译文取自Jeanne Kelly和Nathan K. Mao的译本
1. 在中国热得更比常年利害，事后大家都说是兵戈之象，因为这就是民国二十六年(一九三七年)。
In China the heat was even more oppressive than usual. Later everyone agreed the unusual heat was a portent of troops and arms, for it was thetwenty-sixth year of the Republic (1937).
Sherry的笔记：
之前只知道oppressive是压迫的意思，这里形容天气取的是：If the weather or heat is
oppressive, it is too hot and there is no wind （天气）闷热的，令人窒息的含义。
例句：We were unable to sleep because of the oppressive heat.天气闷热得令人窒息，我们难以入睡。
Portent：A portent is something that indicates what is likely to happen in
the future，后面通常接of
2. 早晨八点多钟，冲洗过的三等舱甲板湿意未干，但已坐满了人，法国人、德国流亡出来的犹太人、印度人、安南人，不用说还有中国人。
Some time after eight in the morning, the third-class deck, stilldamp from swabbing, was already filled with passengers standing and sittingabout -French, Jewish refugees from Germany, the Indians, the Vietnamese, and needlessto say, the Chinese.
Sherry的笔记：
Swab：to wash a surface, especially the open flat areas of a ship, with
a wet cloth or mop （用湿布或拖把）清洗，擦洗（尤指船上的地板）
Sit about/around：(often disapproving) to spend time doing nothing very useful；to
spend time sitting down and doing very little 闲坐，无所事事
例句：We sat around most of the evening, waiting for Jake and drinking
beer.我们闲坐了大半个晚上，喝着啤酒等杰克。
3. 海风里早含着燥热，胖人身体给炎风吹干了，上一层汗结的盐霜，仿佛刚在巴勒斯坦的死海里洗过澡。
The ocean breeze carried with it an arid heat; the scorching windblew dry the bodies of fat people and covered them with a frosty layer of saltcongealed with sweat, as though fresh from a bath in the Dead Sea inPalestine.
Sherry的笔记：
Scorching：very hot 灼热的（地）；极热的（地）
•a scorching summer day炎热的夏日
•It was scorching hot inside the greenhouse.温室里热得出奇。
Congeal：to change from a liquid or soft state to a thick or solid state （液体或软质物）变稠，凝固，凝结
•The blood had congealed in thick black clots.血液凝成了厚厚的黑血块。
这句话翻得太有画面感了……
Fresh from：刚从…来的;刚经历过…的If you are fresh froma particular place or experience, you have just come from that place or youhave just had that experience.
I returned to the office, fresh from Heathrow...
我刚从希思罗机场回到办公室。
4. 毕竟是清晨，人的兴致还没给太阳晒萎，烘懒，说话做事都很起劲。
Still, it was early morning, and people’s high spirits
had not yet withered or turned limp under the glare of the sun. They talked and bustled about with great zest.
Sherry的笔记：
“兴致”用的是high spirits：If someone is in high spirits, they are extremely happy and
enjoying themselves 兴高采烈
•They’d
had a couple of drinks and were in high spirits.他们喝了几杯酒之后开始兴奋起来。
Wither一般用来形容植物的枯萎、凋谢。这里是依照原文的比喻用法。
Limp的常见用法是to walk slowly and with difficulty because
of having an injured or painful leg or foot 瘸着脚走，跛行
原文的意思是指兴致还没减弱，limp还有一个含义：If you describe something as limp, youmean that it is soft or weak when it should be firm or strong
Bustle：to do things in a hurried and busy way 匆忙做，忙碌
•Thora
bustled about the flat, getting everything ready.托拉在公寓里忙着把所有东西都准备好。
Zest：enthusiasm, eagerness, energy and interest 狂热；热情；兴致
•It’s
wonderful to see the children’s zest for life.很高兴看到孩子们对生活充满热情。
5. 法国人的思想是有名的清楚，他的文章也明白干净，但是他的做事，无不混乱、肮脏、喧哗，但看这船上的乱糟糟。
The French are famous for the clarity of their thought and thelucidness of their prose, yet in whatever they do, they never fail to bringchaos, filth, and hubbub, as witness the mess on board the ship.
Sherry的笔记：
Lucid：clearly expressed and easy to understand or (of a person) thinking
or speaking clearly 清晰的，明了的；（人）头脑清醒的，说话清楚的
•She
gave a clear and lucid account of her plans for the company’s future.她清楚明了地讲述了自己对公司未来的规划。
Lucid的同义词很多：clear, comprehensible, explicit,intelligible, transparent
Never fail to do用得绝了，用never强调法国人的一贯作风。Fail to
do：to not do what is expected, needed, or wanted
Hubbub: a loud
noise, especially caused by a lot of people all talking at the same time （很多人同时说话时产生的）喧嚷，喧闹
•I
could hardly hear myself speak above all the hubbub in the theatre bar.在剧院酒吧这种喧嚷的环境里，我几乎听不见自己的声音。
最后是witness的用法：witness something (also ..., as witnessed by something) used tointroduce an example that proves something you have just mentioned