美国语文第五册 第50期:英王查尔斯二世与威廉-佩恩先生(2)

 　　That is no proof of the contrary, friend Charles. Thy subjects were the aggressors. 查尔斯，我的朋友，难道不存在恰恰相反的证据？陛下臣民才是入侵者，

　　When thy subjects first went to North America, they found these poor people the fondest and kindest creatures in the world. 当初踏入那块美洲大地，他们发现，世界上没有人能比那些可怜的土著更温顺平和，待人友好。

　　Every day they would watch for them to come ashore¹, and hasten to meet them,  每天，土著人毫无例外地赶到海滩探望白人，

　　and feast them on the best fish, and venison, and corn, which were all they had. 给他们送上最好的鱼、鹿肉、玉米，倾其所有，供其充饥。

　　In return for this hospitality of the savages², as we call them, thy subjects, termed Christians³,  为回报土著人的好客，正如我们所说的，那些被称为基督徒的陛下臣民，

　　seized on their country and rich hunting grounds for farms for themselves. 他们强占掠夺印第安人大片家园以及丰美猎场，建起他们自己的农场。

　　Now, is it to be wondered at, that these much-injured people should have been driven to desperation by such injustice⁴; 如此看来，那些非正义行为使得大量遭受屠戮的土著人沦陷绝境，我们难道不觉惊诧莫名？

　　and that, burning with revenge, they should have committed some excesses? 陛下臣民采用烧杀抢掠手段报复印第安人，那些野蛮屠杀难道并不过分？

　　Well, then, I hope you will not complain when they come to treat you in the same manner. 陛下臣民采用烧杀抢掠手段报复印第安人，那些野蛮屠杀难道并不过分？

　　I am not afraid of it. 我可不会害怕。

　　Ah! how will you avoid it? You mean to get their hunting grounds, too, I suppose? 天呀！你怎样避免他们报复？我觉得，你不也想得到他们的狩猎场吗？

　　Yes, but not by driving these poor people away from them. 不错，我需要土地，不过不会把印第安人从他们的狩猎场上赶出去。

　　No, indeed? How then will you get their lands? 确实如此？那你怎么得到他们的土地？

　　I mean to buy their lands of them. 我打算从他们手中买土地。

　　Buy their lands of them? Why, man, you have already bought them of me! 从他们手中买土地？哎呀，伙计。你应该是从我的手中买下那些土地吧！

　　Yes, I know I have, and at a dear rate, too; but I did it only to get thy good will, not that I thought thou hadst any right to their lands. 我确实买了土地，价钱还相当高；为什么我这样做，无非考虑到陛下的仁慈，当然，我并不认为，您对印第安人的土地拥有任何权力。

　　How, man? no right to their lands? 哎呀，伙计，难道我没有支配印第安人土地的权力？

　　No, friend Charles, no right; no right at all: what right hast thou to their lands? 是的，查尔斯，我的朋友，您没有权利，没有任何权力。您有什么权力可以支配那些土著人的土地？

1 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

2 savages   

未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。
• That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。

3 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

4 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。