美国作家W. L. Phelps写过一篇著名的短文，题目是Facing South （朝南），读来有味，译来有趣。现逐段译评如下。

1/ An old friend used to say to me, “When you are thinking of taking a new house, go and see it on a dismal day. If you like it then, you need not doubt about liking it in fine weather.” We all enjoy the sun. The sun is the source of heat and life to the earth. Yet people are still to be found who deliberately shut out the sun from their rooms, and are unmindful of the Italian saying that where the sun does not go the doctor does. A succession of dull days damps down the spirits. In this country, especially, we know the value of “facing south”.

译文：有位老友常对我说：“想购置新房，就应选择阴天去看房。如果阴天的时候都喜欢，天晴时必定合你心意。”我们都爱享受阳光。太阳是地球热量和生命的源泉。然而，仍然能发现一些人故意将阳光拒之门外，不屑于意大利的一句谚语“太阳不到，医生到”。连续数日的阴天会让人情绪低落。尤其在我们国家，大家更懂得“朝南”的价值。

点评：… where the sun does not go the doctor does一句精彩。原译“太阳走，医生至”，不上口，无韵感，且费解。

2/ Are we not like houses? We have eyes instead of windows, but we face south, north, east, or west. Who does not know the men and women facing north? Hard and cold, never letting a ray of sunshine into their souls, they stand pitilessly away from all the cheers and warms of our poor humanity. They are the people who pour cold water on all our enthusiasms, have no faith in human nature, no sympathy with human suffering; who leave the lame dog at the stile. We know the futility of approaching them in the hour of distress of trouble.

译文：我们不就像房子一样吗？眼睛就是窗户，只是我们可以朝南、朝北、朝东、或者朝西。谁又不认识几个朝北的男男女女呢？苛刻而又冷漠，他们从不让一缕阳光射入心灵。面对我们卑微人性中的快乐和温暖，他们冷漠避开；面对我们的一腔热情，他们只知大泼冷水、他们不相信人性、不同情人间疾苦，忍心把瘸腿的狗遗弃在台阶旁。我们知道，在身陷困境之时求助于他们，必定徒劳而返。

点评：此段始让我们感到作者的比喻之妙。有两点可以商榷。一是，原句的but we face south, north, east, or west之原译是“只是我们朝向东西南北”，此译给读者“气短”的印象，译笔能否细腻些？二是，原句中的定语从句who leave the lame dog at he stile.原译将它译成“对别人的困难不闻不问”，译文能否保留原句的形象呢？

3/ Most of us, it is to be feared, face either east or west. Part of us is in the sun, part in the shadow. We are easily depressed or exalted. We talk of our dual personality, and do nothing to cultivate the better part. But there are a few people who, like an attractive house, face south. One never goes to them in vain. They look on the sunny side of things; they see obstacles only to surmount them. Coming into their presence is like coming into a sunny room. The dull care or the throbbing trouble disappears. “God's in His heaven, all's right with the world” is their motto.

译文：恐怕，我们中的大多数人不是朝东，就是朝西。无论朝东朝西，有人置身阳光，有人置身阴影。我们的情绪易起易落。我们对自己的双重性格高谈阔论，对扬长避短却无所作为。但是，也有一小部分人，像让人喜爱的房屋一样，坐北朝南。向这些人求助，决不会空手而归。他们总能看到事物阳光的一面；他们看到障碍，只是为了超越它们。跟这些人相处，就像走进一间阳光充足的屋子。你的隐忧和揪心之痛都会烟消云散。“上帝就在天堂，世界一切美好”是他们的格言。

点评：原句文字表达很有分寸感，文采便得以显示，遗憾的是，我们读到的原译就比较粗糙。如：The dull care or the throbbing trouble disappears被译成：你的忧虑和麻烦都会烟消云散。dull care非简单的“忧虑”；throbbing trouble亦非简单的“麻烦”。

4/ Sunny people are not necessarily well-to-do people. The best relative the writer recalls, was an aunt who lived in a tiny country cottage and maintained an old-world dignity on ninety pounds a year. In hours of ease a well-read, charming companion, she was a veritable tower of strength and a refuge in times of tribulation. She would create cosmos out of the chaos of a broken household; she literally bound up the wounds and salved the sickness of innumerable kinsmen and neighbors; every delicate child in the family passed through her hands; and at the appropriate seasons she would produce from her store some wondrous little gift.

译文：阳光乐观者未必小康。笔者记忆中最可亲的人是我的姑妈。她住在乡间小农舍，靠一年九十英镑的收入维持着她旧式生活的尊严。安逸时，她是一个博学迷人的伴侣；忧患中，她是名副其实的靠山和避风港。她能变破碎家庭的混沌为和谐；她替许多亲友邻里悉心疗伤治病；她亲手照料过家里每一个病弱婴儿；而且在一个什么日子来临时，她总从她的储备中拿出一些精美的小礼物。

点评：原译的精彩之处在于：…she was a veritable tower of strength and a refuge in times of tribulation被译成了“她是我们名副其实的靠山和避风港”。原句里的tower of strength是一常用成语，意思是“非常可靠[得力]的人”，译成“靠山”，恰倒好处。refuge者，避难所也，译成“避风港”，也更上口。

5/ You must know such people. They are not rich people, perfectly healthy, or people without sorrows. On the contrary, they have had a full measure of misfortune. But they have never faltered in their outlook on life, in their supreme faith in all things working together for good, in their belief that they are in this world to help where help is needed. What a consolation such people are! We go to them in entire confidence. We leave them the better and the brighter, with a firmer step, and the determination to win through our difficulties. They are “facing south”.

译文：我们肯定认识这样的人。他们并不富有，也并不十分强健，也非无悲无哀之人。相反，他们曾经历了各种不幸。但是，他们的人生观从来没有动摇过，他们的最高信仰是世间一切都会变得更好，他们的信念是，来到这个世界上就是为了帮助那些需要帮助的人。这些人是一个多大的安慰啊！我们信心十足地投奔他们，离开时，我们走出阴霾，心头豁然、步履坚定，决意战胜一切困难。他们是“朝南”的人。

点评：We go to them in entire confidence. We leave them the better and the brighter…一句写得何等畅快淋漓！译者将原句的go to them译成“投奔”他们，在口吻上，几乎是“铢两悉称”！We leave them the better and the brighter, with a firmer step，此句原本难译，用了汉语的四字结构，则化难为易。