来自《耶鲁大学开放课程：1945年后的美国小说 第16集》

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  I mean that we feel that consequences perhaps are unimportant,
  我们感到 也许结果无足轻重
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  that there is something larger at work.
  背后还有更大的意义
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  So, Play It As It Lays. I think, fits very nicely into
  《顺其自然》非常契合我们的课程大纲
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  the syllabus because it provides a beautiful contrast to The Crying of Lot 49
  因为它和《拍卖第49号》形成完美的反差
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  in that it depicts the disintegration of southern California, and specifically L.A.,
  刻画了南部加州 尤其是洛杉矶的解体
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  in a much less manic, but no less troubling way.
  笔调没有那么狂躁 却也令人揪心
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  Didion's language, in its flat, plain tone,
  迪迪安的语言朴素而直白
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  mimics the flat, plain Los Angeles of her narrative,
  恰似她笔下平淡无奇的洛杉矶
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  as Pynchon's convoluted, elusive language does his perplexing
  正如品钦艰深难懂的语言契合
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  and intricate portrait of the city.
  洛杉矶复杂难解的一面
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  Also, as with Housekeeping, the loss of self is imagined as a
  同样 《管家》中自我的迷失是分散的
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  dispersal, though Didion's dispersal is a cold, defensive
  而迪迪安这种分散感冷漠而有防备