翻译大赛主持稿[五篇材料]

第一篇：翻译大赛主持稿

both: good evening ladies and gentlemen.welcome to the 2011 english translation competition!.

it’s our honor to stand here

a: i am

b: i am

a: in order to improve our enthusiasm and passion of learning of english, and pay more attention to some details we may face in the daily life , moreover ,in order to widen our path of job ,we get together here to hold this contest.we hope you can enjoy yourselves today!at first, with great honor, we'd like to introduce the guests at present.they're...

we are honored to have you here, thank you!

b: next, let me introduce the judges of today's contest.they're...

thank you for being a part of the competition.a: ok.let me introduce the rules of today's contest.firstly, every class come to here and show us your slogan, you have 2 minutes to introduce your team then , the next part named “lucky number” that means we will choose 3 lucky number in 3 classes,

according to the performance of every class, they will get some scores.laterly the third part is” interpretation” and the last one is “scrambling answer” so much for the process tonight ,now, we are looking forward to know who are the heroes tonight, ok, miss manner ,please give our guests the paper box which with our numbers and the judges can pick out 9 pieces of paper.thank you!who are really kissing by the fortune ?it will coming into being soon!

a: congratulation!you all are the heroes!now , please pay attention, the rule is that every team can choose 5 items.if you answer it right, your team will add 10 scores, off course you can ask somebody for help if you have difficulties, but remember that no more 3 times!is everybody clear? now it’s your show-time now!

b: now we came to the interpretation ,that is you should translate what paul say into english in second.

a: excellent job!now, we came to the most excited part called ” scrambling answer” one of you come to here and get ready to blow your balloon.his team will get the right to answer the question if he is the first one whose balloon broken.is it every interesting? ok ,please make good preparation!

第二篇：翻译大赛

“第七届全国口译大赛（英语）”公告

各参赛选手：

为了响应国家“一带一路”倡议，促进翻译学科建设和语言服务行业的繁荣与发展、培养高素质语言服务人才、提升新时期对外中国话语能力，由中国外文局和全国学联指导，中国翻译协会将于2018年3月至6月，举办第七届全国口译大赛（英语）（以下简称“大赛”），组委会秘书处设在中国译协语言服务行业创业创新（LSCAT）中心。

全国口译大赛以其自始至终的权威性、公正性、媒体透明度和公信力承载着各方关注, 同时也吸引了来自全国各地高校的大批英语爱好者。大赛将秉承优良传统，严格标准，从职业素养、技巧运用、信息传达等多方面考察参赛选手的综合水平，选拔优秀选手的同时让全社会了解口译行业。口译是外语应用领域最具挑战性的技能之一, 口译大赛则对选手提出了极高的要求, 不仅是英语应用能力的表现, 同时也是口译技巧和应变能力的提升, 因此口译大赛具有很强的学术性、观赏性和挑战性。

本次大赛面向以汉语和英语为源语言或目标语言的国内外口译学习者及口译工作者，并欢迎外籍选手和港澳台选手组队参加。大赛采取初赛、复赛、大区赛、全国总决赛四级赛制，分别在2018年3月下旬、4月下旬、5月下旬和6月举行。大赛复赛以上将产生一、二、三等奖及特别奖，大赛还设最佳组织奖、优秀指导教师奖等其他奖项，大赛组委会将向获奖选手颁发荣誉证书、奖品及奖杯。“第七届全国口译大赛（英语）”山东赛区的复赛定于4月22日（周日）在济南市历下区红尚坊三楼举行，各位选手务必于4月21日下午2 点到5点到比赛场地报到。报到时交款、领取发票、抽签决定比赛顺序，并领取号码牌。

山东省翻译协会 2018年4月8日

第三篇：翻译大赛

上天堂的死亡恐惧

每个人都希望上天堂，但没人愿意死。伊利亚被一辆烈火熊熊的战车送到天堂，但是他也经历了死亡。即使是耶稣和他的母亲的肉体和灵魂在被带入天堂之前，他们都要先经历死亡。显然，我们这些人将会在死之后才能得到最终的奖励。

在避免死亡这个问题上，大部分人花费了大量的时间。一个朋友已经和癌症抗争了六年。她最近决定——受够了。再也不会有没完没了的化疗和由此产生的痛苦了。有一扇面向体面的生活质量的窗，然后她知道她将会死，她的家人正在抗拒这件事情，并且一直在抗拒——已经好几年了。她们不愿意面对死亡，如果这意味着她要遭受更长时间的折磨，这是他们准备让她付出的代价。如果你觉得为子女做出安排是谨慎的，那么那些对子女没有遗嘱和计划的家长会认为你是病态的。当某个年轻人莫名其妙的出现在讣告上时，中年人会表示惊讶。许多生活富足的年迈老人，不愿意在生命的尽头在情感和精神方面做一些有利于心理健康的必要的准备工作。

应对死亡只是生命中的一部分。轻松和幸福是天堂在人间淡淡的投影，和一些让人痛苦的细节是冲突的，比如努力和牺牲。成功人士应对死亡而承受的资源浪费，苟活和普遍的痛苦都是出于相同愿望的另一种不道德的表现：没有痛苦的陶醉。当那时还是总统候选人的奥巴马建议水管工乔的劳动成果应该像遍布土司上的橙果酱一样分散给大家时，大家应该都倒抽了一口气，并且都足以造成一个全国的真空效应了。至少奥巴马豪爽的表达了他的意图；许多其他人有着相同的观念，但是既没有武器也没有执行它的所需的人员。人本身就是要寻求快感的。我们的神经递质之一，多巴胺，与惊险刺激有着尤为亲密的关系。多巴胺是主管坠入爱河，赢得赌博和一般兴奋的部分电化学物质。多巴胺系统的发展贯穿整个生命过程。小孩子会经历无数次的情感迸发——一切都是美好的！雪！学校!一个大雪天！大脑未受药物污染的成年人是在这方面的几乎没有缓和的儿童版本：日落！日出！性！牛排!蛋糕！然而，青少年们经历了一个，笼统的说，就是要么是沮丧低落要么是静脉注射的阶段：他们所经历的任何事情都会不是无趣，很无趣，非常非常无趣就是一个完全的疯狂。加上大脑相关职能的发展变化，组成了一个可靠的青年的臭名昭著的愚蠢的来源。亚非特现象不是青少年特有的：多巴胺受体属于一些比较知名的神经递质受体，而这些神经递质受体可以被一些例如利他林，其他苯丙胺类兴奋剂和可卡因这类兴奋剂消耗殆尽。也许，许多吸毒者遭受的真正的化学怠倦是由神经过度疲劳和神经递质耗竭引起的。然而，最终的结果就是造成了这样一个基本问题：渴望兴奋而又得不到满足。

从字面上来说，做出改变需要大脑重新组织神经。学习可能存在于某件单一的事件上，但是一般来说神经系统发育的硬线是比较慢的。如果想要做出的改变会挑衅寻求享乐的多巴胺系统乱发脾气，我们就要谨慎地去安排路障，挫折和那些干扰跟我们亲近的东西了。这是一个必要的策略，因为脑生理学和脑化学的存在就是来反抗变化的，尽管这些改变对我们是有好处的。

最近一个熟人强调说是时候正确地面对自己的健康问题了。他不是反常：他幻想自己太忙了而不能正常地吃饭，尽管没有忙到大部分晚上都没有时间出去吃饭的地步。一个正常的作息证明他缺少持续锻炼的时间等等。这样默默地承担埋下了麻烦的种子。首先是表面上的认知，认为做出选择是一些静态的事情：在39，49，60和75中做出最好的选择39。他似乎浑然不知他要做出选择的行为总是和许多变数相联系的。哪些朋友会总是以下班后外出吃饭或喝几瓶啤酒为中心？如果他花一个小时在健身房，他将错过哪些日常的会话节目?如果他匀出时间去做他新的事情时，究竟是情人，小猫还是雇主会觉得被欺骗了呢？生活的流动性和让心里减震器很有用的挑战使他措手不及。最后，一个高品位的心里减震器——承认激动地情绪有时候并不是铺天盖地的，而只是一些微不足道的有趣的信息——也找不到了。致力于一个锻炼计划不会造成从床上滚下来在雨夹雪中奔跑的感觉。在某种程度上来说，在大脑丰富的活动中，那种感觉一定只比一只嗡嗡的蚊子多一点。

他设想从头开始，去买菜再做新鲜的饭菜，但没有应付微妙细节的办法，并且在这个过程中的变化将会比原来的更难以忍受。他要学习如何列出一个长久的购物清单，否则他就会几乎每天都要去购物了。后者和外出吃饭一样是个时间杀手。如果不是在一个不论是外卖还是一碗槽底的粥都是最好的选择的晚上，烹饪听起来会是不错的，因为白天已经是地狱般的一天，上周末的计划和周三晚上要加班三小时的工作冲突了。然后就是胃口上的调整：一个烤鸡胸肉和蔬菜沙拉不如一个汉堡和薯条吃得饱。饥饿或吃不饱将会是他的新“朋友”之一。这样很好，他将会需要新“朋友”。他其他的“朋友”将会埋怨他从来不出现；他们将会筹划一些没有他参与的活动;最后，他将不得不在锻炼和社交圈子之间做出选择。

如果不接受死亡，我们就不能体验真实的生活。分娩很痛苦；有意义的友谊需要努力经营；一个精神富足的生活也需要时间去创造。我们不愿意面对必然的事物：痛苦伴随着幸福。每个人都希望去天堂，但没人愿意死。根据《今日美国》的《美国思维主编》，多洛雷斯·普特博是佛罗里达州拉哥岛上的私人心理治疗师。

第四篇：翻译大赛

Part I Passage Translation(60％)

如何才不必去当陪审员

邮差时常送来好消息或坏消息。对于许多居住在洛杉矶的人来说，排在“坏消息”榜首就是陪审员的传票。这份文件要求你必须以邮件或电话回复参与陪审工作。许多人觉得陪审团义务实在是件乏味，避之不及的烦琐事情。事实上，法院工作人员说他们最常听到的问题是：干嘛要我陪审?正式的回答是： 陪审是每个合格公民必须承担的义务。

如果你是一位公民，看得懂、听得懂英语，如果年满18岁，而且与当事人无干系，你就有资格当陪审员。如果你不回应传票，可能会被罚款高达1 500美元。陪审团审理工作可能持续一天或一个月。如果你在政府里工作，这就不成问题，因为政府会因你参与陪审而照发工资给你。但是，如果你是私营业主，那段时间你可能失去正常的收入。取而代之的是，你陪审一天15美元。这就是人们。尽可能躲避参与陪审的另一个原因。

杰克昨天收到这样的坏消息。尽管他已退休，整天坐着看重播的老电影，他还是告诉他的妻子波莉说他不打算去当陪审员。他讨厌陪审工作，他不想让法院干扰他的退休生活。

波莉既好笑又好气地问道“你认为你怎样才能摆脱这件事情呢?”。“你打算说你已经死了吗?或者打算告诉他们你已经移居国外?”

“不，这两个问题牵涉太繁琐的文件啦。我有更好的主意。找个医学借口。传票上说如果身有残疾，可以免责。”

“你有什么毛病呢?腰痛使你坐不了椅子整天看重播的电视吗?” “我有比这更好的借口。我有屁。放屁会恼怒其他陪审员和在法庭上的其他人。他们不得不打开的所有窗口，或戴上防毒面具。” “但问题是你怎么放屁呢?”

“我知道怎样做。上法院的那天早上我会吃许多花生和水果。当他们闻到我的屁时，就会告诉我回家呆着。”

“这真是一个绝妙的主意!”波莉眼珠一转说道，心想他至少离开这个家一天。Part II

Sentence Translation(40％)

1．As a teacher, your prime task is to master the skills of clearly and a accurately expressing yourself, and properly citing examples to illustrate your ideas． 2．The past decade has seen fast development in China and the living standard of the people has been remarkably improved 0 Now even Cars have become daily commodities for the people． 3．There is an old saying that“Where there is a will．there is a way”．But I believe nowadays the old saying should be changed into“Where there is intelligence，there is a way”．

4．After two months of treatment，the patient show marked signs of improvement，and he may probably be discharged in three weeks．

5．Today‟s success is the results of the accumulation of yesterday, and the success of tomorrow depends on the hard work of today．However, the code to success is wholehearted work and good

attitude to work．

2011翻译大赛样题

发送者:libo 时间: 2012-10-18 15:34 Part 1 Passage translation(60%)Direction: Translate the following passage into Chinese How to Get out of Jury Duty The mailman delivers good news and bad news.Topping the “bad news” list for many people who live in Los Angeles is a jury summons.This document tells you that you must respond by mail or phone for possible service on a jury.Many people feel that jury duty is a boring chore and would prefer not doing it.In fact, court clerks say that the most common question they hear is: Why do I have to serve? The official response is: Jury duty is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.If you are a citizen, if you can read and understand English, if you‟re over 18 years old, and if you‟re not a felon, you are eligible for jury duty.If you ignore the summons, you might be fined up to $1,500.A jury trial might last one day or one month.If you work for the government, this is no problem, because the government will pay you your regular salary while you are on jury duty.However, if you are self-employed, you lose your regular income for that time period.Instead of your regular income, you get $15 a DAY for sitting on a jury.This is another reason people try to avoid jury duty.Jack got the bad news yesterday.Even though he was retired and sat around all day watching reruns of old movies, he told his wife Polly he wasn‟t going to be a juror.He hated jury duty and he was not going to let the courts interfere with his retirement.“So how do you think you are going to get out of it?” Polly asked, both amused and irritated.“Are you going to claim that you‟re dead? Or are you going to tell them you‟ve moved out of the country?”

“No, both of those involve too much paperwork.I‟ve got a better idea.It‟s a medical excuse.It says here that if you have a physical disability, you can be dismissed.”

“What‟s your disability? Your 'bad back' doesn't allow you to sit in a chair watching reruns all day?”

“No.Something better than that.I‟ve got gas.It‟ll offend the other jurors and everyone else in the courtroom.They‟ll have to open all the windows or issue gas masks.”

“But there‟s one problem.You don‟t have gas.”

“But I know how to create it.I‟ll eat a lot of peanuts and fruit the morning that I go to court.As soon as they get a whiff of my „problem,‟ they‟ll tell me to go home and stay home.”

“That‟s a brilliant idea!” Polly said, as she rolled her eyes.At least it would get him out of the house for one day, she thought.Part 2 Sentence translation(40%)Translate the following sentences into English(8% each)1.作为教师，你的第一要务就是掌握清晰、准确表达自己的能力和引用恰当的事例来解释你的想法。

2.过去十年中国进入一个经济高速发展时期，人民的生活水平得到大幅度提高，以致小汽车也成了日常消费品。

3.有句老话叫“有志者事竟成”，但我认为这句老话现在应该改成“有智者事竟成”。

4.历经两个月的治疗后，病人有了明显的好转迹象，或许三周后可以出院了。

5.今天的成功是昨天积累的结果，明天的成功取决于今天的努力，而专心的工作与良好的态度是成功的密码。

第五篇：翻译大赛

第四届“春芽杯”英语翻译大赛

汉译英

No matter what your reaction is – gloat, anguish or indifference, we have to confront a proposition: Academics are having devaluation.It depends on you to interpret the word ―devaluation‖.If it means applied sciences are pushed to the foreground and that more academically respectable research on basic theory is not appreciated, and that literature，history，philosophy, and other ancient disciplines are even snubbed, the phenomenon should cause concern;If it means that with the impact of commodity economy and the low pay to the intellectuals, scholars are not able to devote their energy to study, but to the ―self-help production projects‖, at least this is not a good omen;But if it means academic research cannot receive public concerns any longer, and that there is no longer the exciting scene that ―the whole nation rejoices for the birth of an outstanding work‖, I think it is normal, neither pleasant nor depressing.Academic research is ―a lonely cause‖ and does not have much profit to be reaped.In the past few years because of the particular political and cultural environment, it is easy to publish books, to set the world on fire and to get hollow reputation.Academics seem to become ―Vanity Fair‖ all at once, but now it is back to ―a different post‖.Students who missed the opportunity suffer from this and what they can do is only to hark back to the fortunes of their predecessors.―On the Transitional Age‖，a well-known work of Liang Qichao, involves that the transitional age is likely to produce heroes – political ones, and of course, academic ones.May 4 period can produce heroes and so does the past few years.But now it is difficult for a person even to ―set the pace for a short time‖.Heroes seem to be disappeared.Without heroes, a time cannot necessarily lack high academic achievements, only ones in lack of drama.Academic revolution times seem no longer to cry and roar excitingly all the way to advance.The following should be the normal building with little poetry and more difficulties.It is undoubtedly very frustrating for a hot-blooded youth.No matter he has been in the limelight in the past few years or has not got up the stages.Despite the depression, it is necessary to adjust one’s mentality, even scholar approaches and research methods.It is like in a new semester, primary school students have to get minds off from running wild in the past holidays.Certainly some people ―have long since known this would happen‖ and never ―run wild‖ before.But it is not a feather in their caps.I am always staying at a respectable distance from ―pure scholars‖ who do not have any utilitarianism, any vanity, any wildness or any ecstasies.Sometimes I even ―measure the stature of great men by the yardstick of small men‖, and think they put on a show of calmness because of lacking literary talent, or maybe they just scorn sour grapes out of finding fault.I admire people who both can ―run wild‖ and ―march in goose steps‖.There is a time to ―run wild‖ and a time to ―march in goose steps‖ for them.They knocked spots off one batch of person when ―running wild‖ before and will knock spots off another batch when ―marching goose steps‖ now.Reading and learning are not easy.In the great poem-monk Su Manshu’s novels, there is often an awkward situation that the hero is deprived of the choosing ability, in front of an enthusiastic, persistent, bright and courageous westernized woman and a refined, elegant, gentle and subtle, oriental woman, and finally at the edge of a cliff he has to drop everything and converts to Buddhism.This kind of theme pattern is reproduced constantly by modern writers’ pens.Simply the westernized women got the upper hand in the May 4 period, while the oriental women did in the 40s.Though the writers have given a clear answer, more often than not, the choice is forced by time.In the depth of their hearts, probably just like Su Manshu, they waver between two types of women, two kinds of living ideals, two different attitudes, or ―Poetry and Prose‖ – a term borrowed from Mao Dun.―No heroes‖, ―lacking drama‖, ―marching in goose steps‖, and ―the normal building‖ are all doubtless signs of the prose time.Perhaps we have to make a ―beautiful and desolated‖ gesture, to bid farewell to ―poetry‖ and head for ―prose‖.I hope I can compose another article with the reserved title – biding farewell to ―prose‖ and heading for ―poetry‖.Even though it may be difficult to bring that good article to fruition for a short time, we might as well keep or create some poetry for the prose time, in case ―the lonely cause‖ should become too lonely and ―the prose time‖ should be over prosaic.汉译英原文

幸灾乐祸也好，呼天抢地也好，无动于衷也好，人们都不能不正视这一命题：学术正在贬值。

就看你怎么理解这“贬值”两个字。如果这指的是应用学科被推到前景，而学术性更强的基础理论研究不受重视，跟经济建设没直接联系的文史哲等古老学科甚至受到冷淡，这的确很可忧虑；如果这指的是商品经济的冲击以及知识分子待遇的低下，以致学者不能安心治学，而必须盘算如何“生产自救”，这起码也不是什么好兆头；但如果指的是学术研究不再受到公众的关注，不再有“雄文一出举国欢腾”那种激动人心的场面，那我倒觉得很正常，既不可喜，亦不可悲。

学术研究本来就是“寂寞的事业”，没多少油水好捞的。前些年由于特殊的政治环境和文化氛围，出书容易，惊世骇俗容易，滥得虚名也容易。一时间学术界似乎也成了“名利场”。如今又回到了“冷板凳”，这可就苦了那些没赶上趟的莘莘学子，只能“遥想前辈风流”了。

梁启超有篇名文《过渡时代论》，其中谈到过渡时代容易出英雄。出政治上的英雄，当然也出学术上的英雄。“五四”时代能出英雄，前几年也能出英雄，如今则连“各领风骚三五天”都不容易，英雄似乎消失了。没有英雄的时代，未必学术成就不高，只不过缺乏戏剧性罢了。

激动人心的呐喊着呼啸着前进的学术变革时代，似乎已经过去了；接下来的，该是没有多少诗意而又更加艰辛的常规建设了。对于血气方刚的青年学者来说，这无疑是十分令人沮丧的——不管是这几年出尽风头者，还是尚未登台表演者。沮丧归沮丧，适当调整一下心理状态，乃至治学态度和研究方法，还是必要的。就好像新学期开始，小学生们必须把假期里跑野了的心收回来一样。

当然，也有人“早就料到有这么一天”，从来没“跑野”过。可这没有什么可值得骄傲的。对于那些没有一点功利心、没有一点虚荣心、没有一点狂态、没有一点醉意的“纯学者”，我历来敬而远之；有时甚至不免“以小人之心度君子之腹”，以为或者缺乏才气故作镇定、或者出于矫情大骂葡萄酸也未可知。我佩服的是能“跑野”也能“操正步”；该“跑野”时“跑野”，该“操正步”时“操正步”。当年“跑野”时甩了一拨人，如今“操正步”还会甩下一拨人。读书做学问也真不容易。

一代诗僧苏曼殊的小说中，常常出现这么一种尴尬的局面：男主人公在热情、执著、聪慧、果敢的西化女性和娴静、高雅、温柔、含蓄的东方女性面前丧失选择的能力，只好悬崖撒手皈依我佛。这种主题模式在现代作家笔下不断重现，只不过“五四”时候西化女性占上风，40年代东方女性占上风而已。尽管作家给出了一个明确的答案，但这种选择更多的是时代逼出来的；内心深处很可能都像苏曼殊那样，在两种女性、两种生活理想、两种处世态度——借用茅盾的术语：诗歌与散文——之间徘徊。

“没有英雄”、“缺乏戏剧性”、“操正步”、“常规建设”，这无疑都是散文时代的标志。也许，只好做一个“美丽而苍凉”的手势，告别“诗歌”，走向“散文”。

但愿，就在不久的将来，我能把这题目倒过来再做一遍：告别“散文”，走向“诗歌”。即使那篇好文章一时难产，也不妨为这散文时代保留一点诗意，或者创造一点诗意。以免“寂寞的事业”过分寂寞，散文的时代过分“散文”。

英译汉原文

In the more obscure scientific circles which I frequent there is a legend circulating about a late distinguished scientist who, in his declining years, persisted in wearing enormous padded boots much too large for him.He had developed, it seems, what to his fellows was a wholly irrational fear of falling through the interstices of that largely empty molecular space which common men in their folly speak of as the world.A stroll across his living-room floor had become, for him, something as dizzily horrendous as the activities of a window washer on the Empire State Building.Indeed, with equal reason he could have passed a ghostly hand through his own ribs.The quivering network of his nerves, the awe-inspiring movement of his thought had become a vague cloud of electrons interspersed with the light-year distances that obtain between us and the farther galaxies.This was the natural world which he had helped to create, and in which, at last, he had found himself a lonely and imprisoned occupant.All around him the ignorant rushed on their way over the illusion of substantial floors, leaping, though they did not see it, from particle to particle, over a bottomless abyss.There was even a question as to the reality of the particles which bore them up.It did not, however, keep insubstantial newspapers from being sold, or insubstantial love from being made.Not long ago I became aware of another world perhaps equally natural and real, which man is beginning to forget.My thinking began in New England under a boat dock.The lake I speak of has been pre-empted and civilized by man.All day long in the vacation season high-speed motorboats, driven with the reckless abandon common to the young Apollos of our society, speed back and forth, carrying loads of equally attractive girls.The shores echo to the roar of powerful motors and the delighted screams of young Americans with uncounted horsepower surging under their hands.In truth, as I sat there under the boat dock, I had some desire to swim or to canoe in the older ways of the great forest which once lay about this region.Either notion would have been folly.I would have been gaily chopped to ribbons by teen-age youngsters whose eyes were always immutably fixed on the far horizons of space, or upon the dials which indicated the speed of their passing.There was another world, I was to discover, along the lake shallows and under the boat dock, where the motors could not come.As I sat there one sunny morning when the water was peculiarly translucent, I saw a dark shadow moving swiftly over the bottom.It was the first sign of life I had seen in this lake, whose shores seemed to yield little but washed-in beer cans.By and by the gliding shadow ceased to scurry from stone to stone over the bottom.Unexpectedly, it headed almost directly for me.A furry nose with gray whiskers broke the surface.Below the whiskers green water foliage trailed out in an inverted V as long as his body.A muskrat still lived in the lake.He was bringing in his breakfast.I sat very still in the strips of sunlight under the pier.To my surprise the muskrat came almost to my feet with his little breakfast of greens.He was young, and it rapidly became obvious to me that he was laboring under an illusion of his own, and that he thought animals and men were still living in the Garden of Eden.He gave me a friendly glance from time to time as he nibbled his greens.Once, even, he went out into the lake again and returned to my feet with more greens.He had not, it seemed, heard very much about men.I shuddered.Only the evening before I had heard a man describe with triumphant enthusiasm how he had killed a rat in the garden because the creature had dared to nibble his petunias.He had even showed me the murder weapon, a sharp-edged brick.On this pleasant shore a war existed and would go on until nothing remained but man.Yet this creature with the gray, appealing face wanted very little: a strip of shore to coast up and down, sunlight and moonlight, some weeds from the deep water.He was an edge-of-the-world dweller, caught between a vanishing forest and a deep lake preempted by unpredictable machines full of chopping blades.He eyed me nearsightedly, a green leaf poised in his mouth.Plainly he had come with some poorly instructed memory about the lion and the lamb.―You had better run away now,‖ I said softly, making no movement in the shafts of light.―You are in the wrong universe and must not make this mistake again.I am really a very terrible and cunning beast.I can throw stones.‖ With this I dropped a little pebble at his feet.He looked at me half blindly, with eyes much better adjusted to the wavering shadows of his lake bottom than to sight in the open air.He made almost as if to take the pebble up into his forepaws.Then a thought seemed to cross his mind—a thought perhaps telepathically received, as Freud once hinted, in the dark world below and before man, a whisper of ancient disaster heard in the depths of a burrow.Perhaps after all this was not Eden.His nose twitched carefully;he edged toward the water.As he vanished in an oncoming wave, there went with him a natural world, distinct from the world of girls and motorboats, distinct from the world of the professor holding to reality by some great snowshoe effort in his study.My muskrat’s shore-line universe was edged with the dark wall of hills on one side and the waspish drone of motors farther out, but it was a world of sunlight he had taken down into the water weeds.It hovered there, waiting for my disappearance.I walked away, obscurely pleased that darkness had not gained on life by any act of mine.In so many worlds, I thought, how natural is ―natural‖—and is there anything we can call a natural world at all?