翻译分段式

法国散文家孟田说，与治理一个王国相比较，治理一个家庭所遇到的麻烦几乎一点儿都不少。

Montaigne, a French essayist, says, here is little less trouble in governing a private family than a whole Kingdom.在美国，家庭与婚姻变成了一个越来越复杂的问题。

Family and marriage has become an increasingly complicated issue in America.一方面，有些人认为幸福家庭的理想是健康社会的基础。

On one hand, some people hold an ideal of the happy family as the foundation for a healthy society.在一般人的想象中，家庭依然是维持是情感和道德的一个本源。

Family is still a source of emotional and moral sustenance in collective imagination.他们描绘了一幅美丽的图画：宁静而又自然的快乐，因为他们相信有条不紊的生活给他们带来幸福。

They paint such a rosy picture: peaceful and natural joys, for their belief that the regularity of life brings them happiness.另一方面，由家庭主妇的妻子、挣钱的丈夫和两个或两个以上孩子所组成的理想家庭已经变得像中世纪那么古老。

On the other hand, the idealized family composed of a homemaker wife, a breadwinner husband, and two or more children has become medievally old-fashioned.人们看到了严酷的现实：人们结婚，随着激情的消退，婚姻不再能给予情感上的满足，他们就与自己的配偶离婚。

And people see the harsh reality that people marry and then divorce their spouses when passion ebbs and the marriage no longer provides emotional satisfaction.婚姻和家庭生活已经感到了社会巨大变化的影响，比如平等、个性主义、物质主义的思想，技术的进步，高等教育的普及，甚至性自由，健康状况的改善和寿命的延长。

Marriage and family life has felt the reverberations of all the great changes of society, such as the ideologies of equality, individualism and materialism, technological advancement and popularization of higher education, and even sexual freedom and improvement in health and longevity.今天，相当一部分女性追求“灵魂伙伴”，迟迟不结婚，一直等到合适的对象出现。

Today, quite a number of women as individuals seek a “soul mate” and postpone marriage until that right partner comes along.越来越多的男性和女性推迟结婚的年龄，更多的是离家去大学求学，找一个对象同居，开创事业，而后再承担起有一个家庭的责任。

An increasing number of men and women remain single longer, and are more likely to leave home to pursue a college education, to live with a partner and to launch a career before taking on the responsibility of a family of their own.本文的男主人公也面临着婚姻危机的困境：他想反抗妻子的控制，打破婚姻枷锁的束缚，但缺乏实现自己愿望的勇气。

The hero of the text is also confronted with the dilemma of the marriage crisis: his wish to rebel against the dominance of his wife and break off the bondage of marriage and his lack of courage to turn his wish into reality.我们可以认为，他的困境反映了美国许多中年人所面临的婚姻危机。

His dilemma might be deemed as a reflection of the marriage crisis many middle-aged people have in America.罗伯特弗洛斯特是美国最伟大的诗人之一。

Robert Frost is one of the greatest poets in America.他曾在哈佛大学学习过一段很短的时间，虽然他学业出色，但因肺结核病而中途辍学。

He had a short period at Harvard, but though he did very well, he left in the middle owing to his tuberculosis.而后，他干过各种杂活：做过鞋，编过乡村报纸，教过书，最后干农活。

Then he worked at odd jobs, making shoes, editing a country newspaper, teaching school and finally farming.这种生活背景对他诗歌创作的影响不仅仅表现在主题选择方面，他希望自己的诗歌像斧头或锄头一样“简单和诚实”。

This kind of life experience had its effect upon his poetry in more than the choice of subjects, for he wished that his poetry should be as simple and honest as an axe or hoe.因此，他在诗歌中表面上好像在谈论一些农活或日常事情，实际上他在努力讲解一些深刻的哲学观点。

Therefore when he was apparently talking about some farming activities or daily routines in poetry, he endeavored to express some very profound philosophical ideas in reality.他的创作风格平易自然，但却优雅。

His style is simple and natural, but very graceful.他获得过四次普利策文学奖。

1961年，87岁的他应邀在约翰肯尼迪的总统就职仪式上吟诵他的诗。

He won the Pulitzer Prize on four occasions. When he was eighty-seven years old, he was invited to read his poetry at the inauguration of President John F Kennedy in 1961.科学领域的人与艺术领域的人表现出相互不理解，甚至相互厌恶。

The scientific culture and the artistic culture show incomprehension and even dislike towards each other.一种文化不知道另一种文化的优点，似乎故意不愿意看到对方的优点,科学界似乎对哲学，尤其是形而上学比较漠然。

Either culture does not know the virtues of the other, and it seems to view with indifference philosophy, especially metaphysics.在诸多艺术形式中，音乐可能是在科学家中培养兴趣时最为关注的。

Music is perhaps among the arts the one that is the most cultivated as personal interests among scientists.科学家一般对诗歌、小说没有很大的兴趣。

As a rule, scientists do not show much interest in poetry or novels.一般层次的年轻科学家似乎很少读文学作品。

It seems that the younger rank-and-file of scientists read very little literary works.大多数科学家沉浸在自己的工作中。

Most scientists are immersed in their own work. 他们会说，若你不了解科学的结构，特别是自然科学的结构，你就不能懂得世界。

They would claim that you couldn't comprehend the world unless you acquire knowledge about the structure of science, in particular of physical science.说实话，从事艺术的人中也很少有人关心科学的事。

To tell the truth, very few among those who are engaged in artistic work are concerned about scientific work.有人说，科学家像一轮旭日，持续不断地变得越发辉煌；而艺术家则是日薄西山，慢慢沉入被人忘却的境地。