英語美文經典段落摘抄
美文似乎在英語國民裏最爲發達……中國古文裏的序、記與說等,也可以說是美文的一類。下面小編整理了英語美文經典段落，希望大家喜歡
Every Woman is Beautiful
每個女人都漂亮
Anonymous
佚名
A little boy asked his mother, "why are you crying?"
一個男孩問他的媽媽，“你爲什麼要哭呢?”
"Because I'm a woman,”she told him.
媽媽說，“因爲我是女人啊。”
"I don't understand,”he said.
男孩說，“我不懂。”
His mum just hugged him and said, "and you never will."
媽媽抱起他說，“你永遠不會懂的。”
Later the little boy asked his father, "why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"
後來小男孩就問他爸爸，“媽媽爲什麼莫名其妙就哭呢?”
"All women cry for no reason，"was all his dad could say.
“所有女人都是這樣的。”爸爸說。
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.
小男孩長大了，變成了男人，但仍不懂女人爲什麼要哭。
Finally he put in a call to God;and when God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"
最後，他打電話給上帝，當上帝拿起電話時，他問道:“上帝，女人爲什麼那麼容易哭泣呢?”
God said, "when I made the woman she had to be special.I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world;yet, gentle enough to give comfort.
上帝回答說:“當我創造女人時，讓她很特別。我使她的肩膀能挑起整個世界的重擔;並且又柔情似水。
I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection chat many times comes from her children.
我讓她的內心很堅強，能夠承受分娩的痛苦和忍受自己孩子多次的拒絕。
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up，and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.
我賦予她耐心，使她在別人放棄的時候繼續堅持。並且無怨無悔地照顧着自己的家人，無論是在他們生病時或疲勞時。
I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.
我賦予她在任何情況下都會愛孩子的感情，即使她的孩子深深地傷害了她。
And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.
然後，我讓她可以流淚。只要她願意，這是她所獨有的。
You see: the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries，or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her hears and the place where love resides.”
你看，女人的漂亮不是因爲她穿的衣服、保持的體型或者她梳頭的方式。女人的漂亮必須從她的眼睛中去看，因爲那是她心靈的窗戶和愛所居住的地方。”
英語美文經典段落鑑賞Westminster Abbey
西敏大寺
Washington Irving
〔美〕華盛頓·歐文
On one of those sober and rather melancholy days，in the latter part of Autumn，when the shadows of morning and evening almost mingle together, and throw a gloom over the decline of the year, I passed several hours in rambling about Westminster Abbey. There was something congenial to the season in the mournful magnificence of the old pile;and，as I passed its threshold, seemed like stepping back into the regions of antiquity, and losing myself among the shades of former ages.
正值深秋時節，這種天氣讓人感覺莊重而抑鬱，早晨的陰影幾乎和傍晚相互連接，給這歲末的幽情更加籠罩了一層灰濛濛的色彩。就是在這樣一天，我一個人在西敏大寺走了幾個小時。在這古老的建築羣中，有一種淒涼的感覺剛好與這個季節的色調相吻合;我跨進門檻，似乎一腳邁進了古老的年代，將自己融入到那些前人的陰影當中。
I entered from the inner court of Westminster School，through a long，low, vaulted passage，that had an almost subterranean look, being dimly lighted in one part by circular perforations in the massive walls. Through this dark avenue I had a distant view of the cloisters，with the figure of an old verger, in his black gown，moving along their shadowy vaults，and seeming like a spectre from one of the neighboring tombs. The approach to the abbey through these gloomy monastic remains prepares the mind for its solemn contemplation. The cloisters still retain something of the quiet and seclusion of former gray walls are discolored by damps，and crumbling with age;a coat of hoary moss has gathered over the inscriptions of the mural monuments, and obscured the death's-heads, and other funereal emblems. The sharp touches of the chisel are gone from the rich tracery of the arches;the roses which adorned the key-stones have lost their leafy beauty; everything bears marks of the gradual dilapidations of time，which yet has something touching and pleasing in its very decay.
我是從西敏學校的內庭進去的，穿過一條低矮的有着弧頂的長廊，感覺像是在地下室。周圍是厚厚的牆壁，只有牆上的小孔透出絲絲光亮，反而顯得這裏更加幽暗了。穿過這條長廊，我可以遠遠地看見前方的拱廊;一個上了年紀的教堂司事，身着黑色長袍，正從陰影裏走過，那模樣就像是一個剛剛從附近墓中爬出來的幽靈。這條路正是古修道院的遺址，景色分外淒涼，我的頭腦也因此陷入了莊嚴的沉思默想之中。這條道路一如既往地寂靜，與世隔絕。灰色的牆壁因爲受到潮溼空氣的侵蝕，早已褪了色，而且由於年代久遠，也逐漸呈現出崩潰的跡象。牆壁上覆蓋了一層灰白的苔蘚，讓人無法辨認清楚上面的碑文、骼髏像和各種喪葬的標識。弧頂上本來雕刻有華麗富貴的花紋，可如今早已不見了那些斧鑿的痕跡;當年拱形石上枝繁葉茂的玫瑰花也不見了昔日的風采。這裏所有的事物都刻上了歲月流逝的痕跡，然而就是在這樣的頹廢之中，依然有一種讓人悴然心動、歡喜愉悅的感覺。
The sun was pouring down a yellow autumnal ray into the square of the cloisters; beaming upon a scanty plot of grass in the center, and lighting up an angle of the vaulted passage with a kind of dusky splendor. From between the arcades，the eye glanced up to a bit of blue sky or a passing cloud，and beheld the sungilt pinnacles of the abbey towering into the azure heaven.
一道秋意綿綿的金色陽光從拱廊的方場上空傾瀉下來，照耀着場上稀稀拉拉的小草，也給拱廊的一角披上一層陰鬱的光線。從拱廊中間拾頭遠望，可以看見一小片藍天或時不時飄過的白雲，還有那鋪灑了金子般陽光的塔尖，正筆直地向藍天延伸。
As I paced the cloisters，sometimes contemplating this mingled picture of glory and decay, and sometimes endeavoring to decipher the inscriptions on the tombstones，which formed the pavement beneath my feet, my eye was attracted to three figures，rudely carved in relief, but nearly worn away by the footsteps of many generations. They were the effigies of three of the early abbots; the epitaphs were entirely effaced;the names alone remained，having no doubt been renewed in later times.(Vitalis. Abbas.1082，and，Gislebert us Crispinus. Abbas.1114, and Laurentius. Abbas. 1176.) I remained some little while，musing over these casual relics of antiquity, thus left like wrecks upon this distant shore of time，telling no tale but that such beings had been，and had perished; teaching no moral but the futility of that pride which hopes still to exact homage in its ashes and to live in an inscription. A little longer, and even these faint records will be obliterated, and the monument will cease to be a memorial. Whilst I was yet looking down upon these gravestones,I was roused by the sound of the abbey clock，reverberating from buttress to buttress，and echoing among the cloisters. It is almost startling to hear this warning of departed time sounding among the tombs, and telling the lapse of the hour, which, like a billow, has rolled us onward towards the grave. I pursued my walk to an arched door opening to the interior of the abbey. On entering here, the magnitude of the building breaks fully upon the mind，contrasted with the vaults of the cloisters. The eyes gaze with wonder at clustered columns of gigantic dimensions,with arches springing from mem to such an amazing height; and man wandering about their bases，shrunk into insignificance in comparison with his own hand work. The spaciousness and gloom of this vast edifice produce a profound and mysterious awe. We step cautiously and softly about, as if fearful of disturbing the hallowed silence of the tomb; while every football whispers along the walls,and chatters among the sepulchers, making us more sensible of the quiet we have interrupted.
我緩慢地走在拱廊上，時而思索着這融合了輝煌與頹敗的景象，時而又力求辨析我腳下墓石上的碑文。這時，三座雕塑工藝粗糙的浮像吸引了我的眼光，經過幾代人在上面來來回回地行踏，它們幾乎很難辨認清楚了。這是這座寺院早期三位住持的浮像，上面的墓誌銘已經全被磨掉了，只剩下三個名字，很明顯這也是由後人重新修整了的。(泰里斯住持，1082年;吉斯勃塔斯·克里斯賓諾斯住持，1114年;勞倫地奧斯住持，1176年。)我在這裏停留片刻，默默地看着這些殘缺不全的古人遺蹟。它們就像幾艘拋錨了的破船，停靠在悠悠歲月的岸邊，唯一能說給人們聽的就是這幾個人曾經活着，而現在已經不復存在了。它們所蘊涵的道德意義不過是告誡那些企圖死後還想受人敬仰的人，要依靠墓誌銘得以永生簡直是癡心妄想。再過些時日，甚至連這些模糊不清的記錄都將消失，而所謂的紀念碑也不再是什麼紀念物了。就在我俯視這些墓碑時，突然被大寺的鐘聲喚醒。鐘聲在牆壁之間迴盪，剎那間整個拱廊都產生 共鳴。從墳基裏傳出來的鐘聲，真是讓人不寒而慄，它向人們 提醒時光的消逝，好似巨大的浪潮，不斷地把我們推向墳墓。 我繼續向前走，到達了一扇通向大寺裏面的拱門前面。走進大門，只見在拱門的襯托下，裏面的建築物顯得更加雄偉壯麗。我瞪大了雙眼看着那一根根巨大的圓柱，圓柱上橫架着一支支拱樑，它們這麼高，真讓人驚歎不已。站在柱腳下，人們不禁會想到，與人類自己的建築比起來，人類自己的確是無足輕重。這座空曠幽暗的大寺，頓時讓人產生一種神祕的敬畏之情。我們小心謹慎輕輕地走過，生怕打破了墓地的肅靜;而每一次四周的牆壁傳出腳步聲時，墳墓間也作出了低沉的迴應，我們也更加深刻地體會到四周的寧靜，只是此時的寧靜卻被我們破壞了。
It seems as if the awful nature of the place presses down upon the soul, and hushes the beholder info noiseless feel that we are surrounded by the congregated bones of the great men of past times, who have filled history with their deeds, and the earth with their renown.
也許是寺院本身莊嚴肅穆的特性壓抑着遊客的心靈，使我們大家都肅然起敬，並且壓低了所有的聲音。我們感覺周身都被古代偉人的遺骸包圍着，他們的豐功偉績滿載史冊，聲名遍譽世界。
And yet it almost provokes a smile at the vanity of human ambition，to see how they are crowded together and jostled in the dust; what parsimony is observed in doling out a scanty nook，a gloomy corner, a little portion of earth，to those，whom, when alive, kingdoms could not satisfy; and how many shapes, and forms, and artifices are devised to catch the casual notice of the passenger, and save from forgetfulness, for a few short years, a name which once aspired to occupy ages of the world's thought and admiration.
但是，想到人類所謂的宏偉抱負到頭來不過是虛幻一場，我不禁要嘲笑他們:如今這些英雄七零八散地擁擠在這塵土之中，想當初他們在世時，整個帝國都不曾令他們心滿意足，而死後卻只是在這個吝嗇的地方里的一個陰暗角落，分得了一點點貧瘠的土地，過去他們試圖讓人們永遠銘記他們的名字並世世代代瞻仰他們，可如今人們卻在他們的墳墓上想方設法地雕刻出各種形狀和花紋—而這麼做只是爲了吸引遊客們不經意瞥來的目光，免得人們過不了幾年就把他們當年顯赫一時的名字拋之腦後了。
I continued in this way to move from tomb to tomb，and from chapel to chapel. The day was gradually wearing away;the distant tread of loiterers about the abbey grew less and less frequent; the sweet-tongued bell was summoning to evening prayers;and I saw at a distance the choristers, in their white surplices, crossing the aisle and entering the choir. I stood before the entrance to Henry the Seventh's chapel. A flight of steps lead up to it, through a deep and gloomy, but magnificent arch. Great gates of brass, richly and delicately wrought, turn heavily upon their hinges, as if proudly reluctant to admit the feet of common mortals into this most gorgeous of sepulchres.
我仍然順着這條路走過一座座墳墓，一所所禮拜堂。天色慢慢地暗了下來，從遠處傳來的遊客的腳步聲也越來越稀少了。動聽的鈴聲提醒着人們作晚禱告的時間到了，遠遠地我就能看見唱詩班的人們穿着白色的法衣穿過走廊紛紛就位。我站在亨利七世禮拜堂的入口處，大堂前有幾層臺階，然後要穿過一道很長的有些昏暗但很雄偉的拱門。巨大的銅製大門上雕滿了精細華麗的花紋，門上的鉸鏈發出沉重的響聲，一副傲氣十足的樣子，似乎是不讓這些凡夫俗子進入這最豪華的靈堂。
On entering, the eye is astonished by the pomp of architecture,and the elaborate beauty of sculptured detail. The very walls are wrought into universal ornament, incrusted with tracery, and scooped into niches, crowded with the statutes of saints and martyrs. Stone seems，by the cunning labor of the chisel，to have been robbed of its weight and density, suspended aloft,as if by magic, and the fretted roof achieved with the wonderful minuteness and airy security of a cobweb.
進入大堂內，裏面華麗的建築和精美的雕刻簡直讓人目不暇接。大牆上每一個地方都佈滿了精巧的裝飾，裏面鑲嵌着雕花窗格，拼成一座座的壁盒，裏面塞滿了聖人和殉難者的雕像。爐火純青的雕琢技術把石頭雕刻得彷彿失去了它本來的重量和密度，像被施了魔法似地吊在半空中。還有那屋頂，裝飾着無比精巧美麗的花紋，好像是一張無比牢固不能被破壞的蛛網那樣懸在半空中。
Along the sides of the chapel are the lofty stalls of the Knights of the Bath，richly carved of oak，though with the grotesque decorations of Gothic architecture. On the pinnacles of the stalls are affixed the helmets and crests of the knights, with their scarfs and swords;and above them are suspended their banners，emblazoned with armorial bearings, and contrasting the splendor of gold and purple and crimson with the cold gray fretwork of the roof. In the midst of this grand mausoleum stands the sepulchre of its founder- his effigy, with that of his queen,extended on a sumptuous tomb, and the whole surrounded by a superbly wrought brazen railing.
在禮拜堂的兩側，設有巴斯武士高大的坐席，全部用橡木雕琢得富貴華麗，上面還有哥特式建築的怪異裝飾。武士的頭盔、綏帶和佩劍被擺放在坐席的頂端上。在這些物品的上方懸掛着武士的旗幟，上面裝飾着紋章，這些金色、紫色和大紅色耀眼奪目，與精雕細鑿的灰暗屋頂形成鮮明的對比。在這個宏偉大廳的正中間，就是這座陵墓的主人—亨利七世的墳墓，他和皇后的雕像躺在一塊豪華的墓石上，周圍環繞着鑄煉精細的黃銅柵欄。
There is a sad dreariness in this magnificence:this strange mixture of tombs and trophies;these emblems of living and aspiring ambition，close beside mementos which show the dust and oblivion in which all must sooner or later ing impresses the mind with a deeper feeling of loneliness than to tread the silent and deserted scene of former throng and pageant. On looking round on the vacant stalls of the knights and their esquires, and on the rows of dusty but gorgeous banners that were once born before them，my imagination conjured up the scene when this hall was bright with the valor and beauty of the land;glittering with the splendor of jeweled rank and military array; alive with the tread of many feet and the hum of an admiring multitude. All had passed away; the silence of death had settled again upon the which had found their way into the chapel，and built their nests among its friezes and pendants-sure sign of solitariness and desertion.
在這種奢華瑰麗的氣氛中，卻讓人有種沉悶壓抑的感覺，這是一個把墳墓和戰利品混合在一起的怪異場合，這些標誌象 徵着朝氣蓬勃和雄心壯志，如今卻被擺放在滿是灰塵和被人遺 忘的紀念物中間，而所有的一切最終也會消逝在這些塵埃和遺 忘之中。走在這個曾經熱鬧繁華而如今孤寂蒼涼的地方，頭腦 中涌起一種無法言說的落寞感受。環視周圍武士和他們的侍從 們空空如也的座位，看着飄揚在他們面前的一排排佈滿了灰塵卻依然錦繡華麗的軍旗，我不禁想象起昔日的盛況:全國上下的英雄和美人都雲集在這寬敞明亮的大廳裏，這裏因爲有了這些珠光寶氣的仕女和英武的武士行列而璀璨生輝;不絕於耳的腳步聲和讚揚聲在整個大廳迴盪。而這一切突然就消失不見了，重新恢復了這死氣沉沉的寂靜，偶爾會有幾聲小鳥的鳴叫作爲一點小插曲。連鳥兒都駐紮了這所禮拜堂，並把它們的巢穴建造在樑柱之間—由此可見，這裏是多麼的荒涼和寂寞。
When I read the names inscribed on the banners, they were those of men scattered far and wide about the world;some tossing upon distant seas;some under arms in distant lands;same mingling in the busy intrigues of courts and cabinets;all seeking to deserve one more distinction in this mansion of shadowy honors:the melancholy reward of a monument.
我讀着旗子上刺繡的人名，這些人曾經被派駐在各個地方，有的遠渡重洋，有的征戰他鄉，有的在宮廷與內閣的陰謀中糾纏，他們有個共同的願望就是，使自己的名聲在這所陰暗的墓堂中得到更多的表彰—也就是一塊陰鬱的紀念碑。
Two small aisles on each side of this chapel present a touching instance of the equality of the graves;which brings down the oppressor to a level with the oppressed，and mingles the dust of the bitterest enemies together. In one is the sepulchre of the haughty Elizabeth;in the other is that of her victim, the lovely and unfortunate Mary. Not an hour in the day but some ejaculation of pity is uttered over the fate of the latter, mingled with indignation at her oppressor. The walls of Elizabeth’s sepulchre continually echo with the sighs of sympathy heaved at the grave of her rival.
在禮拜堂的兩側設有小型的側堂—這樣做的目的是爲了明示這座墓地的平等觀念:它把壓迫者和被壓迫者放在同一個地位，讓世代宿敵的遺骸相聚在一起。其中的一個側堂是那位傲慢的伊麗莎白之墓，而另外一個則是那可愛又可憐的被她殺死了的瑪麗之墓。對於後者，每一天裏的每個時刻都會有人來悲憐嘆息她悽慘的命運，在這聲聲嘆息中也包含了對前者悲憤的感情。於是，在伊麗莎白基地周圍的牆壁上就經常回蕩着人們同情瑪麗的聲音。
A peculiar melancholy reigns over the aisle where Mary lies buried. The light struggles dimly through windows darkened by dust. The greater part of the place is in deep shadow, and the walls are stained and tinted by time and weather. A marble figure of Mary is stretched upon the tomb, round which is an iron railing，much corroded，bearing her national emblem-the thistle. I was weary with wandering，and sat down to rest myself by the monument, revolving in my mind the checked and disastrous story of poor Mary.
一種怪異陰鬱的氣氛籠罩在埋葬着瑪麗的那個側堂之上。陽光透過佈滿灰塵的窗戶照射進來，一切都是這麼幽暗，大部分的地方都被深深的陰影孤蓋着，歲月和氣候在牆壁上留下了痕跡。一座瑪麗的大理石雕像躺在碑石上面，四周的鐵柵欄鏽跡斑斑，上面還雕刻着她的國徽—蘇格蘭的薊花。我已經走得有點累了，於是坐在紀念碑下歇息，腦海裏便不由自主地想起瑪麗坎坷不幸的一生。
The sound of casual footsteps had ceased from the abbey.I could only hear，now and then，the distant voice of the priest repeating the evening service, and the faint responses of the choir，these paused for a time，and all was hushed. The stillness，the desertion and obscurity that were gradually prevailing around，gave a deeper and more solemn interest to the place.
寺院裏零零碎碎的腳步聲漸漸地消失了。我的耳邊偶爾傳來遠處修士們進行晚禱的聲音和唱詩班輕柔的應答聲。當所有這些聲音都靜息後，整個大寺也沉靜下來了。平靜、荒涼和幽暗慢慢地靠近，使人們對這個地方產生了一種更加深邃和莊嚴的感情。
For in the silent grave no conversation，
在寂靜的墓地裏沒有說話的聲音，
No joyful tread of friends, no voice of lovers,
沒有朋友們輕快的腳步聲，沒有情侶們呼喚的聲音，
No careful father's counsel—nothing's heard，
也沒有細心的父親忠誠的告誡—什麼都聽不到，
For nothing is, but all oblivion,
因爲一切都是虛無，一切都被遺忘，
Dust and an endless darkness.
只有塵土和無邊無際的黑暗。
英語美文經典段落賞析The Lotus Pool By Moonlight
荷塘月色
Zhu Ziqing
朱自清
The last few days have found me very restless. This evening as I sat in the yard to enjoy the cool，it struck me how different the lotus pool I pass every day must look under a full moon. The moon was sailing higher and higher up the heavens, the sound of childish laughter had died away from the lane beyond our wall, and my wife was in the house patting Juner and humming a lullaby to him. I quietly slipped on a long gown, and walked out leaving the door on the latch.
這幾天心裏頗不寧靜。今晚在院子裏坐着乘涼，日日走過的荷塘，在這滿月的光裏，總該另有一番樣子吧。月亮漸漸地升高了，牆外馬路上孩子們的歡笑，已經聽不見了;妻在屋裏拍着閏兒，迷迷糊糊地哼着眠歌。我悄悄地披了大衫，帶上門出去。
A cinder-path winds along by the side of the pool. It is off the beaten track and few pass this way even by day, so at night it is still more quiet. Trees grow thick and bosky all around the pool，with willows and other trees I cannot name by the path. On nights when there is no moon the track is almost terrifyingly dark,but tonight it was quite clear, though the moonlight was pale.
沿着荷塘，是一條曲折的小煤屑路。這是一條幽僻的路;白天也少人走，夜晚更加寂寞。荷塘四面，長着許多樹，菊贊鬱郁的。路的一旁，是些楊柳，和一些不知道名字的樹。沒有月光的晚上，這路上陰森森的，有些怕人。今晚卻很好，雖然月光也還是淡淡的。
Strolling alone down the path，hands behind my back, I felt as if the whole earth and sky were mine and I had stepped outside my usual self into another world. I like both excitement and stillness，under the full moon，I could think of whatever I pleased or of nothing at all，and that gave me a sense of freedom. All daytime duties could be disregarded. That was the advantage of solitude: I could savour to the full that expanse of fragrant lotus and the moonlight.
路上只我一個人，揹着手踱着。這一片天地好像是我的;我也像超出了平常的自己，到了另一世界裏。我愛熱鬧，也愛冷靜;愛羣居，也愛獨處。像今晚上，一個人在這蒼茫的月下，什麼都可以想，什麼都可以不想，便覺是個自由的人。白天裏一定要做的事，一定要說的話，現在都可不理。這是獨處的妙處，我且受用這無邊的荷香月色好了。
As far as the eye could see, the pool with its winding margin was covered with trim leaves, which rose high out of the water like the flared skirts of dancing girls. And starring these tiers of leaves were white lotus flowers, alluringly open or bashfully in bud, like glimmering pearls, stars in an azure sky, or beauties fresh from the bath. The breeze carried past gusts of fragrance,like the strains of a song faintly heard from a far-off tower. And leaves and blossoms trembled slightly, while in a flash the scent was carried away. As the closely serried leaves bent, a tide of opaque emerald could be glimpsed. That was the softly running water beneath，hidden from sight, its colour invisible, though the leaves looked more graceful than ever.
曲曲折折的荷塘上面，彌望的是田田的葉子。葉子出水很高，像亭亭的舞女的裙。層層的葉子中間，零星地點綴着些白花，有嫋娜地開着的，有羞澀地打着朵兒的;正如一粒粒的明珠，又如碧天裏的星星，又如剛出浴的美人。微風過處，送來縷縷清香，彷彿遠處高樓上渺茫的歌聲似的。這時候葉子與花也有一絲的顫動，像閃電般，霎時傳過荷塘的那邊去了。葉子本是肩並肩密密地挨着，這便宛然有了一道凝碧的波痕。葉子底下是脈脈的流水，遮住了，不能見一些顏色;而葉子卻更見風致了。
Moonlight cascaded like water over the lotus leaves and flowers，and a light blue mist floating up from the pool made them seem washed in milk or caught in a gauzy dream. Though the moon was full，a film of pale clouds in the sky would not allow its rays to shine through brightly; but I felt this was all to the good—though refreshing sleep is indispensable, short naps have a charm all their own. As the moon shone from behind them，the dense trees on the hills threw checkered shadows，dark forms loomed like devils，and the sparse, graceful shadows of willows seemed painted on the lotus leaves. The moonlight on the pool was not uniform，but light and shadow made up a harmonious rhythm like a beautiful tune played on a violin.
月光如流水一般，靜靜地瀉在這一片葉子和花上。薄薄的青霧浮起在荷塘裏。葉子和花彷彿在牛乳中洗過一樣;又像籠着輕紗的夢。雖然是滿月，天上卻有一層淡淡的雲，所以不能朗照;但我以爲這恰是到了好處—酣眠固不可少，小睡也別有風味的。月光是隔了樹照過來的，高處叢生的灌木，落下參差的斑駁的黑影，峭楞楞如鬼一般;彎彎的楊柳的稀疏的倩影，卻又像是畫在荷葉上。塘中的月色並不均勻;但光與影有着和諧的旋律，如梵婀玲上奏着的名曲。
Far and near, high and low around the pool were trees,most of them willows. These trees had the pool entirely hemmed in，the only small clearings left being those by the path，apparently intended for the moon. All the trees were somber as dense smoke, but among them you could make out the luxuriant willows, while faintly above the tree-tops loomed distant hills-their general outline only. And between the trees appeared one or two street lamps, listless as the eyes of someone drowsy. The liveliest sounds at this hour were the cicadas chirruping on the trees and the frogs croaking in the pool;but this animation was theirs alone, I had no part in it.
荷塘的四面，遠遠近近，高高低低都是樹，而楊柳最多。這些樹將一片荷塘重重圍住;只在小路一旁，漏着幾段空隙，像是特爲月光留下的。樹色一例是陰陰的，乍看像一團煙霧;但楊柳的風姿，便在煙霧裏也辨得出。樹梢上隱隱約約的是一帶遠山，只有些大意罷了。樹縫裏也漏着一兩點路燈光，沒精打采的，是渴睡人的眼。這時候最熱鬧的，要數樹上的蟬聲與水裏的蛙聲;但熱鬧是它們的，我什麼也沒有。
Then lotus-gathering flashed into my mind. This was an old custom south of the Yangtse, which apparently originated very early and was most popular in the period of the Six Kingdoms, as we see from the songs of the time. The lotus were picked by girls in small boats, who sang haunting songs as they padded. They turned out in force，we may be sure, and there were spectators too, for that was a cheerful festival and a romantic one. We have a good account of it in a poem by Emperor Yuan of the Liang dynasty called Lotus Gatherers:
忽然想起採蓮的事情來了。採蓮是江南的舊俗，似乎很早就有，而六朝時爲盛;從詩歌裏可以約略知道。採蓮的是少年的女子，她們是蕩着小船，唱着豔歌去的。採蓮人不用說很多，還有看採蓮的人。那是一個熱鬧的季節，也是一個風流的季節。梁元帝《採蓮賦》裏說得好:
Deft boys and pretty girls
reach an understanding while boating;
Their prows veer slowly,
but the winecups pass quickly;
Their oars are entangled,
as they cut through the duckweed,
and girls with slender waists
turn to gaze behind them.
Now spring and summer meet,
leaves are tender, flowers fresh;
with smiles they protect their silks,
drawing in their skirts, afraid lest the boat upset.
