2017年06月四级第1套仔细阅读 Passage 2 原文翻译及答案解析

In spring, chickens start laying again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter's end. So it's no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.

春天，母鸡重新开始产蛋，在冬季结束时带来受欢迎的蛋白质来源。因此，世界各地文化通过尊崇鸡蛋来庆祝春天也就不足为奇了。

Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others elevate the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered "eggs" that were favored by the Russians starting in the 19th century.

有些传统很简单，比如烤入希腊复活节面包中的红鸡蛋。其他传统则将鸡蛋提升为精美的艺术，例如从19世纪开始在俄罗斯流行的、装饰着大量珠宝的“蛋”。

One ancient form of egg art comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.

一种古老的蛋艺术形式来自乌克兰。几个世纪以来，乌克兰人一直在鸡蛋上绘制复杂的图案。当代艺术家遵循这一传统，创作出反映我们时代焦虑的鸡蛋：生命是珍贵而脆弱的，鸡蛋也是如此。

"There's something about their delicate nature that appeals to me," says New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in eggs and learned the traditional Ukrainian technique to draw her very modern characters. "I've broken eggs at every stage of the process—from the very beginning to the very, very end."

《纽约客》漫画家罗兹·查斯特说：“它们那脆弱的特质吸引着我。”几年前，她对鸡蛋产生了兴趣，并学习了传统的乌克兰技法来绘制她非常现代的角色。“我在制作过程的每个阶段都打破过鸡蛋——从一开始到最后的最后。”

But there's an appeal in that vulnerability. "There's part of this sickening horror of knowing you're walking on the edge with this, that I kind of like, knowing that it could all fall apart at any second." Chast's designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny rowboat, reflect that delicateness.

但这种脆弱性有一种吸引力。“知道你正走在刀刃上，那种令人恶心的恐惧感，我有点喜欢，知道它随时都可能崩溃。”查斯特的设计，比如一个在小船上独自担忧的男人，反映了那种脆弱。

Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The elaborate patterns were believed to offer protection against evil.

传统的乌克兰彩蛋也反映了这些恐惧。复杂的图案被认为能提供保护，抵御邪恶。

"There's an ancient legend that as long as these eggs are made, evil will not prevail in the world," says Joan Brander, a Canadian egg-painter who has been painting eggs for over 60 years, having learned the art from her Ukrainian relatives.

“有一个古老的传说，只要制作这些鸡蛋，邪恶就不会在世界上占上风，”加拿大彩蛋画家琼·布兰德说，她画彩蛋超过60年，是从她的乌克兰亲戚那里学来的这门艺术。

The tradition, dating back to 300 B.C., was later incorporated into the Christian church. The old symbols, however, still endure. A decorated egg with a bird on it, given to a young married couple, is a wish for children. A decorated egg thrown into the field would be a wish for a good harvest.

这一传统可以追溯到公元前300年，后来被纳入基督教会。然而，古老的符号依然存在。一个绘有鸟的彩蛋送给新婚夫妇，是对生育孩子的祝愿。一个彩蛋扔进田野，则是对丰收的祝愿。