← The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter — Page 11

English → Chinese Full Text Level 8/10

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

jiù — then, precisely, as soon as
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
qián — before, ago, front
tā — he, him (third person masculine)
huò — or, either, perhaps
角落
jiǎoluò — corner, nook of a room
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
de — adverbial particle modifying verbs
kào — lean against, rely on
高脚凳
gāojiǎodèng — high stool, bar stool
shàng — on top of, above, upper
手肘
shǒuzhǒu — elbow, the joint of the arm
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
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
nín — polite form of you, respectful address
或许
huòxǔ — perhaps, maybe, possibly
céng — once, formerly, at some past time
认出
rènchū — recognize, identify someone or something
正是
zhèngshì — precisely is, exactly, it is indeed
zhè — this, these (demonstrative pronoun)
同一个
tóngyī gè — the same one, identical individual
rén — person, human being, people
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
xiǎo — small, little, minor
书房
shūfáng — study room, private library or office
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
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
dàn — but, however, yet
如今
rújīn — nowadays, at present, these days
ruò — if, should, supposing that
前往
qiánwǎng — go to, proceed toward a destination
xún — seek, search for, look for
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
le — particle indicating completed action or change
改革
gǎigé — reform, restructure, make systematic changes
扫帚
sàozhou — broom, tool for sweeping floors
yǐ — already, by now, previously completed
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)
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
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
dōu — all, both, entirely (inclusive adverb)
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
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
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
qí — its, their, that (literary pronoun)
外貌
wàimào — appearance, outward look, exterior features
而言
ér yán — as for, in terms of, regarding
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
hé — and, together with (conjunction)
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
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
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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