06 the beauty of nature 爱默生

The Beauty of Nature

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nature satisfies by its loveliness, and without any mixture of corporeal〔1〕benefit. I see the spectacle〔2〕of morning from the hilltop over against my house, from daybreak to sunrise, with emotions which an angel might share. The long slender〔3〕bars of cloud float like fishes in the sea of crimson〔4〕light. From the earth, as a shore, I look out into that silent sea. I seem to partake〔5〕its rapid transformations〔6〕; the active enchantment〔7〕reaches my dust, and I dilate〔8〕and conspire〔9〕with the morning wind. How does Nature deify〔10〕us with a few and cheap elements! Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp〔11〕of emperors ridiculous〔12〕. The dawn is my Assyria〔13〕; the sunset and moonrise my Paphos, and unimaginable realms of faerie; broad noon shall be my England of the senses and the understanding; the night shall be my Germany of mystic philosophy and dreams.

注释 〔1〕corporeal [kɔːˈpɔːrΙǝl] adj. 物质的 〔2〕spectacle [ˈspektǝkl] n. 景象，奇观 〔3〕slender [ˈslendǝ] adj. 修长的，微薄的 〔4〕crimson [ˈkrΙmzǝn] adj. 深红的 〔5〕partake [pɑːˈteΙk] v. 共享，分担 〔6〕transformation [ˌtrænsfǝˈmeΙʃǝn] n. 改变，转变 〔7〕enchantment [Ιnˈtʃɑːntmǝnt] n. 着迷，心醉 〔8〕dilate [daΙˈleΙt] v. 膨胀 〔9〕conspire [kǝnˈspaΙǝ] v. 合作，协力 〔10〕deify [ˈdiːΙfaΙ] v. 神化 〔11〕pomp [pɔmp] n. 宏伟壮观的景象（尤指群众场面），盛况 〔12〕ridiculous [rΙˈdΙkjulǝs] adj. 荒唐的，可笑的 〔13〕Assyria [ǝˈsΙrΙǝ] n. 亚述（西南亚洲底格里斯河流域的古国）