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The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm
形成我们农场东部边界的一条河流
has always played an important part in our lives.
一直在我们生活中发挥着重要作用
Without it we could not make a living.
要是没有这条河 我们就无法生存下去
There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the house,
泉水只能满足家庭生活用水
so we have to pump from the river for farm use.
因此我们必须从河里抽水以用于农业生产
We tell the river all our secrets.
我们向那条河倾诉我们的秘密
We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees,
我们本能地懂得 就像养蜂人和他的蜜蜂那样
that misfortune might overtake us
要是我们不把生活中的重大的事件告诉那条河
if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
就可能大祸临头
We have special river birthday parties in the summer.
夏天 我们为这条河举办特殊的生日宴会
Sometimes we go upstream to a favourite backwater,
有时 我们溯流而上来到我们喜爱的回水河汊举办
sometimes we have our party at the boathouse,
有时在船坞举办
which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow
那船坞是农场一位前辈在一块草地上盖的
hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving.
草地紧挨着一个专供游泳 跳水的深水池
In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party
天气炎热时 我们便选择在半夜举办生日聚会
and that is the most exciting of all.
这种聚会是最令人激动的
We welcome the seasons by the riverside,
我们在河边迎接一年四季
crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring,
春天在河边为最年轻的姑娘戴上花冠
holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve,
夏天在河边欢庆仲夏前夜
giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn,
秋天在河边为丰收而感恩
and throwing a holly wreath into the current in the winter.
冬天往河中抛撒一个冬青树花环
After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks.
久雨之后 河水会泛滥成灾
This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes.
但是在我们这里 气候很少发生异常 河水极少泛滥
We are lucky in that only the lower fields,
值得庆幸的是 只有低洼的受到洪水影响
which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are affected by flooding,
而低洼地在我们农场比例很小
but other farms are less favourably sited,
其他农场地势欠佳
and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.
洪水有时会给农场主带来灾难
One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows.
有一年冬天 天气不好 我们眼看着河水浸没了地势较低的草场
All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little.
所有的牲口已提前转移到畜圈里 没有造成什么损失
We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbours,
不过 我们很为我们的近邻担心
whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district.
他们的农场地势低洼 而且他们又新来乍到
As the floods had put the telephone out of order,
由于洪水造成了电话中断
we could not find out how they were managing.
我们无法了解他们的情况
From an attic window we could get a sweeping view
从顶楼窗口看去
of the river where their land joined ours,
我们农场与他们农场接壤处的那段河流一览无余
and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point.
在最紧急的时刻 我们轮流监视那段河流的险情
The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down.
灾难的第一迹象是一只死羊顺流而下
Next came a horse, swimming bravely,
接着一匹活马勇敢地与水搏击
but we were afraid that the strength of the current
但我们担心 洪水的力量
would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted.
将使它上岸之前就筋疲力尽了
Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark,
突然 出现了一只筏子 看起来很像诺亚方舟
carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, a cat, and a bird in a cage.
上面载着他们全家老小 还有几只母鸡 几只狗 一只猫与一只鸟笼 那里头有一只小鸟
We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood,
我们意识到他们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了
for their house, which had sound foundations,
因为他们的房子地基牢固
would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged.
即使洪水几乎灭顶也不会倒塌
The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks,
我家的男人们手拿船篙通过被水淹没的草场
in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft
希望能够钩住筏子一角
and pull it out of the current towards our bank.
将它拽出激流 拖回岸边
We still think it a miracle that they were able to do so.
他们终于成功了 至今我们仍认为这是个奇迹
