It is easy to underestimate English writer James Herriot. He had such a pleasant, readable style that one might think that anyone could imitate it. How many times have I heard people say, “I could write a book. I just haven’t the time.” Easily said. Not so easily done. James Herriot, contrary to popular opinion, did not find it easy in his early days of, as he put it, “having a go at the writing game”. While he obviously had an abundance of natural talent, the final, polished work that he gave to the world was the result of years of practicing, re-writing and reading. Like the majority of authors, he had to suffer many disappointments and rejections along the way, but these made him all the more determined to succeed. Everything he achieved in life was earned the hard way and his success in the literary field was no exception.

参考译文

人们很容易低估英国作家吉米·哈利。他的写作风格如此风趣易读，以至于人们可能认为很容易模仿。我曾无数次听到有人说：“我也可以写本书，只是没时间罢了。”说起来容易，做起来难。与大众观点不同，正如他自己所说，吉米·哈利早期开始“尝试写作游戏”时并不觉得容易。尽管他显然天赋很高，他最终为世界呈现的精雕细琢的作品是多年练习、反复修改和阅读的结果。和大多数作家一样，他在写作的道路上同样遭遇了很多失望和拒绝，但这些都使他更加坚定了成功的决心。他人生中所取得的成就都来之不易，在文学领域的成功也不例外。

生词本

underestimate vt. 低估

readable adj. 易读的，有可读性的

imitate v. 模仿

contrary to 与……不同

have a go 尝试

abundance n. 丰富

polished adj. 精雕细琢的

determined adj. 坚决的

exception n. 例外

名师解析

第一句：It is easy to underestimate English writer James Herriot.

表达难点：本句为简单句，使用了形式主语It，真正的主语是后面的不定式to underestimate English writer James Herriot。但“低估英国作家吉米·哈利很容易”并不符合汉语表达习惯，故将语序加以调整，并加上“低估”的主语“人们”。这句话可译为：人们很容易低估英国作家吉米·哈利。

第二句：He had such a pleasant, readable style that one might think that anyone could imitate it.

表达难点：本句使用了such… that…的固定结构，可译为“如此……以至于”。但是“他有如此风趣易读的风格”并不符合中文表达习惯，故调整为“他的写作风格如此风趣易读”。One在这里表示泛指，可以翻译为“人们”。anyone翻译为“任何人”语气太过强烈，结合后面的内容可翻译为“很容易模仿”。这句话可以译为：他的写作风格如此风趣易读，以至于人们可能认为很容易模仿。

第三句：How many times have I heard people say, “I could write a book. I just haven’t the time.”

表达难点：本句是感叹句的结构，但由于句尾没有使用感叹号，因而可以翻译为陈述语气“我曾无数次听到有人说”。引号中为say的直接引语，翻译时译为直接引语即可。这句话可译为：我曾无数次听到有人说：“我也可以写本书，只是没时间罢了。”

第四、五句：Easily said. Not so easily done.

表达难点：本句用词简单，意义也很明了，中文中有与之对应的俗语“说起来容易，做起来难”。

第六句：James Herriot, contrary to popular opinion, did not find it easy in his early days of, as he put it, “having a go at the writing game”.

表达难点：本句使用了两处插入语，使得句子的语义不太连贯。在翻译时，插入语contrary to popular opinion可以放于句首，翻译为“与大众观点不同”；as he puts it意思不难理解，为“正如他自己所说”，如果放置在句中会造成修饰过长，因而同样提前到句首。didn’t find it easy表示“并不觉得容易”。本句可译为：与大众观点不同，正如他自己所说，吉米·哈利早期开始“尝试写作游戏”时并不觉得容易。

第七句：While he obviously had an abundance of natural talent, the final, polished work that he gave to the world was the result of years of practicing, re-writing and reading.

表达难点：while引导让步状语从句，表示“尽管”。an abundance of…表示“丰富，充裕”，与后面的natural talent可以组合起来翻译为“天赋很高”。that he gave to the world为定语从句修饰work，由于定语从句较短，可以进行前置翻译，即“他为世界呈现的作品”。本句可译为：尽管他显然天赋很高，他最终为世界呈现的精雕细琢的作品是多年练习、反复修改和阅读的结果。

第八句：Like the majority of authors, he had to suffer many disappointments and rejections along the way, but these made him all the more determined to succeed.

表达难点：本句是由but连接的两个简单句，顺序直译即可。along the way意思是“沿途”，这里可根据语境翻译为“在写作的道路上”。后面的more determined to succeed直译为“更加决心要取得成功”，根据汉语表达习惯翻译为“更加坚定了成功的决心”。本句可译为：和大多数作家一样，他在写作的道路上同样遭遇了很多失望和拒绝，但这些都使他更加坚定了成功的决心。

第九句：Everything he achieved in life was earned the hard way and his success in the literary field was no exception.

表达难点：本句中he achieved in life为省略引导词的定语从句修饰Everything，可进行前置翻译。the hard way是方式状语，可以翻译为“来之不易”。no exception可翻译为“也不例外”。本句可译为：他人生中所取得的成就都来之不易，在文学领域的成功也不例外。