The Scarlet Letter — Page 6

English → Chinese Full Text Level 8/10

In my native town of Salem, at the head of what, half a century ago, in the days of old King Derby, was a bustling wharf,—but which is now burdened with decayed wooden warehouses, and exhibits few or no symptoms of commercial life; except, perhaps, a bark or brig, half-way down its melancholy length, discharging hides; or, nearer at hand, a Nova Scotia schooner, pitching out her cargo of firewood,—at the head, I say, of this dilapidated wharf, which the tide often overflows, and along which, at the base and in the rear of the row of buildings, the track of many languid years is seen in a border of unthrifty grass,—here, with a view from its front windows adown this not very enlivening prospect, and thence across the harbor, stands a spacious edifice of brick.

在我的故乡塞勒姆，半个世纪前，在老德比王的年代，曾有一座繁忙的码头——而如今这座码头已被破败的木制仓库所占据，几乎看不到任何商业活动的迹象；也许只有一艘树皮船或双桅船停在那段令人忧郁的码头中段，正在卸着兽皮；或者更近处，一艘新斯科舍纵帆船正在卸下她的柴火货物——就在这座破败的码头尽头，潮水时常漫过，沿着建筑物后排的底部，岁月的痕迹在一片荒芜的杂草丛中显现——就在这里，从前窗望去，映入眼帘的是这片并不令人振奋的景色，再远处便是港湾，一座宽敞的砖石建筑巍然矗立。

From the loftiest point of its roof, during precisely three and a half hours of each forenoon, floats or droops, in breeze or calm, the banner of the republic; but with the thirteen stripes turned vertically, instead of horizontally, and thus indicating that a civil, and not a military post of Uncle Sam's government is here established.

从屋顶的最高处，每天上午恰好三个半小时，无论有风还是无风，共和国的旗帜在空中飘扬或低垂；然而那十三道条纹是竖向排列，而非横向，由此表明此处设立的是山姆大叔政府的文职机构，而非军事机构。

Its front is ornamented with a portico of half a dozen wooden pillars, supporting a balcony, beneath which a flight of wide granite steps descends towards the street.

建筑正面装饰着一座由六根木柱支撑的门廊，上托一座阳台，阳台之下，一级宽阔的花岗岩台阶延伸向街道。

Vocabulary

在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or existence.
我: wǒ — I, me; first-person singular pronoun.
的: de — Possessive or attributive particle.
故乡: gùxiāng — Hometown, native place where one was born.
半个: bàn gè — Half of; one half of something.
世纪: shìjì — Century; a period of one hundred years.
前: qián — Before, ago, in front of.
老: lǎo — Old, aged; used before nouns for familiarity.
王: wáng — King, monarch; a royal title or surname.
年代: niándài — Era, decade, period of time in history.
曾有: céng yǒu — Once had, formerly possessed or contained.
一座: yī zuò — One (building, mountain); measure word for structures.
繁忙: fánmáng — Busy, bustling with activity and traffic.
码头: mǎtou — Wharf, dock, pier for loading ships.
而: ér — But, yet, and; conjunctive transition particle.
如今: rújīn — Nowadays, at present, in current times.
这座: zhè zuò — This (building/structure); demonstrative plus measure word.
已被: yǐ bèi — Has already been; passive construction marker.
破败: pòbài — Dilapidated, run-down, in a state of decay.
木制: mùzhì — Made of wood, wooden construction.
仓库: cāngkù — Warehouse, storehouse for storing goods.
所: suǒ — Passive marker used before verbs in formal writing.
占据: zhànjù — Occupy, take up space or territory.
几乎: jīhū — Almost, nearly, hardly any.
看不到: kàn bu dào — Cannot see, unable to spot anything.
任何: rènhé — Any, whatsoever; used in negative or question contexts.
商业: shāngyè — Commerce, business, trade activities.
活动: huódòng — Activity, movement, event or operation.
迹象: jìxiàng — Sign, indication, trace of something.
也许: yěxǔ — Perhaps, maybe, possibly.
只有: zhǐyǒu — Only, there is only; sole exception.
一艘: yī sōu — One (vessel); measure word for ships or boats.
或: huò — Or; indicating an alternative choice.
停在: tíng zài — Parked at, anchored at, stopped at a place.
那段: nà duàn — That section or stretch of something.
令人: lìng rén — Causing people to feel; makes one feel.
忧郁: yōuyù — Melancholy, gloomy, depressed in mood.
中段: zhōng duàn — Middle section or central portion.
正在: zhèngzài — Currently in the process of doing something.
卸着: xiè zhe — In the process of unloading cargo.
兽皮: shòupí — Animal hide, beast skin, fur or pelt.
或者: huòzhě — Or, alternatively; presents another possibility.
更近: gèng jìn — Even closer, nearer in proximity.
处: chù — Place, location; measure word for spots.
卸下: xiè xià — Unload, remove cargo from a vehicle or ship.
她: tā — She, her; third-person feminine pronoun.
柴火: cháihuǒ — Firewood, wood fuel used for burning.
货物: huòwù — Goods, cargo, merchandise for transport or trade.
就在: jiù zài — Right at, located precisely at a spot.
尽头: jìntóu — End, extremity, farthest point of something.
潮水: cháoshuǐ — Tidal water, the tide rising and falling.
时常: shícháng — Often, frequently, from time to time.
漫过: màn guò — Overflow over, flood across a surface.
沿着: yánzhe — Along, following the length of something.
建筑物: jiànzhùwù — Building, structure, constructed edifice.
后排: hòu pái — Back row, rear line of buildings or seats.
底部: dǐbù — Bottom part, base or lower section.
岁月: suìyuè — Years and months; the passage of time.
痕迹: hénjì — Trace, mark, remnant left behind over time.
一片: yī piàn — A stretch of, an expanse of land or area.
荒芜: huāngwú — Desolate, overgrown, uncultivated and abandoned.
杂草丛: zácǎo cóng — Weed thicket, dense patch of wild weeds.
中: zhōng — In, among, middle; within a range or group.
显现: xiǎnxiàn — Appear, emerge, become visible or manifest.
这里: zhèlǐ — Here, this place, this location.
从: cóng — From; indicates starting point of action or place.
前窗: qián chuāng — Front window facing forward or outward.
望去: wàng qù — Look toward, gaze in a direction.
映入: yìng rù — Come into view, be reflected into one's eyes.
眼帘: yǎnlián — Field of vision, what enters one's eyes.
是: shì — Is, am, are; copula verb linking subject and predicate.
这片: zhè piàn — This stretch or expanse of area.
并不: bìng bù — Not at all; emphatic negation of a statement.
振奋: zhènfèn — Inspiring, exhilarating, uplifting to the spirit.
景色: jǐngsè — Scenery, landscape, view of a place.
再: zài — Again, further, then; indicates continuation or sequence.
远处: yuǎnchù — The distance, a faraway place or spot.
便是: biàn shì — Is exactly, happens to be; emphatic identification.
港湾: gǎngwān — Harbor, bay offering shelter to ships.
宽敞: kuānchǎng — Spacious, roomy, having ample open space.
砖石: zhuānshí — Brick and stone, masonry building materials.
建筑: jiànzhù — Building, architecture, constructed structure.
巍然: wēirán — Towering, lofty, standing tall and imposingly.
矗立: chùlì — Stand tall and erect, loom up prominently.
屋顶: wūdǐng — Rooftop, the top surface of a building.
最高处: zuì gāo chù — Highest point, topmost part of a structure.
每天: měitiān — Every day, daily, each day without exception.
上午: shàngwǔ — Morning, the period before noon.
恰好: qiàhǎo — Exactly, just right, precisely at that amount.
三个半: sān gè bàn — Three and a half; a specific quantity.
小时: xiǎoshí — Hour, a unit of sixty minutes.
无论: wúlùn — Regardless of, no matter what the condition.
有风: yǒu fēng — There is wind, windy conditions prevailing.
还是: háishi — Or, still; used in alternatives or persistence.
无风: wú fēng — No wind, calm still air conditions.
共和国: gònghéguó — Republic; a form of democratic government state.
旗帜: qízhì — Flag, banner, pennant representing a nation.
空中: kōngzhōng — In the air, mid-air, up in the sky.
飘扬: piāoyáng — Flutter, wave, fly in the breeze.
低垂: dīchuí — Hang low, droop downward without wind.
然而: rán'ér — However, yet, nevertheless; introduces a contrast.
那: nà — That; demonstrative pronoun indicating something distant.
条纹: tiáowén — Stripes, striped pattern on a surface.
竖向: shù xiàng — Vertical direction, oriented up and down.
排列: páiliè — Arranged, lined up in order or pattern.
而非: ér fēi — Rather than, instead of; marks a contrast.
横向: héng xiàng — Horizontal direction, oriented side to side.
由此: yóucǐ — From this, thereby, thus indicating a conclusion.
表明: biǎomíng — Indicate, show, make clear a fact.
此处: cǐ chù — Here, at this place or location.
设立: shèlì — Establish, set up an institution or organization.
政府: zhèngfǔ — Government, the ruling administrative authority.
文职: wénzhí — Civil, civilian post; non-military government position.
机构: jīgòu — Institution, organization, agency or body.
军事: jūnshì — Military, relating to armed forces or warfare.
正面: zhèngmiàn — Front face, facade of a building.
装饰着: zhuāngshì zhe — Decorated with, adorned by ornamental features.
由: yóu — By, from, through; indicates agent or means.
六根: liù gēn — Six (pillars); measure word for long objects.
木柱: mùzhù — Wooden pillar, timber column supporting a structure.
支撑: zhīchēng — Support, prop up, bear the weight of.
门廊: ménláng — Porch, entrance portico of a building.
阳台: yángtái — Balcony, open platform projecting from a building.
之下: zhī xià — Below, underneath, beneath something.
一级: yī jí — One step, one level or grade.
宽阔: kuānkuò — Wide, broad, expansive in dimension.
花岗岩: huāgāngyán — Granite; a hard igneous rock used in construction.
台阶: táijiē — Steps, staircase leading to an entrance.
延伸: yánshēn — Extend, stretch outward toward something.
向: xiàng — Toward, facing, in the direction of.
街道: jiēdào — Street, road in a town or city.

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