何其芳散文《雨前》漢英對(duì)照何其芳，1912年2月5日生于重慶萬(wàn)州，現(xiàn)代詩(shī)人、家、評(píng)論家。1935年于北京大學(xué)哲學(xué)系畢業(yè)。1938年，到延安藝術(shù)學(xué)院任教，同年加入中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨，為革命文藝作了大量拓荒工作。同年，發(fā)表作品《生活是多么廣闊》《我為少男少女們歌唱》。雨前PrayingforRainfall何其芳byHeQifang最后的鴿群帶著低弱的笛聲在微風(fēng)里劃一個(gè)圈子后，也消失了。也許是誤認(rèn)這灰暗的凄冷的天空為夜色的來(lái)襲，或是也預(yù)感到風(fēng)雨的將至，遂過(guò)早地飛回它們溫暖的木舍。Thelastflockofpigeonshavealsogoneoutofsightafterdoingtheirfinalcirclinginthesoftbreeze,thesoundoftheirwhistlesbarelyaudible.Theyarehasteningbacktotheirwarmwoodendovecoteearlierthanusualperhapsbecausetheyhavemistakenthebleakleadenskyfornightfallorbecauseoftheirpresentimentofastorm.幾天的陽(yáng)光在柳條上撤下的一抹嫩綠，被塵土埋掩得有憔悴色了，是需要一次洗滌。還有干裂的大地和樹(shù)根也早已期待著雨。雨卻遲疑著。Thewillowtwigs,daubedwithalightgreenbyseveraldaysofsunshine,arenowcoveredalloverwiththedustandlooksosicklythattheyneedtobewashed.Andtheperchedsoilandtreerootshavelikewisebeendyingforrainfall.Yettherainisreluctanttocomedown.我懷想著故鄉(xiāng)的雷聲和雨聲。那隆隆的有力的搏擊，從山谷反響到山谷，仿佛春之芽就從凍土里震動(dòng)，驚醒，而怒茁出來(lái)。細(xì)草樣柔的雨絲又以溫存之手撫摸它，使它簇生油綠的枝葉而開(kāi)出紅色的花。這些懷想如一樣縈繞得使我憂郁了。我心里的氣候也和這北方大陸一樣缺少雨量，一滴溫柔的淚在我枯澀的眼里，如遲疑在這陰沉的天空里的雨點(diǎn)，久不落下。Icanneverforgetthethunderstormweoftenhadinmyhometown.Overthere,whenevertherumbleofthunderreverberatedacrossthevalley,thebudsofspringwouldseemtosproutfreelyafterbeingdisturbedandrousedupfromtheirslumberinthefrozensoil.Thentenderlystrokedbythesofthandsoffinerain,theywouldputforthbrightgreenleavesandpinkflowers.ItmakesmenostalgicandmelancholytothinkabouttheoldtimesandmymindisasdepressedasthevastexpanseofNorthChinaisthirsty.Atearstandsinmydulleyeand,liketherainlingeringinthemurkysky,isslowtorolldown.白色的鴨也似有一點(diǎn)煩了，有不潔的顏色的都市的河溝里傳出它們焦急的叫聲。有的還未厭倦那船一樣的徐徐的劃行。有的卻倒插它們的長(zhǎng)頸在水里，紅色的趾伸在尾后，不停地?fù)鋼糁灾С稚眢w的平衡。不知是在尋找溝底的細(xì)微食物，還是貪那深深的水里的寒冷。Whiteduckshavealsobecomesomewhatimpatient.Somearesendingoutirritatedquacksfromtheturbidwatersofanurbancreek.Somekeepswimmingleisurelyandtirelesslylikeaslowboat.Somehavetheirlongneckssubmergedheadfirstinthewaterwhilestickinguptheirwebbedfeetbehindtheirtailsandsplashingthemdesperatelysoastokeeptheirbalance.Thereisnoknowingiftheyaresearchingfortinybitsoffoodfromthebottomofthecreekorjustenjoyingthechillofthedeepwater.有幾個(gè)已上岸了。在柳樹(shù)下來(lái)回地作紳士的散步，舒息劃行的疲勞。然后參差地站著，用嘴細(xì)細(xì)地?fù)崂硭鼈儽轶w白色的羽毛，間或又搖動(dòng)身子或撲展著闊翅，使那綴在羽毛間的水珠墜落。一個(gè)已修飾完畢的，彎曲它的頸到背上，長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的紅嘴藏沒(méi)在翅膀里，靜靜合上它白色的茸毛間的小黑眼，仿佛準(zhǔn)備睡眠?？蓱z的小動(dòng)物，你就是這樣做你的夢(mèng)嗎?Someofthemstaggeroutofthewaterand,torelievetheirfatigue,begintosaunterupanddownwithagentleman-likeswaggerintheshadeofthewillowtrees.Then,theystandabouttopreentheirwhiteplumagecarefully.Occasionallytheygivethemselvesasuddenshakeorflaptheirlongwingstoletoffwaterdropsfromamongtheirfeathers.Oneofthem,aftergroomingitself,turnsrounditsnecktorestontheback,thenburiesitslongredbeakunderitswingsandquietlyclosesitssmallblackeyestuckedawayamongthewhitefindhair.Apparentlyitisgettingreadytosleep.Poorlittlecreature,isthatthewayyousleep?我想起故鄉(xiāng)放雛鴨的人了。一大群鵝黃色的雛鴨游牧在溪流間。清淺的水，兩岸青青的.草，一根長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的竹竿在牧人的手里。他的小隊(duì)伍是多么歡欣地發(fā)出啾聲，又多么馴服地隨著他的竿頭越過(guò)一個(gè)田野又一個(gè)山坡!夜來(lái)了，帳幕似的竹撐在地上，就是他的家。但這是怎樣遼遠(yuǎn)的想象啊!在這多塵土的國(guó)度里，我僅只希望聽(tīng)見(jiàn)一點(diǎn)樹(shù)葉上的雨聲。一點(diǎn)雨聲的幽涼滴到我憔悴的夢(mèng)，也許會(huì)長(zhǎng)成一樹(shù)圓圓的綠陰來(lái)覆蔭我自己。Thescenerecallstomymindtheducklingraiserinmyhometown.Withalongbamboopoleinhand,hewouldlookafteralargeflockofgosling-yellowducklingsmovingaboutonthelimpidwaterofashallowbrookflankedonbothsidesbygreengrass.Howthelittlecreaturesjig-jiggedmerrily!Howtheyobedientlyfollowedthebamboopoletoscamperoverfieldafterfield,hillsideafterhillside!Whennightfell,theducklingraiserwouldmakehishomeinatent-likebambooshed.Oh,thatissomethingofthedistantpast!Now,inthisdustycountryofours,whatIyearnforistohearthedrip-dripofrainbeatingagainstleaves.我仰起頭。天空低垂如灰色霧幕，落下一些寒冷的碎屑到我臉上。一只遠(yuǎn)來(lái)的隼仿佛帶著憤怒，對(duì)這沉重的天色的憤怒，平張的雙翅不動(dòng)地從天空斜插下，幾乎觸到河溝對(duì)岸的土，而又鼓撲著雙翅，作出猛烈的聲響騰上了。那樣巨大的翅使我驚異。我看見(jiàn)了它兩脅間斑白的羽毛。WhenIlookupatagraymistypallofalow-hangingsky,somedustparticlesfeelchillyonmyface.Ahawk,seeminglyirkedbythegloomysky,swoopsdownsidewaysoutofnowhere,withwingswidespreadandimmovable,untilitalmosthitsthehillockontheothersideofthebrook.Butitsoarsskywardsagainwithaloudflap.Iamamazedbyitstremendoussizeofitswings.AndIalsocatchsightof