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CertainThingsLast(某些持续的事情)ForayearnowIhavebeenthinkingofwritingacertainbook.(这一年来,我一直想写一本有把握(在思考着写一本自己已经酝酿许久)的书)“Well,tomorrowI’llgetatit,”I’vebeensayingtomyself.(“好吧,明天我就完成它”过去自己一直这么说)(好,明天就开始动手写,我一直对自己这么说。)EverynightwhenIgetintobedIthinkaboutthebook(每天晚上上床睡觉时就想着那本书).Thepeoplethataretobeputbetweenitscoversdancebeforemyeyes.(那些即将出现在作品里面的角色在我眼前跳舞)IliveinthecityofChicagoandatnightmotortruckstorumblingalongtheroadwayoutsidemyhouse.Notsoveryfarawaythereisanelevatedrailroadandaftertwelveo’clockatnighttrainspassatprettylongintervals.(我在芝加哥生活,一到晚上,就听到家外面的公路上那些运货卡车隆隆地响。不远处有一条高架铁路,晚上过了十二点以后火车就开始通过,相互间隔得很远)BeforeitbeganIwenttosleepduringoneofthequieterintervalsbutnowthattheideaofwritingthisbookhasgotintomeIlieawakeandthink.(过去在十二点之前趁着那一会儿的安静空隙入睡,但现在我躺在床上思考,脑海出现了写书的想法)ForonethingitishardtogetthewholeideaofthebookfixedinthesettingofthecityIliveinnow.(在我如今居住的城市环境中要想得到这本书确切的想法很难)Iwonderifyouwhodonottrytowritebooks,perhapswillunderstandwhatImean.(我很惊奇如果你没有尝试过写书,也许会明白我说什么)Maybeyouwill,maybeyouwon’t.Itisalittlehardtoexplain.Yousee,it’ssomethinglikethis.(也许你会明白,或者不明白。这解释起来有点困难。就好比这样)Youasareaderwill,someeveningorsomeafternoon,bereadinginmybookandputitdown.Youwillgooutofyourhouseandintothestreet.(你作为一名读者,有些晚上或者下午可能会读我的书,读完后把它放下。你可能会离开家,走到街上)Thesunisshinningandyoumeetpeopleyouknow.Therearecertainfactsofyourlifejustthesameasofmine(太阳在照耀着大地,你遇到你认识的人。这些就是我跟你生活中的一些确切的事实).Ifyouareaman,yougofromyourhousetoanofficeandsitatadeskwhereyoupickupatelephoneandbegintotalkaboutsomematterofbusinesswithaclientoracustomerofyourhouse.(如果你是一个男人,离开家到办公室上班,坐在桌子边接电话,开始跟你的客户或公司的顾客讨论一些关于生意上的问题)Ifyouareanhonesthousewife,theicemanhascomeortheredriftsintoyourmindthethoughtthatyesterdayyouforgottoremembersomedetailconcernedwithrunningyourhouse.(如果你是个老实的家庭主妇,那个看起来酷酷的男人已经来过,或者你突然想起来你忘记了那个男人昨天来过这里)Littleoutsidethoughtscomeandgoinyourmind,anditissowithmetoo.(几乎很少外在的想法会钻进你的脑子里,我也不例外)ForexamplewhenIhavewrittentheabovesentence,IwonderwhyIhavewrittenthewords“honesthousewife.”AhousewifeIsupposecanbeasdishonestasIcan.(比如说,当我写完上面那些句子时,会很惊讶自己为什么要写“老实的家庭主妇。”我假设的家庭主妇也可以像自己一样一点都不老实)WhatIamtryingtomakeclearisthat,asawriter,Iamupagainstthesamethingsthatconfrontyou,asareader.(我想弄清楚的是一个作家与读者面对的是同样的事情)WhatIwanttodoistoexpressinmybookasenseofthestrangenessthathasgradually,sinceIwasaboy,beencreepingmoreandmoreintomyfeelingabouteverydaylife.(我想做的就是表达日常生活中所表现出来的陌生冷淡,这种感觉从我小时候开始渐渐地爬进我的内心)(在我心里,这种感觉可能在我小时候就开始萌芽了。)ItwouldallbeverysimpleifIwouldwriteoflifeinaninteriorcityofChinaorinanAfricanforest.(如果我写在中国的其中一个城市或一个非洲森林里面的生活,一切就变得简单多了)AmanIknowhasrecentlytoldmeofanothermanwho,wantingtowriteabookaboutParisianlifeandhavingnomoneytogotoParistostudythelifethere,wentinsteadtothecityofNewOrleanswhoseancestorswereFrench.(最近一个我认识的人告诉我说,有一个人想写一本关于巴黎人生活的书,但是没有钱去巴黎感受当地的生活,无奈选择去了新奥尔良,因为他们的祖先是法国人)TheywillhaveretainedenoughoftheflavorofParisianlifeformetogetthefeeling,hesaidtohimself.ThemantoldmethatthebookturnedouttobeverysuccessfulandthatthelifeofParisreadwithdelightatranslationofhisworkasastudyofFrenchlife,andIamonlysorryIcan'tassimpleawayoutofmyownjob.(“对我来说,巴黎人的生活将会保持足够的风味,这点让我有自己的灵感。”他自言自语说。那个人告诉我说那本书非常成功,很出人意料,而且人们把它翻译出来作为研究法国人生活的作品,但是我很抱歉,因为在我看来不能对自己的工作如此地草草了事)(“他们会沿袭着法国人生活的独特韵味,这点对于我来说,我非常有感觉,”他对自己说到。)Thewholepointwithmeisthatmywishtowritethisbookspringsfromasomewhatdifferentnotion.IfIcanwriteeverythingoutplainly,perhapsIwillmyselfunderstandbetterwhathashappened,(我的整个中心就是我写这本书的意愿来自于一个不一样的概念。“如果我能够把任何事都写得明明白白地,也许自己会更好地理解发生了什么)Isaidtomyselfandsmile.DuringthesedaysIspendagooddealoftimesmilingatnothing.Itbotherspeople.Whatareyousmilingaboutnow?theyask,andIamupagainstashardajobtryingtoanswerasIamtryingtounderwaymybook.(我自言自语,微笑着。这几天我大多数时候都会无缘无故地微笑。这烦扰到别人。“你现在在笑什么?”他们问我,而我此时面对的就好像在工作中努力寻找答案,自己一直尝试写书的情况一样)SometimesinthemorningIsitdownatmydeskandbeginwriting,takingasmysubjectascenefrommyownboyhood.Verywell,Iamcominghomefromschool.(有时候,早上我坐在桌子旁,开始写作,仿佛回到自己的童年时代。恰巧的是,我正从学校回家)ThetowninwhichIwasbornandraisedwasadreary,lonelylittleplaceinthefarwesternsectionofthestateofNebraska,andIimaginemyselfwalkingalongoneofitsstreets.(我出生和成长在内布拉斯加州往西很远的一个沉闷,孤寂的小镇,我想象自己沿着其中一条街道走)Sittinguponacurbingbeforeastoreisasheepherderwhohaslefthisflockmanymilesawayinthefoothillsatthebaseofthewesternmountainsandhascomeintoourtown,forwhatpurposehehimselfdoesnotseemtoknow.(在一个羊群牧人商店前面的石头坐着,那个牧人把他的羊群丢在距离很远的西边高山底下的山麓小丘,然后来到我们小镇,至于有什么目的,他也不知道)Heisabeardedmanwithoutahatandsitswithhismouthslightlyopen,staringupanddownthestreet.(他长着胡须,没有戴帽子,就坐在那里,嘴巴微微张开,盯着街上看)Thereisahalf-wilduncertainlookinhiseyesandhiseyeshasawakenedacreepyfeelinginme.(他的眼睛透出一种不确定的眼神,并唤醒了我那令人毛骨悚然的想法)Ihurryawaywithakindofdreadofsomeunknownthingcatingatmyvitalorgans.Oldmenaregreattalkers.Itmaybethatonlykidsknowtherealterrorofloneliness.(我赶紧跑开,感觉在自己重要的器官里有着一些害怕却又不知道的东西。上了年纪的人都是比较健谈的。也许只有小孩子才能真正懂得孤独寂寞使人恐怖的原因)(感觉有些自己不知道的东西在紧逼着自己重要器官)Ihavetried,yousee,tostartmybookatthatparticularpointinmyownlife.”(你看,我已经以我生活中一种特定的视野作为出发点来开始写作。)IfIcancatchexactlythefeelingofthatafternoonofmyboyhood,Icangivethereaderthekeytomycharacter,”Itellmyself.(“如果我能准确地把握孩提时代那个下午的感觉,就能够给出了解我性格的关键点。”
本文标题:英汉翻译中英文小说
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