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学习用英语生动描述外貌

2011-01-13来源:和谐英语

作品介绍:《心是孤独的猎手》是美国作家卡森·麦卡勒斯的作品。书中讲述的是一个关于孤独的故事。麦卡勒斯以她独特的手法写的美国南方小镇,写八月漫长沉闷的下午,写午夜的咖啡馆里喝着冰啤酒徘徊于孤独的人们,写黑人对于自由的隐忍与矛盾的苦痛,写那些期望于改革的人,疯狂绝望却又依然坚定地向前走的决心……这是一个孤独到极至的故事。(以上简介转自百度百科)

这部经典小说中,语言平淡简易,但是字里行间弥漫着不可抹去的孤独气息。今天我们一起来读读开头的选段,学一学作者是如何用精练的笔调来描写人的外表的吧:

IN THE town there were two mutes, and they were always together. Early every morning they would come out from the house where they lived and walk arm in arm down the street to work. 镇上有两个哑巴,他们总是在一起。每天清早,他们从住所出来,手挽手地走在去上班的路上。

注释:
arm in arm:手挽手

The two friends were very different. The one who always steered the way was an obese and dreamy Greek. In the summer he would come out wearing a yellow or green polo shirt stuffed sloppily into his trousers in front and hanging loose behind. When it was colder he wore over this a shapeless gray sweater. 两个伙伴很不一样。带路的是那个非常肥胖、迷迷糊糊的希腊人。夏天,他出门时总是穿着黄色或绿色T恤——前摆被他胡乱地塞进裤子里,后摆松松垮垮地垂着。 天冷一些的时候,他就在衬衫外面套上松松垮垮的灰毛衣。

注释:
dreamy:形容人迷迷糊糊的
polo shirt stuffed sloppily into his trousers:衬衫胡乱塞进裤子里
stuff:动词,填、塞
sloppy:马虎的,胡乱的
a shapeless sweater:我们说那种松松垮垮没有型的衣服,就是shapeless

His face was round and oily, with half-closed eyelids and lips that curved in a gentle, stupid smile. 他的脸圆圆、油油的,眼皮半开半闭,弯曲的嘴唇显出温柔而呆滞的笑容。

注释:
lips that curved in a gentle, stupid smile:curve在这里的使用很不错,可以记住

The other mute was tall. His eyes had a quick, intelligent expression. He was always immaculate and very soberly dressed. 另一个哑巴是高个,眼睛里透出敏捷和智慧。他穿得很朴素,总是一尘不染。

注释:
His eyes had a quick, intelligent expression:眼神敏锐
soberly dressed:sober本意为“人清醒的”,这里可以表示穿着干净整洁

怎么样,短短一小段话,是不是学到很多很生动很形象的外貌描述法呢?在自己的写作和翻译中都可以使用到哦^^