The Colour of the Sky阿尔弗雷德•拉塞尔•华莱斯Alfred Russel Wallace晴空万里的夏日，如果我们观察一下天空，且背向太阳，极目仰望，就会发现头顶上空的蓝色最纯净，最浓郁。If we look at the sky on a perfectly fine summer’s day we shall find that the blue colour is the most pure and intense overhead when looking high up in a direction opposite to the sun.🎈“如果我们观察一下天空”和“且背向太阳，极目仰望”是“就会发现头顶上空的蓝色…”的两个前提条件，可以将条件1放在if从句中，条件2附加在主句中，处理成一个when引导的时间状从:when (we’re) looking high up…。靠近天边，色彩往往较暗淡，太阳周围的地方则略呈黄色。Near the horizon it is always less bright, while in the region immediately around the sun it is more or less yellow.🎈句中的it指sky。“往往较暗淡”体现了天空色彩的渐变，译作less bright比译dim要好。immediately around the sun中immediately相当于closely，意为“紧接地;紧靠地;贴近地”。“略呈黄色”→多多少少呈现出一丝黄色，译作is more or less yellow，其中，more or less意为“或多或少”。这是因为我们向天边望去时，目光要穿过一层极厚的低空大气层，其中布满颗粒较大的尘埃，反射出白光，这就冲淡了天际高空大气层的纯蓝色。The reason of this is that near the horizon we look through a very great thickness of the lower atmosphere, which is full of the larger dust particles reflecting white light, and this dilutes the pure blue of the higher atmosphere seen beyond.🎈The reason of this is that…中that引导表语从句，注意与the reason why/that…is…句型区分开。🎈“其中布满颗粒较大的尘埃，反射出白光”中“其中”顺接上句的“低空大气层”，译时自然而然地选用定语从句句式进行衔接。又，“尘埃”dust particles，PM2.5（大气中直径小于或等于2.5微米的颗粒物,也称为可入肺颗粒物）全称是fine particulate matter。在太阳附近，大量蓝光则由细微的尘埃反射回太空，这样，主要由低空大气层的粗粒尘埃反射到地面的光线，便带有浅黄色。And in the vicinity of the sun a good deal of the blue light is reflected back into space by the finer dust, thus giving a yellowish tinge to that which reaches us reflected chiefly from the coarse dust of the lower atmosphere.🎈在……周围/附近 in the vicinity of🎈a lot of, a great/good deal of, plenty of, a great amount of, a great quantity of这些短语都表示“许多”或“大量”的意思。🎈, thus giving a yellowish tinge to that which reaches us reflected chiefly from the coarse dust of the lower atmosphere：其中thus后接现在分词，表示“于是、这样”。that指the blue light，在定从中是先行词，关系词则习惯用which。不过，在日出日落时，由于光线到达地面需要穿过厚厚的大气层，这种反射效果大大增强了。At sunset and sunrise, however, this last effect is greatly intensified, owing to the great thickness of the strata of air through which the light reaches us.🎈大气层、空气层the strata of air🎈表示“因为”，可选的表达很多，比如：because of、due to、thanks to、owing to等。只有在这种时候，我们才可以直视太阳，即使万里长空没有一点云彩，不见一丝雾霭。这就充分显示了低空尘埃的数量之大。The enormous amount of this dust is well shown by the fact that only then we can look full at the sun, even when the whole sky is free from clouds and there is no apparent mist.🎈充分显示了…is well shown by…。显示demonstrate/show/reveal/display🎈没有一点云彩is free from clouds免税duty-free/ interest-free/tax-free🎈只有在这种时候only then，其中then是副词，指“当时、那时、届时”。但是太阳的光线终于到达了地面。它们先是穿过厚度极大的高空大气层，其中的细微尘埃把大部分蓝色的光反射掉了，让补色的黄光继续通行。But the sun’s rays then reach us after having passed, first, through an enormous thickness of the higher strata of the air, the minute dust of which reflects most of the blue rays away from us, leaving the complementary yellow light to pass on.🎈（太阳的）光线light/rays/sunlight🎈注意after和before这对词在翻译中的应用。🎈微尘minute dust，其中minute是形容词，意同fine，表示“非常细小的;十分微小的”。然后，粗粒尘埃又反射掉绿色的光，让偏橙色的光继续通行；最后，部分黄色的光也反射掉，剩下几乎是纯红色的了。Then, the somewhat coarser dust reflects the green rays, leaving a more orange-coloured light to pass on; and finally some of the yellow is reflected, leaving almost pure red.🎈the somewhat coarser dust ：a(little) bit, a little, slightly, somewhat, any等常放在比较级前,表示两者差别不大,常译为“一些”、“一点”、“稍微”。不过，由于不断出现气流，把尘埃与水汽分层排列，广度不均，密度各异，加上高低空常有云层，不同程度地吸收并反射阳光，我们这才看到各种奇异的色调斑剥陆离，诸多绚丽的色彩变化万千；任何人只要有幸将西天的景致一览无余，只要有心观看大自然不时展现的那一幅幅瞬息万变的彩画，都会为之赞不绝口，喜不自胜。But owing to the constant presence of air currents, arranging both the dust and vapour in strata of varying extent and density, and of high or low clouds which both absorb and reflect the light in varying degrees, we can see all those wondrous combinations of tints and those gorgeous ever-changing colours which are a constant source of admiration and delight to all who have the advantage of an uninterrupted view to the west and who are accustomed to watch for those not infrequent exhibitions of nature’s kaleidoscopic colour painting.🎈翻译这一段的难点集中在对句子的整合，我们可以借鉴参考译文的处理方式。1、词性转换：不断出现气流→气流的不断出现the constant presence of air currents。2、用of结构或从句译较长的修饰成分：“广度不均，密度各异”修饰“（尘埃、水汽）分层”，“不同程度地吸收并反射阳光”修饰“（高低空的）云层”。3、重写句子（recasting）：“任何人只要……都会为之赞不绝口，喜不自胜”即“……”是“为之赞不绝口，喜不自胜”的原因或缘由，故译which are a constant source of…to all who…。随着夕阳缓缓西坠，这种景观也不断变幻；尤其是在太阳沉入地平线之后，由于角度更加适宜，五颜六色的光就都反射到地面上来。With every change in the altitude of the sun the display changes its character; and most of all when it has sunk below the horizon, and owing to the more favourable angles a larger quantity of the coloured light is reflected toward us. 🎈“随着…”用with或as相应结构表示均可。学习“缓缓西坠→高度变化every change in the altitude of the sun”的译法。🎈most of all是“尤其是”的意思。例如：Recent decades, and the 1990s most of all, drove these points home with terrible clarity. 最近几十年，尤其是20世纪90年代，已经把这几点表现得触目惊心。🎈文中出现的“反射到地面”，并未译ground，而是多采用reach/reflect toward us。 遇有些许云雾，更是如此。Especially when there is a certain amount of cloud is this the case.🎈译文采用了倒装结构，正常语序应为…this is the case，the case对应“如此”。另，该句也可译为Such is the case for/The same is even more true for the occasion when there is a certain amount of cloud.本来，只要太阳还位于地平线之上，云雾便截住了不少阳光和色彩；而今太阳从我们的视野消失，阳光便更为直接地照射到密度各异的重重云霭与层层大气的底部；These, so long as the sun was above the horizon, intercepted much of the light and colour; but when the great luminary has passed away from our direct vision, his light shines more directly on the under sides of all the clouds and air strata of different densities; 🎈句首的“本来”和后面的“而今”对应，应按“以前”之意理解，所以用了一般过去时。🎈从我们的视野消失…has passed away from our direct vision扑入你的视野的是all you see before you is看不见、消失在视野中visible to the (naked) eyes消失在视野中out of sight在视野范围内、可以看见的in sight一片崭新的、更加灿烂的阳光染红了西天，一幅景观色彩绚丽，变化万千，观赏者固然赏心悦目，丹青手只好自叹莫及。a new and more brilliant light flushes the western sky, and a display of gorgeous ever-changing tints occurs which are at once the delight of the beholder and the despair of the artist.🎈“染红了”：看到“染”字，我们可能会想到tinge一词，但这个单词却缺乏“红”的意思，需要再说明，而flush一词则可以表示“使……发红”，更省空间。“观赏者固然赏心悦目，丹青手只好自叹莫及”译作are the delight of the beholder and the despair of the artist，也可直接用及物动词译，写作delight sb and shame sb（使……自愧不如）🎈ever-用以构成形容词，强调持续状态一直、不断。🎈“丹青手”指画家，如明·李玉《占花魁·第二三出》费骚人携遍诗囊，丹青手岂易摹肖！🎈观赏者beholder/spectator/observer而我们之所以能领略如此无与伦比的美景，全应归功于——尘埃！And all this unsurpassable glory we owe to—dust!🎈这句话有两点需要注意：1、英语中，有些倒装并非是出于语法上的需要，而是为了达到某种修辞效果，如强调、平衡、衔接等。2、固定表达：把A归功于B owe A to B。例句梁实秋《学问与趣味》任公先生的学问之所以那样的博大精深，涉笔成趣，左右逢源，不能不说的一大部分<得力于>他的学问根底之打得坚固。There is no denying the fact that Mr. Liang owed his wide erudition and unusual literary talent, for the most part, to his good grasp of foundation knowledge.🔥必背词汇intense adj.强烈的，剧烈的，极度的英义Intense is used to describe something that is very great or extreme in strength or degree.例句He was sweating from the intense heat.高温酷热让他大汗淋漓。overhead adj.在头顶上的，在上面的，高架的英义You use overhead to indicate that something is above you or above the place that you are talking about.例句She turned on the overhead light and looked around the little room.她打开头顶上方的灯，环视了一圈这个小房间。dilute v.使稀释，使冲淡英义If a liquid is diluted or dilutes, it is added to or mixes with water or another liquid, and becomes weaker.例句If you give your baby juice, dilute it well with cooled, boiled water.如果给婴儿喝果汁，要用凉开水充分稀释。vicinity n.邻近地区，附近英义If something is in the vicinity of a particular place, it is near it.例句There were a hundred or so hotels in the vicinity of the railway station.在火车站附近大约有100家旅馆。🔥重点表达背向太阳，极目仰望looking high up in a direction opposite to the sun一层极厚的低空大气层a very great thickness of the lower atmosphere冲淡dilute在太阳附近in the vicinity of the sun大量a good deal of细微的尘埃the fine(r) dust粗粒尘埃the coarse dust微尘minute dust大气层、空气层the strata of air由于owing to…充分显示了…is well shown by…没有一点云彩is free from clouds随着夕阳缓缓西坠，这种景观也不断变幻With every change in the altitude of the sun the display changes its character沉入地平线has sunk below the horizon五颜六色的光the coloured light从我们的视野消失…has passed away from our direct vision染红了西天flush the western sky一幅景观色彩绚丽，变化万千a display of gorgeous ever-changing tints把A归功于B owe A to B🔥复盘测试背向太阳，极目仰望一层极厚的低空大气层冲淡在太阳附近大量细微的尘埃粗粒尘埃微尘大气层、空气层由于充分显示了没有一点云彩随着夕阳缓缓西坠，这种景观也不断变幻沉入地平线五颜六色的光从我们的视野消失染红了西天一幅景观色彩绚丽，变化万千把A归功于B 🔥表达对比「周围、附近」有几种表达？And in the vicinity of the sun a good deal of the blue light is reflected back into space by the finer dust, thus giving a yellowish tinge to that which reaches us reflected chiefly from the coarse dust of the lower atmosphere.在太阳附近，大量蓝光则由细微的尘埃反射回太空，这样，主要由低空大气层的粗粒尘埃反射到地面的光线，便带有浅黄色。There were a lot of trees near the house, but no people lived near it.房子（附近）有许多树，但无人住在附近。Rwanda is to hold talks with leaders of neighbouring countries next week.卢旺达下周将与（周边）国家的领导人举行会谈。He might easily have been seen by someone who lived nearby.（住在附近）的人很可能有谁见过他。I took up the time admiring my surroundings.我趁这时欣赏（周围的环境）
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