第一、二句：Periodically I go back to a churchyard cemetery on the side of an Appalachian hill in northern Virginia to call on family elders. It slows the juices down something marvelous.

弗吉尼亚北部阿巴拉契亚山脉的一个小山坡上，有一处教堂墓地。每隔一段日子，我都要回到那里探望先辈们。这种探访有一种奇妙的力量，能让人的心境归于平静。

1. Periodically [ˌpiriˈɑdɪkəli] 定期；周期性地；偶尔，如柯林斯词典例句：

Meetings are held periodically to monitor progress on the case.

定期召开会议监控案件的进展情况。

2. Cemetery [ˈseməteri] 墓地，坟地，公墓，如柯林斯词典例句：

My father lies in the small cemetery a few miles up this road.

我父亲葬在沿这条路往北几英里处的一个小公墓里。

3. Appalachian [ˌæpəˈleɪtʃən] 阿巴拉契亚山脉。

4. Call on（短暂）拜访，探访，看望；要求；呼吁；号召，如柯林斯词典例句：

Sofia was intending to call on Miss Kitts.

索菲娅打算去拜访基茨小姐。

5. Slow down（使）身心松弛；（使）放松；（使）放慢，（使）减速，如柯林斯词典例句：

You will need to slow down for a while.

你需要放松一段时间。

6. Juice 精力，活力；果汁；肉汁；胃液；消化液，如词典例句：

I just don’t have the juice anymore.

我再也没有那个精力了。

第三句：They are all situated right behind an imposing brick church with a tall square brick bell-tower best described as honest but not flossy.

先辈们的墓地全都在一座庄严醒目的砖石教堂后面。高高耸立的方形钟楼也是砖石结构的，说它“朴实而不粗糙”再合适不过了。

1. Imposing [ɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ] 壮观的；使人印象深刻的，如，a grand and imposing building 雄伟壮观的建筑物。

2. Be described as 说成是；真可谓；被描述为，described as 为动词过去分词形式作后置定语，如金融时报例句：

As the governor of a great economy described as “emerging”, what I can say is what sort of society I hope will emerge from this crisis.

作为一个被形容为“新兴”的伟大经济体的总统，我所能说的是我希望这场危机将会催生什么样的社会。

3. Flossy ['flɒsɪ] 乱丝的；毛茸茸的；丝绵似的；轻软的；装饰华丽的，如，short flossy curls 毛茸茸的短卷发。

第四句：Some of the family elders did construction repair work on that church and some of them, the real old timers, may even have helped build it, but I couldn’t swear to that because it’s been there a long, long time.

家族先辈中有些参与过教堂的修缮工作，另一些人，那些真正的老祖宗们，或许还为教堂的建造出过力，但对此我可没有绝对把握，因为教堂建在那里毕竟已经很久很久了。

1. Old timers （口语）老前辈；老资格的人；守旧的人；上了年纪的人；老手，如华尔街日报例句：

But regional management shifts as well as pay restrictions in the wake of the crisis led to departures by UBS old-timers.

但危机之后地区管理层的变动和薪酬限制导致瑞银多位老将离职。

2. Swear to something 保证某事，一口咬定，确定，如柯林斯词典例句：

Behind them was a confusion of noise, perhaps even a shot, but he couldn’t swear to it.

他们身后响起一片嘈杂声，也许还有枪击声，但他不能确定。

第五、六句：The view, especially in early summer, is so pleasing that it’s a pity they can’t enjoy it. Wild roses blooming on fieldstone fences, fields white with daisies, that soft languorous air turning the mountains pastel blue out toward the West.

那儿的景色非常怡人，尤其是在初夏时节。石栅篱上的野蔷薇竞相开放，田野被雏菊染成一片白色，微醺的和风给群山抹上淡淡的蓝色，一直向西边延伸而去。先辈们无法欣赏这些美景，真是一桩憾事。

1. It’s a pity + that + 句子，表示...很遗憾/可惜，that可省略，如柯林斯词典例句：

It’s a pity Martha and I had to miss our class last week.

很遗憾，我和玛莎上周不得不缺课。

2. Wild rose 野蔷薇，野玫瑰。

3. Bloom [bluːm] 开花，绽放，茁壮成长，如汉英大词典例句：

Flowers bloom in springtime.

花在春天开放。

4. Daisy [ˈdeɪzi] 雏菊，菊科植物。

5. Languorous [ˈlæŋɡərəs] 怠惰的，无力的，懒洋洋的；慢悠悠的。

6. Pastel [pæˈstel]（色彩）淡的，柔和的，如柯林斯词典例句：

Any car you can buy off the shelf in a pastel pink has got to be saying something.

现货供应的任何一辆淡粉色汽车一定都有自己的卖点。