每日英中+文言文翻译,来自每日翻译
· 英译中
原文:
The rats are messengers, but—human nature being what it is—their message is not immediately heeded. Life must go on. There are errands to run, money to be made. The novel is set in Oran, an Algerian coastal town of commerce and lassitude, where the heat rises steadily to the point that the sea changes color, deep blue turning to a “sheen of silver or iron, making it painful to look at.”Even when people start to die—their lymph nodes swollen, blackish patches spreading on their skin, vomiting bile, gasping for breath—the authorities’response is hesitant. The word “plague”is almost unsayable. In exasperation, the doctor - protagonist tells a hastily convened health commission: “I don’t mind the form of words. Let’s just say that we should not act as though half the town were not threatened with death, because then it would be.”
译文:
老鼠的死亡是某种信号,但并未立即引起人们注意,皆因人类的天性使然。生活还得继续。得忙于做事,急着赚钱。小说的背景设定在阿尔及利亚的沿海商贸小镇奥兰,那里死气沉沉,当地天气逐渐热起来,深蓝色的海水也变成了银色或铁灰色,看起来很刺眼。这时有人开始淋巴结肿大,皮肤上的黑斑块不断扩散,口吐胆汁,喘不过气,最终导致死亡,但当局仍犹豫不决未采取措施。“瘟疫”这个词在当时几乎是个禁忌语。小说的主角之一医生,在匆匆召开的健康委员会上不无愤怒地说:“我不怎么在意措辞。但必须传达的信息是,我们采取措施时不该认为城市的一半人没有生命危险,因为那样就真的会有一半人为此而死。”
· 文言文
原文:
《王昭君出塞》
元帝后宫既多,不得常见,乃使画工图形,案图召幸之。诸宫人皆赂画工,多者十万,少者亦不减五万。独王嫱(1)不肯,遂不得见。
匈奴入朝(2),求美人为阏氏(3)。于是上案图,以昭君行。及去,召见,貌为后宫第一,善应付,举止优雅。帝悔之,而名籍已定。帝重信于外国,故不复更人。乃穷案其事,画工皆弃市,籍其家,资皆巨万。
——选自《西京杂记》
译文:
汉元帝后宫有很多嫔妃,但不常召见她们,元帝就让画工画她们的画像,根据画像召见宠幸。所有嫔妃都贿赂画工,多的有十万钱,少的也有五万多。只有王昭君不肯行贿,因此得不到皇帝的召见。
匈奴入汉议和,想求得美人做匈奴的王后。于是元帝查看画像,决定让王昭君去匈奴。临走时元帝召见王昭君,她的长相居然是皇宫中最美的,并且擅长对答,举止从容大方。元帝很后悔,但是名册已定下来了。元帝重视对外族人的信义,所以不再换人。于是元帝就彻底追究行贿画工这件事,画工都在市中被斩首,被抄的家产都有亿万巨额。
(1)王嫱(qiáng):字昭君
(2)入朝:匈奴与汉议和来京朝见。此指匈奴要和亲
(3)阏(yān)氏(zhī):匈奴王后的称呼