[英國]查爾斯·狄更斯/Charles Dickens
查爾斯·狄更斯（1812-1870），英國著名散文家、小說家。早年以“Boz”的筆名在報章雜誌上發表作品，文章深刻探討社會病態、道德淪落等現象。狄更斯一生創作了大量的作品，除了小說以外，他在散文、遊記、詩歌等各種體裁上均有涉獵，但成就最高的還是長篇小說。其代表作有《雙城記》、《匹克威克外傳》、《大衛·科波菲爾》、《荒涼山莊》、《艱難時世》。
There is no month in the whole year, in which nature wears a more beautiful appearance than in the month of August. Spring has many beauties, and May is a fresh and blooming month, but the charms of this time of year are enhanced by their contrast with the winter season. August has no such advantage. It comes when we remember nothing but clear skies, green fields, and sweet-smelling flowers-when the recollection of snow, and ice, and bleak winds, has faded from our minds as completely as they have disappeared from the earth-and yet what a pleasant time it is!Orchards and cornfields ring with the hum of labour;trees bend beneath the thick clusters of rich fruit which bow their branches to the ground;and the corn, piled in graceful sheaves, or waving in every light breath that sweeps above it, as if it wooed the sickle, tinges the landscape with a golden hue. A mellow softness appears to hang over the whole earth;the influence of the season seems to extend itself to the very waggon, whose slow motion across the well-reaped field, is perceptible only to the eye, but strikes with no harsh sound upon the ear.
As the coach rolls swiftly past the fields and orchards which skirt the road, groups of women and children, piling the fruit in sieves, or gathering the scattered ears of corn, pause for an instant from their labour, and shading the sunburnt face with a still browner hand, gaze upon the passengers with curious eyes, while some stout urchin, too small to work but too mischievous to be left at home, scrambles over the side of the basket in which he has been deposited for security, and kicks and screams with delight. The reaper stops in his work, and stands with folded arms, looking at the vehicle as it whirls past;and the rough cart-horses bestow a sleepy glance upon the smart coach team, which says, as plainly as a horse's glance can,“It's all very fine to look at, but slow going, over a heavy field, is better than warm work like that, upon a dusty road, after all.”You cast a look behind you, as you turn a corner of the road. The women and children have resumed their labour:the reaper once more stoops to his work:the cart-horses has moved on:and all are again in motion.
一年之中，沒有任何一個月的自然風光比得過八月的風采。春天美不勝收，而五月也是一個清新、花開的月份，由於有冬季的對比，所以每年的此刻更顯得魅力四射。八月就沒有這樣的優勢。它來的時候，我們隻記得明朗的天空，綠綠的田野，還有芳香四溢的花朵——記憶中的冰雪、寒風都已完全消失，仿佛它們在地球上了無蹤跡——然而八月是多麽愉快的季節啊！果園和麥田到處都充溢著工作的聲響，串串碩果壓得果樹都彎下了腰，枝條低垂到地麵，還有玉米，有的一捆捆優雅地堆在一起，有的則迎著微風招展，仿佛等待收割，把景致染上淡淡的金黃色。整個大地似乎籠罩著醇美的柔和。季節的影響，似乎蔓延至那輛馬車，它緩慢地越過收割好的田地，這一切隻有用肉眼才覺察得到，耳朵聽不到任何刺耳的聲音。
馬車搖晃著，輕快地經過路邊的田野與果園，一群群的婦女和孩子們，有的正將水果往篩子上堆，有的則在撿散落的玉米穗子，他們稍停了會兒手中的活，用深褐色的手遮在曬黑的臉上，以好奇的眼神望著乘客。一些結實的小頑童，太小還不能上學，但又不能把他們留在家中胡鬧，便出於安全的考慮被安置在籃子裏，這時也爬過了籃邊，高興得又踢又叫。收割的人停下了手裏的活，雙臂交叉地站著看馬車通過，而拖貨車的毛茸茸的馬也睡眼惺忪地向那靈巧的馬車隊看了一眼，它的眼神很明白地表露出：“看看倒是不錯，但在崎嶇的田地上慢慢走，總比那麽辛苦地工作要好，尤其是在塵土飛揚的路上。”當你拐過轉角時，回頭瞧瞧你的身後吧。婦女和孩子們又開始幹活了：收割的人又彎下了腰，拖貨車的馬已繼續前進。所有的一切又恢複了工作。
詞匯筆記
woo[wu:]v.追求；招致；向……求愛；懇求
Men are April when they woo, December when they wed;maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives.
男人們求婚的時候是四月天，結婚的時候是臘月天；女人們做姑娘的時候是五月天，一做了妻子就陰雲密布了。
sickle['sik?l]n.鐮刀
He cut the grass with a sickle.
他用鐮刀割草。
sieve[siv]n.篩；漏勺
However, just like drawing water with a sieve, most of English learnersalways feel disappointed after they fell into depression again and again.
然而，大多數的英語初學者在陷入一次次的消沉之後，總會失望地覺得所有的努力就像竹籃子打水——一場空。
urchin['?：t?in]n.頑童；淘氣鬼
Municipal guards of lofty stature were making their way in,
some striding over the omnibus, others through the cut,
thrusting before them the urchin, who retreated, but did not flee.
一群個兒高大的保安警察，有的越過公共馬車，有的穿過缺口，正往裏躥，向那野孩撲來，野孩隻往後退，卻不逃跑。
小試身手
串串碩果壓得果樹都彎下了腰，枝條低垂到地麵。
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收割的人停下了手裏的活，雙臂交叉地站著看馬車通過。
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當你拐過轉角時，回頭瞧瞧你的身後吧。
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短語家族
……enhanced by their contrast with the winter season.
contrast with：與……形成對比；和……相對照
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At first sight, this unpleasing disposition in a person……
at first sight：乍一看；初看之下
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