生命的开始 The Beginning
“Where have I come from, where did you pick me up?”the baby asked its mother.
She answered half crying, half laughing, and clasping the baby to her breast—
“You were hidden in my heart as its desire, my darling.
“You were in the dolls of my childhood's games; and when with clay I made the image of my god every morning, I made and unmade you then.You were enshrined with our household deity, in his worship I worshipped you. In all my hopes and my loves, in my life, in the life of my mother you have lived. In the lap of the deathless spirit who rules our home you have been nursed for ages.
“When in girlhood my heart was opening its petals, you hovered as a fragrance about it. Your tender softness bloomed in my youthful limbs, like a glow in the sky before the sunrise. Heaven's first darling, twin-born with the morning light, you have floated down the stream of the world's life and at last you have stranded on my heart.
“As I gaze on your face, mystery overwhelms me; you who belong to all have become mine. For fear of losing you I hold you tight to my breast. What magic has snared the world's treasure in these slender arms of mine?”
“我是从哪里来的，你在哪里把我捡起来的？”孩子问他的妈妈。
妈妈把孩子紧紧地搂在胸前，似哭似笑地答道——
“你曾被我当成心愿藏在我的心里，我的宝贝。
“你曾藏在我孩童时玩的泥娃娃身上；每天早晨我用黏土塑造我的神像时，我反复地将你塑造又捏碎。你曾和我们家的守护神一同受供奉，我崇拜家神时也就崇拜了你。你一直活在我所有的希望和爱里，在我的生命里，在我母亲的生命里。在支配着我们家庭的不朽神灵的膝上，你已经被抚育了好几代了。
“当我在少女时代时，我的心如花瓣儿般盛开，你就像一股花香缠绕不去。你娇嫩的温柔，在我青春的肢体上绽放，像日出之前划过天空的一道曙光。天堂里的第一宠儿与晨曦一并降临，你沿着世界生命的溪流顺流而下，终于停泊在我的心头。
“当我凝视你的脸时，神秘之感震撼着我，原属于世界的你，竟成了我的。害怕失去你，我把你紧紧地拥在怀里。是什么魔力把这世界的宝贝引到我这纤弱的臂弯中来的呢？”
词汇笔记
desire [diˈzaiə] n. 愿望；欲望；情欲
例 Every desire that you might have can be fulfilled here.
在这里，你的每一个愿望都能得到满足。
petal [ˈpetl] n. 花瓣
例 I recommend rose-petal salad.
我向你们推荐玫瑰花瓣色拉。
fragrance [ˈfreiɡrəns] n. 香味；芬芳
例 Lavender has a delicate fragrance.
熏衣草有淡淡的香味。
overwhelm [ˌəuvəˈhwelm] v. 压倒；震撼；受打击
例 It would rouse my spiritual consciousness and overwhelm me.
它会激起我的灵性意识，震撼我。
小试身手
你曾被我当成心愿藏在我的心里，我的宝贝。
译_______________
害怕失去你，我把你紧紧地拥在怀里。
译_______________
你一直活在我所有的希望和爱里，在我的生命里，在我母亲的生命里。
译_______________
短语家族
“Where have I come from, where did you pick me up?”
come from：生于；来自于
造_______________
As I gaze on your face, mystery overwhelms me……
gaze on：看到；望见；瞧着
造_______________