精美英文欣赏:亚伯拉罕·林肯

Part 5 Abraham Lincoln

亚伯拉罕·林肯

August 12th, 1879

1879年8月12日

I see the President almost every day, as I happen to live where he passes to or from his lodgings¹ out of town. He never sleeps at the White House during the hot season, but has quarters at a healthy location some three miles north of the city, the Soldiers' home, a United States military establishment. I saw him this morning about eight thirty coming in to business, riding on Vermont avenue, near L street. He always has a company of twenty-five or thirty cavalry², with sabres drawn³ and held upright over their shoulders They say this guard was against his personal wish, but he let his counselors⁴ have their way. The party makes no great show in uniform or horses. Mr. Lincoln on the saddle generally rides a good-sized, easy-going gray horse, is dressed in plain black, somewhat rusty⁵ and dusty, wears a black stiff hat, and looks about as ordinary in attire⁶, as the commonest man. A lieutenant⁷, with yellow straps⁸, rides at his left, and following behind, two by two, come the cavalry men, in their yellow-striped jackets. They are generally going at a slow trot⁹, as that is the pace set them by the one they wait upon. The sabres and accoutrements clank, and the entirely¹⁰ unornamental cortege as it trots¹¹ towards Lafayette square arouses no sensation, only some curious stranger stops and gazes. I see very plainly Abraham Lincoln's dark brown face, with the deep-cut lines, the eyes, always to me with a deep latent sadness in the expression. We have got so that we exchange bows, and very cordial ones. Sometimes the President goes and comes in an open barouche. The cavalry always accompany him, with drawn sabres. Often I notice as he goes out evenings-and sometimes in the morning, when he returns early he turns off and halts at the large and handsome residence of the Secretary of War, on K street, and holds conference there. If in his barouche, I can see from my window he does not alight, but sits in his vehicle, and Mr. Stanton comes out to attend him. Sometimes one of his sons, a boy of ten or twelve, accompanies him, riding at his right on a pony¹². Earlier in the summer I occasionally saw the President and his wife, toward the latter part of the afternoon, out in a barouche, on a pleasure ride through the city. Mrs. Lincoln was dressed in complete black, with a long crape veil. The equipage is of the plainest kind, only two horses, and they nothing extra. They passed me once very close, and I saw the President in the face fully¹³, as they were moving slowly, and his look, though abstracted, happened to be directed steadily¹⁴ in my eye. He bowed and smiled, but far beneath his smile I noticed well the expression I have alluded¹⁵ to. None of the artists or pictures has caught the deep, though subtle and indirect expression of this man's face. There is something else there. One of the great portrait painters of two or three centuries ago is needed.

我几乎每天都能看到总统，因为我恰好住在他往返于城外寓所的必经路上。在炎热的夏季，他晚上从不在白宫歇息，而是住在城北约3英里处的一个充满朝气的处所美国军事基地"士兵之家"。今天早晨大约8点半我看见他进城办事，骑马走在L大街附近的佛蒙特路上。和他随行的总有一支25到30人的身佩军刀的骑兵队伍， 军刀笔直地挂在他们的肩上。据说总统本人并不愿意有这支护卫队，但最终还是顺从了顾问们的意志。他们一行人的着装和马匹都不事张扬。马鞍上的林肯先生通常骑一匹体格高大、性情温和的灰色骏马，他穿着一身褪色的灰乎乎的黑色服装，头戴一顶硬挺挺的黑色帽子。从这身打扮来看，他和最普通的人一样平平常常。 一位佩戴黄色绶带的中尉骑马走在他的左侧，跟随身后的是两两一排的身着黄条上衣的骑兵。他们常常慢步前进，因为他们守候的总统先生就是这么缓缓而行。当这群军刀配件叮当作响、完全不加修饰的队伍徐徐走向拉菲特广场时，丝毫没有引起任何骚动，只有某个好奇的陌生人驻足而视。我非常清楚地看到亚伯拉罕·林肯先生的深褐色的脸庞，脸上刻着深深的皱纹，他的眼睛在我看来总带着一种潜在的深深的忧伤。我们见面时便相互欠身致意，彼此非常真诚。有时，总统也乘一辆敞篷四轮马车出入，骑兵护卫们总是手秉出鞘的军刀跟随着他。在他晚间外出，有时是清晨早早归来时，我常常注意到他会拐到K街，停在国防部长宏伟气派的官邸门前，在那里开会。如果他坐着敞篷马车，我从窗户可以看到他并不下车，而是坐在车里，斯塔顿先生会出来迎接他。有时他的儿子，一个10到12岁的男孩会骑匹小马驹陪在他的右侧。初夏时节，我偶尔见到总统和夫人在下午乘坐四轮马车高高兴兴地在城里游览。林肯夫人一身纯黑色打扮，头戴长长的黑色面纱。他们的出行装备再简单不过了，除了两匹马和他们自己就别无他物。有一次他们从我身边经过， 距离非常近，而且速度很慢，我完完全全看到了总统的面容，他的目光尽管飘忽不定，却恰好稳稳地与我的目光相遇。他欠身朝我微笑，但是在他的笑容背后，我仍然清楚地注意到我曾提及过的深深的忧郁之情。没有哪位画家，也没有哪张照片曾经捕捉到总统脸上这种深沉、细微而又内敛的表情。这张脸上还流露出某种其他的神色，只有两到三个世纪以前的某位伟大的肖像画家方可绘出。

1 lodgings   

n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍

参考例句：

• When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。
• I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。

2 cavalry   

n.骑兵；轻装甲部队

参考例句：

• We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
• The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

5 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

6 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。

7 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

8 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

9 trot   

n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧

参考例句：

• They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
• The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

11 trots   

小跑，急走( trot的名词复数 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• A horse that trots, especially one trained for harness racing. 训练用于快跑特别是套轭具赛跑的马。
• He always trots out the same old excuses for being late. 他每次迟到总是重复那一套藉口。

12 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

15 alluded   

提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中，你提到了某个阴谋。
• She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。