韩素音青年翻译奖/第18届(2006) 汉译英: 读书苦乐 (杨绛)

T'ao Yuanming, a famous scholar in Jin Dynasty, who doted on reading, might probably feel baffled if he were living today and had to take exams for getting into universities or graduate programs or to score well in such tests as the TOEFL.

I'm afraid he might fail the exam in Political Economics, as the result of his motto "staying content with superficial reading".

T'ao Yuanming, a famous scholar in Jin Dynasty, who doted on reading, might probably feel baffled if he were living today and had to take exams for getting into universities or graduate programs or to score well in such tests as the TOEFL.

I'm afraid he might fail the exam in Political Economics, as the result of his motto "staying content with superficial reading".

T'ao Yuanming, a famous scholar in Jin Dynasty, who doted on reading, might probably feel baffled if he were living today and had to take exams for getting into universities or graduate programs or to score well in such tests as the TOEFL.

I'm afraid he might fail the exam in Political Economics, as the result of his motto "staying content with superficial reading".

T'ao Yuanming, a famous scholar in Jin Dynasty, who doted on reading, might probably feel baffled if he were living today and had to take exams for getting into universities or graduate programs or to score well in such tests as the TOEFL.

I'm afraid he might fail the exam in Political Economics, as the result of his motto "staying content with superficial reading".

T'ao Yuanming, a famous scholar in Jin Dynasty, who doted on reading, might probably feel baffled if he were living today and had to take exams for getting into universities or graduate programs or to score well in such tests as the TOEFL.

I'm afraid he might fail the exam in Political Economics, as the result of his motto "staying content with superficial reading".

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Nevertheless, "enjoying reading" doesn't mean seeking indulgence, whose truth can only be shared with like-minded people, but goes beyond those without similar experiences

Visiting a well-respected teacher or paying homage to a renowned scholar doesn't necessarily require appointment in advance and we won't feel as if we were disturbing him.

Opening the book is like getting into the door uninvited; and turning a few pages, we may find ourselves in his study.

Besides, we can go visit him as frequently as we want and at any time we wish.

If we fail to get the pith of his argument, we can just leave without saying "good-bye" or turn to someone else for help, and come back to challenge him.

We can get close to the host and listen to every word he has to say, no matter where he resides, at home or abroad, what a person he was or is, a contemporary or a man of the past, whatever field he specializes in, or whether he is talking about a serious subject of importance or simply chatting plus cracking jokes.

We can sit in, in due reverence, and listen as Confucius' disciples recount their master's legacy of teachings, or playfully ask Mencius, who likes to prattle about nothing but kindness and justice, whether or not he would become a pious Marxist preacher, should he live in our time.

We can stay by the side of Socrates at his execution and listen to him talking to his friend, or harbor doubt as we ponder the truth of Discourse by Epictetus, a Stoic Philosopher.

We can indulge ourselves in the anecdotes and amazing tales of the past, and appreciate the profound nouveau theories of our own age or hear sensational arguments meant to shock the world.

In a nutshell, we can bang the door shut —closing the book that is —the minute we find anything disagreeable or distasteful, and leave forthwith.

No one will blame us.

This is the kind of freedom we can hardly expect other than from the books.

Visiting a well-respected teacher or paying homage to a renowned scholar doesn't necessarily require appointment in advance and we won't feel as if we were disturbing him.

Opening the book is like getting into the door uninvited; and turning a few pages, we may find ourselves in his study.

Besides, we can go visit him as frequently as we want and at any time we wish.

If we fail to get the pith of his argument, we can just leave without saying "good-bye" or turn to someone else for help, and come back to challenge him.

We can get close to the host and listen to every word he has to say, no matter where he resides, at home or abroad, what a person he was or is, a contemporary or a man of the past, whatever field he specializes in, or whether he is talking about a serious subject of importance or simply chatting plus cracking jokes.

We can sit in, in due reverence, and listen as Confucius' disciples recount their master's legacy of teachings, or playfully ask Mencius, who likes to prattle about nothing but kindness and justice, whether or not he would become a pious Marxist preacher, should he live in our time.

We can stay by the side of Socrates at his execution and listen to him talking to his friend, or harbor doubt as we ponder the truth of Discourse by Epictetus, a Stoic Philosopher.

We can indulge ourselves in the anecdotes and amazing tales of the past, and appreciate the profound nouveau theories of our own age or hear sensational arguments meant to shock the world.

In a nutshell, we can bang the door shut —closing the book that is —the minute we find anything disagreeable or distasteful, and leave forthwith.

No one will blame us.

This is the kind of freedom we can hardly expect other than from the books.

Visiting a well-respected teacher or paying homage to a renowned scholar doesn't necessarily require appointment in advance and we won't feel as if we were disturbing him.

Opening the book is like getting into the door uninvited; and turning a few pages, we may find ourselves in his study.

Besides, we can go visit him as frequently as we want and at any time we wish.

If we fail to get the pith of his argument, we can just leave without saying "good-bye" or turn to someone else for help, and come back to challenge him.

We can get close to the host and listen to every word he has to say, no matter where he resides, at home or abroad, what a person he was or is, a contemporary or a man of the past, whatever field he specializes in, or whether he is talking about a serious subject of importance or simply chatting plus cracking jokes.

We can sit in, in due reverence, and listen as Confucius' disciples recount their master's legacy of teachings, or playfully ask Mencius, who likes to prattle about nothing but kindness and justice, whether or not he would become a pious Marxist preacher, should he live in our time.

We can stay by the side of Socrates at his execution and listen to him talking to his friend, or harbor doubt as we ponder the truth of Discourse by Epictetus, a Stoic Philosopher.

We can indulge ourselves in the anecdotes and amazing tales of the past, and appreciate the profound nouveau theories of our own age or hear sensational arguments meant to shock the world.

In a nutshell, we can bang the door shut —closing the book that is —the minute we find anything disagreeable or distasteful, and leave forthwith.

No one will blame us.

This is the kind of freedom we can hardly expect other than from the books.

Likewise, every book, be it a novel, a play, a biography, or a book of traveling notes, of journals, and of even essays or of poems, contains a world of its own, with its own sun, moon, and stars and its own live characters between heaven and earth.

There is really no need trotting all the way to places and paying admission fees, merely to view imitations or vivid "substitutes", when we can simply open a book and find ourselves in real situations and meet real characters for a close contact.

Likewise, every book, be it a novel, a play, a biography, or a book of traveling notes, of journals, and of even essays or of poems, contains a world of its own, with its own sun, moon, and stars and its own live characters between heaven and earth.

There is really no need trotting all the way to places and paying admission fees, merely to view imitations or vivid "substitutes", when we can simply open a book and find ourselves in real situations and meet real characters for a close contact.

Likewise, every book, be it a novel, a play, a biography, or a book of traveling notes, of journals, and of even essays or of poems, contains a world of its own, with its own sun, moon, and stars and its own live characters between heaven and earth.

There is really no need trotting all the way to places and paying admission fees, merely to view imitations or vivid "substitutes", when we can simply open a book and find ourselves in real situations and meet real characters for a close contact.

Likewise, every book, be it a novel, a play, a biography, or a book of traveling notes, of journals, and of even essays or of poems, contains a world of its own, with its own sun, moon, and stars and its own live characters between heaven and earth.

There is really no need trotting all the way to places and paying admission fees, merely to view imitations or vivid "substitutes", when we can simply open a book and find ourselves in real situations and meet real characters for a close contact.

Likewise, every book, be it a novel, a play, a biography, or a book of traveling notes, of journals, and of even essays or of poems, contains a world of its own, with its own sun, moon, and stars and its own live characters between heaven and earth.

There is really no need trotting all the way to places and paying admission fees, merely to view imitations or vivid "substitutes", when we can simply open a book and find ourselves in real situations and meet real characters for a close contact.

Likewise, every book, be it a novel, a play, a biography, or a book of traveling notes, of journals, and of even essays or of poems, contains a world of its own, with its own sun, moon, and stars and its own live characters between heaven and earth.

There is really no need trotting all the way to places and paying admission fees, merely to view imitations or vivid "substitutes", when we can simply open a book and find ourselves in real situations and meet real characters for a close contact.

Likewise, every book, be it a novel, a play, a biography, or a book of traveling notes, of journals, and of even essays or of poems, contains a world of its own, with its own sun, moon, and stars and its own live characters between heaven and earth.

There is really no need trotting all the way to places and paying admission fees, merely to view imitations or vivid "substitutes", when we can simply open a book and find ourselves in real situations and meet real characters for a close contact.