哪些: nǎxiē — Which ones; what (plural); asking about items.
主题: zhǔtí — Theme, subject, or main topic of something.
尚未: shàng wèi — Not yet; still have not done something.
吟咏: yínyǒng — To chant or recite poetry with feeling.
何种: hé zhǒng — What kind of; which type of.
情思: qíngsī — Emotional thoughts; feelings and sentiments.
值得: zhídé — Worthwhile; deserving of effort or attention.
付诸: fùzhū — To put into practice; to commit to action.
诗韵: shīyùn — The rhyme and rhythm of poetry; poetic meter.
尚待: shàng dài — Still awaiting; yet to be done.
诗人: shīrén — Poet; a person who writes poetry.
开口: kāikǒu — To open one's mouth; to begin speaking.
放声: fàngshēng — To raise one's voice; to sing or cry out.
歌唱: gēchàng — To sing; to perform songs vocally.
末世: mòshì — The last age; end times; final era.
岁月: suìyuè — Years and months; the passage of time.
残渣: cánzhā — Dregs, remnants, or leftover scraps.
之中: zhī zhōng — Within; in the midst of; among.
方知: fāng zhī — Only then did one realize or understand.
对: duì — Towards; for; regarding; correct.
而言: ér yán — As for; from the perspective of; speaking of.
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Although; even though; despite the fact that.
生于: shēng yú — Born in or during a particular time or place.
竟有: jìng yǒu — Surprisingly there is; unexpectedly possessing.
一件: yī jiàn — One item or matter; a single thing.
远超: yuǎn chāo — Far exceeding; surpassing by a large margin.
应得: yīngdé — What one deserves; rightfully earned.
之事: zhī shì — Such a matter or affair; a thing of this kind.
降临: jiànglín — To descend upon; to arrive or befall.
愿: yuàn — To wish; to hope; may it be so.
此: cǐ — This; these; referring to something nearby.
使: shǐ — To cause; to make; to enable someone.
成就: chéngjiù — Achievement, accomplishment; to achieve greatness.
伟大: wěidà — Great, magnificent, outstanding in significance.
最: zuì — Most; the superlative degree marker.
首要: shǒuyào — Primary, most important, foremost in priority.
却: què — Yet; however; but; expressing contrast.
由: yóu — By; from; through; owing to.
最后: zuìhòu — Last; finally; at the very end.
吟唱: yínchàng — To chant or sing poetry melodically.
青翠: qīngcuì — Lush and verdant green; fresh and bright.
探明: tànmíng — To investigate and clarify; to find out definitively.
土地: tǔdì — Land, soil, or territory; the earth.
上: shàng — On; above; upon; on top of.
近在: jìn zài — Close to; nearby; in close proximity.
众多: zhòngduō — Numerous; a great many; a large number.
之处: zhī chù — A place; location; the spot where.
旁边: pángbiān — Beside; next to; at the side of.
已: yǐ — Already; completed action particle.
寻得: xún dé — To find or locate through searching.
真正: zhēnzhèng — Genuine, true, real; authentically so.
源头: yuántóu — Source, origin, or fountainhead of something.
泉水: quánshuǐ — Spring water; water from a natural spring.
正: zhèng — Just; right now; currently; precisely.
从: cóng — From; since; following a path or source.
那里: nàlǐ — There; that place; over there.
奔涌: bēnyǒng — To surge or gush forth rapidly and powerfully.
而出: ér chū — And emerge; coming forth from within.

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