星期二
我仔细地观察了大瀑布。我觉得大瀑布是这里最美的事物。新来的人为其取名为尼亚加拉大瀑布——我不知道这个名字是怎么取的。新来的人说因为它看起来像尼亚加拉大瀑布。
Tuesday
Been examining the great waterfall. It is the finest thing on the estate, I think. The new creature calls it Niagara Falls—why, I am sure I do not know. Says it looks like Niagara Falls.
这可不是理由,仅仅是因为任性和愚蠢罢了。我根本没有机会为事物取名。我还来不及提出抗议,新来的人就为所有遇到的东西取好了名字。每次的理由都一样——那东西看起来像什么,就取了那个名。
That is not a reason;it is mere waywardness and imbecility. I get no chance to name anything myself. The new creature names everything that comes along, before I can get in a protest. And always that same pretext is offered—it looks like the thing.
比如渡渡鸟,新来的人说只要看上一眼,就会觉得那东西“看起来像渡渡鸟”。毫无疑问,渡渡鸟这个名字就定下来了。我厌烦自己为这件事苦恼,而且这样做又没好处。渡渡鸟!那东西看起来像渡渡鸟?我看还不如我像呢。
There is the dodo, for instance. Says the moment one looks at it one sees at a glance that it“looks like a dodo.”It will have to keep that name, no doubt. It wearies me to fret about it, and it does no good, anyway. Dodo!It looks no more like a dodo than I do.