名家赏析（汉译英）：许地山《落花生》_美文

名家赏析（汉译英）：许地山《落花生》

我们都争着答应：“爱!”

"Yes!" we all answered eagerly.

“谁能把花生底好处说出来?”

"But who ran tell me what the peanut is good for?"

姊姊说：“花生的气味很美。”

"It is very delicious to eat," my sister took the lead.

哥哥说：“花生可以制油。”

"It is good for making cooking oil,” my brother followed.

我说：“无论何等人都可以用贱价买它来吃；都喜欢吃它。这就是它的好处。”

"It is inexpensive." I said. "Almost everyone can afford it and everyone enjoys eating it. I think this is what it is good for."

爹爹说：“花生的用处固然很多；但有一样是很可贵的。这小小的豆不像那好看的苹果、桃子、石榴，把它们的果实悬在枝上，鲜红嫩绿的颜色，令人一望而发生羡慕的心。它只把果子埋在地底，等到成熟，才容人把它挖出来。你们偶然看见一棵花生瑟缩地长在地上，不能立刻辨出它有没有果实，非得等到你接触它才能知道。”

"Peanut is good for many things," Dad said, "but there is one thing that is particularly good about it. Unlike apples, peaches or pomegranates that display their fruits up in the air, attracting you with their beautiful colours, peanut buries its fruit in the earth. It does not show itself until you dig it out when it is ripe and, unless you dip 4 out, you can't tell whether it bears fruit or not just by its frail sterns above ground."