The King in Yellow — Page 6

English → Chinese THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS I Level 7/10

If I had not caught a glimpse of the opening words in the second act I should never have finished it, but as I stooped to pick it up, my eyes became riveted to the open page, and with a cry of terror, or perhaps it was of joy so poignant that I suffered in every nerve, I snatched the thing out of the coals and crept shaking to my bedroom, where I read it and reread it, and wept and laughed and trembled with a horror which at times assails me yet.

如果我没有瞥见第二幕的开篇文字，我本不会读完它，但当我俯身去捡起它时，我的目光便被那翻开的书页牢牢钉住，我发出一声恐惧的叫喊——或许那是一种极度强烈的喜悦，令我每一根神经都饱受煎熬——我将那东西从炭火中夺出，颤抖着爬回卧室，在那里一遍又一遍地阅读，时而哭泣，时而大笑，时而因那恐惧而战栗，那恐惧至今有时仍向我袭来。

This is the thing that troubles me, for I cannot forget Carcosa where black stars hang in the heavens; where the shadows of men's thoughts lengthen in the afternoon, when the twin suns sink into the lake of Hali; and my mind will bear for ever the memory of the Pallid Mask.

这便是令我困扰之事，因为我无法忘记卡尔科萨——那里黑色的星辰悬挂于苍穹；那里人们思想的阴影在午后渐渐拉长，当双子太阳沉入哈利湖之时；而那苍白面具的记忆将永远铭刻在我的心中。

I pray God will curse the writer, as the writer has cursed the world with this beautiful, stupendous creation, terrible in its simplicity, irresistible in its truth—a world which now trembles before the King in Yellow.

我祈求上帝诅咒那位作者，正如那位作者以这部美丽而震撼人心的作品诅咒了世界——它以其简洁令人胆寒，以其真实令人无法抗拒——一个如今在黄衣之王面前颤栗的世界。

When the French Government seized the translated copies which had just arrived in Paris, London, of course, became eager to read it.

当法国政府没收了那批刚抵达巴黎的译本时，伦敦自然也随之燃起了阅读它的渴望。

It is well known how the book spread like an infectious disease, from city to city, from continent to continent, barred out here, confiscated there, denounced by Press and pulpit, censured even by the most advanced of literary anarchists.

众所周知，这本书如同一场瘟疫般蔓延，从一座城市传至另一座城市，从一片大陆传至另一片大陆，在此处遭禁，在彼处被没收，被报界与讲坛所谴责，甚至连最激进的文学无政府主义者也对其加以批判。

Vocabulary

如果: rúguǒ — if; used to introduce a conditional clause
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
没有: méiyǒu — do not have; there is not; lacking
瞥见: piējiàn — to catch a glimpse of something briefly
第二幕: dì èr mù — Act Two; the second act of a play
的: de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
开篇: kāipiān — opening passage; the beginning of a piece
文字: wénzì — written characters; text; written language
本: běn — originally; by nature; classifier for books
不会: bù huì — would not; unable to; will not
读完: dú wán — to finish reading something to the end
它: tā — it; third-person singular pronoun for objects
但: dàn — but; however; yet; nevertheless
当: dāng — when; at the time of; while
俯身: fǔ shēn — to bend down; to lean over with body
去: qù — to go; directional complement particle
捡起: jiǎn qǐ — to pick up something from the ground
时: shí — when; at the moment of; time
目光: mùguāng — gaze; eyes; one's line of sight
便: biàn — then; thereupon; immediately afterward
被: bèi — passive marker; by; indicates action received
那: nà — that; those; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
翻开: fān kāi — to open up; to flip open a book
书页: shūyè — page of a book; leaf of a book
牢牢: láoláo — firmly; tightly; securely held fast
钉住: dīng zhù — to fix onto; to pin down; to rivet
发出: fā chū — to emit; to produce a sound or signal
一声: yī shēng — one sound; a single cry or noise
恐惧: kǒngjù — fear; terror; feeling of intense dread
叫喊: jiàohǎn — to shout; to cry out; to yell
或许: huòxǔ — perhaps; maybe; possibly
是: shì — to be; is; am; are; yes
一种: yī zhǒng — a kind of; a type of; one sort
极度: jídù — extremely; to an extreme degree; intense
强烈: qiángliè — intense; strong; fierce; powerful feeling
喜悦: xǐyuè — joy; delight; happiness; a joyful feeling
令: lìng — to cause; to make; to order someone
每: měi — every; each; per
一根: yī gēn — one strand; one nerve fiber or root
神经: shénjīng — nerve; nervous system; nerve fiber
都: dōu — all; both; every; entirely
饱受: bǎo shòu — to suffer greatly; to be thoroughly subjected to
煎熬: jiān'áo — to suffer torment; agonizing pain or distress
将: jiāng — to take; with; future action particle
东西: dōngxi — thing; object; stuff; an item
从: cóng — from; since; following a source
炭火: tàn huǒ — charcoal fire; burning charcoal embers
中: zhōng — in; within; middle; among
夺出: duó chū — to snatch out; to forcefully remove something
颤抖: chàndǒu — to tremble; to shiver; to shake involuntarily
着: zhe — aspect particle indicating ongoing action or state
爬回: pá huí — to crawl back; to return by crawling
卧室: wòshì — bedroom; sleeping room in a home
在: zài — at; in; on; to be located at
那里: nàlǐ — there; that place; over there
一遍: yī biàn — once; one time through from start to finish
又: yòu — again; once more; additionally
地: de — adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
阅读: yuèdú — to read; reading; perusal of text
时而: shí'ér — sometimes; now and then; at times
哭泣: kūqì — to weep; to cry; to sob quietly
大笑: dàxiào — to laugh loudly; to burst out laughing
因: yīn — because of; due to; on account of
而: ér — and; yet; but; connecting clauses together
战栗: zhànlì — to shudder; to tremble with fear or awe
至今: zhìjīn — to this day; up until now; still
有时: yǒushí — sometimes; occasionally; at certain times
仍: réng — still; yet; as before; continuing
向: xiàng — toward; in the direction of; facing
袭来: xí lái — to come sweeping over; to attack suddenly
这: zhè — this; these; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
便是: biàn shì — is exactly; this is precisely; that is
困扰: kùnrǎo — to trouble; to perplex; to haunt one's mind
之: zhī — possessive or linking particle; literary 的
事: shì — matter; affair; thing; event
因为: yīnwèi — because; for the reason that; since
无法: wúfǎ — unable to; cannot; have no way to
忘记: wàngjì — to forget; to fail to remember something
黑色: hēisè — black color; the color black
星辰: xīngchén — stars; celestial bodies; the starry heavens
悬挂: xuánguà — to hang; to suspend in the air
于: yú — in; at; from; literary preposition
苍穹: cāngqióng — the vast sky; the firmament; heavens above
人们: rénmen — people; persons; human beings in general
思想: sīxiǎng — thought; thinking; ideology; ideas
阴影: yīnyǐng — shadow; shade; dark influence or ominous presence
午后: wǔhòu — afternoon; the time after noon
渐渐: jiànjiàn — gradually; little by little; slowly
拉长: lā cháng — to lengthen; to stretch out; to elongate
双子: shuāngzǐ — twins; double; binary; two of a kind
太阳: tàiyáng — the sun; sunlight; solar
沉入: chén rù — to sink into; to descend below the surface
湖: hú — lake; a large inland body of water
之时: zhī shí — at the time of; when; during the moment
苍白: cāngbái — pale; pallid; wan; lacking color or vitality
面具: miànjù — mask; a covering worn over the face
记忆: jìyì — memory; recollection; to remember something
永远: yǒngyuǎn — forever; eternally; always; for all time
铭刻: míngkè — to engrave; to inscribe deeply into memory
心中: xīn zhōng — in one's heart; within the mind; inwardly
祈求: qíqiú — to pray for; to beg; to implore earnestly
上帝: Shàngdì — God; the Lord; the supreme deity
诅咒: zǔzhòu — to curse; to put a curse on someone
那位: nà wèi — that person; that one (polite reference)
作者: zuòzhě — author; writer; creator of a work
正如: zhèngrú — just as; exactly like; in the same way
以: yǐ — by means of; with; using; in order to
这部: zhè bù — this (classifier for films, works); this volume
美丽: měilì — beautiful; gorgeous; lovely; aesthetically pleasing
震撼人心: zhènhàn rénxīn — deeply moving; shaking people's hearts profoundly
作品: zuòpǐn — work; literary or artistic creation; opus
了: le — particle indicating completion or change of state
世界: shìjiè — world; the earth; all of mankind
以其: yǐ qí — by means of its; with its; using its
简洁: jiǎnjié — concise; brief and clear; succinct
令人: lìng rén — to make people feel; causing one to feel
胆寒: dǎn hán — to make one's blood run cold; terrifying
真实: zhēnshí — real; true; authentic; genuine
抗拒: kàngjù — to resist; to defy; to refuse to accept
一个: yī gè — one; a single one (general classifier)
如今: rújīn — nowadays; now; at the present time
面前: miànqián — in front of; before; in the presence of
颤栗: zhànlì — to tremble; to shudder with fear or reverence
法国: Fǎguó — France; the country of France
政府: zhèngfǔ — government; the governing authority of a state
没收: mòshōu — to confiscate; to seize property by authority
那批: nà pī — that batch; that consignment; those copies
刚: gāng — just; just now; barely; having just arrived
抵达: dǐdá — to arrive; to reach a destination
巴黎: Bālí — Paris; the capital city of France
译本: yìběn — translation; translated edition of a book
伦敦: Lúndūn — London; the capital city of England
自然: zìrán — naturally; of course; nature; naturally occurring
也: yě — also; too; as well; likewise
随之: suí zhī — following that; thereupon; along with it
燃起: rán qǐ — to kindle; to ignite; to arouse a desire
渴望: kěwàng — to yearn for; to crave; intense desire
众所周知: zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī — as everyone knows; it is widely known that
这本: zhè běn — this book; this volume; this copy
书: shū — book; volume; written work
如同: rútóng — like; as; just as; resembling
一场: yī chǎng — one instance of; a bout of; one episode
瘟疫: wēnyì — plague; epidemic; pestilence; infectious disease
般: bān — like; as; in the manner of
蔓延: mànyán — to spread; to extend; to proliferate widely
一座: yī zuò — one (classifier for cities, mountains, buildings)
城市: chéngshì — city; urban area; municipality
传至: chuán zhì — to spread to; to reach by transmission
另: lìng — another; other; a different one
一片: yī piàn — a stretch of; an expanse of; one piece
大陆: dàlù — continent; mainland; large landmass
此处: cǐchù — here; this place; at this location
遭禁: zāo jìn — to be banned; to be prohibited; to face censorship
彼处: bǐchù — there; that place; another location
报界: bàojiè — the press; journalism circles; media world
与: yǔ — and; with; together with
讲坛: jiǎngtán — pulpit; podium; lectern; platform for speaking
所: suǒ — passive construction marker; place; that which
谴责: qiǎnzé — to condemn; to denounce; to censure strongly
甚至: shènzhì — even; even to the point that; going so far
连: lián — even; including; even as far as
最: zuì — most; the most; to the greatest degree
激进: jījìn — radical; extreme; progressive; militant in views
文学: wénxué — literature; literary studies; written art forms
无政府主义者: wú zhèngfǔ zhǔyì zhě — anarchist; one who opposes all government authority
对其: duì qí — toward it; regarding it; with respect to it
加以: jiāyǐ — to add; to carry out; to apply an action
批判: pīpàn — to criticize; to critique; critical judgment

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