美文欣赏:Lappet Butterflies 枯叶蝴蝶

峨嵋山下,伏虎寺旁,有一种蝴蝶,比最美丽的蝴蝶可能还要美丽些,是峨嵋山最珍贵的特产之一。

At the foot of Mount Emei, around Fuhu Temple, there lives a species of butterfly 8211;one of the rarest rarities of the mountain-that is probably even more beautiful than the most beautiful butterflies in the world.

当它阖起两张翅膀的时候,像生长在树枝上的一张干枯了的树叶。谁也不去注意它,谁也不会瞧它一眼。

With its wings closed it resembles a withered tree leaf hanging from a branch 8211;scarcely noticeable to the human eye. Gathering its wings with exquisite patterns, it conceals its beautiful colors.

它收敛了它的花纹、图案,隐藏了它的粉墨、彩色,逸出了繁华的花丛,停止了它翱翔的姿态,变成了一张憔悴的,干拈了的,甚至不是枯黄的,而是枯稿的,如同死灰颜色的枯叶。

When it flutters out from a cluster of blooming flowers and alights somewhere in the middle of its graceful flight, it turns into a dried leaf, not even of a withering yellow, but of a deathly grey.

它这样伪装,是为了保护自己。但是它还是逃不脱被捕捉的命运。不仅因为它的美丽,更因为它那用来隐蔽它的美丽的枯搞与憔悴。

It disguises its shape and colours in order to protect itself, but nevertheless it can 8217;t help ending up in being captured, not only because of its beauty, but more because of the withered quality of its appearance that covers up its beauty.

它以为它这样做可以保护自己,殊不知它这样做更教人去搜捕它。有一种生物比它还聪明,这种生物的特技之一是装假作伪,因此装假作伪这种行径是瞒不过这种生物—人的。

It is misled to believe that by so doing it can keep itself out of danger. On the contrary it makes itself more attractive, because there is another creature-man-that is cleverer than this butterfly. 8216;Ibis creature is extremely skilled in masquerading himself; no masquerading whatsoever can slide by under his nose.

人把它捕捉,将它制成标本,作为一种商品去出售,价钱越来越高。最后几乎把它捕捉得再也没有了。这一生物品种快要绝种了。

Man captures it, makes a specimen of it and sells it in the market at increasingly high prices. What happens as a result is that there is hardly any of the butterflies to be found-the species is dying out.

到这时候,国家才下令禁止捕捉枯叶蝶。但是,已经来不及了。国家的禁止更增加了它的身价。枯叶蝶真是因此而要绝对的绝灭了。

The government has now decided to put a ban on its capture, but it 8217;s too late. The ban, instead, multiplies its price. The butterfly is on the verge of extinction.

我们既然有一对美丽和真理的翅膀,我们永远也不愿意阖上它们。做什么要装模作样,化为一只枯叶蝶,最后也还是被售,反而不如那翅膀两面都光彩夺目的蝴蝶到处飞翔,被捕捉而又生生不息。

Since we have got a pair of wings of beauty and truth, there is no reason to hide them. Why do you have to turn yourself into a withered-leaf-like butterfly as you are bound to be netted and sold at the market? Isn 8217;t it better to fly around freely on your flashing, colorful wings and keep up the line of your species though some of you have to meet their doom?

我要我的翅膀两面都光彩夺目。

I want both sides of my wings to shine.

我愿这自然界的一切都显出它们的真相。

I hope everything in the world shows their true colors.

(兼职编辑:杨帆)

标签:   发布日期:2023-10-04 07:02:00  投稿会员:Aucao