英国语文第六册(双语):大马士革与伦敦（一）(5)
In the heat of the day these are nearly deserted; business is at a stand; the merchant is reclining with pipe in mouth, in a state of semi-somnolence, in which the influence of opium or the odour of the redolent weed has carried the fertile imagination into the regions of celestial ease.
但是，由于白天烈日炎炎，集市上一片惨淡景象；生意处于停滞状态；商户斜躺着，嘴里叼着烟管一副似睡非睡的样子；想必在鸦片和浓烈烟草气味的熏陶下商户已经插上了想象的翅膀正在天堂里自在地翱翔驰骋。
In an eastern city you have no prospect. With us you can see a considerable way along the streets. In Damascus you feel absolutely isolated; the streets are so narrow and crooked that at the most you can rarely see a perch before you, and nothing that does meet the eye in the way of buildings has the least attraction. Irregularity in style and clumsiness of execution, combined with the absence of fine doors, all windows, everything in the shape of fronts, railings, ornaments, &c., make the impression in that respect very disagreeable.
在伦敦沿街望去一眼望不到尽头，然而，在东方的城市里却谈不上“望”，大马士革会给你一种与世隔绝的感觉；因为那里的道路太过狭窄曲折，你最多只能瞧见身前的一根栖木。那里的建筑风格，凡是眼睛能看到的，都毫无吸引力，格局混乱、搭建简陋，连一张好看的门都没有，所有的窗户、门面、栏杆、装饰物的构造都会让你咋舌。
In our streets, we are pleased with large houses, fine rows of large windows, tastefully arranged doors and entrances;—everything seems to convey the idea of order, attention, cleanliness combined with the possession of wealth and the consciousness that it is our own. We conceal nothing, for we have no motive for concealment. Our house is our palace, and though the winds may whistle through our dilapidated halls, the Queen herself dare not enter without our permission. Freedom has increased our property, and our wealth has enhanced the value of our freedom. Our temptation is not to concealment, but to ostentation and unnecessary display.
我们很满意伦敦街道上的大房子、一排排精致的大窗户、布置地很别致的门和通道；——一切都彰显着秩序、专注、整洁、以及房屋主人的富裕和其理念。我们毫不遮掩，因为我们没有必要遮掩。我们的房子就是我们自己的宫殿，风可以呼啸穿过我们破败的大厅，但是，只要没有主人的允许，就算女王也不敢擅自闯入。是自由赋予了我们更多的财富，而财富又让我们更重视自由。我们不喜欢遮掩，我们喜欢大肆卖弄和过分显摆。
This tendency or temptation among us stands in connection with our character as a highly civilized and commercial nation.
我们的这种倾向和观念凌驾于高度文明和商业化国家这两个特征之上。
