第一册第8篇：日出前的一小时
时间：2018-12-03 作者：英语课 分类：2013年ESL之商务英语
8 An Hour before Sunrise日出前的一小时
Charles Dickens查尔斯·狄更斯
An hour before sunrise in the city there is all air of cold, solitary 1 desolation about the noiseless streets, which we are accustomed to see thronged 2 at other times by a busy, eager crowd, and over the quiet, closely shut buildings which throughout the day are swarming 3 with life. (1) The drunken, the dissipated, and tile criminal(2) have disappeared; the more sober and orderly part of the population have not yet awaken- ed to the labors 4 of the day, and the stillness of death is over the streets; its very hue 5 seems to be imparted to them(3), cold and lifeless as they look in the gray, somber 6 light of day- break. A partially 7 opened bedroom window here and there bespeaks 8 the heat of the weather and the uneasy slumbers 9 of its occupant; and the dim scanty 10 flicker 11 of a light through the blinds of yonder windows denotes the chamber 12 of watching and sickness. Save for that sad light, the streets present no signs of life, nor the houses of habitation(4).
中文译文：
日出前的一小时，城里一片冷清和孤寂，我们惯于看到的在一日中其他时刻挤满匆忙人群的大街变得空荡荡、静悄悄，整天人来人往，活动频繁的房屋，此刻门户紧闭，寂静无声。醉鬼，放荡者、犯罪分子都不见了，居民中比较循规蹈矩，持重沉着的人们还没有醒来开始他们一天的工作，大街死一般地寂静，似乎也染上了死一般的色彩，在拂晓阴沉、灰暗的光线里显得冷清而毫无生气。到处都有一扇扇半开半掩的卧室窗户，表明天气炎热，屋主人睡眠不宁，那边百叶窗里透露出摇曳的微光，表明那房间里有人卧病或守夜。除了那忧郁的灯光，街上一片死寂，住房里也没有人活动的迹象。
英文注释：
(1)An hour before sunrise…swarming with life： 句中about the noiseless streets与over the…buildings是并列成分，作there is an air of cold， solitary desolation的地点状语which we are accustomed．to see thronged…by a busy，eager crowd是修饰streets的定语从句，其中thronged by…是分词短语， 作which的宾语补语。
(2)the drunken，the dissipated，and the criminal： 醉鬼，放荡者，犯罪分子。参阅"The First Snow"注(1)。
(3)its very hue seems to be imparted to them： 这句中its指death；its very hue＝the very hue of death； them指the streets。
(4)nor the houses Of habitation＝nor do the houses present any signs of habitation。
- I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
- The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。
- Mourners thronged to the funeral. 吊唁者蜂拥着前来参加葬礼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The department store was thronged with people. 百货商店挤满了人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
- The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。
- He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句
- Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句
- The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
- The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。
- He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
- His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。
- The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
- The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。
- The tone of his text bespeaks a certain tiredness. 他的笔调透出一种倦意。 来自辞典例句
- His record as mayor of New York bespeaks toughness. 他作为纽约市长态度十分强烈。 来自互联网
- His image traversed constantly her restless slumbers. 他的形象一再闯进她的脑海，弄得她不能安睡。
- My Titan brother slumbers deep inside his mountain prison. Go. 我的泰坦兄弟就被囚禁在山脉的深处。
- There is scanty evidence to support their accusations.他们的指控证据不足。
- The rainfall was rather scanty this month.这个月的雨量不足。