最近要参加河北大学 曹明伦教授一个讲座《语言转换与文化转换》，事先收到一个题为Scotland 的短文，估计是曹教授会以这个文章来谈论一些相干话题，自己闲暇之余就试着翻译一下，时间短暂可能多有谬误。

As you linger on the mountain pass to admire the rugged reflection of Beinn an Lochain in the waters of Loch Restil, spare a thought for the weary sheep drovers who used to pause here for breath after the long steep climb from Loch Fyne. “Rest and Be Thankful” is the name of this spot, a title coined by the soldiers who built the first road here 250 years ago. Since then its wild beauty has thrilled generations of crofters and passing travellers. And now you.

当你驻足山口慨叹层峦叠嶂的小湖山在雷斯第尔湖中倒映出壮美之景时，想想曾经疲惫的牧羊人吧。他们从弗恩湖启程，攀越高山，途径此地稍作休息。此地名谓”歇息·感激”，乃250年前在此修筑第一条道路的士兵所创。从那以后，这儿的原始风光便令代代农夫和过往游人心旷神怡。如今你也沉醉其中。

Of course your journey through Scotland may not take you this way, but wherever you go you’re in for a treat. You might linger in the Borders to explore the dignified ruins of once-powerful abbeys or fish for plump salmon in the Tweed. Or follow in the footsteps of Rob Roy and Walter Scott through the Trossachs to soak up “the scenery of a fairy dream”, as Scott described it. Perhaps you’ll potter around colourful fishing villages in the Kingdom of Fife and tee off on the legendary Old Course in St Andrews. Or venture into Speyside to tickle your tastebuds on the malt whisky trail.

当然你的苏格兰之行不一定会经过此地，但无论路向何方，何处无风光！兴许你会在英格兰苏格兰交界处踯躅流连，探寻曾显赫一时的教堂的不朽遗迹，或到特维德河垂钓肥美的三文鱼，亦或穿越特罗萨克斯山追随洛布洛伊和沃特斯科特的足迹，身心沁润在斯科特描绘的”梦幻仙境”之中。此外你还可闲庭信步于法夫郡古国多姿多彩的渔村，在充满传奇色彩的圣安德鲁斯老球场一展球技，或干脆进入斯倍塞德区饱尝这一路都在飘香的苏格兰高地纯麦蚜威士忌。

If it’s drama you’re after, you’ll head for the Highlands, a vast swathe of untamed wilderness fringed by mile upon mile of fretted coastline dotted with islands. Land and sea collide to create spectacular perspectives, which change with the seasons and within the space of a day. One moment you’re gazing upon rocky mountain peaks, shimmering sea lochs and desolate moors. The next they retreat into a mysterious world of mist and cloud, where the legendary ghosts that inhabit lochside castles seem as credible as the deer you saw grazing on the moors before they vanished from view.

如果想追寻人生如戏的感觉，可以前往苏格兰高地。那是一片广袤且狭长的旷野，边缘镶嵌着蜿蜒不绝的海岸线，大小岛屿点缀其间。海陆猛然交汇，形成道道奇观，这些景致随季节和昼夜更替而变幻。一会儿你还可以凝视威然陡峭的山颠，碧波荡漾的海湾以及荒无人烟的漠泽，一会儿这些景象便遁形在云山雾罩的神秘世界中了。那里传说中出没于海湾古堡的幽灵便会浮现在你的眼前，如同鹿在视野中消失以前还在吃草一样真切。

Whichever part of Scotland takes your fancy, history is never far away. You feel it in the brooding presence of Glencoe, evocative of that treacherous night in 1692 when Campbell soldiers slaughtered MacDonalds as they slept. You touch it when you hike through the hills and stumble across the ruins of a deserted shieling. You see it in the weatherworn stones of turretted castles.

苏格兰不管什么地方让人心驰神往，其历史都近在眼前。在阴霾的格伦科，联想起1692年那个背信弃义的黑夜，坎贝尔手部族的士兵将熟睡的麦克唐纳部族屠杀，你能感觉到历史的气息；当徒步穿越山岭，暮然发现一座牧棚的废墟时，你能触摸到历史的脉动；当饱经岁月洗礼的石砌古堡塔楼映入眼帘时，你能注视到历史的沧桑；当激昂跃动的苏格兰边区歌谣和令人魂牵梦萦赫布里底的旋律响起时，你能聆听到历史的诉说。

Nowhere is it more pervasive than in Scotland’s dramatic capital city. Stroll through the cobbled streets of the medieval Old Town and remember the monarchs, religious zealots and literary giants who walked this way before you. Visit the castle and uncover 1,000 years of Scotland’s tumultuous past. Have a pint in Deacon Brodie’s Tavern and learn about the devious Edinburgh citizen who inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

更别说厚重历史氛围之中传奇的苏格兰首府。漫步于中世纪旧区那扑满卵石的街道，重温曾经在此留下足迹的君主帝王，宗教狂热者和文坛巨匠。登上古堡，发掘苏格兰那历经千年的动荡历史。亦可到Dean Brodie’s 酒吧喝上几杯，并了解一下引发史蒂文森创作《化身博士》灵感的那些刁滑的爱丁堡人。

Del.icio.us : English study, translation