"She said she would dance with me if I brought her red roses," cried the young student, "but in all my garden there is no red rose. Happiness depends on such little things! I have studied all the secrets of philosophy, yet the want of a red rose has made my life miserable." His eyes filled with tears.
「她說如果我帶給她紅玫瑰,她就會和我跳舞,」年輕的學生喊道,「但我所有的花園裡都沒有紅玫瑰。幸福竟取決於這樣的小東西上!我研讀了哲學的所有奧秘,然而缺少了一朵紅玫瑰,我的人生變得悲慘。」他的雙眼充滿了淚水。
A nightingale in a nearby oak tree heard the sorrow in the student's voice. "Here is a true lover," she thought. "I have sung about him, even though I never knew him. Now I see him. He is beautiful, but sorrow weighs heavily on his heart."
附近橡樹上的夜鶯聽到了學生聲音中的哀愁。「這是一個真正的愛人,」她思考著。「我唱了關於他的歌,儘管我從來不認識他。現在我看到他。他是美麗的,但悲傷沉重地壓著他的心。」
"The Prince is giving a ball tomorrow night," muttered the student, "and the professor's daughter will be there. If I bring her a red rose, she will dance with me till dawn, and I will hold her in my arms and clasp her hand in mine. But there is no red rose in my garden, so she will ignore me, and my heart will break." He flung himself down on the grass and wept. The nightingale sat in the oak tree and thought. Suddenly, she spread her wings and flew across the garden to a beautiful rose tree.
「王子明晚要辦舞會,」學生喃喃地說,「教授的女兒會去。如果我帶給她一朵紅玫瑰,她會和我徹夜共舞,我會把她抱在懷裡,把她的手緊握在我的手裡。但我的花園裡沒有紅玫瑰,所以她不會理我,而我會心碎。」他撲倒在草地上哭了起來。夜鶯坐在橡樹上思考著。突然,她張開翅膀,飛過花園,來到一棵美麗的玫瑰樹。
"Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you my sweetest song." But the tree shook its head. "My roses are white," it answered. Then the nightingale asked another rose tree, but it shook its head as well. "My roses are yellow," it said. Finally, she flew to the rose tree growing beneath the student's window. "Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you my sweetest song." The tree shook its head. "My roses are red," it answered, "but the winter frost has nipped my buds, and a storm has broken my branches. I will have no roses this year."
「給我一朵紅玫瑰,」她喊道,「我會給你唱最甜美的歌。」但這棵樹搖了搖頭。「我的玫瑰是白色的,」它回答。隨後,夜鶯又問了另一棵玫瑰樹,但它也搖了搖頭。「我的玫瑰是黃色的,」它說。最後,她飛到生長在學生窗戶下的玫瑰樹上。「給我一朵紅玫瑰,」她喊道,「我會給你唱最甜美的歌。」這棵樹搖了搖頭。「我的玫瑰是紅色的,」它回答道,「但是冬天的霜把我的花蕾凍斷了,暴風雨把我的樹枝折斷了。今年我沒有玫瑰。」
"One red rose is all I want," cried the nightingale. "Is there any way you can give it to me?" "There is a way," answered the tree, "but it is a terrible one. If you want a red rose, you must sing to me all night long with your breast against a thorn. The thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins."
「我只是想要一朵紅玫瑰,」夜鶯喊叫著。「你有任何辦法可以給我一朵嗎?」「有個辦法,」樹回答道,「但那是一個可怕的方式。如果妳想要一朵紅玫瑰,妳必須將妳的胸口抵著玫瑰花刺,唱一整晚的歌給我聽。刺必須刺穿妳的心臟,妳全身的血液必須流入我的葉脈。」
"Death is a great price to pay for a red rose, and life is dear to everyone," cried the nightingale. "Yet love is better than life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?" She flew back to where the student was lying. "Be happy!" she cried. "You will have your red rose. I merely ask that you be a true lover." The student looked up and listened, but he could not understand what the nightingale was saying. "Her song is beautiful," he thought. "That cannot be denied, but it has no feeling. She is like most artists, all style without sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others." He went back to his room and tossed and turned in his bed until he fell asleep.
「死亡是為紅玫瑰付出的巨大代價,每個人的生命都是寶貴的,」夜鶯喊道。「然而,愛情更勝過生命,而且與人的心相比,一隻鳥的心算什麼?」她飛回學生躺在的地方。「快樂一點!」她喊著。「你會得到你的紅玫瑰。我只要求你當一個真正的愛人」。學生抬起頭來聽著,但他不明白夜鶯在說什麼。「她的歌很好聽」,他想。「那不容否認,但牠沒有情感。她和大多數表演者一樣,只講究風格,沒有真誠。她不會為了別人犧牲自己。」他回到自己的房間,在床上輾轉反側直到睡著。
When the moon shone, the nightingale flew to the rose tree and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast and her blood faded away. Meanwhile, on the highest branch of the tree blossomed a marvelous rose, one petal at a time. The tree spoke to the nightingale. "Press closer, little nightingale," cried the tree, "or morning will come before the rose is finished." When the thorn pierced the nightingale's heart, a fierce pain shot through her. The rose turned a deep crimson as the nightingale's voice grew fainter. She gave one last burst of music. "Look!" cried the tree. "The rose is finished now." But the nightingale lay dead in the long grass.
月光閃耀之時,夜鶯飛到玫瑰樹上,把她的胸抵在刺上。整個晚上,她都在唱歌,刺在她的胸口越刺越深,她的血液逐漸流失。同時,在樹的最高枝條上,一朵神奇的玫瑰綻放,一次一片花瓣。樹對夜鶯說著。「靠近點,小夜鶯,」樹喊叫著,「不然紅色玫瑰還沒有完成天就要亮了。」當刺刺穿夜鶯的心臟時,一陣劇痛穿透她。隨著夜鶯的聲音越來越微弱,玫瑰變成深紅。她奮力地唱出了最後一曲。「看!」樹叫著。「玫瑰現在已經完成了。」但是夜鶯躺在長長的草叢中死去。
At noon the student looked out of his window. "How wonderful!" he cried. "Here is a red rose!" He leaned down and plucked it, then ran to the professor's house. The professor's daughter was sitting in the doorway. "You said you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose," cried the student. "Here is the reddest rose in all the world. Please wear it tonight, and as we dance together it will tell you how much I love you."
中午,學生從窗戶往外看。「太棒了!」他喊著。「有一朵紅玫瑰!」他俯身把它拔下,然後跑到教授家。教授的女兒坐在門口。「妳說過如果我給妳帶一朵紅玫瑰,妳會和我跳舞。」學生喊道。「這是世界上最鮮紅的玫瑰。今晚請戴上它,當我們一起跳舞的時候,花會向妳顯示我有多愛妳。」
But the girl frowned. "I am afraid it will not go with my dress," she answered. "Besides, the chamberlain's nephew has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers."
但女孩皺著眉頭。「恐怕它不會與我的衣服搭配,」她回答。「此外,侍從官的侄子給我送來一些貨真價實的珠寶,大家都知道珠寶的價格遠遠超過鮮花。」
"Well, you are ungrateful," said the student angrily, throwing the rose into the gutter.
「好吧,妳真是忘恩負義,」 學生憤怒地說著,邊把玫瑰扔到臭水溝裡。
"And you are rude," said the girl. "And only a student. You haven't even got silver buckles on your shoes like the chamberlain's nephew has." She turned and went into the house.
「而你很沒禮貌,」女孩說。「而且你只是個學生。你的鞋子上甚至沒有像侍從官的侄子有的那種銀釦環。」她轉身走進房子。
"What a silly thing love is," said the student as he walked away. "It is not useful like logic, for it does not prove anything, and it makes people believe things that are not true. In fact, it is impractical. I shall go back to philosophy and study metaphysics." He returned to his room, pulled out a book, and began to read.
「愛情是多麼愚蠢的東西啊,」學生邊走邊說。「它並不像邏輯那樣有用,因為它不能證明什麼,它讓人們相信不真實的東西。事實上,愛情是不切實際的。我應該要重新回到哲學的世界裡,繼續研究形上學。」他回到自己的房間,拿出一本書,然後開始讀書。
- philosophy [fəˋlɑsəfɪ] n.
哲學
When taking a class on western philosophy, we began with the works of Plato and Aristotle.
修西方哲學的課時,我們從柏拉圖與亞里斯多德的作品開始。 - miserable [ˋmɪzərəb!] adj.
痛苦的,不幸的
Undoubtedly, the breakup with his girlfriend has made Jacob so miserable.
毫無疑問地,跟女友分手讓 Jacob 痛苦不堪。 - sorrow [ˋsɑro] n.
悲痛,悲傷
Mandy's sorrow over the loss of her mother has affected her for a long time.
Mandy 失去媽媽的悲痛影響了她好久。 - sorrowful [ˋsɑrəfəl] adj.
悲傷的,傷心的
Though Michael is sorrowful after failing to get the job, he knows the interview was a useful experience.
雖然 Michael 很難過沒得到那份工作,但他知道那次面試是個很有用的經驗。 - mutter [ˋmʌtɚ] v.
低聲嘀咕
Simon was muttering all the time about the high price of the movie tickets until his girlfriend lost her temper and told him to be quiet.
Simon 一直在碎念電影票太貴,直到他女友發脾氣叫他安靜。
The boy muttered a rude reply to the teacher's question, which fortunately she didn't hear.
這個男孩咕噥了一句無禮的話回應老師的問題,還好她沒聽到。 - clasp [klæsp] v.
緊握,緊抱
Joy clasped the necklace tightly because it was so precious to her.
Joy 緊緊握著那條項鍊,因為那對她來說很珍貴。 - fling [flɪŋ] v.
使(身體)撲向;(用力地)扔,擲
Brenda had to fling herself out of the way of a speeding car.
Brenda 必須撲到旁邊,以避開超速的車。
We flung stones into the lake, trying to make them bounce off the surface.
我們丟石頭到湖裡,試著讓它們彈離水面。 - weep [wip] v.
哭泣;流(淚)
Mrs. Bond wept for the starving children she saw on the TV news.
Bond 太太看到電視新聞上餓肚子的小孩就流下了眼淚。
I didn't think Victor was upset enough to weep, yet he was.
我以為 Victor 沒有難過到哭,但其實他有。 - breast [brɛst] n.
(鳥類的)胸脯;胸部,乳房
The robin is a common European bird that has an orange breast.
知更鳥是一種歐洲常見的鳥類,牠的胸口是橙色的。
Clarissa's older sister is in the hospital to have an operation for breast cancer.
Clarissa 的姊姊正在醫院裡接受乳癌手術。 - pierce [pɪrs] v.
刺穿,刺破
The brave little girl did not cry out when the needle pierced her skin.
針刺入皮膚時,那個勇敢的小女孩沒有哭。 - merely [ˋmɪrlɪ] adv.
只是,僅僅
The journey took merely half a day, and none of us felt tired afterward
這趟旅程只花了半天時間,結束後我們沒有人覺得累。 - mere [mɪr] adj.
僅僅的,只不過的
The nearest town is a mere half hour away by bus.
搭公車去最近的城鎮也不過半小時的時間。 - style [staɪl] n.
作風;(流行)款式,式樣
I don't believe Sheila would do such a horrible thing. It's not her style.
我不相信 Sheila 會做這麼糟糕的事情。這不是她的作風。
The summer styles have come out, so Martha and I are going clothes shopping this weekend.
夏季款式出來了,所以這週末 Martha 跟我要去買衣服。 - sincerity [sɪnˋsɛrətɪ] n.
誠心誠意
I think Joe always demonstrates great sincerity in the way he treats people.
我認為 Joe 對待他人時總是表現得非常真誠。 - sincere [sɪnˋsɪr] adj.
衷心的,真誠的
If you are sincere in your feelings for Anne, you should let her know.
如果你對 Anne 的感情是真誠的,你就應該讓她知道。 - sacrifice [ˋsækrə͵faɪs] v.
犧牲,獻出
Nathan sacrificed the chance to study abroad in order to help his parents with their business.
Nathan 為了幫父母打理生意,犧牲了出國唸書的機會。 - sacrifice [ˋsækrə͵faɪs] n.
犧牲
I will always be grateful for all the sacrifices my parents made to give me what I needed.
我會永遠對父母為了滿足我的需要而為我做的一切犧牲心懷感激。
The war was a time of great sacrifice for most of the population.
戰爭對大多數人來說都是巨大的犧牲。 - meanwhile [ˋmin͵hwaɪl] adv.
在此期間,同時
Dr. Brooks will see you shortly. Meanwhile, please take a seat in the waiting area.
Brooks 醫生馬上就能為你看診。與此同時,請在等候區稍候。 - blossom [ˋblɑsəm] v.
開花
These trees are very beautiful when they blossom in April and May.
這些樹四五月開花時非常漂亮。 - blossom [ˋblɑsəm] n.
花朵
Our garden looks great when the apple tree is in blossom.
蘋果樹開花時,我們的花園看起來美極了。
We went up to the mountains to look at the cherry blossoms.
我們上山去看櫻花。 - marvelous [ˋmɑrvələs] adj.
令人驚歎的,非凡的
We were all full of admiration for the young dancer's marvelous skill.
我們對這名年輕舞者的驚人舞技佩服不已。 - fierce [fɪrs] adj.
強烈的,猛烈的;兇猛的
Jonathan felt a fierce anger when he found out all the mean things a classmate said about him.
Jonathan 發現同學用那些刻薄的話議論他,頓時心中湧起一股強烈怒氣。
The tiger is a fierce hunter and one of the world's most dangerous animals.
老虎是凶猛的獵捕者,是世界上最危險的動物之一。 - faint [fent] adj.
虛弱的,衰弱的;頭暈的
We could hear the faint sound of someone crying outside.
我們可以聽到外面的人微弱的哭聲。
The terrible smell was so strong that several people in the room felt faint.
那可怕的氣味太強烈了,導致房間好幾個人感到頭暈目眩。 - lean [lin] v.
傾斜,傾身;把⋯⋯靠在(某種東西上)
Phil leaned across the table to reach for another piece of bread.
Phil 傾身靠在桌子上,伸手要拿另一片麵包。
You can lean your bicycle against that wall while you come inside.
你進來的時候可以把腳踏車靠在牆上。 - pluck [plʌk] v.
採,拔,拉,扯
Diane plucked a gray hair from her husband's head and showed it to him.
Diane 從他老公的頭上拔下一根白頭髮給他看。 - jewel [ˋdʒuəl] n.
珠寶,首飾
The thieves took Mrs. Gordon's diamond necklace, but they didn't find her other jewels.
小偷偷走了 Gordon 太太的鑽石項鍊,但他們沒找到其他珠寶。 - ungrateful [ʌnˋgretfəl] adj.
忘恩負義的,不領情的
Eddie was ungrateful for his parents' advice and wasn't interested in listening to them.
Eddie 對他爸媽的忠告毫不領情,也完全沒興趣聽他們的話。 - grateful [ˋgretfəl] adj.
感謝的,感激的
I will always be grateful to my uncle Fred for the help he has given me.
我會永遠感激 Fred 叔叔給我的幫助。 - prove [pruv] v.
證明,證實
Tommy believes in the existence of aliens, and he says that one day he will be proved right.
Tommy 相信外星人的存在,而且他說有一天他會證明自己說的是對的。 - impractical [ɪmˋpræktɪk!] adj.
不切實際的
Miranda said she had invented an electric bicycle, but her design seems impractical.
Miranda 說她發明了一種電動腳踏車,但她的發明看起來很不切實際。 - practical [ˋpræktɪk!] adj.
實用的;實際的
The uniforms worn by the hotel staff are practical as well as fashionable.
飯店員工穿的制服不僅實用又時髦。
My mother is very practical with money and rarely wastes it on luxury goods.
我媽對錢的態度很實際,很少浪費在奢侈東西上。 - depend on
視⋯⋯而定,取決於⋯⋯
The picnic this weekend depends on the weather, and the forecast is not good.
這週末的野餐要看天氣,而預報看來不太好。 - toss and turn
輾轉難眠
It was too hot to sleep, and I tossed and turned all night long.
天氣熱到難以入睡,我一整晚輾轉難眠。 - fade away
衰退,衰竭
The wounded soldier's strength is fading away, and he is not expected to live much longer.
這名受傷士兵體力日漸衰弱,估計活不了多久了。 - shoot through
(快速)貫穿
When Doris bent down, a sudden pain shot through her lower back.
Doris 彎下腰時,一陣劇痛突然貫穿她的後腰。