首页 -> 2004年第4期
放松心情 走进双语吧（八）
作者：杨思晴
——杨思晴
采摘集
Life teaches us to be less harsh with ourselves and with others.
——Goethe
生活教导我们对自己、对别人不要太苛刻。
——歌德
〔词汇补给〕
harsh（adj.）: 苛刻的, 刺耳的, 刺目的, 粗糙的。
注：歌德（1749－1832），为德国诗人及剧作家。
“严以律己、宽以待人”是句耳熟能详的老话。歌德的说法不是鼓励人们放松自己，为所欲为，而是要我们量力而为，不要在任何事上苛求自己与他人。
We can't form our children on our own concepts; we must take them and love them as God give them to us.
—— Goethe
我们不能依据自己的观念来训练孩子；我们必须把他们当成上帝的赏赐，接纳他们，爱护他们。
—— 歌德
〔词汇补给〕
form: 形成，构成。
concept: 概念，观念。很多人大概都学习过《新概念》这本书吧？翻译过来就应当是New Concept了。
注：成人常常要把自己的想法强加在孩子的身上。实际上，由于时代的快速变迁，为人父母者还不如给孩子广阔的空间，让他们一展所长。
幽默林
〔原文〕
I Have Forgotten Who He was
A Society youth(1) writes ironically(2) to a beautiful young lady: “Dear Miss Sally, perhaps you remember I proposed to(3) you last night, and I do not remember whether you said yes, or no.”
“Dear George, I remember I said no to someone last night, but I had forgotten who he was.”
〔词汇补给〕
讲解（1）Society youth：喜欢社交的青年人
讲解（2）ironically：讽刺地，讥讽地
讲解（3）propose to：求婚
〔译文〕
我忘了那人是谁
一个喜欢社交的青年在给一位年轻貌美的女士的信中挖苦地写道：“亲爱的莎丽小姐，您也许记得我昨晚向您求婚，但我现在记不起您到底是答应了还是没答应？”
“亲爱的乔治，我记得昨晚是对一个人说了‘不’，但忘了那人是谁了。”
心语录
If I had my life to live over…
如果有来生……
I would have talked less and listened more.
我会少说话、多倾听。
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
我会点燃那支雕成玫瑰状的粉色蜡烛，而不让它在尘封中熔化。
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
我会与孩子们坐在草地上，不去担心草地上的污渍。
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television-and more while watching life.
我会把泪水和笑声更多地留给观察人生，而不是观看电视。
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I were not there for the day.
如果我生病了，我会卧床休息，而不是自认为没有我，地球就不转了。
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical，would not show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
我不会买那些仅仅实用，或者不显脏，或者保证能使用一生的东西。
There would have been more “ I love you”and more “ I am sorry”.
我会多说“我爱你”和“对不起”。
But mostly, given another shot at life,
然而，最重要的是，如果有来生，
I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it…
我会抓住每一秒……观察人生，体味人生……
Yes, live it…and never give it back.
是的，体验人生，再也不放手。
〔词汇补给〕
burn:烧，点燃
sculpt like:雕刻成……样子的
melt:熔化
in storage:储藏
lawn:草地
worry about:担心，担忧，忧虑
holding pattern：等待航线
practical：实用的，实际的
guarantee to last a lifetime:终生保修
mostly:最重要的
see:看似一个很简单的单词，但这决不是看见的意思，see在这里当作“领悟，理解，体味”讲。我们平时特别常用的表达方式是：oh, I see.（哦，我明白了。）
seize every minute：抓住每一分钟