The Scarlet Letter — Page 11
And here, some six months ago,—pacing from corner to corner, or lounging on the long-legged stool, with his elbow on the desk, and his eyes wandering up and down the columns of the morning newspaper,—you might have recognized, honored reader, the same individual who welcomed you into his cheery little study, where the sunshine glimmered so pleasantly through the willow branches, on the western side of the Old Manse.
就在这里,大约六个月前,——他或在角落间踱来踱去,或懒洋洋地靠在高脚凳上,手肘搁在桌上,眼睛漫无目的地扫过晨报的各栏——尊敬的读者,您或许曾认出,正是这同一个人在旧牧师宅邸西侧那间愉快的小书房里迎接过您,那里的阳光透过柳枝洒落,是那般宜人。
But now, should you go thither to seek him, you would inquire in vain for the Locofoco Surveyor.
但如今,若您前往那里寻他,却再也找不到那位洛科福科党的税务官了。
The besom of reform has swept him out of office; and a worthier successor wears his dignity, and pockets his emoluments.
改革的扫帚已将他扫地出门;如今一位更称职的继任者承继了他的官衔,揣进了他的俸禄。
This old town of Salem—my native place, though I have dwelt much away from it, both in boyhood and maturer years—possesses, or did possess, a hold on my affections, the force of which I have never realized during my seasons of actual residence here.
塞勒姆这座古老的小城——我的故乡,尽管无论童年还是成年,我都有很长时间旅居在外——对我的情感有着一种牵绊,而这种牵绊的力量,我在真正居住于此的岁月里却从未真切地感受到。
Indeed, so far as its physical aspect is concerned, with its flat, unvaried surface, covered chiefly with wooden houses, few or none of which pretend to architectural beauty,—its irregularity, which is neither picturesque nor quaint, but only tame,—its long and lazy street, lounging wearisomely through the whole extent of the peninsula, with Gallows Hill and New Guinea at one end, and a view of the almshouse at the other,—such being the features of my native town, it would be quite as reasonable to form a sentimental attachment to a disarranged checker-board.
事实上,就其外貌而言,这座城地势平坦单调,遍布木屋,其中少有乃至全无称得上建筑之美的;其杂乱无章,既无如画之趣,也无古朴之味,不过是平庸乏味而已;一条漫长慵懒的街道,沿着半岛的整个长度倦怠地延伸,一端是绞刑山和新几内亚区,另一端望见的是济贫院——我的故乡便是如此面貌,若要对它产生感情上的依恋,倒不如去依恋一张摆乱了的棋盘来得合理。
Vocabulary
- 就
- jiù — then, precisely, as soon as
- 在
- zài — at, in, on (location marker)
- 这里
- zhèlǐ — here, this place
- 大约
- dàyuē — approximately, about, roughly
- 六个月
- liù gè yuè — six months period of time
- 前
- qián — before, ago, front
- 他
- tā — he, him (third person masculine)
- 或
- huò — or, either, perhaps
- 角落
- jiǎoluò — corner, nook of a room
- 间
- jiān — between, among; room (measure word)
- 踱来踱去
- duó lái duó qù — pace back and forth restlessly
- 懒洋洋
- lǎnyángyáng — lazily, sluggishly, in a listless manner
- 地
- de — adverbial particle modifying verbs
- 靠
- kào — lean against, rely on
- 高脚凳
- gāojiǎodèng — high stool, bar stool
- 上
- shàng — on top of, above, upper
- 手肘
- shǒuzhǒu — elbow, the joint of the arm
- 搁
- gē — place, put, rest something somewhere
- 桌上
- zhuō shàng — on the table, atop the desk
- 眼睛
- yǎnjīng — eyes, the organs of sight
- 漫无目的
- màn wú mùdì — aimlessly, without purpose or direction
- 扫过
- sǎoguò — sweep over, glance across quickly
- 晨报
- chénbào — morning newspaper, daily morning paper
- 的
- de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 各栏
- gè lán — various columns of a newspaper
- 尊敬
- zūnjìng — respect, esteem, hold in high regard
- 读者
- dúzhě — reader, person who reads publications
- 您
- nín — polite form of you, respectful address
- 或许
- huòxǔ — perhaps, maybe, possibly
- 曾
- céng — once, formerly, at some past time
- 认出
- rènchū — recognize, identify someone or something
- 正是
- zhèngshì — precisely is, exactly, it is indeed
- 这
- zhè — this, these (demonstrative pronoun)
- 同一个
- tóngyī gè — the same one, identical individual
- 人
- rén — person, human being, people
- 旧
- jiù — old, former, previously used
- 牧师
- mùshī — pastor, minister, Christian clergyman
- 宅邸
- zháidǐ — mansion, large residential estate
- 西侧
- xī cè — western side, the west flank
- 那间
- nà jiān — that room, that particular chamber
- 愉快
- yúkuài — pleasant, cheerful, happy
- 小
- xiǎo — small, little, minor
- 书房
- shūfáng — study room, private library or office
- 里
- lǐ — inside, within, interior
- 迎接过
- yíngjiēguò — once welcomed, had received guests before
- 那里
- nàlǐ — there, that place
- 阳光
- yángguāng — sunlight, sunshine
- 透过
- tòuguò — through, penetrate through something
- 柳枝
- liǔzhī — willow branches, twigs of willow tree
- 洒落
- sǎluò — scatter down, sprinkle and fall
- 是
- shì — is, are, am (copula verb)
- 那般
- nà bān — so, that way, in such a manner
- 宜人
- yírén — pleasant, agreeable, delightful to the senses
- 但
- dàn — but, however, yet
- 如今
- rújīn — nowadays, at present, these days
- 若
- ruò — if, should, supposing that
- 前往
- qiánwǎng — go to, proceed toward a destination
- 寻
- xún — seek, search for, look for
- 却
- què — but, yet, however (contrastive particle)
- 再也
- zài yě — no longer, never again (with negative)
- 找不到
- zhǎo bu dào — cannot find, unable to locate
- 那位
- nà wèi — that person (polite measure word)
- 税务官
- shuìwùguān — tax officer, customs revenue official
- 了
- le — particle indicating completed action or change
- 改革
- gǎigé — reform, restructure, make systematic changes
- 扫帚
- sàozhou — broom, tool for sweeping floors
- 已
- yǐ — already, by now, previously completed
- 将
- jiāng — will, about to; future action marker
- 扫地出门
- sǎo dì chū mén — sweep out the door, dismiss completely
- 一位
- yī wèi — one person (polite measure word)
- 更
- gèng — more, even more, still more
- 称职
- chènzhí — competent, qualified, capable for the job
- 继任者
- jìrènzhě — successor, person who takes over a post
- 承继
- chéngjì — inherit, take over, succeed to a position
- 官衔
- guānxián — official title, bureaucratic rank or designation
- 揣进
- chuāi jìn — tuck into, pocket something privately
- 俸禄
- fènglù — official salary, government stipend or emolument
- 这座
- zhè zuò — this (measure word for cities/mountains)
- 古老
- gǔlǎo — ancient, old, time-honored
- 小城
- xiǎochéng — small town, small city
- 我
- wǒ — I, me (first person singular)
- 故乡
- gùxiāng — hometown, birthplace, native land
- 尽管
- jǐnguǎn — although, despite, even though
- 无论
- wúlùn — regardless of, no matter whether
- 童年
- tóngnián — childhood, early years of life
- 还是
- háishi — or, still, either...or
- 成年
- chéngnián — adulthood, grown-up years
- 都
- dōu — all, both, entirely (inclusive adverb)
- 有
- yǒu — have, there is, exist
- 很长
- hěn cháng — very long, a great length of time
- 时间
- shíjiān — time, period, duration
- 旅居
- lǚjū — reside abroad, live away from home
- 在外
- zài wài — outside, away from home, abroad
- 对
- duì — toward, regarding, for (preposition)
- 情感
- qínggǎn — emotion, feeling, sentiment
- 有着
- yǒuzhe — have, possess, be characterized by
- 一种
- yī zhǒng — a kind of, a type of
- 牵绊
- qiānbàn — tie, bond, emotional attachment or constraint
- 而
- ér — and yet, but, while (conjunctive particle)
- 这种
- zhè zhǒng — this kind of, this type of
- 力量
- lìliang — strength, power, force
- 真正
- zhēnzhèng — truly, genuinely, real
- 居住
- jūzhù — reside, live, dwell in a place
- 于此
- yú cǐ — here, at this place, therein
- 岁月
- suìyuè — years, time, the passage of time
- 从未
- cóng wèi — never, not ever, at no time
- 真切
- zhēnqiē — vividly, clearly, genuinely felt
- 感受到
- gǎnshòu dào — feel, experience, perceive something emotionally
- 事实上
- shìshí shàng — in fact, actually, as a matter of fact
- 其
- qí — its, their, that (literary pronoun)
- 外貌
- wàimào — appearance, outward look, exterior features
- 而言
- ér yán — as for, in terms of, regarding
- 城
- chéng — city, town, urban area
- 地势
- dìshì — terrain, topography, lie of the land
- 平坦
- píngtǎn — flat, level, even terrain
- 单调
- dāndiào — monotonous, dull, lacking variety
- 遍布
- biànbù — spread all over, scattered throughout
- 木屋
- mùwū — wooden house, log cabin
- 其中
- qízhōng — among them, within, of which
- 少有
- shǎoyǒu — rarely has, seldom found, scarce
- 乃至
- nǎizhì — even, or even, ranging to
- 全无
- quán wú — completely without, none at all
- 称得上
- chēng de shàng — can be called, worthy of the name
- 建筑
- jiànzhù — architecture, building, construction
- 之美
- zhī měi — beauty of, aesthetic quality of
- 杂乱无章
- záluàn wú zhāng — chaotic, disordered, in complete disarray
- 既无
- jì wú — neither has, having neither one
- 如画
- rú huà — picturesque, beautiful as a painting
- 之趣
- zhī qù — charm of, interest or appeal of
- 也无
- yě wú — nor has, also lacks, without either
- 古朴
- gǔpǔ — simple and antique, quaint and plain
- 之味
- zhī wèi — flavor of, quality or taste of
- 不过
- búguò — merely, only, nothing more than
- 平庸
- píngyōng — mediocre, ordinary, undistinguished
- 乏味
- fáwèi — insipid, tasteless, boring and dull
- 而已
- éryǐ — that's all, nothing more, merely
- 一条
- yī tiáo — one (measure word for roads/streets)
- 漫长
- màncháng — long, lengthy, seemingly endless
- 慵懒
- yōnglǎn — languid, lazy, sluggish in feeling
- 街道
- jiēdào — street, road, thoroughfare
- 沿着
- yánzhe — along, following the length of
- 半岛
- bàndǎo — peninsula, land surrounded on three sides
- 整个
- zhěnggè — entire, whole, the complete extent
- 长度
- chángdù — length, measurement from end to end
- 倦怠
- juàndài — weary, fatigued, listless
- 延伸
- yánshēn — extend, stretch out, continue onward
- 一端
- yī duān — one end, one extremity
- 和
- hé — and, together with (conjunction)
- 区
- qū — district, area, zone
- 另一端
- lìng yī duān — the other end, opposite extremity
- 望见
- wàngjiàn — see in the distance, catch sight of
- 济贫院
- jìpínyuàn — poorhouse, almshouse for the destitute
- 便是
- biàn shì — that is, it is precisely, namely
- 如此
- rúcǐ — such, like this, in this manner
- 面貌
- miànmào — appearance, look, face of something
- 若要
- ruò yào — if one wants to, should one wish
- 它
- tā — it (third person inanimate pronoun)
- 产生
- chǎnshēng — produce, generate, give rise to
- 感情
- gǎnqíng — feeling, affection, emotional bond
- 依恋
- yīliàn — attachment, fondness, reluctance to leave
- 倒不如
- dào bùrú — better to, it would be preferable to
- 去
- qù — go, leave, depart toward
- 一张
- yī zhāng — one (measure word for flat objects)
- 摆乱
- bǎiluàn — jumble up, arrange in a disordered way
- 棋盘
- qípán — chessboard, game board for chess
- 来得
- lái de — more so, comparatively, makes more sense
- 合理
- hélǐ — reasonable, rational, makes sense
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