John Ruskin 約翰·拉斯金
The pine, placed nearly always among scenes disordered and desolate, brings into them all possible elements of order and precision. Lowland trees may lean to this side and that, though it is but a meadow breeze that bends them, or a bank of cowslips(1) from which their trunks lean aslope(2). But let storm and avalanche do their worst(3), and let the pine find only a ledge of vertical precipice to cling to, it will nevertheless grow straight. Thrust a rod from its last shoot down the stem; it shall point to the center of the earth as long as the tree lives.(4) It may be well also for what they need, and to take all kinds of irregular shape and extension. But the pine is trained to need nothing and endure everything. I is resolvedly whole, self-contained, desiring nothing but rightness, content with resrticted completion. Tall or short, it will be straight.
中文譯文:
松樹幾乎總是長在凌亂荒涼地地方,但它卻把周圍的景色點綴得井井有條,蔚然可觀。低地上的樹木會東倒西歪,雖說使它們弓腰曲背的,不過是草地上吹過的一陣陣微風;或者,它們的軀干歪到一邊,不過時由于一排野櫻草的影響??墒牵M管風暴和尋崩姿意摧殘,盡管松樹所能依附的只是陡壁上一塊凸出的巖石,它依然長得筆挺。從它初發(fā)的嫩枝旁沿莖插一根筆直的桿子,只要這樹活著,桿子將一直指著地的中心。低地上的樹,可能為了獲得它們所需要的東西,枝椏四下仲延,形成各種不規(guī)則的形狀,任意擴張。然而松樹卻飽經(jīng)鍛煉,什么也不需要,什么都能忍受。它堅定完整,獨立成長,除了長得挺拔正直,別無所求,雖受限制而依然完美,它便感到滿足。不管是高是矮,它總是長得筆直。
英文注釋:
(1) a bank of cowslips :一排野櫻草。它與上文中的a meadow breeze 是并列成分。
(2) from which their trunks lean aslope:樹干由于野櫻草的影響而傾斜。
(3) let...do their worst:讓……恣意肆虐。
(4) Thrust a rod...as long as the tree lives:這個句子的意思是:松樹活著永遠長得筆直,象插在一旁的桿子一樣的直。松樹如果長彎了,就會把插一旁的桿子推歪而不能筆直地指著地心了。 it shall point to... shall用于第三人稱時表示說話者的意向。這里作“應該”解。
(5) reach hither and thither:向個方向伸展。 hither and thither=here and there.