美国语文第五册 第202期:不经风雨 怎见彩虹(1)

 　　The education, moral and intellectual, of every individual, must be chiefly his own work.  每个人的教育程度、道德感以及学识主要来自他的工作实践，

　　Rely upon it that the ancients were right; both in morals and intellect we give the final shape to our characters, 这点毋庸置疑，古人亦不例外。通过道德与才智，我们为自己品性赋以最后定型，

　　and thus become, emphatically, the architects of our own fortune.  亦更为强调，我们才是自己命运的建筑师。

　　How else could it happen that young men, who have had precisely¹ the same opportunities, 对那些年轻人而言，严格说来，面临同样机遇的他们，还有决定前途的其他途径？

　　should be continually presenting us with such different results, and rushing to such opposite destinies?  他们仍能继续展示类似我们的不同生活道路，抑或仓促陷入截然不同的愿望悖反？

　　Difference of talent will not solve it, because that difference is very often in favor of the disappointed candidate.  天资差异无法解决这一问题，因为这种差异通常对失望的落选者更为有利。

　　You will see issuing from the walls of the same college, nay², sometimes from the bosom³ of the same family,  从学院墙报栏公示结果来看，有时，反对票甚至来自师出同门的同窗。

　　two young men, of whom one will be admitted to be a genius of high order, the other scarcely above the point of mediocrity;  两位年轻人，其中一人被公认具有天才禀赋，另外一人几乎难称平庸之才，

　　yet you will see the genius sinking and perishing in poverty, obscurity, and wretchedness;  然而，最终结局是，天才逐渐沉沦湮没一生默默无闻，贫穷困窘，处境悲惨；

　　while, on the other hand, you will observe the mediocre⁴ plodding⁵ his slow but sure way up the hill of life,  反之不难看到，那些平庸之辈正缓慢沉重地跋涉，最终抵达生活高处。

　　gaining steadfast⁶ footing at every step, and mounting, at length, to eminence⁷ and distinction,  他们每一步步履坚实，稳健有力才能够出类拔萃，

　　an ornament⁸ to his family, a blessing⁹ to his country.  成为家族的骄傲，以及国家的自豪。

　　Now, whose work is this? Manifestly their own.  那么，原因究竟何在？显而易见，成功在于自己，

　　They are the architects of their respective fortunes.  年轻人堪为自己不同命运的设计师。

1 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

2 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

3 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

4 mediocre   

adj.平常的，普通的

参考例句：

• The student tried hard,but his work is mediocre. 该生学习刻苦，但学业平庸。
• Only lazybones and mediocre persons could hanker after the days of messing together.只有懒汉庸才才会留恋那大锅饭的年代。

5 plodding   

a.proceeding in a slow or dull way

参考例句：

• They're still plodding along with their investigation. 他们仍然在不厌其烦地进行调查。
• He is plodding on with negotiations. 他正缓慢艰难地进行着谈判。

6 steadfast   

adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的

参考例句：

• Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。
• He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。

7 eminence   

n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家

参考例句：

• He is a statesman of great eminence.他是个声名显赫的政治家。
• Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world.这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。

8 ornament   

v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
• She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。

9 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。