A Drink in the Passage(带译文).docxVIP

A Drink in the Passage-Alan Paton1 In the year 1960 the Union of South Africa celebrated its Golden Jubilee, and there was a nationwide sensation when the one-thousand-pound prize for the finest piece of sculpture was won by a black man, Edward Simelane. His work, African Mother and Child, not only excited the admiration, but touched the conscience or heart or whatever it was that responded, of white South Africa, and seemed likely to make him famous in other countries.2 It was by an oversight that his work was accepted, for it was the policy of the government that all the celebrations and competitions should be strictly segregated. The committee of the sculpture section received a private reprimand for having been so careless as toomit the words for whites only from the conditions, but was told, by a very high personage, it is said, that if Simelanes work was indisputably the best, it should receive the award. The committee then decided that this prize must be given along with the others, at the public ceremony which would bring the particular part of the celebrations to a close. 1960年，南非联邦庆祝其50华诞，黑人爱德华.西梅拉内获得金额为1000英镑的最佳雕塑作品奖，轰动全国。他的作品《非洲母子》不仅赢得了称赞，而且触动了南非白人的良知和内心，同时也引起了其他反响。这部作品似乎还能使他在别的国家也名声大噪。 他的作品得以参赛是由于一时的疏忽，因为政府政策规定所有庆祝活动和赛事都应该严格实行种族隔离。雕塑委员会曾受到私下的指责，因为他们由于粗心漏掉了赛事条件中“仅限白人”的字眼。但据说一位大人物告知委员会，如果西梅拉内的作品“是无可争议的最佳作品”，那该部作品就应该获奖。因此，委员会决定，这个奖项必须在公开的仪式上与其他奖项一同颁发，以便为庆祝活动出现的这个特殊环节画上一个句号。3 For this decision it received a surprising amount of support from the white public; but in certain powerful quarters, there was an outcry against any departure from the traditional policies of the country, and a threat that many white prize-winners would renounce their prizes. However, a crisis was averted, because the sculptor was “unfortunately unable to attend the ceremony”.对于这样一项决定，组委会获得了数量惊人的白人公众的支持。但这在某些有权势的白人阶层之中却引起了抗议，他们反对任何背离国家“传统政策”的事情，并威胁说许多白人获奖者将宣布放弃所获奖项。但是，由于西梅拉内“非常遗憾不能出席颁奖仪式”，这一场危机得以避免.4 I wasnt feeling up to it,“ Simelane saidmischievouslyto me.Myparents,?and?my?wif