英语背诵名篇:　Quiet Girl 恬静的女孩

I would liken you

To a night without stars

Were it not for your eyes.

I would liken you

To a sleep without dreams

Were it not for your songs.

By Langston Hughes

［参考译文］

恬静的女孩

兰斯顿·休斯

我想把你比做

没有星星的夜晚，

要不是你的眼睛。

我想把你比做

无梦的睡眠，

要不是你的歌声。

［注释］

liken : 常于to连用，表示“把……比做”的意思

were : were it not for是典型的虚拟语气，它的另外一种形式是If it were not for，表示“如果不是……”的意思。与事实相反，是一种假设的状况，动词用过去式。