The Enchantment of Creeks（迷人的小溪）

名称：The Enchantment of Creeks（迷人的小溪）
内容简介：
世界英语散文精卒
[00:03.49]It flowsbetween us,over us andwith us.
[00:06.49]它(小溪)流淌在我们中间,在我们身上,跟随着我们,
[00:09.49]And it is time,strength,tone,light,life,and love.
[00:13.60]它就是时间、力量、音律、光明、生活和爱。
[00:17.71]--Robert Frost
[00:18.65]————罗伯特.弗罗斯特
[00:19.59]The Enchantmentof Creeks
[00:20.74]迷人的小溪
[00:21.88]By Peter Steinhart
[00:26.22]彼得.斯坦哈特
[00:30.56]Creeks don't getnamed for Civil Wargenerals or Indiachiefs.
[00:33.34]小溪从不以内战时的将军或印第安酋长的名字命名，
[00:36.12]They take theirnames fromwhatever's handy;
[00:37.57]它们的名字都是信手拈来的;
[00:39.03]Rock Creek, MillCreek or Mud Creek.
[00:41.17]石溪、磨坊溪抑或土溪
[00:43.31]They don't getcelebrated istravel literatureor national anthems.
[00:45.69]小溪也不是游记或国歌赞美的对象，
[00:48.08]Creeks are thetrivial part ofour landscape,
[00:49.68]它们只是风景中微不足道的一个角落，
[00:51.28]what scoundrels andrusting shoppingcarts are throwninto.
[00:53.52]是丢弃垃圾和废旧购物车的地方。
[00:55.76]But nearly everybodyhas a creek in hispast,
[00:57.38]然而几乎每个人过去都曾有过一条小溪，
[00:59.01]a confiding waterwaythat rose in thespring of youth.
[01:01.17]一条流淌于内心深处的少年时代的小溪。
[01:03.34]A park ranger'svoice softens as hetalks of a boyhoodcreek in Louisiana
[01:05.88]一个守园人谈及他儿时在路易斯安那州一条小溪里
[01:08.41]where he swamand fished.
[01:09.62]游泳、捞鱼，语调便柔和起来；
[01:10.82]A conservationist'seyes sparkle as herecalls buildingdams
[01:12.99]一个环保工作者记起少时在加利福尼亚州的草莓溪边筑水坝
[01:15.16]on Strawberry Creekin the California ofhis youth
[01:16.98]双眼就熠熠发光
[01:18.80]An Ohio woman feelssuddenly at homeagain
[01:20.55]俄亥俄州的一位妇女每每忆起
[01:22.29]as she rememberscatching crayfishin the creek behindher parents' house.
[01:25.03]在父母屋后的小溪中捉虾的情景，便恍如重回故乡
[01:27.76]My creekwound betweenGrandfather'sapricot orchard
[01:29.63]我孩童时代的小溪蜿蜒流淌于祖父的杏树园
[01:31.50]and a neighbor'shillside pasture.
[01:32.78]和邻家山腰上的草场之间。
[01:34.06]Its banks wereshaded by cotton-woods andredwood trees
[01:36.10]两岸是浓郁的三角叶杨和红树
[01:38.14]and thick tangle ofblackberries andwild grapevines.
[01:40.24]还有密密匝匝、盘根错节的野葡萄藤和黑果莓
[01:42.33]On hot summer daysthe quiet waterflowed clear andcold over gravel bars
[01:45.31]炎热的夏日里，清凉的溪水静静流过露出水面的小沙堆
[01:48.28]where I fishedfor trout.
[01:49.63]我就站在这些小沙堆上钓鳟鱼。
[01:50.99]Nothing historicever happens inthese recollectedcreeks.
[01:53.15]在这些记忆中的小溪里从未发生过什么惊天动地的大事
[01:55.32]But theirpersistence inmemory suggests
[01:56.45]然而这些小溪却长久地驻留在脑海深处，
[01:57.59]that creeks arebigger than theyseem,
[01:58.99]它们远比看上去的更宽广，
[02:00.39]more a part of ourhearts and mindsthan mighty rivers.
[02:02.76]远比汹涌澎湃的江河更是我们心灵的一部分。
[02:05.12]Creek time ismeasured in thelives of strangecreatures,
[02:06.92]小溪是以一些奇特的小动物的生命来计算
[02:08.71]in sandfleckedcaddis worms underthe rocks,
[02:10.53]那些藏匿于石块底下裹着沙粒的石蛾幼虫，
[02:12.35]sudden gossamerclouds of mayfliesin the afternoon,
[02:14.44]那些午后如浮云般忽然飘来的蜉蝣，
[02:16.54]or minnows dartinglike slivers ofinspiration into thedimness of creek fate
[02:19.61]还有窜上跳下的鲦鱼，银鳞闪耀，宛若点点灵光投入命途多舛的小溪
[02:22.69]Mysteries float increeks' riffles,crawl over theirpebbled bottoms
[02:25.20]小溪里每个微波都翻卷着神奇的浪花，匍匐于鹅卵石水底
[02:27.71]and slink underthe roots oftrees.
[02:29.16]潜行于树根下。
[02:30.61]While rivers areheavy withsophisticationand sediment,
[02:32.56]大江大河满是诡秘和积淀，显得那样沉重
[02:34.50]creeks are clear,innocent,boisterous,full of dream andpromise.
[02:37.06]而小溪却是清澈、纯真、活泼的，充满梦想和希望。
[02:39.62]A child can wadeacross them withouta parent's cautions.
[02:41.67]孩子们无须父母的告戒，便可以从小溪涉水而过。
[02:43.71]You can go it alone,jig for crayfish,swing from ropesalong the bank.
[02:47.35]他们也可以独自一人去小溪玩耍。在水中蹦来跳去捉小虾，在岸边系根绳子荡秋千。
[02:50.99]Creeks belong tochildhood, drawingyou into the widerworld,
[02:53.55]小溪属于童年，把孩子们引领向一个更广阔的世界，
[02:56.11]teaching you thecurve of theearth.
[02:57.90]教会孩子们勾勒大地蜿蜒的轮廓。
[02:59.70]Above all, a creekoffers the mind achance
[03:01.47]更重要的是，小溪能让心灵
[03:03.25]to penetrate thealien universeof water, oftadpoles and trout.
[03:05.76]走进一个奇特的属于蝌蚪和鳟鱼的水中世界。
[03:08.27]What drifts increek water
[03:09.33]在小溪中漂流的
[03:10.39]is the possibilityof other worldsinside and aboveour own.
[03:13.07]是另一番世界，既在我们这个世界之中，又在我们这个世界之外。
[03:15.75]Poet Robert Frostwrote:
[03:16.86]正如诗人罗伯特·弗罗斯特所写的：
[03:17.97]"It flows betweenus, over us, andwith us.
[03:20.31]"它(小溪)流淌在我们中间，在我们身上，跟随着我们，
[03:22.64]And it is time,strength, tone,light, life,and love."
[03:27.07]它就是时间、力量、音律、光明、生活和爱。
[03:31.50]Creeks lead one on,like perfume on thewind.
[03:33.42]小溪就像那迎风飘来的芳香，领着我们前进
[03:35.34]A creek is somethingthat disappearsaround a bend,
[03:37.36]它们会在弯处消失，
[03:39.38]into the ground,into the nextdimension.
[03:41.28]钻进土里，钻进另一处空间。
[03:43.17]To follow a creekis to seek newacquaintance withlife.
[03:45.41]所以追随小溪就是寻觅生活新的体验。
[03:47.65]I still find myselffollowing creeks.
[03:49.27]我至今仍常去追寻小溪。
[03:50.90]In high mountainmeadows I'll tracetheir course intothe limegreen grass
[03:53.50]在高山的草原上，我循着它们的足迹来到娇绿的草丛中
[03:56.11]and deep glacialduff, marveling atthe sparkle ofquartz and mica.
[03:58.94]或是清冷的枯叶深处，总会看到闪亮的云母和石英，每每令我惊叹不已
[04:01.77]The pursuitliquefies mycitified haste
[04:03.47]这种追寻能洗去我都市生活的匆忙，
[04:05.17]and lifts weightfrom my shoulders.
[04:06.92]卸去我肩头的重负。
[04:08.66]Once, in theCaliforniadesert,
[04:09.72]有一次，在加利福尼亚的沙漠中，
[04:10.78]as hummingbirdsdarted from cactusblossoms,
[04:12.28]看着蜂鸟在仙人掌花间往来飞舞，
[04:13.78]I heard the babbleof rushing water.
[04:15.31]忽然听见潺潺流水声。
[04:16.84]My ears led me overdusty hillsides anddown scabrousravines
[04:19.47]我循声穿过尘积的山坡，走下陡峭的峡谷，
[04:22.10]to an unexpectedribbon of clear,cold water, leapingfrom rock to rock,
[04:25.03]眼前竟是一条清凉的小溪，跃过一块又一块岩石，
[04:27.96]filling littlepools.
[04:28.89]注入一汪汪小水洼中
[04:29.83]The discoveryseemed Biblical.It filled me withjoy.
[04:32.41]这一切仿佛是上帝的安排，我不禁心旷神怡。
[04:35.00]My boyhood creeklong ago fell victimto ground-waterpumping,
[04:37.54]我儿时的小溪早已被用来抽取地下水
[04:40.07]subdivision andchannelizationinto San FranciscoBay.
[04:42.36]分流和建造水渠，把水引入旧金山湾。
[04:44.65]Not a single oneis left withoutat least somestretch straightened
[04:46.79]如今，没有一条小溪不是加上了笔直的出口
[04:48.93]and enclosed inconcrete.
[04:50.13]并且用混凝土围了起来
[04:51.34]With the creekswent the intimaciesof the valley,
[04:52.96]小溪已不在，随之而去的是山谷的亲昵，
[04:54.59]the song of thrushesthe cool shadeof cottonwoods,inspiration.
[04:57.69]画眉的鸣唱，三角叶杨的阴翳，还有灵气。
[05:00.79]But I keep yetanother visionof creeks asconsolation.
[05:02.88]然而，在我脑海里，总有小溪的另一种幻景慰藉我。
[05:04.97]In it,the waterflows through asmall alpine meadowin the Sierra Nevada
[05:07.85]在这图景中。有条小溪流过内华达山脉上一个小小的草原
[05:10.73]It is summer, andthe late afternoonsun lines the goldenhaze with long,
[05:13.32]时值盛夏，黄昏的斜阳洒下金色的余辉，这幽辉镶着森林长长的
[05:15.90]blue forest shadows.
[05:17.04]淡蓝的倩影。
[05:18.17]My six-year-oldson's blond haircatches the light
[05:20.11]我那六岁的儿子
[05:22.05]as he stretchesa fishing rod overthe creek
[05:23.65]将鱼竿拉长，他那金色的头发浸在光影中。
[05:25.25]The water fairlyboils with leapingrainbow trout.
[05:27.51]欢蹦乱跳的虹鳟鱼溅起朵朵浪花，
[05:29.78]They dartimpulsively，
[05:30.71]它们上下跳跃
[05:31.65]trying to draw himinto their worldjust as he tries tolure them to his.
[05:34.29]试图将儿子吸引到它们的世界中去，而儿子也在引诱它们到自己的世界中来。
[05:36.92]When one finallybecomes snagged,the boy dancestriumphantly,
[05:39.33]终于有一条咬 钩了，儿子得意地手舞足蹈。
[05:41.74]the silvery fishwriggling on hisupheld leader.
[05:43.74]银亮的鱼在鱼线上扑腾着，