大学英语精读 第二册第一、二课 课文翻译.doc

Unit1 The Dinner Party 关于男人是否比女人更勇敢的一场激烈争论以一种颇为出人意料的方式解决了 The dinner party晚宴 1. I first heard this tale in India, where is told as if truethough any naturalist would know it couldnt be. Later someone told me that the story appeared in a magazine shortly before the First World War. That magazine story, and the person who wrote it, I have never been able to track down. 我最初听到这个故事是在印度，那儿的人们今天讲起它来仍好像确有其事似的尽管任何一位博物学家都知道这不可能是真的。后来有人告诉我，在第一次世界大战之前不久，一家杂志曾刊登过这个故事。但登在杂志上的那篇故事以及写那篇故事的人，我却一直未能找到。2. The country is India.A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their guestsofficers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalistin their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda. 故事发生在印度。某殖民地官员和他的夫人正举行盛大的晚宴。筵席设在他们家宽敞的餐室里，室内大理石地板上没有铺地毯；屋顶明椽裸露；宽大的玻璃门外便是走廊。跟他们一起就坐的客人有军官和他们的夫人，另外还有一位来访的美国博物学家。3. A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a major who says that they havent. 席间，一位年轻的女士同一位少校展开了热烈的讨论。年轻的女士认为，妇女已经有所进步，不再像过去那样一见到老鼠就吓得跳到椅子上；少校则不以为然。4. A womans reaction in any crisis, the major says, is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what really counts. 他说：“一遇到危急情况，女人的反应便是尖叫。而男人虽然也可能想叫，但比起女人来，自制力却略胜一筹。这多出来的一点自制力正是真正起作用的东西。”5. The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is straight ahead, her muscles contracting slightly. She motions to the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers something to him. The boys eyes widen：he quickly leaves the room. 那个美国人没有参加这场争论，他只是注视着在座的其他客人。在他这样观察时，他发现女主人的脸上显出一种奇异的表情。她两眼盯着正前方，脸部肌肉在微微抽搐。她向站在座椅后面的印度男仆做了个手势，对他耳语了几句。男仆两眼睁得大大的，迅速地离开了餐室。6. Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors. 在座的客人中除了那位美国人以外谁也没注意到这一幕，也没有看到那个男仆把一碗牛奶放在紧靠门边的走廊上。7. The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thingbait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the raftersthe likeliest placebut they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place leftunder the table. 那个美国人突然醒悟过来。在印度，碗中的牛奶只有一个意思引蛇的诱饵。他意识到餐室里一定有条眼镜蛇。他抬头看了看屋顶上的椽子那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方但那上面空荡荡的。室内的三个角落里也是空的，而在第四个角落里，仆人们正在等着上下一道菜。这样，剩下的就只有一个地方了餐桌下面。8. His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone. 他首先想到的是往后一跳，并向其他人发出警告。但他知道这样会引起骚乱，致使眼镜蛇受惊咬人。于是他很快讲了一通话，其语气非常威严，竟使得所有的人都安静了下来。 I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundredthats five minutesand not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready! “我想了解一下在座的诸位到底有多大的克制能力，我数三百下也就是五分钟你们谁都不许动一动。动者将罚款五十卢比。准备好！”10. The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is sayingtwo hundred and eightywhen, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut. 在他数数的过程中，那二十个人都像一尊尊石雕一样端坐在那儿。当他数到 “二百八十”时，突然从眼角处看到那条眼镜蛇钻了出来，向那碗牛奶爬去。在他跳起来把通往走廊的门全都砰砰地牢牢关上时，室内响起了一片尖叫声。11. You were right, Major! the host exclaims. A man has just shown us an example of perfect self-control. “你刚才说得很对，少校！” 男主人大声说。“一个男子刚刚为我们显示了从容不迫、镇定自若的范例。”12. Just a minute, the American says, turning to his hostess. Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room? “且慢，” 那位美国人一边说着一边转向女主人。“温兹太太，你怎么知道那条眼镜蛇是在屋子里呢？”13. A faint smile lights up the womans face as she replies:Because it was crawling across my foot. 女主人脸上闪出一丝淡淡的微笑，回答说：“因为它当时正从我的脚背上爬过去。” Unit2 Lessons from Jefferson 杰斐逊已谢世很久，但他的许多思想仍使我们很感兴趣。 Lessons from Jefferson 杰斐逊的遗训1. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, may be less famous than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but most people remember at last one fact about him: he wrote the Declaration of Independence. 美国第三任总统托马斯杰斐逊也许不像乔治华盛顿和亚伯拉罕林肯那样著名，但大多数人至少记得有关他的一件事实：是他写的独立宣言。2. Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is much that we learn from him today. Many of his ideas are especially interesting to modern youth. Here are some of the things he said and wrote: 虽然杰斐逊生活在二百多年以前，但我们今天仍可以从他身上学到很多东西。他的许多思想对当代青年来说特别有意义。下面就是他讲过和写过的一些观点：3. Go and see. Jefferson believed that a free man obtains knowledge from many sources besides books and that personal investigation is important. When still a young man, he was appointed to a committee to find out whether the South Branch of the James River was deep enough to be used by large boats. While the other members of the committee sat in the state capitol and studied papers on the subject, Jefferson got into a canoe and made on-the-spot-observations. 自己去看。杰斐逊认为，一个自由的人除了从书本中获取知识外，还可以从许多别的来源获得知识；他认为，亲自做调查是很重要的。在他还很年轻的时候，他就被任命为一个委员会的成员，去调查詹姆斯河南部支流的水深是否足以通行大型船只。委员会的其他成员都坐在州议会大厦内研究有关这一问题的文件，而杰斐逊却跳进一只独木舟去做现场观测。4. You can learn from everyone. By birth and by education Jefferson belonged to the highest social class. Yet, in a day when few noble persons ever spoke to those of humble origins except to give an order, Jefferson went out of his way to talk with gardeners, servants, and waiters. Jefferson once said to the French nobleman, Lafayette, You must go into the peoples homes as I have done, look into their cooking pots and eat their bread. If you will only do this, you may find out why people are dissatisfied and understand the revolution that is threatening France. 你可以向任何人学习。按出身及其所受的教育，杰斐逊均属于最高的社会阶层。然而，在那个贵人们除了发号施令以外很少跟出身卑贱的人说话的年代，杰斐逊却常破例跟园丁、仆人和侍者交谈。有一次杰斐逊曾这样对法国贵族拉斐特说过：“你必须像我那样到平民百姓的家里去，看看他们的锅里煮些什么，吃吃他们的面包。只要你肯这样做，你就会发现老百姓为什么会不满意，你就会理解正在威胁着法国的革命。”5. Judge for yourself. Jefferson refused to accept other peoples opinions without careful thought. Neither believe nor reject anything, he wrote to his nephew, because any other person has rejected or believed it. Heaved has given you a mind for judging truth and error. Use it. 自己作判断。未经过认真的思考，杰斐逊绝不接受别人的意见。他在给侄子的信中写道：“不要因为别的人相信或拒绝了什么东西，你也就去相信它或拒绝它。上帝赐予你一个用来判断真理和谬误的头脑。那你就运用它吧。”6. Jefferson felt that the people may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false, and to form a correct judgment. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. 杰斐逊觉得，人民“是完全可以信赖的，应该让他们听到一切真实和虚伪的东西，然后作出正确的判断。倘使让我来决定，我们是应该有一个政府而不要报纸呢还是应该有报纸而不要政府，我会毫不犹豫地选择后者。”7. Do what you believe is right. In a free country there will always be conflicting ideas, and this is a source of strength. It is conflict and not unquestioning agreement that keeps freedom alive. Though Jefferson was for many years the object of strong criticism, he never answered his critics. He expressed his philosophy in letters to a friend, There are two sides to every question. If you take one side with decision and on it with effect, those who take the other side will of course resent your actions. 做你认为是正确的事。在一个自由的国家里总会有各种相互冲突的思想，而这正是力量的源泉。使自由保持活力的是冲突而不是绝对的一致。虽然有好多年杰斐逊一直受到激烈的批评，但他从不回应那些批评他的人。他在写给一位朋友的信中表达了自己的观点：“每个问题都有两面。如果你坚决站在一面并根据它有效地采取行动，那么，站在另一面的那些人当然会对你的行动怨恨不满。”8. Trust the future; trust the young. Jefferson felt that the present should never be chained to customs which have lost their usefulness. No society, he said, can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs to the living generation. He did not fear new ideas, nor did he fear the future. How much pain, he remarked, has been caused by evils which have never happened! I expect the best, not the worst. I steer my ship with hope, leaving fear behind. 相信未来，相信青年。杰斐逊认为，绝不可以用那些已经无用的习俗来束缚住“现在”的手脚。他说：“没有哪个社会可以制订一部永远适用的宪法，甚至连一条永远适用的法律也制订不出来。地球是属于活着的一代的。”他不害怕新思想，也不惧怕未来。他评论说：“有多少痛苦是由一些从未发生过的灾难引起的啊！我期待的是最好的东西，而不是最坏的东西。我满怀希望地驾驶着自己的航船，而把恐惧抛在后面。”9. Jeffersons courage and idealism were based on knowledge. He probably knew more than any other man of his age. He was an expert in agriculture, archeology, and medicine. He practiced crop rotation and soil conservation a century before these became standard practice, and he invented a plow superior to any other in existence. He influenced architecture throughout America, and he was constantly producing devices for making the tasks of ordinary life easier to perform. 杰斐逊的勇气和理想主义是以知识为基础的。他懂得的东西也许比同时代的任何人都要多。在农业、考古学和医学方面他都是专家。在人们普遍采用农作物轮作和土壤保持的做法之前一个世纪，他就这样做了。他还发明了一种比当时任何一种都好的耕犁。他影响了整个美国的建筑业，他还不断地制造出各种机械装置，使日常生活中需要做的许多工作变得更加容易。10. Of all Jeffersons many talents, one is central. He was above all a good and tireless writer. His complete works, now being published for the first time, will fill more than fifty volumes. His talent as an author was soon discovered, and when the time came to write the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia in 1776, the task of writing it was his. Millions have thrilled to his words: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal 在杰斐逊的众多才能中，有一种是最主要的：他首先是一位优秀的、不知疲倦的作家。目前正在第一次出版的他的全集将超过五十卷。他作为一个作家的才能很快便被发现了，所以，当1776年在费城要撰写独立宣言的时刻来到时，这一任务便落在了他肩上。数以百万计的人们读到他写的下列词句都激动不已：“我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的：一切人生来就是平等的”11. When Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence, he left his countrymen a rich legacy of ideas and examples. American education owes a great debt to Thomas Jefferson, Who believed that only a nation of educated people could remain free. 1826年7月4日，正值美国独立五十周年纪念日之际，杰斐逊与世长辞了。他给他的同胞留下了一份丰富的思想遗产和众多的榜样。托马斯杰斐逊对美国的教育事业作出了巨大的贡献，他认为，只有受过教育的人民组成的国家才能保持自由。 Unit 1中翻英她砰地关上门，一声不吭地走了，他们间那场争执就此结束Their argument ended when she slammed the door and left without a word. 出席晚宴的客人对那个美国人威严的语气感到有点以外The guest at the dinner party were slightly surprised at the commanding tone of the American. 1. 约翰尼已长大成熟，不再害怕独自呆在家里了Johnny has outgrown the fear of staying at home alone. 2. 当全部乘客都向出口处走去时，他却独自留在座位上，好象不愿意离开这架飞机似的While all the other passengers made for the exit, he alone remained in his seat as if unwilling to leave the plane. 3. 这封信必须交给威尔逊博士本人The letter is to be handed to Dr. Wilson himself. 4. 南希虽然很想参加辩论，但腼腆得不敢开口While she felt like joining in the argument, Nancy was too shy to open her mouth. 5. 你觉得什么时候最有可能在家里找到他What do you think is the likeliest time to find him at home? 8.猎人一看见有只狐狸从树丛中出现并向他设下的陷阱方向跑去，脸上顿时闪出了兴奋的表情The hunters face (was) lit up with excitement as soon as he saw a fox emerge from among the bushes and run in the direction of/ make for the trap he had laid. 英翻中1. It was an early September day，cool and bright and just right for running，and I was in the first few miles of a 101/2 mile race over a course through steep，exhausting hills.那年9月初的一天，天气凉爽而又晴朗，正是赛跑的好日子。我参加了一项10.5英里的越野赛跑，才跑了最初的几英里；整个赛程要穿越若干陡峭、好人体力的山坡。2. The pace felt comfortable，so I decided to stay where I was；why bother concentrating on pace when she was such a nice pacesetter for me？这种步速我跑起来觉得很轻松，所以我决定保持在原有的位置上。既然她在前面领跑对我很合适，我又何必费心考虑步速呢？3. There was still a noticeable bounce in her stride，but whatever springiness I had once possessed had long since left me.她步幅很大，脚下的弹性仍显而易见，而我曾一度有过的那么一点弹性，早已离开了我脚下。4. We were a mile from the finish line，so whatever happened on the hill would almost certainly determine who crossed it first.我们离终点线只有1英里了，因此在这一斜坡上无论发生什么情况，几乎可以肯定都会决定谁先冲过终点线。5. Yet as Peggy Mimno so clearly demonstrated，the similarities between male and female runners are more important than the differences.然而，正如佩吉米姆诺所清楚表明的，男女赛跑选手之间的相同之处要比他们之间的不同之处更重要。Unit 2中翻英1. 会上有人建议任命一个十一人委员会来制定新章It was suggested at the meeting that a committee of 11 be appointed to make a new constitution. 2. 这些青年科学家通过现场观察，获得了研究工作所需的第一手资料By making on-the-spot observation, the young scientist obtained first-hand information they needed in their research work. 3. 他很可能会因视力不好而被拒收入伍It is very likely that he will be rejected by the army because of his bad eyesight. 4. 委员会成员在新机场最佳选址这一问题上持有不同意The committee members have conflicting opinions as to the best location of the new airport. 5. 亨利创作的艺术品在许多方面比他兄弟的要好Henrys works of art are superior in many respects to those of his brothers. 6. 我们产品质量的稳步提高在很大程度上是由于设备有所改进The steady rise in the quality of our products owes much to the improvement of our equipment. 7. 吉姆本想按照自己的判断行事，但他没有这样做，因为作为军人他得服从命令Jim would have preferred to act on his own judgment, but he didnt because as a soldier he had to obey the order. 8. 如果让我来决定我们是要一个没有自行车的城市呢，还是要一个没有汽车的城市，我会毫不犹豫地选择后者Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a city without bikes or one without cars. I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. 英翻中1. Writers note that the Lincoln Memorial in Washington，D.C.is not unlike the temples that ancient Greeks built in honor of their gods，and that annual ceremonies of celebrating Lincolns birthday in schools and public places have sometimes had characteristics of religious services.作家们指出，华盛顿特区的林肯纪念堂，与古希腊人为纪念他们的神祗而建造的神殿不无相似之处；而每年在学校和公共场所举行的纪念林肯诞辰的庆典仪式有时也带有宗教仪式的特点。2. Americans admire the self-made personthe one who，with neither money nor family influence，fights his or her way to the top.美国人民钦佩靠自己奋斗成功的人那种既没钱，也没有家族权势，全靠自我拼搏而出人头地的人。3. When reformers in the northern states put pressure on Congress not to permit slavery in western territories that later became states，some of the southern states wanted to secede，or withdraw，from the United States.北方诸州的改革家们对国会施加压力，要求在后来成为合众国诸州的西部领地内禁止奴隶制。这时，南方的有些州便想脱离，即退出合众国。4. As President，he appointed men to high government positions whom he considered most capable，even though some of them openly scorned him.作为总统，他任命那些他认为最有才能的人担任政府要职，尽管其中有些人曾公开对他冷嘲热讽。5. The uncontrolled emotional reaction of the nation to his death was almost unbelievable and demonstrated the deep esteem in which he was held.举国上下对他的死所作出的毫无克制的情感反应，几乎令人难以置信，表明了他深受贵人的敬重。