我平时读书写文章，都在夜间，所以坐在“楼上书房”的机会多，因为它最近我的卧室，倦了，跨几步便到床上。但是当我准备要全夜写文章的时候，便只能 待在“楼下书房”了。那时候两个大房间里只有我一个人，咳嗽，刮洋火，便不会闹醒人家;天亮了，自己燉杯牛奶，或是走到对面弄堂里买些油豆腐，谁都不会觉 得讨厌。白天总是不在家的时候多，一回家便得寻了书读;书拿到手，电话又 来了。朋友又喜欢要我写文章，因为我最明白编辑的痛苦，要二三千字我总肯为他赶写。
Since I usually read and write at night, you’ll often find me sitting in the “Upstairs Study” because it is close to my bedroom. When I feel drowsy, I can easily reach my bed only a few steps away. But you’ll find me in the spacious “Downstairs Study” instead when I’m to spend the whole night writing. There I can cough or strike a match without disturbing my folks in their sleep. At daybreak, I will heat up milk for myself or walk to an alley on the opposite side of the street to buy some fried bean curd for breakfast – all done without making a nuisance of myself. I’m seldom at home in the daytime. But, I’ll start reading soon after I come back. Then I’ll be suddenly interrupted by phone calls from editor-friends asking for my contributions. They know that I, out of compassion for editors, will never decline to dash off an article of two to three thousand words.
要点：
1，“所以坐在“楼上书房”的机会多”译为you’ll often find me sitting in the “Upstairs Study”，这种译法我们很难想到，采用第二人称可以拉近与读者之间的距离，更加凸显原作风格
2，“洋火”即“火柴”，“刮洋火”即“打火柴”，因此译为strike a match
3，“谁都不会觉得讨厌”即“也不会碍别人的事”或“也不会使自己成为碍事的人”，译为all done without making a nuisance of myself.其中make A of B意为“使B成为A”
4,“因为我最明白编辑的痛苦，要二三千字我总肯为他赶写”即“出于对编辑的同情，我…”译为They know that I, out of compassion for editors, will never decline to dash off an article of two to three thousand words.其中dash off 意为“匆匆把…写好，匆匆完成”
我是无论如何脱离不了我的书斋的了。但是除非在我读书或是写文章到了出神的时候，我总会感觉到这几间书斋没有一间是舒服的。我理想的书斋是一个极大的房间，里面要能容下二十个书架，冬天有热水汀;夏天有冷气。我希望有一只最大的书桌，上面可以尽我把书籍纸张乱堆，中间还可以留一些地方安置笔砚稿纸之类。这个当然是我的奢望： 我既没有财力去得到那样大的书斋，我也没有才力去写出什么大文章来，不过希望也是一种安慰，同时还是 一种鼓励。
At any rate, I’m inseparable from my library. But none of my three studies makes me feel comfortable except when I’m completely absorbed in reading or writing. My ideal study should be roomy enough for holding twenty bookcases and have air-conditioning. And there should be a large desk there with enough space for books and writing paper to be jumbled up in piles on either side and for writing brush, inkstone, writing paper and so on to be placed in the middle. This is of course nothing but my wishful thinking. I have neither money to own such a roomy study, nor talent for creating masterpieces. Nevertheless, the extravagant hope brings me consolation all the same. It’s sort of encouragement too.
要点：
1，“无论如何”有多种译法，如：in any case; anyhow; as it may; at all events; at any rate; by all possible means; by hook or by crook; however it may be; on all accounts; on every account; under all circumstances; under [in] any circumstances; whatever happens，等，可根据语境选择不同的表达
2，“读书或是写文章到了出神的时候”译为I’m completely absorbed in reading or writing.
但是，无论如何，我白天是写不出文章的。“楼上书房”的光线太大，多待了会头痛，用了太厚的窗帏又会闷气。“楼下书房”事实上又是会客间，我的客人又多，文章写到一半，来了几个朋友，反而大家不舒服。我写文章还有一个坏习惯，和吃饭一样不能停，一停了就吃不下;有一次写一篇关于现代诗的文章，中间来 了一个朋友，到现在还没有把它续完。
But, anyway I can’t work efficiently in the daytime. The “Upstairs Study” is too much lit up by the sun, so that I get a headache after staying there a bit too long. And a thick window curtain would only make the room stuffy. The “Downstairs Study” is in fact a drawing room-cum-study. I have frequent visitors. When they call, I have to break off writing to the discomfort of both parties. I’m in the bad habit of finishing my article at one go like when I eat a meal. Once interrupted, I just can’t resume eating. Once, while writing an article on modern poetry, I was interrupted by a friend visiting. As a result, the article remains unfinished even today.
要点：
1，“我白天是写不出文章的”这里又是一个“写不出文章”，此处宜理解为“不能有效工作”译为I can’t work efficiently in the daytime
2，“光线太大”即“光照过于充足”译为be too much lit up by the sun
3，“‘楼下书房’事实上又是会客间”即“楼下书房既是会客间又是书房”译为The “Downstairs Study” is in fact a drawing room-cum-study.其中cum是介词，一般用以构成复合词，作“兼作”解。
4，“我的客人又多”译为I have frequent visitors，络绎不绝的客人。
5，“反而大家不舒服”译为to the discomfort of both parties.其中to 表示”导致，致使”,表示引起某种后果，在《养成好习惯》中也有类似表达~即“大声讲话，扰及他人的宁静，是一种不好的习惯”译为It is a bad habit to talk loudly to the disturbance of others.出现两次的表达一定是可以积累的干货!
6，at one go意为“一口气，一举，一下”如：Modernization of a vast country like China cannot be done at one go.
(在中国这样一个幅员广大的国家里,要实现四个现代化,不可能一蹴而就.)
所以假使有什么副刊编辑要我写那种分期登载的长篇小说，他一定会受累。但是夜里写文章，一忽便会天亮;一天不睡，三天 都不能使精神恢复，我于是时常头痛。去找医生，他们总是皱紧了眉头叹口气。“三层楼书房”现在已放了一个床，我的表弟睡在里面，所以我除了寻书便不常去了。
Therefore, a newspaper editor would inevitably end up in trouble if he should entrust me with the job of writing a serialized novel for his supplement. But, when I write at night, the day seems to break sooner than I think. And one sleepless night will make me feel tired for three days on end and often suffer from a headache. When I go to see a doctor, he will just sigh with a frown. As to the “Third-floor Study”, a bed has now been placed there for my younger male cousin. So I seldom go there unless when I need a book.
1，“分期登载的长篇小说”可以为a serial novel,或 a novel to appear in instalmemts, a novel to be pubished in serial form
2,“他一定会受累”这里的“受累”并不是指“劳累”而是“陷入麻烦”，因此译为end up in trouble
3，“但是夜里写文章，一忽便会天亮”意为“在夜里写作，总会觉得天亮得特别早”或“总觉得不一会儿天就亮了”译为But, when I write at night, the day seems to break sooner than I think
事实上，我已不应当对我的书斋发什么牢骚，虽然不大，可是究竟容得下我。况且他们也不算对不起我，自从去年秋天搬到此地，真名假名的文章，将近十五万字了。
In fact, I shouldn’t have complaints about my studies. Small as they are, they are tolerable. Since I moved to the present lodgings in the autumn of last year, I’ve produced writings, under my real name or a pseudonym, totaling about 150,000 words.
要点：“虽然不大，可是究竟容得下我。况且他们也不算对不起我…”中， “容得下我”即“能容忍我”，“不算对不起我”即“能满足我的基本需求” ，意思有所重叠，译文中采用意译法处理，把后两句合二为一，只取一个意思，译为Small as they are, they are tolerable.此句也可译为，Though small ,they serve my purpose fairly well.
