美国语文第六册 第55期:我的演说经历(4)

 　　My next essay was of a somewhat different kind. 我下一篇散文则有点不同。

　　I took the field in person, being in my nineteenth year, well proportioned, 我当时年仅十九岁，好在野外玩耍，倒也与年龄颇为相称，

　　and already beginning to have a sincere relish¹ for poetry, if not for declamation². 已经开始对诗歌怀有真诚的喜好，如果不是对慷慨激昂的演说真心喜欢的话。

　　I had always been a great reader; 我始终是一位贪婪的读者，

　　and in the course of my foraging³ depredations⁴ I had met with "The Mariner's Dream" and "The Lake of the Dismal⁵ Swamp," 在寻找破坏的对象期间，我与《水手的梦》和《凄凉的沼泽湖》不期而遇，

　　both of which I had committed to memory before I knew it. 这两首诗在我拜读之前就已经在我的记忆里留下了烙印。

　　And one day, happening to be alone with my sister, and newly rigged out in a student's gown, 有一天，碰巧就我和姐姐两个人在家，我穿了一件簇新的学生礼服，

　　such as the lads at Brunswick sported when they came to show off among their old companions, 就像布伦兹维克特意向别人炫耀的男孩子，他们在向自己的伙伴显摆时就是这个样子。

　　I proposed to astonish her by rehearsing these two poems in appropriate costume. 我本来打算穿适合的衣服朗诵这两首诗，让她大吃一惊。

　　Being very proud of her brother, and very obliging, 她会为她的弟弟感到非常骄傲，非常满足，

　　she consented at once,—upon condition that our dear mother, who had never seen anything of the sort, should be invited to make one of the audience. 她马上表示同意——我亲爱的妈妈从来没有见过这个，也会邀请她来做观众的。

　　On the whole, I rather think that I succeeded in astonishing both. 总的来说，我宁愿相信自己让她们两人都大吃了一惊。

　　I well remember their looks of amazement—for they had never seen anything better or worse in all their lives, 我记得她们惊愕的样子——因为在她们的生活中从未见过这个，

1 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。

2 declamation   

n. 雄辩，高调

参考例句：

• Declamation is a traditional Chinese teaching method.诵读教学是我国传统的语文教学方法。
• Were you present at the declamation contest of Freshmen?大一的朗诵比赛你参加了没有？

3 foraging   

v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西）

参考例句：

• They eke out a precarious existence foraging in rubbish dumps. 他们靠在垃圾场捡垃圾维持着朝不保夕的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The campers went foraging for wood to make a fire. 露营者去搜寻柴木点火。 来自辞典例句

4 depredations   

n.劫掠，毁坏( depredation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Protect the nation's resources against the depredations of other countries. 保护国家资源，不容他人染指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Hitler's early'successes\" were only the startling depredations of a resolute felon. 希特勒的早期“胜利”，只不过是一个死心塌地的恶棍出人意料地抢掠得手而已。 来自辞典例句

5 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。