雙語版膠靴頌美文

　　In southern New England where I live, it's mud season. It's ugly, wet, and cold with sleet and rain all piled on top of each other. Wet socks. Wet shoes. Cold feet. It is a miserable time and made more miserable by the fact that half the people I know have escaped to somewhere warm. This time of year, the only way to avoid a misery is to stay inside and moan, unless, unless you have the solution to the season, and I do.在我生活的（美國）新英格蘭南部地區，如今正是泥濘的季節。這個時節丑陋不堪、潮濕寒冷，雪花和雨水相互堆積。襪子是濕的，鞋子是濕的，就連腳丫也冷冰冰的。這種日子讓人苦不堪言，而使它越發可悲的是我認識的人有一半都逃到其他溫暖的地方去了。一年中的這個時候，逃避折磨的唯一方式就是呆在家里，滿腹牢騷，除非——除非你找到對付這個時節的方法，就像我一樣。

　　They sit by the door waiting for me. And while I may speak more about the narrowness of my very circumscribed life than their real worth, just the fact that they're sitting there, waiting for me, makes me happy.它們正坐在門邊等著我呢。也許我更經常提到自己那比其實際價值更加狹隘的局限生活，僅僅看著它們坐在那兒，等待著我，我就感到幸福不已。

　　I speak, of course, of my wonderful, brilliant, intelligently designed, 4)calf-high rubber boots. They are a piece of industrial genius. They are real and vibrant, and make my life more worth living.當然，我在說的正是我那雙兼具美妙與智慧、設計巧妙的中筒膠靴。它們是工業智慧的杰作。它們真實而充滿生機，讓我的生活更有意義。

　　Others may speak of the newest digital gadget. Others may speak of the latest way of connecting to the world, something that promises something better. Every day brings new promises of connectivity; a new way to save us. But these things do not save me. Hardly anything is capable of saving me. I have sampled all of these things, and I find them wanting. None of these things are real—they are only promises.也許有些人會贊美最新的電子產品；有些人則贊美與世界溝通的最新方式——這些承諾給我們帶來美好生活的事物。每一天都有各種全新的溝通承諾；一個解救我們的新方式。但這些東西都救不了我，幾乎沒有一樣能拯救我。我嘗試過所有這些東西，它們都無法讓我滿意。這些東西都不真實——它們只是空口白話而已。

　　But my rubber boots are real and they do not fail me. I slip them on over my socks at a moment's notice. They go on easily. My feet rejoice like the wagging tail of a dog waiting for its walk. My feet know they are safe.但是，我的膠靴非常實在，從未令我失望。我隨時都能將膠靴套在襪子外面。它們簡便易穿。我的雙腳就像小狗等待散步時擺動起來的尾巴一樣歡樂，它們知道自己很安全。

　　I step outside the house and nothing can stop me—the late season snowstorm, the puddle of standing water at the bottom of my porch steps that will never evaporate, the mud and muck this season brings. My feet are warm and dry and happy. And so am I.我踏出家門，沒有任何事情能阻擋我——深冬季節的暴風雪、我家門廊臺階上那永遠揮散不去的雨水坑，還有這個季節帶來的爛泥和污穢。我的雙腳溫暖干燥，非常開心。我也很快樂。

　　My boots are modest. They make no promise they can't keep. I found them at one-third the price of the wellies I looked at longingly for years. Mine are American-made and inexpensive and unattractive and brown and sturdy. They are now three years old and still look new. I know I will have them forever. I will die with them on. They are homely and they are wonderful.我的膠靴很謙遜，不會許下無法兌現的諾言。我買下了它們，價錢只是那對心儀多年的長筒膠靴的三分之一。我的這對膠靴是美國制造的`，價格便宜，樣子不討好，并且是棕色的，但結實耐穿。我已經穿了三年，它們卻依舊如新。我知道我一輩子都會穿著它們，和它們一同老去。它們像家一樣舒適，讓人贊嘆不已。

　　My rubber boots make me braver and kinder and more generous. Yes, I will get the mail. Yes, I will get the newspaper. Yes, I will walk the dog. Yes to the garbage. Yes. Yes. Yes. I have rubber boots, good strong rubber boots—and I am not afraid.我的膠靴令我更加勇敢友善、慷慨大方。好的，我會去取信。好的，我會去拿報紙。好的，我會去遛狗。好的，我也會去丟垃圾。好的，沒錯，對！我擁有一雙膠靴，一雙結實好穿的膠靴——我無所畏懼。

　　If I only had rubber boots for my soul, rubber boots for my spirit—something that protected my psyche from the vagaries of this rough world as well as these simple marvels protect my lower extremities.但愿我能為自己的心靈和精神都穿上一雙膠靴——保護我的思想免受這個危險世界的荼毒，就像這簡單的奇跡保護我的雙腳那樣。

　　So, here is to things that last. Here is to things we can count on. Here is to things that wait for us by the door, unstinting in their service—things that make us better humans. Here is to rubber boots.讓我們贊美那些恒久的事物，贊美那些我們可以依賴的事物，贊美在門邊等候我們、隨時慷慨相助的事物——以及那些讓我們成為好人的事物。我贊美膠靴。

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