August

Charles Dickens

There is no month in the whole year， in which nature wears a more beautiful appearance than in the month of August. Spring has many beauties， and May is a fresh and blooming month， but the charms of this time of year are enhanced by their contrast with the winter season. August has no such advantage. It comes when we remember nothing but clear skies， green fields， and sweet-smelling flowers--when the recollection of snow， and ice， and bleak winds， has faded from our minds as completely as they have disappeared from the earth--and yet what a pleasant time it is ! Orchards and cornfields ring with the hum of labours; trees bend beneath the thick clusters of rich fruit which bow their branches to the ground; and the corn， piled in graceful sheaves， or waving in every light breath that sweeps above it， as if it wooed the sickle， tinges the landscape with a golden hue. A mellow softness appears to hang over the whole earth; the influence of the season seems to extend itself to the very wagon， whose slow motion across the well-reaped field， is perceptible only to the eye， but strikes with no harsh sound upon the ear.

As the coach rolls swiftly past the fields and orchards which skirt the road， groups of women and children， piling the fruit in sieves， or gathering the scattered ears of corn， pause for an instant from their labour， and shading the sunburnt face with a still browner hand， gaze upon the passengers with curious eyes， while some stout urchin， too small to work but too mischievous to be left at home， scrambles over the side of the basket in which he has been deposited for security， and kicks and screams with delight. The reaper stops in his work， and stands with folded arms， looking at the vehicle as it whirls past; and the rough cart-horses bestow a sleepy glance upon the smart coach team， which says， as plainly as a horse's glance can， \"It's all very fine to look at， but slow going， over a heavy field， is better than warm work like that， upon a dusty road， after all.\"You cast a look behind you， as you turn a corner of the road. The women and children have resumed their labour: the reaper once more stoops to his work: the cart-horses has moved on: and all are again in motion.

一年之中，沒有任何一個月的自然風(fēng)光比得過八月的風(fēng)采。春天美不勝收，而五月也是一個清新、花開的月份，由于有冬季的對比，所以每年的此刻更顯得魅力四射。八月就沒有這樣的優(yōu)勢。它來的時候，我們只記得明朗的天空，綠綠的田野，還有芳香四溢的花朵——記憶中的冰雪、寒風(fēng)都已完全消失，仿佛它們在地球上了無蹤跡——然而八月是多么愉快的季節(jié)啊!果園和麥田到處都充溢著工作的聲響；串串碩果壓得果樹都彎下了腰，枝條低垂到地面；還有玉米，有的一捆捆優(yōu)雅地堆在一起，有的則迎著微風(fēng)招展，仿佛等待收割，把景致染上淡淡的金黃色。整個大地似乎籠罩著醇美的柔和：季節(jié)的影響，似乎伸展至那輛馬車，它緩慢地越過收割好的田地，這一切只有用肉眼才覺察得到，耳朵聽不到刺耳的聲音。

馬車搖晃著，輕快地經(jīng)過路邊的田野與果園，一群群的婦女和孩子們，有的正將水果往篩子上堆，有的則在撿散落的玉米穗子，他們稍停了會兒手中的活，用深褐色的手遮在曬黑的臉上，以好奇的眼神望著乘客，一些結(jié)實的小頑童，太小還不能上學(xué)，但又不能把他們留在家中胡鬧，原先被安置在籃子里是出于安全的考慮，這時也爬過了籃邊，高興得又踢又叫。收割的人停下了手里的活，雙臂交叉地站著看馬車通過，而毛茸茸的拖貨車的馬也睡眼惺忪地向那靈巧的馬車隊看了一眼，它的眼神很明白地表露出：“看看倒是不錯，但在崎嶇的田地上慢慢走，總比那么辛苦地工作要好，尤其是在塵土飛揚(yáng)的路上?！碑?dāng)你拐過路角時；回頭瞧瞧你的身后吧。婦女和孩子們又開始干活了：收割的人又彎下了腰，拖貨車的馬已繼續(xù)前進(jìn)。所有的一切又恢復(fù)了工作。