大學(xué)英語精讀第二冊英語翻譯

1、英語第一單元A heated discussion about whether men are braver than women is settled in a rather unexpected way.關(guān)于男人是否比女人更勇敢的一場激烈爭論以一種頗為出人意料的方式解決了。closeThe Dinner PartyMona Gardner 1RT I first heard this tale in India, where it is told as if true though any naturalist would know it couldn't be. Later so

2、meone told me that the story appeared in a magazine shortly before the First World War. That magazine story, and the person who wrote it, I have never been able to track down.晚宴 莫娜·加德納我最初聽到這個(gè)故事是在印度，那兒的人們今天講起它來仍好像確有其事似的盡管任何一位博物學(xué)家都知道這不可能是真的。后來有人告訴我，在第一次世界大戰(zhàn)之前不久，一家雜志曾刊登過這個(gè)故事。但登在雜志上的那篇故事以及寫那篇故事的人，我

3、卻一直未能找到。close2RT The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their guests officers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist in their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters and wide glass doors

4、 opening onto a veranda.故事發(fā)生在印度。某殖民地官員和他的夫人正舉行盛大的晚宴。筵席設(shè)在他們家寬敞的餐室里，室內(nèi)大理石地板上沒有鋪地毯；屋頂明椽裸露；寬大的玻璃門外便是走廊。跟他們一起就坐的客人有軍官和他們的夫人，另外還有一位來訪的美國博物學(xué)家。close3RT A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a major who s

5、ays that they haven't.席間，一位年輕的女士同一位少校展開了熱烈的討論。年輕的女士認(rèn)為，婦女已經(jīng)有所進(jìn)步，不再像過去那樣一見到老鼠就嚇得跳到椅子上；少校則不以為然。close4RT "A woman's reaction in any crisis," the major says, "is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is

6、what really counts."他說：“一遇到危急情況，女人的反應(yīng)便是尖叫。而男人雖然也可能想叫，但比起女人來，自制力卻略勝一籌。這多出來的一點(diǎn)自制力正是真正起作用的東西?！?close5RT The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her muscles&#

7、160;contracting slightly. She motions to the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers something to him. The boy's eyes widen: he quickly leaves the room.那個(gè)美國人沒有參加這場爭論，他只是注視著在座的其他客人。在他這樣觀察時(shí)，他發(fā)現(xiàn)女主人的臉上顯出一種奇異的表情。她兩眼盯著正前方，臉部肌肉在微微抽搐。她向站在座椅后面的印度男仆做了個(gè)手勢，對他耳語了幾句。男仆兩眼睜得大大的，迅速地離開了餐室。close6RT Of th

8、e guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors.在座的客人中除了那位美國人以外誰也沒注意到這一幕，也沒有看到那個(gè)男仆把一碗牛奶放在緊靠門邊的走廊上。close7RT The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing bait for a snake. He realizes t

9、here must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters the likeliest place but they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left under the table.那個(gè)美國人突然醒悟過來。在印度，碗中的牛奶只有一個(gè)意思引蛇的誘餌。他意識到餐室里一定有條眼鏡蛇。他

10、抬頭看了看屋頂上的椽子那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方但那上面空蕩蕩的。室內(nèi)的三個(gè)角落里也是空的，而在第四個(gè)角落里，仆人們正在等著上下一道菜。這樣，剩下的就只有一個(gè)地方了餐桌下面。close8RT His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone.他首

11、先想到的是往后一跳，并向其他人發(fā)出警告。但他知道這樣會(huì)引起騷亂，致使眼鏡蛇受驚咬人。于是他很快講了一通話，其語氣非常威嚴(yán)，竟使得所有的人都安靜了下來。close9RT "I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred that's five minutes and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready!"“我想了解一下

12、在座的諸位到底有多大的克制能力，我數(shù)三百下也就是五分鐘你們誰都不許動(dòng)一動(dòng)。動(dòng)者將罰款五十盧比。準(zhǔn)備好！” close10RT The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying ". two hundred and eighty." when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the

13、veranda doors safely shut.在他數(shù)數(shù)的過程中，那二十個(gè)人都像一尊尊石雕一樣端坐在那兒。當(dāng)他數(shù)到 “二百八十”時(shí)，突然從眼角處看到那條眼鏡蛇鉆了出來，向那碗牛奶爬去。在他跳起來把通往走廊的門全都砰砰地牢牢關(guān)上時(shí)，室內(nèi)響起了一片尖叫聲。 close11RT "You were right, Major!" the host exclaims. "A man has just shown us an example of perfect self-control."“你剛才說得很對，少校！” 男主人大聲說?！耙粋€(gè)男子剛剛為我們顯示了從容不迫、鎮(zhèn)定自若的范例?！?close12RT "Just a minute," the American says, turning to his hostess. "Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room