BBC英国史

In Transi tombs,like this one at Canterbury Cathedral,you got remembered twice over.

在Transi墓穴中 比如坎特伯雷大教堂中的这个 一个人有两种面貌

They were double-decker affairs.In the top deck, you were seen very much in the guise the world expected,as a knight in armour or a bishop in full Episcopal rig.

它们是双层墓穴 上层 呈现的是 世人期待的 伪装下的面孔 身披护甲的骑士 或身着华服的主教

In the lower deck, though,there you were, a naked skeleton,the flesh fallen away from the bone.

而在下层 是一具赤裸的骷髅 只剩骨架 没有血肉

The mindset that produced the transi tombTransi was a kind of reverse envy;

墓穴的产生 是出于一种抛弃嫉妒的心态

a determination to fall behind the Joneses,to bow to no one in your painful awareness

一种归为布衣的决心 痛苦而清醒地意识到

that however grand you were, pretty soon you'd be reduced to a heap of dust and maggots.

不管你曾经多么显赫 终将归为尘土

The idea was to contrast, as shockingly as possible,two sorts of self-consciousness.

这种做法目的是更鲜明地对比 两种不同的自我意识

On one hand, how we'd like to be remembered dying in splendour and piety.

一方面 是我们 希望别人记住的样子 显赫而虔诚

And on the other hand, the way we really are pathetic in our cadaverous mortality.

而另一方面 是真实的自我 注定归为尘土

"I was pauper-born,"reads the inscription on Archbishop Chichele's tomb,Then to primate raised.

我本贫贱 大主教查切尔的墓志铭写到 奋斗为主教

"Now I am cut down and served up for worms."Behold my grave."

失却性命为尘土 囚禁于墓穴

词汇解析

1、expect

预期;预料;期待

a council workman who expects to lose his job in the next few weeks.

预计自己在接下来的几周里会丢掉工作的市政工人

They no longer expect corporate profits to improve.

他们不再期待公司利润会增长。

盼望;期待;等待

I am expecting several important letters but nothing has arrived.

我正在等几封重要的信件，可是一封都没到。

I wasn't expecting a visitor.

我没想到会有人来访。

要求；认为应当得到;指望

He wasn't expecting our hospitality.

他没有指望我们会盛情款待。

I do expect to have some time to myself in the evenings.

我确实希望晚上能有些属于自己的时间。

2、contrast

差异;差别;悬殊

the contrast between town and country.

城乡差别

The two visitors provided a startling contrast in appearance.

这两位访客的外表截然不同。

相比之下;与…相反

The private sector, by contrast, has plenty of money to spend.

相比之下，私营部门就有很多钱可供开销。

In contrast, the lives of girls in well-to-do families were often very sheltered.

相反，生活在富裕家庭的女孩子通常都备受呵护。

与…截然不同;与…对比鲜明

His public statements have always been in marked contrast to those of his son.

他和他儿子在公开场合的言论总是截然不同。

That is in stark contrast to the situation during the 1970 oil crisis.

那和1970年石油危机时的情形完全不同。