Reference Translation of Exercise 7 (Fiction)

Where the Sun Spilled Gold

那片灑滿金光的仙境

(錦心繡手) (有志竟成) (那片山巔的花鳥仙境) (桃花源記) (世外桃源)

It was a bleak, rainy day, and I had no desire to drive up the winding mountain road to my daughter Carolyn’s house. But she had insisted that I come see something at the mountain. So here I was, reluctantly making the two-hour journey through fog that hung like veils.

那是個下著雨又冷颼颼的日子〈下著淒雨的日子〉，我完全提不起興趣開車爬上蜿蜒的山道，去女兒卡珞琳家。但她苦苦相邀，一定要我去山頂看些東西。

雖然老大的不願意，但我還是踏上了兩小時的旅途，這一路上白霧茫茫，如紗如帳。

By the time I saw how thick it was near the summit I’d gone too far to turn back. Nothing could be worth this, I thought as I inched along the perilous highway.

到達山頂看到霧有多濃的時候，要折回已經晚了。「無論有什麼好看的東西，都不值得我走這遭」，我一面想，一面在險惡的公路上磨蹭著前進。

“I’ll stay for lunch but I’m heading back down as soon as the fog lifts “ I announced when I arrived.

一到女兒家門，就對她說：「我在這吃午飯，但是霧一散，我就要下山回去。」

But I need you to drive me to the garage to pick up my car, Carolyn said. “Could we at least do that?”

卡珞琳央求地說：「但是，你至少得先載我到保養場取車，這個總沒問題吧?」

“How far is it?” I asked.

“About three minutes, “ she said. “I’ll drive – I’m used to it.”

After ten minutes on the mountain road I looked at her anxiously. I thought you said three minutes.

She grinned. “This is a detour.”

「有多遠?」，我問。

「大約三分鐘車程」，她說，「我來開車吧，我習慣在霧裡行車了。」

汽車在山道(路)上走了十分鐘，我有點擔心了，望著女兒說：「剛才你說三分鐘的。」她

咧嘴笑道：「我兜了個圈子，想讓妳看點東西嘛！」

Turning down a narrow track we parked the car and got out. We walked along a path that was thick with old pine needles. Huge black-green evergreens towered over us. Gradually the peace and silence of the place began to fill my mind.

我們轉入一條狹路停了下來，下了車，沿著一條鋪滿了乾枯松針的小徑走著，抬頭望去，滿眼是綠森森高聳的巨松。那寧靜又安祥的氣氛，開始沁入我的心靈。

And I stopped and gasped in amazement.

突然間，我猛然停步，失聲驚歎。

From the top of the mountain, sloping for several acres across folds and valleys, were rivers of daffodils in radiant bloom. A profusion of color -- from the palest ivory to the deepest lemon to the most vivid salmon -- blazed like a carpet before us. It looked as though the sun had tipped over and spilled gold down the mountainside.

由山頂向下綿延好幾英畝，溝壑山谷之間處處都是盛放的黃水仙，搖曳在風中，宛若一條條金黃的小河；那奪目的繽紛五彩，有淡得無可再淡的象牙白，有深得無可再深的檸檬黃，更有鮮艷的鮭魚紅，變化多端，燦爛如錦繡；這一切，恍似一缸弄灑了的太陽金光，把整片山坡染得金黃奪目。