美國語文第五冊 第267期：家庭場景（01）
Little does the boy know, as the tide of years drifts by, floating him out insensibly from the harbor of his home, upon the great sea of life,
男孩很少知道，隨著歲月潮水的流逝，不知不覺間，他已從家鄉(xiāng)的港口離開，
what joys, what opportunities, what affections, are slipping from him into the shades of that inexorable Past,
所有快樂、機遇和鐘情正在悄然溜走，宛如進入無法改變的過去，駛入生活的浩瀚海洋。
where no man can go, save on the wings of his dreams.
除非展開夢幻的雙翼，沒有任何人能夠抵達那一深邃時光。
Little does he think, as he leans upon the lap of his mother, with his eye turned to her,
男孩很少想到，當他倚靠在母親身邊，眼巴巴地望著母親，
in some earnest pleading for a fancied pleasure of the hour, or in some important story of his griefs,
急切地懇求母親為他講述精彩虛幻的歲月，或者哀怨難過的故事，
that such sharing of his sorrows, and such sympathy with his wishes, he will find nowhere again.
那些故事里流瀉出他的憂愁感傷，寄寓了他的美好愿景，在母親娓娓動聽的故事里，他再次發(fā)現(xiàn)無路可逃。
Little does he imagine that the fond sister Nelly, ever thoughtful of his pleasures,
男孩很少考慮，那位可愛的耐莉妹妹對他那么體貼備至，
ever smiling away his griefs, will soon be beyond the reach of either;
總是笑語盈盈地化解他的哀愁。然而，不久兩人便漸離漸遠。
and that the waves of the years which come rocking so gently under him will soon toss her far away, upon the great swell of life.
曾經在他心底激起的溫柔漣漪，時光旋即那個美麗身影遠遠拋開，他不得不面對現(xiàn)實的無端殘酷。
But now, you are there. The fire light glimmers upon the walls of your cherished home.
現(xiàn)在，你又回到家鄉(xiāng)。心里珍藏的家舍墻壁上火光閃爍，
The big chair of your father is drawn to its wonted corner by the chimney side; his head, just touched with gray, lies back upon its oaken top.
父親那把寬大椅子依舊擺放在煙囪邊往日角落，他的頭倚靠在座椅的橡木椅頂，已是發(fā)須皆白。
Opposite sits your mother: her figure is thin, her look cheerful, yet subdued;—her arm perhaps resting on your shoulder,
母親坐在對面，她身材瘦削，神色開心，笑得有點兒勉強，或許她的胳膊搭在你的肩上，
as she talks to you in tones of tender admonition, of the days that are to come.
一邊輕聲叮嚀，囑你不要荒廢時日的家常道理。
The cat is purring on the hearth; the clock that ticked so plainly when Charlie died is ticking on the mantel still.
貓咪在灶臺上打著呼嚕，沉寂的壁爐架上那臺掛鐘滴答走著，一如既往地走著，與查理死時毫無兩樣。
