這么美麗的玫瑰剪下來，讓人心疼。她抓緊我的袖子叮嚀：千萬不能剪啊，玫瑰是泥土的微笑，誰忍心殺戮美得醉人的微笑？
我的靈魂悚然一驚，丑陋的泥土，卑微的泥土，樸素的泥土，因為玫瑰，露出了驚艷一笑。
因為這一笑，讓人愛惜非常。
江南的紫砂壺玲瓏剔透，泥人張的彩塑令人拍案叫絕，它們不都是泥土的微笑嗎？彌足珍貴。即使曾丑陋，即使曾卑微，即使曾樸素，同樣讓人肅然起敬。
我懂得了，即使再平凡的人，也沒有理由被埋沒，只要努力活出色彩，一定叫人刮目相看。
背景介紹
這篇散文語言樸素，比較生活化，卻不庸俗。我們都是平凡的人，平凡得如隨處可見的泥土。但所有的農作物都要種在土里，再美麗的花也要扎根在土里。那些豐碩的果實，那些美麗的花，都是泥土的成果，泥土的分身。所以，努力地活著，活出屬于自己的色彩，就不再是平凡的泥土，平凡的人！翻譯時，也應當把握住這一點，原文樸素，卻不庸俗，應從語言上體現(xiàn)其特點。
難點解析
1. 千萬不能剪啊 ，玫瑰是泥土的微笑 ，誰忍心殺戮美得醉人的微笑 ：這一句要注意句子的拆分，譯文應當分成兩句 ，從意思上來看，“千萬不能剪啊”有語氣詞“啊”在末尾，語氣較重，單獨處理為一句話。后面的兩個“微笑”相互呼應 ，放到一起譯為第二句話 。故譯為 “She told me that by no means should they be cut. Roses are the smiling face of the earth, and who could be so iron-hearted as to destroy a smile so exhilarating?”。
2. 靈魂悚然一驚： “悚然”意為“由于驚覺、害怕而猶疑”，boggle意為 “to overwhelm with wonder or bewilderment”，故譯為 “My mind was thoroughly boggled”。
3. 丑陋的泥土，卑微的泥土，樸素的泥土，因為玫瑰，露出了驚艷一笑：在這句話中，三個“……的泥土”并列為 “露 出了驚艷一笑”的主語 ，故譯為“the ugly earth, the humble earth, the plain earth—it is only because of the roses that it reveals an amazing and bright smile.”。
4. 因為……因為……：此處使用了兩個強調句。故第二句譯為 “it is for the sake of that smile that it wins the care and pity of men.”。
5. 紫砂壺：the boccaro teapots。
6. 令人拍案叫絕的泥塑：the shockingly beautiful sculptures。
7. 彌足珍貴：中文可 以接著上文說 “彌足珍貴”，但英文則必須有主語，且意思上應與后面的句子連在一起，可用such ...that結構譯出。全句譯為：“They are such exquisite treasures that—even if...”。
8. “無論是誰，都不應 當……” ，英文中習慣用否定代詞no-one...表示，“即使再平凡的人”可譯為“however ordinary”。
9. 活出色彩：anyone who adds a dash of colour to life。
10. 刮目相看：意為 “用新 的眼光看待”，故意譯為deserve our respect 。
參考譯文
To cut such beautiful roses would hurt one, she said. With her hands clutching at my sleeves, she told me that by no means should they be cut. Roses are the smiling face of the earth, and who could be so iron-hearted as to destroy a smile so exhilarating? My mind was thoroughly boggled: the ugly earth, the humble earth, the plain earth—it is only because of the roses that it reveals an amazing and bright smile, and it is for the sake of that smile that it wins the care and pity of men.
Both the exquisiteness of the boccaro teapots made in south China, and the shockingly beautiful sculptures by Clay Sculptor Zhang of Tianj in—aren ’t they all smiles of the earth?
They are such exquisite treasures that—even if they look ugly, humble, plain, or whatever—they no doubt deserve respect and veneration.
Now I understand that no-one, however ordinary, should be condemned to anonymity, and that anyone who adds a dash of colour to life deserves our respect.
（北京外國語大學申雨平教授譯 ）
（責任編輯：liushengbao）
