Starting a new book is a risk, just like falling in love. You have to commit to it. You open the pages knowing a little bit abou

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问题     Starting a new book is a risk, just like falling in love. You have to commit to it. You open the pages knowing a little bit about it maybe, from the back or from a blurb on the front. But who knows, right? Those bits and pieces aren’t always right.
     Sometimes people advertise themselves as one thing and then when you get deep into it you realize that they’re something completely different. Either there was some good marketing attached to a terrible book, or the story was only explained in a superficial way and once you reach the middle of the book, you realize there’s so much more to this book than anyone could have ever told you.
    You start off slow. The story is beginning to unfold. You’re unsure. It’s a big commitment lugging this tome around. Maybe this book won’t be that great but you’ll feel guilty about putting it down. Maybe it’ll be so awful you’ll keep hate-reading or just set it down immediately and never pick it up again. Or maybe you’ll come back to it some night, drunk or lonely—needing something to fill the time, but it won’t be any better than it was when you first started reading it.
    Maybe you’re worn out. Maybe you’ve taken some time off from reading because the last few books you read just weren’t worth it. Do they even write new, great works of literature anymore? Maybe that time you fell in love with a book before will just never happen for you again. Maybe it’s a once in a life-time feeling and you’re never gonna find it again.
    Or something exciting could happen. Maybe this will become your new favorite book. That’s always a possibility, right? That’s the beauty of risk. The reward could actually be worth it. You invest your time and your brain power in the words and what you get back is empathy and a new understanding and pure wonder.

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答案 开始阅读一本新书恰似坠入爱河,是场冒险。你得全身心投入进去。翻开书页之时,从封底或从封面的简介中,你或许会对它有些许的了解。但谁也说不准,对吧?那些零碎的片断并不总是正确的。 有时人们自我推销时是一种形象,等你深入了解后,你会发现他们又完全是另一种模样了。要么是拙作获得了某种出色的市场推销,要么是故事的叙述流于表面。阅读过半后,你方才发觉:这本书其实远不止于此,而这只有依靠自己才能感悟。 开始时你读得很慢,故事开始展开,而你心存犹疑。阅读这样的巨著是一项艰巨的任务。或许它并不如你想象中的那么精彩,可半途弃读会使你觉得内疚。又或许,故事真的很烂,你要么咬牙苦读下去,要么立刻放弃,束之高阁。又或许在某个酒醉或孤寂的夜晚,你又重新拿起这本书——只为打发时间。不过,它并不会比你初次阅读它时好。 或许你已疲惫至极。或许因为上次读的几本书让你觉得不值得一读,你已暂时不再阅读。他们还会写出新的优秀文学作品吗?也许之前那样爱上某本书的时刻再也不会出现了。也许那是千载难逢的感觉,而你永远不会再感受到。 也许激动人心的事会发生。也许这本书会成为你新的最爱。总会有这个可能,不是吗?这正是冒险的魅力。你的所得事实上可能物有所值。你在字里行间播撒时间和才智,收获同情心、新的理解和纯粹的惊叹。

解析     本文选自Gaby Dunn的经典散文《恋爱与读书》(Love and Books)。通过对读书产生的细致入微的体会,作者用生动的语言描述了一个人接触一本新书时的状态以及阅读好书与拙作时可能产生的不同心情与感悟。文章语言非常细腻,翻译时,译者应尽量让自己融入作者描绘的情境,并将这种感受带给译文读者。
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