The horses wore no gear at all but a halter without bit.
那些马都没有上鞍具,只套了一根不带嚼子的缰绳。
Their manes were braided with streamers of silver, gold, and green.
马的鬃毛上扎着一些银色、金色和绿色饰带。
They flared their nostrils and pranced and boasted to one another; they were vastly excited, the horse being the only animal who has adopted our ceremonies as his own.
那些马都扬着鼻子,欢腾跳跃相互炫耀;它们都兴奋异常,因为马是唯一将人的喜庆活动看作自己的喜庆活动的动物。
Far off to the north and west the mountains stood up half encircling Omelas on her bay.
城外较远处,环绕奥米勒斯西面和北面的是一道半圆形的山脉。
The air of morning was so clear that the snow still crowning the Eighteen Peaks burned with white-gold fire across the miles of sunlit air, under the dark blue of the sky.
早晨的天空晴明如镜,湛蓝的天幕下积雪未化的十八座峰顶上,白雪映着阳光,犹如燃烧的火焰,发出冲天的金光。
There was just enough wind to make the banners that marked the race course snap and flutter now and then.
赛马跑道上插着的彩旗在微风吹拂下呼啦啦地飘摆。
In the silence of the broad green meadows one could hear the music winding through the city streets, farther and nearer and ever approaching, a cheerful faint sweetness of the air that from time to time trembled and gathered together and broke out into the great joyous clanging of the bells.
置身于一片寂静的大草坪上,人们就可以听到城区街道上的鼓乐声由远及近,犹如阵阵醉人的香风迎面扑来。鼓乐声时而微弱下去,时而响亮起来,直至最后融入一片欢乐喧闹的钟声之中。
Joyous! How is one to tell about joy? How describe the citizens of Omelas?
欢乐!究竟怎样才叫欢乐?该怎样描述奥米勒斯城的市民的欢乐情形呢?
They were not simple folk, you see, though they were happy. But we do not say the words of cheer much any more.
说起来,他们并不是一些头脑简单的人,尽管他们过得很快活。
All smiles have become archaic. Given a description such as this one tends to make certain assumptions.
人们不再把快乐一类的字眼挂在嘴边上了,因为快乐的欢笑也已变成了过时的时尚。
Given a description such as this one tends to look next for the King, mounted on a splendid stallion and surrounded by his noble knights, or perhaps in a golden litter borne by great-muscled slaves.
听到这样的描述,人们可能会作出一些想当然的推断;听到这样的描述,人们也许就会意想到那君临天下的国王,骑在一匹高头大马上,身边簇拥着一群威武的骑士,或是踞坐在一乘由一队健壮如牛的奴隶抬着的金轿上。