Persuasion(excerpt)Jane AustenI can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. —Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes?I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. —Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.

Paper Boats (1913)Rabindranath TagoreDay by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running stream.In big black letters I write my name on them and the name ofthe village where I live.I hope that someone in some strange land will find them andknow who I am.I load my little boats with shiuli flowers from our garden, and hope that these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land in the night.I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the little clouds setting their white bulging sails.I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down the air to race with my boats!When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading is their baskets full of dreams.

There is a lady sweet and kind, was never face so pleas'd my mind;有一位小姐甜美又温柔，从来没有人像她那样让我着迷；I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till I die.我只是看见她经过，便会爱她到永远。Her gesture, motion, and her smiles, her wit, her voice, my heart beguiles, beguiles my heart.她的姿态，她的微笑，她的聪慧，她的声音俘获了我的心，俘获了我的心。I know not why, and yet I love her till I die.我不知道为什么，但是我会爱她到永远。Her free behaviour, winning looks, will make a lawyer burn his books;她自由的姿态，胜利的面庞，让律师都羞愧到自焚书籍；I touch'd her not, alas! Not I, and yet I love her till I die.我抚摸她，没有，唉！抚摸她的人不是我，但我会爱她直到永远。Had I her fast betwixt minearms, judge you that think such sports were harms, Were't any harm? No, no, fie, fie, for I will love her till I die.如果她躺在我的怀里，你觉得会给她带来伤害吗？没有一点儿伤害吗？不，不，呸，呸，因为我会爱她直到永远。Should I remain confined there so long as Phoebus in his sphere, I to request, she to deny, yet would I love her till I die.我是应该继续和她保持距离吗？我请求，她拒绝，但我还是会爱她到永远。Cupid is winged and doth range, her country so my love doth change: but change she earth, or change she sky, yet will I love her till I die.丘比特到处飞来飞去。她会变的，我的爱也会变的。但无论她怎么变，我也会爱她到永远。

I ask for a moment's indulgence to sit by thy side. The works that I have in hand I will finish afterwards. Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite, and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil. Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; andthe bees are plying their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove. Now it is time to sit quite, face to face with thee, and to sing dedication of life in this silent and overflowing leisure. Rabindranath Tagore

Mother, the folk who live up in the clouds call out to me- "We play from the time we wake till the day ends.We play with the golden dawn, we play with the silver moon." I ask, "But how am I to get up to you ?"They answer, "Come to the edge of the earth, lift up your hands to the sky, and you will be taken up into the clouds." "My mother is waiting for me at home, "I say, "How can I leave her and come?"Then they smile and float away.But I know a nicer game than that, mother.I shall be the cloud and you the moon.I shall cover you with both my hands, and our house-top will be the blue sky.The folk who live in the waves call out to me-"We sing from morning till night; on and on we travel and know not where we pass."I ask, "But how am I to join you?"They tell me, "Come to the edge of the shore and stand with your eyes tight shut, and you will be carried out upon the waves."I say, "My mother always wants me at home in the everything-how can I leave her and go?"They smile, dance and pass by.But I know a better game than that.I will be the waves and you will be a strange shore.I shall roll on and on and on, and break upon your lap withlaughter.And no one in the world will know where we both are.妈妈，住在云端上的人儿在呼唤我——“我们从醒来开始玩耍，直到太阳下山。 我们在金色的黎明中，在银色的月光下玩耍。” 我问:“那我要怎样才去能到你们身边呢” 他们回答:“来到大地的尽头，向着天空举起你的双手，你就会被接入云里。” “可是，我的妈妈还在家里等着我，”我说，“我如何能离她而去，只身前来?”然后，他们轻轻一笑，飘走了。 但是，妈妈，我知道一个更好玩的游戏。 我要变成云朵，你是月亮。 我会用双手遮住你，我们的家，蓝色的天空就会变成我们的屋顶。妈，住在浪花中的人儿在呼唤我—— “我们从早到晚歌唱，我们一直在旅行，从不问途径何处。” 我问:“我要怎样才能加入你们呢?” 他们告诉我:“来到海岸的尽头，紧闭双眼站好，海浪就会把你接走。” 我说:“我的妈妈，一直在家里等着我，我如何能离她而去，只身前来?” 他们轻轻一笑，跳着舞离开了。但是，我知道一个更有趣的游戏。 我要变成浪花，而你，是陌生的岸。 我会不停地向你涌来，大笑着撞碎在你的膝盖上。 这世上，就无人知晓我们的所在。

We have lost even this twilight.No one saw us this evening hand in handwhile the blue night dropped on the world.I have seen from my windowthe fiesta of sunset in the distant mountain tops.Sometimes a piece of sunburned like a coin in my hand.I remember you with my soul clenchedin that sadness of mine that you know.Where were you then?Who else was there?Saying what?Why will the whole of love come to me suddenlywhen I am sad and feel you are far away?The book fell that is always turned to at twilightand my cape rolled like a hurt dog at my feet.Always, always you recede through the eveningstowards where the twilight goes erasing statues.

Your children are not your children.They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.They come through you but not from you,And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.你们的孩子，都不是你们的孩子 乃是生命为自己所渴望的儿女。 他们是借你们而来，却不是从你们而来 他们虽和你们同在，却不属于你们。You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts.You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them,but seek not to make them like you.For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.你们可以给他们爱， 却不可以给他们思想。因为他们有自己的思想。 你们可以荫庇他们的身体， 却不能荫蔽他们的灵魂。 因为他们的灵魂， 是住在明日的宅中， 那是你们在梦中也不能想见的。 你们可以努力去模仿他们， 却不能使他们来像你们。 因为生命是不倒行的， 也不与昨日一同停留。You are the bows from which your childrenas living arrows are sent forth.The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His mightthat His arrows may go swift and far.Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies,so He loves also the bow that is stable.你们是弓， 你们的孩子是从弦上发出的生命的箭矢。 那射者在无穷之间看定了目标， 也用神力将你们引满，使他的箭矢迅速而遥远的射了出来。 让你们在射者手中的弯曲成为喜乐吧。 因为他爱那飞出的箭， 也爱了那静止的弓。

The song I came to singremains unsung to this day.I have spent my days in stringingand in unstringing my instrument.The time has not come true,the words have not been rightly set;only there is the agonyof wishing in my heart…..I have not seen his face,nor have I listened to his voice;only I have heard his footstepsfrom the road before my house…..But the lamp has not been litand I cannot ask him into my house;I live in the hope of meeting with him;but this meeting is not yet.

Time passes slowly up here in the mountains,We sit beside bridges and walk beside fountains,Catch the wild fishes that float through the stream,Time passes slowly when you're lost in a dream.Once I had a sweetheart, she was fine and good-lookin',We sat in her kitchen while her mama was cookin',Stared out the window to the stars high above,Time passes slowly when you're searchin' for love.Ain't no reason to go in a wagon to town,Ain't no reason to go to the fair.Ain't no reason to go up, ain't no reason to go down,Ain't no reason to go anywhere.Time passes slowly up here in the daylight,We stare straight ahead and try so hard to stay right,Like the red rose of summer that blooms in the day,Time passes slowly and fades away.山中的时光静寂缓慢，我们坐在桥畔，在泉水边散步，追寻野生的鱼群，在溪水上漂浮，当你置身尘外，时光静寂流逝。我曾有个心上人，她娇小、美丽，我们坐在她家的厨房里，她妈妈做着糕点，窗外的星辰闪烁高悬，时光静寂流逝，当你找到你的心爱。不是没有理由搭一辆货车去小镇，不是没有理由再去那集市。也不是没有理由再来来回回，不是没有理由去每个地方。白日的时光静寂缓慢，我们注视着前方，努力不使之偏向，就像夏日的红玫瑰逐日盛开，时光静寂流逝，永不复返。