The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend.

乡村的平静生活从来未曾吸引过我。做为土生土长的城里人，我一直将乡村视为火车车窗外一簇而过的存在，或者在周末偶尔做客的地方。

PS: appeal to,吸引，等于attract

PS++：city born city bred, 在城里土生土长的

Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months.

我多数的朋友都住在城市里，他们总会一提到乡村生活就欣喜若狂。虽然他们颂扬和平生活的美德，但只有一个人去过乡下，并且在六个月之内就回来了。

PS: go into raptures, 欣喜若狂

Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living.

即使他仍活在乡村生活就是比城市里生活要优越的幻想中，他也总是谈论乡村友善的村民、洁净的空气、靠近大自然和悠闲的生活节奏。

PS: A is superior to B, A比B优越

Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twitering of birds at dawn, the sight of the raising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. The idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture.

他坚持道，清晨雄鸡的第一声啼叫、黎明时分小鸟吱喳欢叫、冉冉升起的朝阳染红树木、牧场，此番景象无与伦比。但这种田园诗般的乡村风光仅仅是一部分而已。

My friend fails to metion the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV -- virtuallly the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work.

我的朋友无法提及电视机前度过的漫长而又孤单的冬夜--电视是唯一的娱乐形式。他也无法辩驳商店中商品品类匮乏到难以选择，以及那些每天不得不赶去城里工作的可怜人们。

Why people are prepared to tolerate a four hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.

我从不理解，为什么人们都会忍受每天四小时的通勤时间，只为获得令人怀疑的（没那么香的）乡村生活。他们如果住在本来就属于他们的城里的话，就可以少受很多苦，少花很多钱了呀。

PS: is beyond me, 比我高，也就是我不懂

If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invaribly live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment.

如果你能忽视住在乡村的少许愉悦，你就会发现城市能给你尽可能好的生活品质。你不需要跋涉几英里去会见你的朋友，他们可能就住在你附近，并且可以经常跟你聊天或者彻夜玩乐。

Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning.

我一些住在乡下的熟人朋友也就一年来看一两次戏，并且觉得这是特殊的享受。因为他们每次这么做，都要精心准备。

As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibition, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best.

每当快要看完剧的时候，他们都在想自己怎么要怎么赶末班火车回到家里去。但是城市居民就不会有这种胆心，他们只需要一趟坐一趟公交车就可以去看最新的展览、电影、或戏剧。购物呢，也是很愉悦的。商品的品类过多，从来不需要用次等品。

Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights.

但是住在乡村的人们在购物的时候都会暴走，载着他们力所能买的货物回到家。城市也并非没有良辰美景，寒冷潮湿的冬夜里，广告灯箱发出的暖光也足够安慰人的心灵。

Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work everyday are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

周末，当成千上万的人回到他们乡村的时候，空旷的街道透着一股宁静的气氛，没有什么比这个更令人难忘了。所以我总是很迷惑，为什么城里人很感激乡村生活，并固执地假装他们更喜欢住在乡下。（最后一句我看不懂）