The Scarlet Letter — Page 12
然而，尽管我在别处总是更快乐，我内心深处对古老的塞勒姆仍怀有一种情感，若找不到更好的说法，我只好姑且称之为眷恋。
And yet, though invariably happiest elsewhere, there is within me a feeling for old Salem, which, in lack of a better phrase, I must be content to call affection.
这种情感大概源于我的家族深深扎根于这片土地之中，那根系古老而深远。
The sentiment is probably assignable to the deep and aged roots which my family has struck into the soil.
距那位最初的英国人——我这一姓氏最早的移民——出现在这片荒野边林的聚居地，如今已将近两个多世纪，而那聚居地此后已发展成为一座城市。
It is now nearly two centuries and a quarter since the original Briton, the earliest emigrant of my name, made his appearance in the wild and forest-bordered settlement, which has since become a city.
他的后代在此出生，在此死去，将他们身躯的尘土融入这片土地，以至于这土地中必然有相当一部分与我暂时行走于街头的这副血肉之躯息息相关。
And here his descendants have been born and died, and have mingled their earthy substance with the soil; until no small portion of it must necessarily be akin to the mortal frame wherewith, for a little while, I walk the streets.
因此，我所说的这份依恋，在某种程度上不过是尘土对尘土的纯粹感官上的共鸣。
In part, therefore, the attachment which I speak of is the mere sensuous sympathy of dust for dust.
我的同胞中鲜有人能体会这是何种滋味；而且，由于频繁的移植或许对根系更为有益，他们也无需认为了解这种情感是值得向往的事。
Few of my countrymen can know what it is; nor, as frequent transplantation is perhaps better for the stock, need they consider it desirable to know.
然而这种情感同样具有其精神层面的意义。
But the sentiment has likewise its moral quality.
那位最初祖先的形象，在家族传说中被赋予了一种朦胧而幽暗的威严，早在我记事起便已存在于我少年时代的想象之中。
The figure of that first ancestor, invested by family tradition with a dim and dusky grandeur, was present to my boyish imagination, as far back as I can remember.
这形象至今仍萦绕着我，令我对过去产生一种宛如回家般的亲切感，而对于这座小镇当下的面貌，我却几乎无从生出这样的情怀。
It still haunts me, and induces a sort of home-feeling with the past, which I scarcely claim in reference to the present phase of the town.
Vocabulary
- And
- 表示连接或并列的连词
- yet
- 表示但是、然而的副词或连词
- though
- 表示虽然、尽管的连词
- invariably
- 总是、始终不变地
- happiest
- 最快乐的，happy的最高级形式
- elsewhere
- 在其他地方、别处
- there
- 在那里、那个地方
- is
- 动词be的第三人称单数形式
- within
- 在...之内、内部
- me
- 我，宾格代词
- feeling
- 感觉、情感、感受
- for
- 为了、对于、因为的介词
- old
- 年老的、古老的、旧的
- which
- 哪个、哪些的关系代词
- in
- 在...里面、在...期间的介词
- lack
- 缺少、缺乏
- of
- ...的、由...组成的介词
- better
- 更好的、较好的
- phrase
- 短语、词组
- must
- 必须、一定的情态动词
- be
- 是、存在的动词
- content
- 满足的、满意的形容词
- to
- 到、向、的不定式标记
- call
- 称呼、叫做
- affection
- 感情、喜爱、感染
- The
- 定冠词
- sentiment
- 感情、观点、意见
- probably
- 可能、或许、大概
- the
- 定冠词
- deep
- 深的、深层的
- aged
- 年老的、陈年的
- roots
- 根、根源
- my
- 我的，所有格代词
- family
- 家庭、家族
- has
- 有、具有的动词
- struck
- 击中、打、敲
- into
- 进入...里面的介词
- soil
- 土壤、泥土
- It
- 它，非人称代词
- now
- 现在、此刻
- nearly
- 几乎、差不多
- two
- 二、两个数字
- centuries
- 世纪、百年
- quarter
- 四分之一、季度
- since
- 自从、因为的连词
- original
- 最初的、原始的
- earliest
- 最早的，early的最高级
- emigrant
- 移民、侨民
- name
- 名字、名称
- made
- 制造、做、使得
- his
- 他的，所有格代词
- appearance
- 出现、外观、样子
- wild
- 野生的、野蛮的
- settlement
- 定居点、村落
- become
- 变成、成为
- city
- 城市、都市
- here
- 这里、在这儿
- descendants
- 后代、子孙
- born
- 出生的、天生的
- died
- 死亡、消亡
- mingled
- 混合、混在一起
- earthy
- 土质的、泥土般的
- substance
- 物质、实质
- until
- 直到、到...为止
- no
- 不、没有的否定词
- small
- 小的、少量的
- portion
- 部分、份额
- it
- 它，非人称代词
- necessarily
- 必然地、必需地
- akin
- 相似的、有关联的
- mortal
- 凡人的、致命的
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