What a bundle of contradictions is a man! Surely, humor is the saving grace of us, for without it we should die of vexation. Wit

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问题     What a bundle of contradictions is a man! Surely, humor is the saving grace of us, for without it we should die of vexation. With me, nothing illustrates the contrariness of things better than the matter of sleep. If, for example, my intention is to write an essay, and I have before me ink and pens and several sheets of virgin paper, you may depend upon it that before I have gone very far I feel an overpowering desire for sleep, no matter what time of the day it is. I stare at the reproachfully blank paper until sights and sounds become dim and confused, and it is only by an effort of will that I can continue at all. Even then, I proceed halfheartedly, in a kind of dream. But let me be between the sheets at a late hour, and I can do anything but sleep. Between chime and chime of the clock I can write essays by the score. Fascinating subjects and noble ideas come pell-mell, each with its appropriate imagery and expression. Nothing stands between me and half-a-dozen imperishable masterpieces but pens, ink, and paper.

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答案 人真的是矛盾集合体!当然,幽默是上天拯救我们的恩赐,因为要是没有幽默,我们一定会苦恼而死。对于我来说,没有什么比睡眠这件事更能说明事物的矛盾之处了。比如,无论白天什么时候,如果我想写篇文章,面前摆着钢笔、墨水和几张白纸,我准是没写几行就困倦难支。我瞪着似乎在责备我的自纸,直到两眼昏花,听力也渐渐模糊,只有靠意志力才能继续写下去。但即使写,也是恍恍惚惚,仿佛身在梦中。可当夜深人静躺在床上时,我除了无法入睡干什么都行。伴着时钟的嘀嗒声,我能写出几十篇文章来。奇妙的主题、崇高的思想,以及恰到好处的意象和词句都纷至沓来。要是面前有笔墨纸张,我能写出半打不朽的杰作来。

解析     virgin在这里的含义是“未经利用的”, virgin paper指没有写字的、干净的纸,为简便起见,译为“白纸”;you may depend upon it意思是“你放心”,说明接下来的事情一定会发生,译为“准会”,符合作者行文的语气;overpowering desire for sleep中的形容词。overpowering意为“抵挡不住的”,表明这种困意令人难以抵抗,将之译为“困倦难支”,形象生动地描绘出了作者在睡意的驱使下用手臂支着脑袋坚持写作的那种状态。
    pell-mell为副词,意为“匆忙地”,但在这里形容这些主题和想法源源不断,因此使用成语“纷至沓来”,简洁且恰当;each with中的介词with表示“伴随而来”,翻译时直接用“还有”将之引出。
    nothing but非常常见,基本含义为“只是;仅仅”,这句话表达的是“阻挡我写出半打不朽杰作的只有笔墨纸张”,言下之意就是“假如我有笔墨纸张就能写出半打不朽杰作”,翻译时使用“要是……”这个连词,暗指作者没有这些东西,只是在做假设罢了。
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