双语有声阅读：假如我有三天的时光

Three Days to live

 

假如我有三天的时光

 

All of us have read thrilling stories

 

大家都读过一些扣人心弦的故事，

 

in which the hero had only a limited and specified¹ time to live.

 

里面的主人公只有一点有限的时间可以活了，

 

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Sometimes it was as long as a year; sometimes as short as twenty-four hours

 

有时长达一年，有时短到只有24小时。

 

But always we were interested in discovering

 

然而，我们总是能感动地发现，

 

just how the doomed² man chose to spend his last days or his last hours.

 

这些注定要死亡的人是如何想办法度过他最后的几天或最后的几小时。

 

I speak,of course,of free men who have a choice,

 

当然，我所说的是有选择的自由人，

 

not condemned³ cri- minals whose sphere of activities is strictly⁴ delimited.

 

而不是活动范围受到限制的被判刑的罪犯。

 

Such stories set us thinking,

 

这类故事使人们思索，

 

wondering what we should do under similar circumstances.

 

很想知道我们在同样的境况下将会怎么办。

 

What events,what experiences,what associations,

 

我们会充满什么样的遭遇，什么样的感受，什么样的联想

 

should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings?

 

作为必死的生物，处在这几小时内。

 

What happiness should we find in reviewing the past,what regrets?

 

我们回顾往事，会找到哪些幸福，哪些遗憾呢？

 

Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule

 

有时我认为，最好的规则就是

 

to live each day as if we should die tomorrow.

 

我们像明天就会死去那样生活。

 

Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life.

 

这样一种态度可以尖锐地强调生命的价值。

 

We should live each day with a gentleness,

 

我们每天都应该怀着友善，

 

a vigor⁵ and a keenness of appreciation⁶

 

朝气和渴望去生活，

 

which are often lost

 

这些品质往往会丧失，

 

when time stretches before us

 

当时间在我们面前不断地延伸开去，

 

in the constant panorama⁷ of more days and months and years to come.

 

日复一日，月复一月，年复一年。

 

There are those,of course,

 

当然，也有那些人

 

who would adopt the epicurean motto of'Eat,drink,and be merry,'

 

愿意把"吃吧，喝吧，及时行乐吧"作为座右铭的人，

 

but most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending⁸ death.

 

然而大多数人却为死神的来临所折磨。

 

In stories,

 

在许多故事中，

 

the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of fortune,

 

命运已定的主人公通常在最后一分钟，由于遭遇好运而得到拯救，

 

but almost always his sense of values is changed.

 

然而他的价值观念几乎总是改变了。

 

He becomes more appreciative⁹ of the meaning of life

 

他更加领悟了生命

 

and its permanent spiritual values.

 

及其永恒的精神价值的意义。

 

It has often been noted¹⁰ that those who live,or have lived,

 

常常可以看到，那些活在或者曾经活在

 

in the shadow of death bring a mellow¹¹ sweetness to everything they do.

 

死亡阴影中的人们，对他们所做的每件事情都赋予了一种醇美香甜之感。

1 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

2 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

3 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

4 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

5 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

6 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

7 panorama   

n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置]

参考例句：

• A vast panorama of the valley lay before us.山谷的广阔全景展现在我们面前。
• A flourishing and prosperous panorama spread out before our eyes.一派欣欣向荣的景象展现在我们的眼前。

8 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

9 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 mellow   

adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟

参考例句：

• These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。
• The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。