荷塘月色阅读片段

月光如流水一般，静静地泻在这一片叶子和花上。薄薄的青雾浮起在荷塘里：叶子和花仿佛在牛乳中洗过一样;又像笼着轻纱的梦。虽然是满月，天上却有一层淡淡的云.所以不能朗照;但我以为这恰是到了好处——酣眠固不可少，小睡也别有风味的。月光是隔了树照过来的，高处丛生的灌木，落下参差的斑驳的黑影，峭愣愣如鬼一般;弯弯的杨柳的稀疏的倩影，却又像是画在荷叶上。塘中的月色并不均匀;但光与影有着和谐的旋律，如梵炯铃上奏着的名曲。

Themoonshedsherliquidlightsilentlyovertheleavesandflowers,which,inthefloatingtransparencyofabluish(浅蓝的)haze(烟雾;迷蒙)fromthepond,lookasiftheyhadjustbeenbathedinmilk,orlikeadreamwrappedinagauzyhood.Althoughitisafullmoon,shiningthroughafilmofclouds,thelightisnotatitsbrightest;itis,however,justrightforme-aprofoundsleepisindispensable,yetasnatcheddoze(瞌睡)alsohasasavourofitsown.Themoonlightisstreamingdownthroughthefoliage(ˈfəʊliɪdʒ树叶),castingbushyshadowsonthegroundfromhighabove,jagged(参差不齐的;)andcheckered(多变的),asgrotesque(怪诞的，荒诞不经的;奇形怪状的)asapartyofspectres(鬼怪;幽灵;缠绕心头的恐惧);whereas(然而，以“whereas”开头的公文)thebenign(温和的，仁慈的;善良的;)figuresofthedrooping(下垂的，无力的)willows,hereandthere,lanklikepaintingsonthelotusleaves.Themoonlightisnotspreadevenlyoverthepond,butratherinaharmoniousrhythmoflightandshade,likeafamousmelodyplayedonaviolin.

荷塘的四面，远远近近，高高低低都是树，几而杨柳最多。这些树将一片荷塘重重围住;只在小路一旁，漏着几段空隙，像是特为月光留下的。树色一例是阴阴的，乍看像一团烟雾;但杨柳的丰姿，便在烟雾里也辨得出。树梢上隐隐约约的是一带远山，只有些大意罢了。树缝里也漏着一两点路灯光，没精打采的，是渴睡人的眼。这时候最热闹的，要数树上的蝉声与水里的蛙声;但热闹是它们的，我什么也没有。

Around(用的好啊)thepond,farandnear,highandlow,aretrees.Mostofthemarewillows.Onlyonthepathside,cantaroorthreegap;heseenthroughtheheavyfringe,asifspeciallyreservedforthemoon.Theshadowyshapesoftheleafageatfirstsightseemdiffusedintoamassofmist,againstwhich,however,thecharmofthosewillowtreesisstilldiscernible.Overthetreesappearsomedistantmountains,butmerelyinsketchysilhouette(轮廓，剪影;).Throughthebranchesarealsoacoupleoflamps,aslistlessassleepyeyes.Themostlivelycreatureshere,forthemoment,musthethecicadasinthetreesandthefrogsinthepond.Butthelivelinessistheirs,Ihavenothing.

忽然想起采莲的事情来了。采莲是江南的旧俗。似乎很早就有，而六朝时为盛;从诗歌里可以约略知道。采莲的是少年的女子，她们是荡着小船，唱着艳歌去的。采莲人不用说很多，还有看采莲的人。那是一个热闹的季节，也是一个风流的季节。梁元帝《采莲斌》里说得好：荷塘月色阅读片段

Suddenly,somethinglikelotus-gatheringcrossesmymind.ItusedtohecelebratedasafolkfestivalintheSouth,probablydatingveryfarbackinhistory,mostpopularintheperiodofSixDynasties.Wecanpickupsomeoutlinesofthisactivityinthepoetry.Itwasyounggirlswhowentgatheringlotuses(采莲),insampansandsinginglovesongs.Needlesstosay,therewereagreatnumberofthemdoingthegathering,apartfromthosewhowerewatching.Itwasalivelyseason,brimmingwithvitality,andromance.AbrilliantdescriptioncanbefoundinlotusGatheringwrittenbytheYuanEmperoroftheliangDynasty:

于是妖童破女，荡舟心许：鹤首徐回，兼传羽杯;掉将移而藻挂，船欲动而萍开。尔其纤腰束素，迁延顾步;夏始春余，叶嫩花初，恐沾裘而浅笑，畏倾船而敛裾。

Sothosecharmingyoungstersrotetheirsampans,(舢舨)heartbuoyantwithtacitlone,passontoeachothercupsofwirewhiletheirbird-shapedprowsdriftaround.Fromthroetotimetheiroarsarecaughtindangling(摆动不定;用某事物诱惑)alga,andduckweedflowapartthemomenttheirboatsareabouttomoteon.Theirslenderfigures,girdledwithplainsilk,treadwatchfullyonboard.Thisisthetimewhenspringisgratingintosummer,theleavesatendergreenandtheflowersblooming-amongwhichthegirlsaregigglingwhenevadinganout-reachingstem,theirskirtstuckedinforfearthatthesampanmighttilt.

可见当时嬉游的光景了。这真是有趣的事，可惜我们现在早已无福消受了。

Thatisaglimpseofthosemerrymakingscenes.Itmusthavebeenfascinating:butunfortunatelywehavelongbeendeniedsuchadelight.

于是又记起《西州曲》里的句子：

ThenIrecallthoselinesinBalladofXizhouIsland:

采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头，尹低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。

Gatheringthelotus,IantintheSouthPond,/Thelilies(莲花也有waterLily的说法)inautumnreachovermyhead;/LoweringmyheadItoywiththelawsseeds./Look,theyareasfreshasthewasterunderneath.

今晚若有采莲人，这儿的莲花也算得“过人头”了;只不见一些流水的影子，是不行的;这令我到底惦着江南了——这样想着，猛一抬头，不觉已是自己的门前;轻轻地推门进去，什么声息也没有，妻已睡熟好久了。

Ifthereweresomebodygatheringlotusestonight,shecouldtellthattheliliesherearehighenoughto"reachoverherhead";but,onewouldcertainlymissthesightofthewater.SomymemoriesdriftbacktotheSouthafterall.Deepinmythoughts,Ilookedup,justtofindmyselfatthedoorofmyownhouse.GentlyIpushedthedooropenandwalkedin.Notasoundinside,mywifehadbeenfastasleepforquiteawhile.