評(píng)論
打印
Learned--lift The lexicographer The lexicographer knew that the English lexis was changing.
字典編纂者 字典編纂者知道英語(yǔ) 詞匯在不斷變化，
But no one seemed to care. He tried to persuade lawmakers to write some new legislation.
但是好像沒(méi)有人在乎。 他試圖勸說(shuō)立法者制定 一些新的法律，
But what were they supposed to do? License an agency to oversee the words a person chooses to use?
但他們?cè)撟鲂┦裁茨? 批準(zhǔn)一個(gè)機(jī)構(gòu)監(jiān)督 人們的選詞造句?
Levy a tax on those who had an active vocabulary that was too small? That wasn't a legitimate solution, they said.
對(duì)那些積極詞 匯量太小的人征稅? 這可不是合理的 解決辦法，他們說(shuō)。
That kind of forced control was against the nature of liberation. They told him to leave before he became a liability.
那種強(qiáng)行管制是不符合 解放的本質(zhì)的。 他們叫他離開， 省得成為累贅。
So the lexicographer questioned a legion of other learned men about what he should do.
于是字典編纂者又向 眾多有學(xué)識(shí)的人詢問(wèn) 到底該怎么辦。
They were no more lenient and leveled with him that he should lessen his anxiety about the natural evolution of a language.
他們和別人一樣不寬厚 還坦率地告訴他對(duì)于 語(yǔ)言的自然演變 要減少操心，
Before it became a lethal obsession. That was when the lexicographer leased a large van.
不然會(huì)走火入魔 要人命的。 這時(shí)，字典編纂者 租了一輛大貨車，
And decided to take his plea to the people. As the legend grew of a crazy man driving across the country.
決定向人民請(qǐng)?jiān)浮?傳說(shuō)四起，說(shuō)是有個(gè) 瘋子駕車周游全國(guó)，
Using words that no one understood, the lexicographer finally realized.
總是使用一些 無(wú)人能懂的詞語(yǔ)。 這時(shí)，字典編纂者 終于意識(shí)到
That there was no interest in the legacy he had hoped to leave. He was liable to waste his whole lifespan talking about this issue.
沒(méi)人對(duì)他希望留 下的遺產(chǎn)感興趣。 他很可能要把畢生精力 浪費(fèi)在談?wù)撨@個(gè)問(wèn)題上
And still not lift any interest in saving what was, to him, a dying language. That was when he had a liaison with destiny.
但仍無(wú)法激起人們的 興趣挽救一門在他看來(lái) 瀕臨死亡的語(yǔ)言。 就在這時(shí)，他與命運(yùn) 有了某種聯(lián)系，
And drove into a remote valley that had no visitors, no electricity and no known residents.
他驅(qū)車來(lái)到一個(gè)偏遠(yuǎn) 的山谷，那里人跡罕至 沒(méi)有電，也沒(méi)有 他認(rèn)識(shí)的居民。
There were people there, however, and they spoke the English that the lexicographer loved.
但那里還是有人居住， 他們說(shuō)的英語(yǔ)正是 字典編纂者喜歡的。
He retired from public life, gave up his calling and remained there until the day he died!
他從此不再拋頭露面， 并放棄了他的職業(yè)， 至死都生活在山谷里。
