As I Rake, I Hear a Symphony叶子交响乐By Miriam C. Daum邹尚操 译注刘慈勤 校 I always dreamt of country life: biking down shady lanes, fishing in sparkling ponds, and jumping into piles of autumn leaves. But as a city kid in Manhattan, all I could do was devour books describing these joys.我一直向往乡村生活：在林阴小道上骑自行车，在闪闪发光的池塘边垂钓，以及在秋天的叶子堆里雀跃?但作为在曼哈顿长大的城市孩子，我能做的一切就是贪婪地读描写这些乐事的书了?
Finally, all grown up[1], I moved to the suburbs. It was early November, so I found lots of autumn leaves. My new neighbors recommended their gardener with his noisy leaf-blower.最后，一切都变了，我搬到了郊区?那是11月初，因此我见到了许许多多的秋叶。我的新邻居向我推荐他们的园丁和他那台工作时声音嘈杂的吹叶机?[1] grow up变化?“No, thank you,” I said. “I can’t miss my chance to rake[2] leaves, have a bonfire, roast chestnuts.”我说：“不用，谢谢?我不能错过耙叶子?点篝火?烤栗子的机会?”[2]（用耙子）耙?
“It’s illegal to burn your leaves,” they replied with a laugh. “But you can rake them all you want.”他们大笑着回答：“烧叶子违法?但你愿意耙多少叶子都行?” With an ancient, rusty rake I went to work. There was music as I put rake to leaf. First, delicate tinkling as the metal tines jostled each other. Then the swish[3] of leaves colliding as my rake herded them together.我拿了把古老?生锈的耙子去耙叶子?耙子与叶子一接触就奏出了音乐?首先，金属尖齿相互撞击发出了柔和的丁丁声?然后，用耙子把叶子聚拢到一起时发出了叶子碰撞的窸窣声?[3]嗖嗖声?I heard different sounds from fresh, moist leaves and those that were parchment dry.我听到了刚落下的?潮湿的叶子和已像羊皮纸那样干的叶子发出的不同声音。
Squirrels added staccato crunch[4] notes with their arced leaps. I heard feathery taps, barely audible whispers, as individual leaves fell from shedding trees.松鼠蹦蹦跳跳增加了嘎吱嘎吱的断奏音符?当一片片叶子从正在落叶的树上飘下时，我听到了轻软的拍打声，勉强能听见的沙沙声?[4]嘎吱嘎吱声?The visual feast was endless: carpets of crimson and fiery orange woven with sun yellow. When the wind was right, bronze and rust oak leaves added a mellowing touch. Graceful shapes, like large confetti[5], drifted down, mesmerizing[6] in their dance to the ground.这里有享用不尽的视觉大餐：用阳光般的金黄色编织的深红和橘红色的地毯。微风轻轻地吹拂时，铜锈色的橡树叶又增添了丰满的一笔?优美的叶子像大片的五彩纸屑在空中飞舞，着迷地跳着它们行将落地的舞蹈?[5]五彩纸屑?[6] mesmerize令人入迷?
The old rake, sturdy in my calloused[7] hands, conveyed the feel of firm earth beneath its tines. Sometimes the leaves felt weightless. Sometimes, when the rain reached them before I did, they were heavily wet, resistant to my pull. Now and then, I felt a gentle touch as a drifting leaf brushed my cheek.牢牢握在我起了茧子的手里的那把旧耙子传递着尖齿下坚实土地的感觉?有时，叶子像没了重量；有时，雨后去耙，叶子就又沉又湿，耙起来很费劲?一片飘落的叶子偶尔拂过我的面颊，感觉就像一次温柔的抚摸?[7]（指皮肤）硬化的，有茧子的?
With each scrape of rake, the smell of earthy dampness rose. And when tines found hidden mushrooms or wild chives, the moldy, spicy scents combined in a perfect blend.每耙一次，潮湿的泥土香味便扑面而来?尖齿碰到藏在下面的蘑菇或野细香葱时，则散发出令人回味的完美交融的霉香味? Sound, sight, touch, and smell: a sensory smorgasbord.声音?景象?抚摸和气味——这一切组成了一席感官上的盛宴?Finally, there was even taste. Hot cider, cinnamon-spiked[8], warmed my throat as I gazed at neatly mounded piles of leaves—the finale[9] of a job well done.最后，甚至还有味道?当我盯着整齐垛好的一堆堆叶子时（耙叶子工作的完美结局），加了桂皮香酒的热苹果汁似乎温暖着我的喉咙?[8]加了桂皮香酒的?[9]（戏剧）最后一场；结尾?
Decades later, I still rake my own leaves. It takes a long time, and I don’t always get them all. Friends ask me why I persist. “Efficiency and perfection,” I reply, “are not all they’re cracked up to be[10].”几十年后，我仍然自己耙叶子?耙叶子要花很长时间，我还并不总能把落叶都耙好?朋友们问我为什么坚持这么做?我回答：“效率和完美并不像人们所想的那么好?”[10]crack up to be为习语和口语，常用于否定式，意为“像人们所说（或想）的那么好? （选自《英语世界》2005年第12期）
