FARMER OF THE EASTERN SLOPE 东坡居士 | Chapter 15
2017年12月22日, 星期五
seal
A Su Tungpo back among the people is like a seal in water; somehow a seal dragging its fins and tail on land is only half a seal.
seal 在字典中的解释是 “A seal is a large animal with a rounded body and flat legs called flippers. Seals eat fish and live in and near the sea, usually in cold parts of the world. 海豹”。关于原文 “a seal dragging its fins and tail on land is only half a seal”，维基中对海豹习性有这样的解说：“They spend most of their lives in the water, but come ashore to mate, give birth, molt or escape from predators.” 虽然“海豹”这个意象在文学中出现得有点少，但这里的使用至少是符合自然科学的。
a narrow escape
Su Tungo had had a narrow escape, a soul-shaking experience, to say the least.
narrow 在这里的意思是 “很险的，勉强的”（with only a small margin; barely achieved）。
a narrow escape 的意思是死里逃生（a situation in which you only just avoid danger），相当于 “to only just avoid danger or difficulties”。
a narrow escape from death 则可以作“九死一生”解。
concubine
It was quite usual in ancient China for a wife's maid to be promoted to the position of "concubine."
"concubine： (especially in some societies in the past) a woman who lives with a man, often in addition to his wife or wives, but who is less important than they are （尤指旧时某些社会里的）妾，姨太太，小老婆
章节中间正式提及“东坡”之称的由来和名副其实是“a real farmer”：
He began to work a piece of land on the Eastern Slope (Tungpo), and to call himself "the Recluse of the Eastern Slope."
注意到本章第一段话中的：
What society, culture, learning, reading of history, and external duties and responsibilities do to a man is to hide his real self.
其实这一章正是从各个方面谈到了苏东坡性情的形成和体现，从社会历史到务农作诗，从买菜做饭到筑坝盖房，从归隐避世到佛道求索，苏东坡进入这个生命阶段像打磨的珍珠，沉淀了柔和的光。
不知不觉已经进入全书的第三部分。关于“海豹”，读到的时候很是诧异了一下，特地咨询了小姐姐，确实即使在外国文学中也很少以海豹为譬喻的对象。但小姐姐因之提供了一个冷笑话：
什么动物可以贴在墙上？
——海豹啊！
哈哈哈。
以上。
