大学英语四六级经典阅读：Attacked by a Butterfly 遭遇蝴蝶袭击

 

Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a water puddle ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water and mud. As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked! But I was unhurt, it was funny, and I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly! 

 

在佐治亚州，我沿着一条穿过几片树林的小径行走，发现前面路上有一个水坑。我转而走向没有水和泥泞的路，好绕过它。当我到水坑的时候，我突然遭到了袭击!但我没有受伤，这很有趣，我笑了起来。毕竟，我是被一只蝴蝶袭击了! 

 

Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He rammed me in the chest with his head and body, striking me over and over again with all his might, still to no avail. For a second time, I retreated a step while my attacker relented in his attack. Yet again, I tried moving forward. My attacker charged me again. I was rammed in the chest over and over again. I wasn't sure what to do, other than to retreat a third time. After all, it's just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly. This time, though, I stepped back several paces to look the situation over. My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground. That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier. He had a-mate and she was dying. She was beside the puddle where he landed. 

 

止住笑声，我向前迈了一步。我的胸膛遭受了一次又一次的撞击，而我却不知道该怎么办。毕竟，人不是每天都会被蝴蝶袭击的。然而这次，我退了几步来审视情况。我的袭击者也退了回去，停在地面上。正是此时我发现了我的袭击者片刻之前袭击我的原因。他的一个伴侣。她奄奄一息，就躺在他落下的泥坑旁边。 

 

Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it upon himself to attack me for his mate's sake, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her. Now I knew why and what he was fighting for. There was really only one option left for me. I carefully made my way around the puddle to the other side of the path, though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety justified it. I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the puddle. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed. 

 

他紧靠在她的旁边，翅膀一张一合，好像在替她扇扇子。我只能钦佩那只蝴蝶在对他的伴侣的关心中表现出来的爱和勇气。为了他的伴侣，他不顾性命地袭击我，即使她已明显接近死亡，而我又如此庞大。他这样做只是为了保住她生命中那所剩无几的点滴珍贵时光，我真不该那么不小心以致差点踩到她。现在，我已知道他为何而战。我只有一个选择，我小心地绕到泥坑另一边的路上，虽然它只有几英寸宽而且充满泥泞。他为了伴侣的安全去攻击比自己的身躯和体重大几千倍的对手，其中表现出的勇气证明了他有理由这么做。我帮不上什么忙，除了走比泥坑更难走的一边来奖励他。他真的赢得了和她在一起的、不被打扰的片刻。 

 

I left them in peace for those last few moments, cleaning the mud from my boots when I later reached my car. 

 

我走到车旁时月把靴子上的泥擦干净-让他们静静地度过那点最后的时光。 

 

Since then, I've always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge obstacles facing me. I use that butterfly's courage as an inspiration and to remind myself that good things are worth fighting for. 

 

此后，每当我遇到巨大的障碍，我都会努力想起那只蝴蝶的勇气。我把他的勇气当成一种鼓舞。并提醒自己。好的东西是值得为之奋斗的。 

 

词汇注释 

 

mud n. 泥，泥浆 

 

puddle n. 水坑，水池 

 

ram vt. 猛撞 

 

mate n. 配偶，同伴 

 

inspiration n. 灵感