Peng Yu 翻译得很不错，但应该如原文般重复三次"坚固、平整、干燥、光滑"才能保存原来的"死板单调"的味道。 Ralph 的那句如果翻译为"整个地方简直就是一个整齐、利落、精准的结构"，应该更好。 Altogether要译作简直，construction要译作结构，才算真的明白了那英语原文意思。 然后: "设计好, 工程好，做工好。完全切合目标功能。" 这样的语气，才能保存原文的面貌。 原文: The doorways were straight and square and true. The chamber’s floor was hard and flat and dry and smooth. The walls were hard and flat and dry and smooth. The ceiling was hard and flat and dry and smooth. Altogether the whole place was a neat, crisp, exact piece of construction. Well designed, well engineered, well built. Ideal for its intended purpose. Which was an orphanage. For children.

房间地板坚固平整且干燥光滑，墙面顶壁皆是如此，整洁利落仿若构成整个建筑的实实在在的一块砖瓦。设计与构造精巧，土木工程亦佳，正是与理想中的蓝图完美契合。 一座孤儿院。 一座只能为孩童服务的孤儿院。