The Humming-bird
Of all animated beings this is the most elegant in form and the most brilliant in colors. The stones and metals polished by our arts are not comparable to(1) this jewel of Nature(2). She(3) has placed it least in size of(4) the order of birds(5), "maxime Miranda in minimis(6).". Her masterpiece is this little humming-bird, and upon it she has heaped all the gifts(7) which the other birds may only share. Lightness, rapidity, nimbleness, grace, and rich apparel(8) all belong to this little favorite. The emerald(9), the ruby(10), and the topaz(11) gleam upon its dress(12). It never soils them with the dust of earth, and in its aerial life scarcely touches the turf an instant. Always in the air, flying from flower to flower, it has their freshness as well as their brightness. It lives upon their nectar, and dwells only in the climates where they perennially bloom.
注释:
(1) are not comparable to ：比不上……的。
(2) this jewel of Nature：这个大自然的珍宝。这里作者把美丽无比的蜂鸟比作大自然中的一颗天然珍宝。
(3) she ：指Nature
(4) in size of ：按……大小
(5) the order of birds：鸟类
(6) maxime Miranda in minimis：拉丁语 maxime解作"最大"， Miranda 解作"值得称羡的东西"， minimis 解作"最小"。
(7) upon it she has heaped all the gifts…：大自然赋予蜂鸟……的一切资质。
(8) rich apparel ：原义为色彩鲜艳的衣服，这里借喻蜂鸟绚丽的羽毛。
(9) emerald：原义绿宝石，这里指翠绿色。
(10) ruby：原义红宝石，这里指艳红色。
(11) topaz：原义黄玉，这里指嫩黄色。
(12) dress：这里借喻蜂鸟的羽毛。
Additional words and their definitions:
being [ˈbiːɪŋ]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Latin rapidus, from rapere, to seize; see rep- in Indo-European roots.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ra·pidi·ty (r-pd-t), rapid·ness (rpd-ns) n.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English nemel, from Old English nmel, quick to seize and numol, quick at learning; see nem- in Indo-European roots.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- nimble·ness n.
ru·by (rb) to·paz (tpz)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English glem, from Old English glm; see ghel-2 in Indo-European roots.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- gleamer n.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, a piece of ground (influenced in meaning by Latin solum, soil), from Latin solium, seat; see sed- in Indo-European roots.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English soilen, from Old French souiller, from Vulgar Latin *suculre (from Late Latin suculus, diminutive of Latin ss, pig; see s- in Indo-European roots) or from souil, pigsty, wallow (from Latin solium, seat; see soil1).] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Origin unknown.] aer·i·al (âr-l, -îr-l) turf (tûrf)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Latin, from Greek nektar, drink of the gods; see nek-1 in Indo-European roots.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English dwellen, from Old English dwellan, to mislead, delay, dwell.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- dweller n.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Latin perennis (per-, throughout; see per- + annus, year; see at- in Indo-European roots) + -al.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- per·enni·al·ly adv.
v. bloomed, bloom·ing, blooms |
汉译：蜂鸟
在一切生物中，要算蜂鸟体型最优美、颜色最鲜艳。经过工艺加工的各种宝石和金属是无法跟这个大自然的珍宝媲美的。大自然按照鸟类的大小把它列为最小号，真是"最小的绝妙珍品"。这种小蜂鸟是大自然的杰作。大自然把其他鸟类只能分有其中一部分的种种天赋全部慷慨地给了它。这个小宠儿具有轻盈、敏捷、灵活、优雅以及羽毛绚丽等一切妙处。那翠绿的、艳红的、嫩黄色的羽毛闪闪发光。蜂鸟从不让它的羽毛沾染尘土，它生活在天空中，一刻也不碰到草皮。它总是在空中飞翔，从花丛飞向花丛；它象花一样的新鲜，又象花一样的艳丽。蜂鸟靠花蜜为生，它只生活在四季鲜花盛开的地带。
（范钜清 译）
作者简介：
BUFFON,CEORGE LOUIS LECLERC, COMTEDE(1707-1788) French naturalist and writer, famous for his Histoire naturelle (36 vols, 1749-1788) written in collaboration with others and translated into many languages. His theories and speculations are important in the study of the theory of evolution.
乔治· 路易· 勒史莱尔· 布丰伯爵(1707-1788) 法国博物学家和作家。他和别人合作编纂的三十六卷本《博物学》(1749-1788)是一部名著，被译成许多种语言。他的理论和探索是研究进化论的重要文献。
下面框框里是大家的英译总汇：
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Hummingbirds Of all the living organisms, hummingbirds have the most beautiful bodies and brightest colors. Various kinds of crafted gems and metals cannot match this treasure of the natural world. It was listed as the smallest birds of the nature based on the size – it is truly “the smallest exquisite creature”. This little hummingbird is the masterpiece of the nature. The Mother Nature has generously given all the gifts to the hummingbirds, whereas other birds only share a part of them. This favorite bird possesses all the good things - graceful, fast, flexible, and beautiful feathers. Their emerald green, bright crimson and light yellow feathers are sparkling. Hummingbirds never let its feathers contaminated with dust; it lives in the sky, and never touches the grass. It is always soaring in the air, from one flower bush to another; it is as fresh as a flower, and as pretty as a flower. Hummingbirds live on the nectars of flowers, so they can only live in places with blooming flowers for all four seasons. newton123: 译The Humming-bird Among all living things, a huming bird can be counted the most elegant in body shape, and the most colorful. The processed gems and metals have no way to compete with this natural beauty. Its size is the smallest in the catalog of birds, a genuin precious miniature. This is a masterpiece of the mother nature. She awards it all talents which are partially shared by the others. This creature is light, agile, flexible, elegant, colorful and so on. The emerald green, bright scarlet, light yellow feathers flick in the sunlight. A huming bird never allows its feathers to be contaminated with dust. It lives in the air, with no moment in touch with ground. It is always moving in the air, from one flower to another. It is as fresh as flowers and as gorgeous as flowers. A huming bird lives on nectars so it inhabits only in areas of perennial booming.
同学小薇 :
Out of all living creatures, hummingbird is considered the most beautiful and colorful. No man-made precious gems and metals are comparable with its beauty. It is the smallest in size hence considered the smallest treasure. Generously given all the talents, hummingbirds are considered the masterpiece of Mother Nature. The little darling obtains all the advantages such as light, agility, flexibility, elegance as well as the colorful feathers. The green, red and yellow colored feathers shine as hummingbirds always live in the sky without touching the dust and grass. They always fly, from flower to flower. Bright and fresh as flowers, the hummingbirds live on nectar so they are only living in the areas where of flowers blossom all the time.
Of all the species, it's the humming-bird that has the most beautiful figure and is the vividest in color. No artificially-crafted precious stone or metal are comparable with this precious treasure of the mother nature. The mother nature categories the humming-bird as the smallest bird, and it really is "the smallest wonderful treasure". The little humming-bird is a masterpiece of the mother nature. The mother nature generously grants all the talents to the humming-bird while other birds can only have some them. This little treasure is light, agile, flexiable and elegant, and its feathers are vivid in color. Its green, bright red and yellow feathers are shining. The humming-bird never let its features touch the dust, livifng in the air and always staying away from turf. It always flies in the air, from flowers to flowers; and it is not only as fresh as flowers but also as vivid as flowers. The humming-bird relies on nectar, living only in the areas that are blooming all the seasons.
Amony all the creatures, hummingbirds have the most graceful shapes and most brightful colors. Nothing can match the precious nature species, even the various precious stones and mentals processed by technologies. Nature has classified hummingbird as the smallest bird by the size, which is truly the tiny treasure. Hummingbird is the masterpiece of the nature. Nature gives all of the gifts which only partiall shown in other birds to hummingbird. It has all the wonderful features like: light, fast, skillfull, elegent and bright. It’s bright green, scarlet, yellow feathers shine brightly. Hummingbird does not let any dirt resident in it feathers; it lives in sky, never touches grass. It flies from flowers to flowers, as fresh as flowers, and as colorful as flowers. Hummingbird feeds on flower honey, it onlys lives at the places where flowers bloom all the seasons. |
