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With a greater clarity of the knowledge of the area, we walked from the church a little farther inland to what used to be the post office and the school that our mother attended, the skeletal shells of which were still standing precariously.
随着对这一地区知识的进一步了解，我们从教堂走到稍远的内陆地区，来到了曾经的邮局和我们母亲就读的学校，那里的骷髅壳仍然岌岌可危。
From there, stopping periodically to eat some edible berries, we struggled behind our cousins through the heavily brush and shrub covered footpaths to Black Duck Cove to visit the cemetery where our grandmother, whom we never knew, was buried.
从那里开始，我们时不时地停下来吃一些可食用的浆果，我们在堂兄弟姐妹身后艰难地穿过浓密的灌木丛和灌木覆盖的人行道，来到黑鸭湾，参观埋葬我们素不相识的祖母的墓地。
This sacred ground was in very bad condition, with many badly corroded gravestones buried under brush and long grass.
这片圣地的状况非常糟糕，许多被严重腐蚀的墓碑被埋在灌木丛和长草下。
After searching for a few minutes in the midst of tangled vegetation, we found our grandmother's resting place beside which we paid our respects.
在杂乱的植被中找了几分钟后，我们找到了祖母的安息地，在那里我们向她致意。
It was a good thing that our cousins stayed with us, as the footpaths that traversed the island, were overgrown with brush.
幸好我们的表亲们和我们住在一起，因为横穿小岛的小径上长满了灌木丛。
It would have been virtually impossible for my brother and me, to walk to the other communities on the island.
对我和我兄弟来说，步行去岛上的其他社区几乎是不可能的。
We made our way back to the church on the hill and descended to the boat for a half hour boat ride to the other side of the island.
我们回到山上的教堂，下船坐了半个小时的船到岛的另一边。
Sailing through a number of islets, we arrived at what remains of the small village of Traytown, where our grandparents had lived.
我们乘船穿过一些小岛，来到了我们祖父母居住的小镇特拉顿的遗迹。
There, we met some more long lost relatives at a small cottage.
在那里，我们在一间小屋里遇到了一些久违的亲戚。
One, a bit of an eccentric, who now lives in Toronto but takes summer refuge in Traytown, showed us the remnants of what had once been our grandparents'house.
其中一个有点古怪，现在住在多伦多，但在特拉顿避暑，向我们展示了曾经是我们祖父母家的遗迹。
Beside these ruins, was the still flourishing cluster of wild rose bushes, planted there many years ago by our step grandmother.
在这些废墟的旁边，是我们的继母多年前种在那里的一簇依然茂盛的野玫瑰丛。
A lot of people, many whom were more lost cousins, continually dropped in or gathered on the porch outside.
很多人，其中许多人更是走失的表亲，不断地进来或聚集在外面的门廊上。
After a cup of tea and some more chitchat (small talk) and some comic relief, we made our departure for the mainland.
喝了一杯茶，聊了几句闲话，又聊了几句喜剧，我们就动身去大陆了。
On the way, we passed other inlets with ghost communities on Ireland's Eye.
在路上，我们经过了其他小湾，在爱尔兰的眼睛上有幽灵社区。
To add to the excitement of that special day, my brother spotted a humpback whale quite close, between the boat and the island.
更让我兴奋的是，我哥哥在船和岛之间发现了一头座头鲸。
Our visit to Ireland's Eye was a bittersweet experience for us.
我们对爱尔兰之眼的访问对我们来说是一次苦乐参半的经历。
On the one hand, there was a sense of being at the very place where our relatives and ancestors had lived, worked and played.
一方面，我们有一种置身于亲人和祖先曾经生活、工作和玩耍的地方的感觉。
On the other hand, there was a sense of agonizing loss of what were once thriving communities on the island.
另一方面，对岛上曾经繁荣的社区有一种痛苦的失落感。
It was difficult to reconcile the past with the present, after a gap of fifty years of chronic degeneration of the communities.
在社区五十年的长期退化之后，过去和现在很难调和。
Today, the area is notorious for smuggling. However, our mission was invaluable in that we were able to find out more about ourselves.
今天，这个地区因走私而臭名昭著。然而，我们的使命是无价的，因为我们能够了解更多关于我们自己的情况。
The entire expedition to Newfoundland was a major highlight in each of our lives. It tugged at our emotions at every turn.
整个纽芬兰之旅是我们生活中的一大亮点。它每一次都在拽着我们的情绪。
The people of Newfoundland, especially those of genetic connection, couldn't do enough for us.
纽芬兰的人民，特别是那些有基因联系的人，不能为我们做足够的事情。
It was really like coming home, but then, that has always been the nature of Newfoundland courtesy, even to non-Newfoundlanders.
这真的很像回家，但是，这一直是纽芬兰礼节的本质，即使是对非纽芬兰人。
It was reassuring to see that the Newfoundland charm has transcended time. It has endured so many changes since Confederation in 1949.
看到纽芬兰的魅力超越了时间，我感到很欣慰。自从1949年联邦成立以来，它经历了许多变化。
My brother and I, eternally, will be Newfoundlanders and hope to go down home more often in the years to come.
我哥哥和我，永远都是纽芬兰人，希望在未来的岁月里能经常回家。
