年轻人，你还记得grandfather吗？
上中学的时候，老师就跟我们说：国外没有像我们这么复杂的称呼之分，爷爷和外公都叫grandfather，奶奶外婆都叫grandmother。
其实不尽然。
在避免误解，必须分清楚的场合里，还是要区别对待的。
My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,
我祖父的钟表太大放不到架子上
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
因此它在地板上站立了90年
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
它足有祖父身高的一半还多
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
然而它还没有比一英钱更重
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,
它是在祖父出生的早晨买的
And was always his treasure and pride;
而且一直都是他的珍宝和骄傲
But it stopp'd short — never to go again —
但是它不久就停止了——再也没有走过——
When the old man died.
当老爷子去世后
In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,
看着它摆来摆去
Many hours had he spent while a boy;
祖父度过了他孩童时期的很多时间
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know
钟表了解祖父的孩童和成年时光
And to share both his grief and his joy.
分享了他的痛苦和欢乐
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door,
当他打开门它敲了24点钟
With a blooming and beautiful bride;
伴着一个妙龄漂亮的新娘
But it stopped short — never to go again —
但是它不久就停止了——再也没有走过——
When the old man died.
当老爷子去世后
CHORUS:
Ninety years without slumbering
90年从来没停过
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
踢,踏,踢,踏
His life's seconds numbering,
为他生命的每一秒计时
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
踢,踏,踢,踏
It stopp'd short — never to go again —
但是它不久就停止了——再也没有走过——
When the old man died.
当老爷子去世后
CHORUS
My grandfather said that of those he could hire,
我祖父说他所雇用的所有人中
Not a servant so faithful he found;
没有一个是如此忠实的仆人
For it wasted no time, and had but one desire —
它从不浪费时间，只有一个愿望——
At the close of each week to be wound.
每周的结束可以上劲儿
And it kept in its place — not a frown upon its face,
它就在它在的地方——脸上从没有皱眉
And its hands never hung by its side.
它的手也从来不掐腰
But it stopp'd short — never to go again —
但是它不久就停止了——再也没有走过——
When the old man died.
当老爷子去世后
CHORUS
It rang an alarm in the dead of the night —
它在他离开的晚上敲响了一下——
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
之前几年都没有响过;
And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight —
我们知道他的灵魂即将飞翔——
That his hour of departure had come.
他离开的时间到了
Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime,
时钟还是在计时，伴随着轻轻和模糊的鸣响
As we silently stood by his side;
我们静静地站在他的身边
But it stopp'd short — never to go again —
但是它不久就停止了——再也没有走过——
When the old man died.
当老爷子去世后
P.S. 1. uncle和aunt如果要区分叔叔和舅舅，姑姑和阿姨，可以在前面加paternal和maternal，或者更详细的说my father’s / mother's brother / sister。
2. cousin是所有单词中用途最广的，它用于“堂哥，堂弟，堂姐，堂妹”，也可以用于“表哥，表弟，表姐，表妹”，如果只区分性别，男性可以称呼male cousin，女性是female cousin。
当然，外国人没有像我们想这么多，大多数情况下，用最常见的那些称呼就可以了！
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西游记87
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