作品介紹:《心是孤獨(dú)的獵手》是美國作家卡森·麥卡勒斯的作品。書中講述的是一個關(guān)于孤獨(dú)的故事。麥卡勒斯以她獨(dú)特的手法寫的美國南方小鎮(zhèn),寫八月漫長沉悶的下午,寫午夜的咖啡館里喝著冰啤酒徘徊于孤獨(dú)的人們,寫黑人對于自由的隱忍與矛盾的苦痛,寫那些期望于改革的人,瘋狂絕望卻又依然堅定地向前走的決心……這是一個孤獨(dú)到極至的故事。(以上簡介轉(zhuǎn)自百度百科)

這部經(jīng)典小說中,語言平淡簡易,但是字里行間彌漫著不可抹去的孤獨(dú)氣息。今天我們一起來讀讀開頭的選段,學(xué)一學(xué)作者是如何用精練的筆調(diào)來描寫人的外表的吧:

IN THE town there were two mutes, and they were always together. Early every morning they would come out from the house where they lived and walk arm in arm down the street to work.
鎮(zhèn)上有兩個啞巴,他們總是在一起。每天清早,他們從住所出來,手挽手地走在去上班的路上。

注釋:
arm in arm:手挽手

The two friends were very different. The one who always steered the way was an obese and dreamy Greek. In the summer he would come out wearing a yellow or green polo shirt stuffed sloppily into his trousers in front and hanging loose behind. When it was colder he wore over this a shapeless gray sweater.
兩個伙伴很不一樣。帶路的是那個非常肥胖、迷迷糊糊的希臘人。夏天,他出門時總是穿著黃色或綠色T恤——前擺被他胡亂地塞進(jìn)褲子里,后擺松松垮垮地垂著。 天冷一些的時候,他就在襯衫外面套上松松垮垮的灰毛衣。

注釋:
dreamy:形容人迷迷糊糊的
polo shirt stuffed sloppily into his trousers:襯衫胡亂塞進(jìn)褲子里
stuff:動詞,填、塞
sloppy:馬虎的,胡亂的
a shapeless sweater:我們說那種松松垮垮沒有型的衣服,就是shapeless

His face was round and oily, with half-closed eyelids and lips that curved in a gentle, stupid smile.
他的臉圓圓、油油的,眼皮半開半閉,彎曲的嘴唇顯出溫柔而呆滯的笑容。

注釋:
lips that curved in a gentle, stupid smile:curve在這里的使用很不錯,可以記住

The other mute was tall. His eyes had a quick, intelligent expression. He was always immaculate and very soberly dressed.
另一個啞巴是高個,眼睛里透出敏捷和智慧。他穿得很樸素,總是一塵不染。

注釋:
His eyes had a quick, intelligent expression:眼神敏銳
soberly dressed:sober本意為“人清醒的”,這里可以表示穿著干凈整潔

怎么樣,短短一小段話,是不是學(xué)到很多很生動很形象的外貌描述法呢?在自己的寫作和翻譯中都可以使用到哦^^