英语经典双语阅读

The Love letter
                                                       迟到的情书


　　I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina Roos. Indeed, as children we were all frankly terrified of her. The fact that she did not live with the family, preferring her tiny cottage and solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.

　　我对斯蒂菲娜老姑总是怀着敬畏之情。说实在话，我们几个孩子对她都怕得要死。她不和家人一块生活，宁愿住在她的小屋子里，而不愿住在舒舒服服、热热闹闹的家里--我们六个孩子都是在家里带大的--这更加重了我们对她的敬畏之情。

　　We used to take it in turn to carry small delicacies which my mother had made down from the big house to the little cottage where Aunt Stephia and an old colored maid spent their days. Old Tnate Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him-or her - into the dark voor-kamer, where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies. There we would wait, in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.

　　我们经常轮替着从我们住的大房子里带些母亲为她做的可口的食品到她和一名黑人女仆一块过活的那间小屋里去。桑娜老姨总是为每一个上门来的怯生生的小使者打开房门，将他或她领进昏暗的客厅。那里的百叶窗长年关闭着，以防热气和苍蝇进去。我们总是在那里哆哆嗦嗦、但又不是完全不高兴地等着斯蒂菲娜老姑出来。

　　She was a tiny little woman to inspire so much veneration. She was always dressed in black, and her dark clothes melted into the shadows of the voor-kamer and made her look smaller than ever. But you felt. The moment she entered. That something vital and strong and somehow indestructible had come in with her, although she moved slowly, and her voice was sweet and soft.

　　一个像她那样身材纤细的女人居然能赢得我们如此尊敬。她总是身穿黑色衣服，与客厅里的阴暗背景融成一体，将她的身材衬托得更加娇小。但她一进门，我们就感到有一种说不清道不明、充满活力和刚强的气氛，尽管她的步子慢悠、声调甜柔。

　　She never embraced us. She would greet us and take out hot little hands in her own beautiful cool one, with blue veins standing out on the back of it, as though the white skin were almost too delicate to contain them.

　　她从不拥抱我们，但总是和我们寒暄，将我们热乎乎的小手握在她那双秀美清爽的手里，她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮肤细薄得遮不住它们似的。

沙发。呵呵[s:2]

不错的文章~~~

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爱的力量（1）

　　A guard came to the prison shoe shop where Jimmy Valentine was working and took him to the prison office. There the warden handed Jimmy his pardon, which had been signed that morning by the governor. He took it quietly; he was too tired to show excitement. He had been in prison nearly ten months and he had been sentenced to four years. True, he had expected to stay only about three months, at the longest. He had a lot of friends and he had been sure they would help him.

看守来到基米·范林丁正在干活的监狱制鞋间，将他带到监狱办公室。到了那里，监狱长将一张赦免书递给基米，这是今天早上州长签署的。基米默默地接过去，对此他没有流露出任何的激动。他早已腻烦，他在狱中呆了将近10个月，而判他的是4年徒刑。说真的，他本来打算最多呆3个月的。他有好多朋友，他相信他们一定会为他想办法的。

“Now, Valentine,” said the warden, “You’ll go out in the morning. Make a man of yourself. You’re not a bad fellow really. Stop breaking open safes and be honest.”

“范林丁，”监狱长说，“明天早上你就可以出狱了，要活出个人样来。其实你这人并不坏。再不要撬保险柜了。做一个诚实的人。”

“Me?” said Jimmy, in surprise. “Why, I’ve never broken open a safe in my life.”

“我？”基米吃惊地说，“你说什么？我可从来没有撬过保险柜呀。”

“Oh, no,” laughed the warden. “Of course not. And what about that Springfield job? Do you mean to say you didn’t take part in it?”

“啊，没有，”监狱长笑道，“当然没有。可是，春田事件该怎么说呢？你是说你没有参与那件事吗？”

“Me?” said Jimmy still more surprised. “Why, warden, I’ve never been to Springfield in my life!”

“我？”基米更吃惊了。“怎么，监狱长，我可从来没有去过春田呀！”

“Take him back,” the warden said to the guard smiling, “and give him some clothes. Unlock him at seven in the morning and let him come to me. Better think over my advice, Valentine.”

“把他带回去，”监狱长对看守笑道，“给他一些衣服，明天早上7点给他开锁后让他到我这里来。最好还是把我的劝告想一下，范林丁。”

At a quarter past seven the next morning Jimmy stood in the warden’s office. He wore a badly-fitting ready-made suit and the cheap shoes that the state gives to prisoners, when they are set free. The clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the five-dollar bill with which he was supposed to start a new, honest life. The warden gave him a cigar, and they shook hands. Valentine, 9762, was registered on the books “Pardoned by Governor,” and Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine.

第二天早上7点15分，基米站在了监狱长的办公室。他穿着一套很不合身的现成衣服和一双廉价的鞋子。这些是在释放犯人时发给他们的。一名职员递给他一张火车票和5美元。拿着这些钱，从此就可以开始诚实的新的人生了。监狱长递给他一支雪茄。他们握了握手。范林丁，9762号，已经登记在“州长赦免册”中。于是，詹姆斯·范林了便走到了阳光下。

[ 本帖最后由 marlowe 于 2007-5-4 12:32 PM 编辑 ]

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