我是英语专业的。现在分专业了学的翻译。觉得自己水平好次啊。特别是发现自己很多时候会把文章意思搞错。特别是遇到一些很短的短句。总是搞不清楚其所指。这恐怕是最忌讳的问题。现在也很忙。一直都很想到elanso上来泡着，一直都没有实践起来。罪过罪过。后来想了想，打算将老师布置的作业发上来。想请各位前辈多多指教。多谢~~
这是今天晚上刚做完的。
books
A book is essentially not a talked thing, but a written thing; and written, not with the view of mere communication, but of permanence. The book of talk is printed only because its author cannot speak to thousands of people at once; if he could, he would—the volume is mere multiplication of his voice. You cannot talk to your friend in India; if you could, you would; you write instead: that is mere conveyance of voice. But a book is written, not to multiply the voice merely, not to carry it merely, but to preserve it.The author has something to say which he perceives to be true and useful, or helpfully beautiful. So far as he knows, no one has yet said it; so far as he knows, no one else can say it. He is bound to say it, clearly and melodiously if he may; clearly, at all events. In the sum of his life he finds this to be the thing, or group of things, manifest to him; --this the piece of true knowledge, or sight, which his share of sunshine and earth has permitted him to seize. He would fain set it down for ever; engrave it on rock, if he could; saying, “this is the best of me; for the rest, I ate, and drank, and slept, loved and hated, like another; my life was as the vapour, and is not; but this I saw and knew: this, if anything of mine, is worth your memory, ” That is his “writing”; it is, in his small human way, and with whatever degree of true inspiration is in him, his inscription, or scripture. That is a “Book”（from Sesame and Lilies）
译文：本质上，书是写出来的，而不是讲出来的。写出来并不只为一时交流所用，而旨在永世流传。之所以将口述的东西印刷出来，仅仅是因为写作者不能与成千上万人同时说话；当然如果可以的话，他是会这样做的——书卷不过是提高其声音音量而已。你在印度无法跟你的朋友说话；如果你可以，你会这样做；你以写信代之：这不过是声音的传递而已。但是，写下来的书籍不仅仅只是用来提高音量或者传递声音，而是要保存它。写作者想要表达他所感知认为真实有用的事物，或者赏心悦目的美丽。并且据他所知，没有任何人曾经写过这些，也没有任何人有能力来表述。他势必要清晰而优美地将其记录下来；无论如何都要清晰。他发现在他的整个人生中这便是明显属于他的事情；——存在于这个世界上给予他机会学习到的真实的知识和眼界。他愿意永久地记录下来；如果可以，他要将其雕刻在石头上；并且说，“这是我最好的一面。其他时间里，我与他人一般吃、喝、睡，爱或恨；我的生命曾经像水气一样虚无，现在已经全然改变。但是如果我有任何事情值得植入你的记忆的话，那便是我曾经所看到和知道的一切。”这便他的“写作”：是在他短暂的人生道路上关于任何程度的真实感悟的题词或者著作。这就是一本“书”。 《选自芝麻与百合》