英语四六级典藏笔记（4）.docx

目录英语四六级典藏笔记（4）Nothing to Sell and Nothing to Buy. 1Illusions of Pastoral Peace .3Speed and Comfort .6Our Neighbour, the River .9 经典美文Nothing to Sell andNothing to BuyIt has been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of thisstatement, teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers by selling wisdomand priests by selling spiritual comfort. Though it may be possible to measurethe value of material goods in terms of money, it is extremely difficult toestimate the true value of the services which people perform for us. There aretimes when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yetwe might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service.The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same waythat goods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.Tramps seem to be the only exception to his general rule. Beggars almost sellthemselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by. But real trampsare not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. Inseeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity. A tramp mayask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He hasdeliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of theconsequences. He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from, buthe is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people. His fewmaterial possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place withease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of naturethan most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himselfalive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will neversacrifice his freedom. We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them inthe same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we havenot felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?1/ 11 经典美文参考译文：不卖也不买据说每个人都靠出售某种东西来维持生活。根据这种说法，教师靠卖知识为生，哲学家靠卖智慧为生，牧师靠卖精神安慰为生。虽然物质产品的价值可以用金钱来衡量，但要估算别人为我们为所提供的服务的价值却是极其困难的。有时，我们为了挽救生命，愿意付出我们所占有的一切。但就在外科大夫给我们提供了这种服务后，我们却可能为所支付的昂贵的费用而抱怨。社会上的情况就是如此，技术是必须付钱去买的，就像在商店里要花钱买商品一样。人人都有东西可以出售。在这条普遍的规律前面，好像只有流浪汉是个例外，乞丐出售的几乎是他本人，以引起过路人的怜悯。但真正的流浪并不是乞丐。他们既不出售任何东西，也不需要从别人那儿得到任何东西，在追求独立自由的同时，他们并不牺牲为人的尊严。流浪汉可能会向你讨钱，但他从来不要你可怜他。他是故意在选择过那种生活的，并完全清楚以这种方式生活的后果。他可能从不知道下顿饭有无着落，但他不像有人那样被千万桩愁事所折磨。他几乎没有什么财产，这使他能够轻松自如地在各地奔波。由于被迫在露天睡觉，他比我们中许多人都离大自然近得多。为了生存，他可能会去打猎、乞讨，偶尔偷上一两回;确实需要的时候，他甚至可能干一点儿活，但他决不会牺牲自由。说起流浪汉，我们常常带有轻蔑并把他们与乞丐归为一类。但是，我们中有多少人能够坦率地说我们对流浪汉的简朴生活与无忧无虑的境况不感到有些羡慕呢?2/ 11 经典美文Illusions ofPastoral PeaceThe quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred.I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a trainwindow, or something you occasional visit during the weekend. Most of myfriends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention ofthe country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one ofthem has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within sixmonths. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehowsuperior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the cleanatmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing canbe compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds atdawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllicpastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the longand friendless winter evenings in front of the TV - virtually the only form ofentertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops,or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to thecity every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hourjourney each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyondme. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live inthe city where they rightly belong.If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will findthe city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have totravel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are alwaysavailable for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of myacquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit thetheatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involvesconsiderable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether3/ 11 经典美文they will ever catch that last train home. The city dweller never experiencesanxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short busride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. The latest exhibitions, films, orplays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. Thereis so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. Countrypeople run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loadedwith as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without itsmoments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shedby advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be moreimpressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekendswhen the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in theirhomes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me who city dwellers,who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer tolive in the country.参考译文：宁静田园生活的遐想宁静的乡村生活从来没有吸引过我。我生在城市，长在城市，总认为乡村是透过火车车窗看到的那个样了，或偶尔周末去游玩一下景象。我的许多朋友都住在城市，但他们只要一提起乡村，马上就会变得欣喜若狂。尽管他们都交口称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种优点，但其中只有一个人真去农村住过，而且不足 6 个月就回来了。即使他也仍存有幻觉，好像乡村生活就是比城市生活优越。他滔滔不绝地大谈友好的农民，洁净的空气，贴近大自然的环境和悠闲的生活节奏。他坚持认为，凌晨雄鸡第一声啼叫，黎明时分小鸟吱喳欢叫，冉冉升起的朝阳染红树木、牧场，此番美景无与伦比。但这种田园诗般的乡村风光仅仅是一个侧面。我的朋友没有提到在电视机前度过的漫长寂寞的冬夜电视是唯一的娱乐形式。他也不说商店货物品种单调，以及那些每天不得不从乡下赶到城里工作的不幸的人们。人们为什么情愿每天在路上奔波 4 个小时去换取值得怀疑的乡间的优点，我是无法理解的。要是他们愿意住在本来属于他们的城市，则可以让他们省去诸多不便与节约大量开支。4/ 11 经典美文如果你愿舍弃乡下生活那一点点乐趣的话，那么你会发出城市可以为你提供生活最美好的东西。你去看朋友根本不用跋涉好几英里，因为他们都住在附近，你随时可以同他们聊天或在晚上一起娱乐。我在乡村有一些熟人，他们每年进城来看一回或几回戏，并把此看作一种特殊的享受。看戏在他们是件大事，需要精心计划。当戏快演完时，他们又为是否能赶上末班火车回家而犯愁。这种焦虑，城里人是从未体验过的。坐公共汽车几站路，就可看到最新的展览、电影、戏剧。买东西也是一种乐趣。物品种繁多，从来不必用二等品来凑合。乡里人进城采购欣喜若狂，每次回家时都买足了外来商品，直到拿不动方才罢休，连走路都摇摇晃晃的。城市也并非没有良辰美景。寒冷潮湿的冬夜里，广告灯箱发出的暖光，会给人某种安慰。周末，当成千上万进城上班的人回到他们的乡间寓所之后，空旷的街市笼罩着一种宁静气氛，没有什么能比此时的宁静更令人难忘了。城里人对这一切心里很明白，却偏要执拗地装出他们喜欢住在乡村的样子，这对我来说一直是个谜。5/ 11 经典美文Speed and ComfortPeople travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they wouldprefer to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in atrain for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped andstuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is onlya partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the railssoon lulls you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, whenyou really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are luckyenough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue lightin the ceiling, or fumbling to find your ticket for inspection. Inevitably youarrive at your destination almost exhausted. Long car journeys are even lesspleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least,travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part ofthe journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic. Bycomparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts. Youcan stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting peopleand enjoy good food-always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it isnot, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse. Evenif you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively fewpeople are prepared to sacrifice up to a third of their holidays for the pleasureof travelling by sea.Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardenedtravellers are intimidated by them. They also have the disadvantage of being themost expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed andcomfort. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. You do not have to devise waysof taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to yourdestination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoythe flight. The real escapist can watch a free film show and sip champagne on6/ 11 经典美文some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there is plentyto keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtakingview of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys.You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, youcan enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out formiles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey isso smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping.However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive atyour destination fresh and uncrumpled. You will not have to spend the next fewdays recovering from a long and arduous journey.参考译文：又快捷又舒适出远门的人常常需要决定是走旱路、水路，还是坐飞机。很少有人能够真正喜欢坐几个小时以上的火车。车厢很快就变得拥挤、闷热，想摆脱开旅途的困扰是很难的。看书只能解决部分问题。车轮与铁轨间单调的嘎喳声很快就会送你进入梦乡。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，却很难入睡。即使你走运弄到一个卧铺，夜间有一半时间你会盯着车顶那盏小蓝灯而睡不着觉;要不然就为查票摸索你的车票。一旦抵达目的地，你总是疲惫不堪。乘汽车作长途旅行则更加不舒服，因为连看书都几乎不可能。在公路上还好，你至少能以相当快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分时间都花在路上，而且只有很少的服务设施，交通也很拥挤。相比之下，坐船旅行或环游可以得到文明世界的各种享受。你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戏，还能见到各种有趣的人，能享用各种美味佳肴 当然，这一切只有在大海风平浪静的情况下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起来，你就可能晕船，那种难受劲儿是任何一种别的旅行的方式都不会带来的。即使风平浪静，坐船旅行也要占用很长时间。没有多少人会为享受坐船旅行的乐趣而牺牲假期的时间。飞机以危险而著称，连老资格的旅行者也怕飞机。飞机另一个缺点是昂贵。但就速度与7/ 11 经典美文舒适而言，飞机是无与伦比的。腾云驾雾，在 30，000 英尺高空以 500 英里的时速旅行，这种经历令人心旷神怡。你不必想办法去摆脱旅途的困扰，因为飞机会迅速地把你送到目的地。几小时之内，你躺在扶手椅上，享受着旅途的欢乐。真正会享受的人还可以在某些航班上看一场电影和喝香槟。即使没有这些消遣条件，也总是有事可做。飞机上，你可以观察世界上非同寻常的奇妙的美景。你毫不费劲地飞越高山幽谷，你确能饱览大地的风貌。如果这种景色被遮住了，你可以观赏一下展现在你面前的、一望数英里的、连绵不断的云海，同时阳光灿烂，天空清澈明朗。旅途平稳，丝毫不妨碍你阅读或睡眠。不管你打算如何消磨时间，有件事是可以肯定的，即当你抵达目的地时，你感到精神焕发，毫无倦意，用不着因为漫长的旅途的辛苦而花几天时间休息来恢复精神。8/ 11 经典美文Our Neighbour,the RiverThe river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played animportant part in our lives. Without it we could not make a living. There is onlyenough spring water to supply the needs of the houses, so we have to pump fromthe river for farm use. We tell river all our secrets. We know instinctively, justas beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune might overtake us if theimportant events of our lives were not related to it.We have special river birthday parties in the summer. Sometimes we goupstream to a favourite backwater, sometimes we have our party at theboathouse, which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard bythe deepest pool for swimming and diving. In a heat wave we choose a midnightbirthday party and that is the most exciting of all. We welcome the seasons bythe riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring, holding asummer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in theautumn, and throwing a holy wreath into the current in the winter.After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks. This is a rareoccurrence as our climate seldom guest to extremes. We are lucky in that onlythe lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are affectedby flooding, but other farms are less favorably sited, and flooding cansometimes spell disaster for their owners.One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows. All the cattlehad been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little. We were, however,worried about our nearest neighbors, whose farm was low lying and who werenewcomers to the district. As the floods had put the telephone out of order, wecould not find out how they were managing. From an attic window we could get9/ 11 经典美文a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours, and at the most criticaljuncture we took turns in watching that point. The first sign of disaster was adead sheep floating down. Next came a horse, swimming bravely, but we wereafraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywherebefore it became exhausted. Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather likeNoah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, cat, and bird in acage. We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the risingflood, for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutlyeven if it had been almost submerged. The men of our family waded downthrough our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able tograpple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank. Westill think it a miracle that we are able to do so.参考译文：河流，我们的邻居形成我们农场东部边界的一条河流一直在我们生活中发挥着重要作用。要是没有这条河，我们就无法生存下去。泉水只能满足家庭生活用水，因此我们必须从河里抽水以用于农业生产。我们向那条河倾诉我们的秘密。我们本能地懂得，就像养蜂人和他的蜜蜂那样，要是我们不把生活中的重大的事件告诉那条河，就可能大祸临头。夏天，我们为这条河举办特殊的生日宴会。有时，我们溯流而上来到我们喜爱的回水河汊举办;有时在船坞举办。那船坞是农场一位前辈在一块草地上盖的，草地紧挨着一个专供游泳、跳水的深水池。天气炎热时，我们便选择在半夜举办生日聚会，这种聚会是最令人激动的。我们在河边迎接一年四季。春天在河边为最年轻的姑娘戴上花冠，夏天在河边欢庆“仲夏前夜”，秋天在河边丰收而感恩，冬天往河中抛撒一个冬青花环。久雨这后，河水会泛滥成灾，但是在我们这里，气候很少发生异常，河水极少泛滥。值得庆幸的是，只有低洼的受到洪水影响，而低洼地在我们农场比例很小。其他农场地势欠佳，洪水有时会给农场主带来灾难。10 / 11 经典美文有一年冬天，天气不好，我们眼看着河水浸没了地势较低的草场。所有的牲口已提前转移到畜圈里，没有造成什么损失。不过，我们很为我们的近邻担心。他们的农场地势低洼，而且他们又新来乍到。由于洪水造成了电话中断，我们无法了解他们情况。从顶楼窗口看去，我们农场与他们农场接壤处的那段河流一览无余。在最紧急的时刻，我们轮流监视那段河流的险情。灾难的第一迹象是一只死羊顺流而下，接着一匹活马勇敢地与水搏击。但我们担心，洪水力量将使它上岸之前就筋疲力尽了。突然，出现了一只筏子，看起来很像诺亚方舟，上面载着他们全家老小，还有几只母鸡、几只狗，一只猫与一只鸟笼，那里头有一只小鸟。我们意识到他们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了。因为他们的房子地基牢固，即使洪水几乎灭顶也不会倒塌。我家的男人们手拿船篙过被水淹没草场，希望能够钩住筏子一角，将它拽出激流，拖回岸边。他们终于成功了。至今我们仍认为这是个奇迹。11 / 11