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（be content with 以…为满足；lot n. 命运）
1. Peter Hessler described two lifestyles and asked his Chinese students to choose the one they preferred, either a very long yet ultimately average and uneventful life, or a very exciting, fan-filled life that only lasted 24 years. Almost all of his 20 something year old students chose the first option. This surprised Peter because, from his experience with American youths, he was sure the Americans wouldn't have chosen a long, uneventful life.
1、彼得•赫斯勒（简称PH）请他的中国学生在以下两种生活方式（two lifestyles）中选择其一（they preferred定语从句，修饰the one；prefer vi. 喜欢；ask sb. to do sth. 要求某人做某事）：一种是平庸却长寿(uneventful adj. 平凡的)，另一种是只能活24年（that only lasted 24 years）却享乐无比。那些20岁左右(something adj. 大约，没想到还有这个意思，所以要特别注意)的学生们几乎都选择了第一种生活。彼得十分惊讶，在他看来美国青年并不会如此一致地选择平庸但长寿的生活（可译为：这令彼得十分惊讶，因为以他对美国青年的经验，他认定他们不会选择平庸但长寿的生活）。
2. The Chinese traditionally think (that) an uneventful, but long life is better than a short life fall of fan and adventure. There's even an idiom for the traditional Chinese attitude, "A good death is worse than a lazy life." This saying reveals a deeply ingrained sense of optimism and acceptance of fate. It's nothing at all like the Western idea of heroes made through tragedy.
2、无聊无趣（平凡的）但天长地久地活下去，好过（is better than）冒生命之险求得享乐的短命，这似乎是中国传统的价值观(直译为：具有传统观念的中国人认为：平凡但长寿要好过沉浸于快乐与冒险的短寿)。有习语（idiom）为证（attitude n. 态度）：“好死不如赖活着。”它透露出根深蒂固的乐观与宿命（acceptance of fate; acceptance n. 接受; fate n. 命运）(saying n. 谚语；reveal vt. 透露；ingrained adj. 根深蒂固；optimism n. 乐观；)。与英雄产生于悲剧（tragedy n.）的西方价值观完全不同(It's nothing at all；at all 根本；完全，用于否定句中)。
3. 30 years ago, at the beginning of China's reform, a group of intellectuals believed the acceptance of one's lot would hurt the growth of the People's Republic. The way they saw it, the Westerners' "seafaring culture" had allowed them to expand and advance while China's "agrarian culture" had shut the country off from the world and kept it focusing on itself.
3、30年前改革开放之初（at the beginning of China's reform），一批知识分子（intellectuals）认为乐天知命、安于本分的传统观念（the acceptance of one's lot; lot n. 命运，没想到还有这个意思，所以要特别注意）有害于中华民族的发展。在他们看来(The way they saw it)，西方的“蓝色文明(seafaring culture航海文化)”使其开放、进步（allow sb. to do sth. 允许某人作某事）；而（while）中国的“黄土文化(agrarian culture耕地文化)”使之封闭、守旧（shut off 切断；keep doing sth. 一直做某事；focus on 集中于）。（这翻译翻的，短的翻长了，长的翻短了，要好好体会）
4. Researching the unique traits of a nationality can reveal a number of interesting features. David N. Keightly is a professor of history at the University of California Berkeley and he made a study of the unique attitudes of the Chinese people. He believed their acceptance of fate originates from a geographical standpoint. The birthplace of the Chinese civilization is the Central Plains where the climate has less variation than the Mediterranean or the Near East. China's two main rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, both run from West to East, and don't change much in latitude. This means the cultivation both upstream and downstream are very similar. This uniformity of the agrarian culture reduced the incentive for mutual trade and the need for people to travel very far. Hence, the exchange of thoughts, ideas and technology became restricted and the ancient Chinese culture tended to isolate itself within their regions of influence.
4、研究一个民族的某种特性是件有趣的事情（Researching the unique traits of a nationality现在分词短语做主语；unique adj. 独特的；独一无二的；trait n. 特性；品质；feature n. 特色，特征，特点；直译为：研究一个民族的特质可以揭示许多有趣的事情）。美国加州大学伯克利分校的历史学教授大卫•凯特利（简称DNK）研究分析了（made a study of）中国人乐天知命的独一无二的人生观（the unique attitudes）。他认为这种特性（宿命，即接受或满足于命运的安排）源于中国特有的地理环境（originate from 起源于; geographical adj. 地理的; standpoint n.立场；观点）。与地中海和近东地区相比，中国文明的发祥地中原地区的气候类型更加有规律可寻(where引导的定语从句修饰the Central Plains; birthplace n. 出生地；variation n. 变化；直译为：中国文明的发源地是在中原地区，这里的气候与地中海和近东地区相比，更加缺少变化)。中国的两大主要河流——黄河和长江——都是自西向东流，而且它们的纬度（latitude）变化也不大，这意味着河流上游和下游（both upstream and downstream）所种植的农作物类型差别不大（cultivation n. 耕种；培养；similar adj. 相似的）。因此就缺乏了相互贸易的动力（the incentive for mutual trade），中国的古代文明自然就成为农耕文明（uniformity n. 均匀性；一致；incentive n. 动机；刺激；mutual adj. 共同的；相互的；the need for…的必要；直译为：上下游“耕地文明”的一致性减少了相互贸易的动力及人们向更远处旅行的必要）。而那些很少旅行的人们就没有可能去交流思想和技术，封闭由此产生（restricted adj. 受限制的；isolate vt. 使隔离；使孤立；直译为：因此交流思想和技术受到限制，中国古文化趋于在自身势力范围内自我封闭）。
5. According to Professor Keightly's theory, the climate of ancient China was very good. This would create a sense of optimism in the Chinese culture. In comparison, the people of the Mediterranean and the Near East had to face more natural disasters and were less optimistic. Besides the geographical factor which influences the development of cultures, Keightley believes the Chinese practice of ancestor worship has significantly influenced the makeup of the Chinese people. Keightley says, "I believe, the cultures that engage in ancestor worship are going to be conservative cultures. They're not going to find new things attractive because, that will be a challenge to the ancestors. There's no room in this culture for a skeptic."
5、凯特利教授相信中国古代的气候良好（according to 根据；直译为：根据凯特利教授的理论，中国古代的气候良好），因此生成了中国文化中的那种乐观主义（a sense of optimism）。相比较之下(in comparison)，无论是地中海还是近东，都面临着更多的自然灾害(more natural disasters; disaster n.灾难；不幸; have to do sth. 不得不做某事)，因而少了些乐观。除了地理环境对文化发展的影响(直译为：除了影响文化发展的地理因素外)，凯特利教授认为中国人对祖先的崇拜（the Chinese practice of ancestor worship；practice of ….有…的习惯；practice n. 惯例，没想到还有这个意思，所以要特别注意；ancestor worship 祖先崇拜）也极深地（significantly）影响了中国人的特性(makeup n. 天性)。凯特利教授相信：“这种祖先崇拜（that engage in ancestor worship定语从句修饰the cultures；engage in 从事于；参加；忙于）的文化，是一种保守的（conservative adj.）文化(be going to do sth.)。你不会去发现新的有吸引力的东西(new things attractive)，因为那是对祖先的挑战(challenge)。中国文化中没有怀疑的余地(skeptic n. 怀疑者)。”
6. Chinese people tend to want to return to the past, while Westerners are always looking towards the future. By comparing their lives to the past, it creates an unlimited feeling of satisfaction. With no other desires, people in ancient times had the opportunity to coexist harmoniously with nature. They worked towards an existence where their social development was in sync with the natural world. This sort of self-satisfaction and oneness with nature helped Chinese people develop a more optimistic attitude towards life.
6、中国人趋向于回顾过去（tend to do sht.倾向于做某事; want to do sth. 想要做某事），而西方人更多的是展望未来(look towards 期待)。与过去相比较（compare to… 与…比较），就会对当下的生活生出无限的满足感（an unlimited feeling of satisfaction; unlimited adj. 无限制的）。无欲无求（desire n. 欲望；要求），在古代，人们就能够定下心来与自然和谐相处（to coexist harmoniously with nature 不定式做定语，修饰the opportunity; opportunity n. 机会；机遇；coexist vi. 共存；和平共处；harmoniously adv. 和谐地），努力达到天人合一的境界（where 引导的定语从句修饰an existence; work towards 争取；努力达到；existence生存方式；存在；sync n. 同步）。这种自我满足以及与自然和谐共存，使中国人产生出乐观的生活态度。
7. The Westerners have the opposite approach because they fear the uncertainty of the future. This leads them to work hard in changing their current situation in the hope of making tomorrow better than today. During this process, it's almost impossible to abide by the rules of the natural world or human nature. The idea of being content with one's lot is hard-pressed to take hold in this sort of environment.
7、西方人的观点与此相反（the opposite approach 相反的看法），源于对未来的不确定感(fear vt. 害怕；为…担心；uncertainty n. 不确定性)，这促使他们努力改变现状（lead sb. to do sth. 引导某人做某事；current situation 现状），以期明天比今天更好（in the hope of希望）。在努力的过程中难免会违反自然规律和扭曲人性（不定式短语是真正的主语，由于主语较长，在英语中习惯将其置后，而用it是形式主语，同时表语提前；abide by 遵守；直译为：在努力的过程中，遵守自然规律和人性几乎是不可能的）。乐天知命、安于本分的价值观在这样的文化氛围中（in this sort of environment）是难以形成的（to take hold 不定式作结果状语；hard-pressed adj. 处于困境的；take hold 生根；直译为：满足于自身命运的价值观在这样的文化氛围中是难于生根的）。
8. Over these past few decades, the ideas of the West and the East have practically been reversed. The Chinese people have little choice but to drop the traditional idea of being content with one's lot if they want to improve their economic standing. They now emulate the West in opening up and becoming more enterprising. Unfortunately, this process of chasing materialistic dreams results in the destruction of nature. People have had to deal with increasing pressure and the income gap between rich and poor has become larger and larger. People are beginning to realize that the traditional idea we inherited from our ancestors, of being content with what one's lot, makes a lot of sense. As the West has forged ahead over the centuries, on the basis of its enterprising attitude, corruption and malpractice has kept pace. Today, the West is turning towards the East to find a way out.
8、有趣的是，近几十年来（over these past few decades），至少在表面上，东西方似乎呈现出一种互换的态势（have practically been reversed; reverse vt. 颠倒）。中国人因为经济的落后，不得不抛弃(drop)传统的乐天知命观，学习西方的进取和开拓（emulate vt. 模仿；尽力赶上；open up 开创；enterprising adj. 有事业心的有进取心的；直译为：如果中国人想要改善他们的经济状况，不放弃传统的乐天知命观，他们可选择的道路不多，现在他们开始效仿西方人的开创和进取精神）。不幸的是（Unfortunately），在尽全力追逐物质主义的过程中，环境遭到破坏(chase vt. 追逐；materialistic adj. 唯物的；result in 结果是；destruction n. 破坏；摧毁)。社会财富分配不均衡(income gap 收入差距)，人们不得不承受巨大的心理压力（两个现在完成时态的并列句；people 做主语时，其谓语动词(包括助动词)要使用复数形式）。这令人意识到老袓宗“乐天知命”的价值观念自有其道理（we inherited from our ancestors 是定语从句，修饰the traditional idea；inherit from 从…继承…；make a lot of sense 很有道理；老师说过，逗号之间的句子多数用于补充说明，有时可以跳过，方便分析句子的成分，而不会影响整个句子的意思）。西方人在数百年的无休止进取后，弊端丛生（forge ahead 取得进展；锐意进取；on the basis of 根据；基于…; corruption n. 贪污，腐败；malpractice adj. 玩忽职守；keep pace 并驾齐驱），如今也纷纷转向东方的价值观寻找出路（to find a way out 不定式做目的状语；turn towards 转向；find a way out找到出路）。
9. Maybe there's something in the text-message that's doing the rounds on the Internet, when it says, "Once you're 50, pretty and ugly look the same. Once you're 60, high-rank and low-rank look the same. Once you’ re 70, lots of money and little money look the same. Once you're 80, men and women look the same. Once you're 90, living and dying look the same."
9、最近有一则网上流行的短信（that’s doing the round on the Internet做定语修饰the text-message）：“到了五十，好看难看一个样；到了六十，官大官小一个样；到了七十，钱多钱少一个样；到了八十，男的女的一个样；到了九十，活的死的一个样。”（look the same 看起来一样）
10. In a way, the message, pretty much, suggests that, even though China exported computers to America and Chinese people have traded in their bikes for BMWs, the past thirty years of reform hasn't changed our traditions and, the idea of being content with one's lot has never left our bones.
10、在某种程度上，这条短信似乎（pretty much 几乎）暗示（suggest vt.）：改革开放30年，尽管(even though)中国生产的电脑已经卖到了美国(export to 向…出口；输出到)，并且中国人已经丢掉自行车，开起了宝马（trade in…for… 以旧换新），但仍没有改变他们的传统，乐天知命的价值观（the idea of being content with one's lot）仍在骨子里，不曾磨灭。（本段翻译做了小改动）
