美國語文第五冊 第323期：人生如畫（02）
He, therefore, still continued to walk for a time, without the least remission of his ardor,
他興致盎然地邁步前行，
except that he was sometimes tempted to stop by the music of the birds, which the heat had assembled in the shade,
有時停下腳步，聆聽鳥兒聲聲鳴啾，叢林中撲來沁透心脾的涼爽，似乎收盡了漫天暑氣；
and sometimes amused himself with picking the flowers that covered the banks on each side, or the fruits that hung upon the branches.
有時頗為自得地采擷路邊野花，或捋下路邊枝干上蕩悠的三兩野果。
At last, the green path began to decline from its first tendency,
末了，滿眼綠色的小路從此處徑直往下延伸，
and to wind among the hills and thickets, cooled with fountains, and murmuring with waterfalls.
周圍山泉叮咚相間，瀑布浪花飛濺越起，空中泛起陣陣清新涼意，眼前小路一路蜿蜒，仄入連綿無盡的山嶺密林。
Here Obidah paused for a time, and began to consider whether it was longer safe to forsake the known and common track;
走到一處地方，奧巴代亞停住了腳步，他思忖著，離開那條老路是否會發(fā)生什么意外，
but, remembering that the heat was now in its greatest violence, and that the plain was dusty and uneven,
轉(zhuǎn)而一想，此刻陽光炙熱灼人，老路上灰塵滿天，坑洼不平，
he resolved to pursue the new path, which he supposed only to make a few meanders,
他當即決定還是循著新路往前走。
in compliance with the garieties of the ground, and to end at last in the common road.
他覺得，只消順著這條路拐上幾個彎，最終總會拐回老路上。
Having thus calmed his solicitude, he renewed his pace, though he suspected he was not gaining ground.
想到這里，他不再焦慮，繼續(xù)前行，盡管心中隱隱有些狐疑，或許真會迷路嗎？
This uneasiness of his mind inclined him to lay hold on every new object, and give way to every sensation that might soothe or divert him.
隨著心中愈來愈多的忐忑不安，他開始仔細打量周邊的景色，不放過視線里不斷出現(xiàn)的陌生物體，甚至不時暗自寬慰自己。
He listened to every echo, he mounted every hill for a fresh prospect,
他細心聆聽樹林里的微小回聲，他攀爬途經(jīng)的每處高地，查看延伸向遠的風(fēng)景，
he turned aside to every cascade, and pleased himself with tracing the course of a gentle river that rolled among the trees,
揣測推斷地形地貌的特征端倪，不幸的是，他所走過的關(guān)鍵路口，毫無例外地偏離了原先的正常路徑。直到最后，他才欣喜地發(fā)現(xiàn)，一條河流從森林中靜靜流過，
and watered a large region, with innumerable circumvolutions.
河面流域極為寬廣，九曲十八彎中有數(shù)不清的回轉(zhuǎn)盤旋。
