美国语文第六册 第111期:皮特对罗伯特沃尔浦尔爵士的答复(1)

 The atrocious crime of being a young man, which the honorable gentleman has, with such spirit and decency¹, charged upon me, 这位深孚众望的绅士用这样的心情和礼仪指责我说，这是一个年轻人令人震惊的犯罪。

I shall neither attempt to palliate nor deny; 对此，我既不打算辩解也不想否认。

but content myself with hoping that I may be one of those whose follies² cease with their youth, 不过，我很高兴自己或许可以成为一位在年轻时不再做愚蠢的事情的人，

and not of that number who are ignorant in spite of experience. 不是那种碍于经验而表现得很无知的人。

Whether youth can be imputed³ to a man as a reproach, I will not assume the province of determining; 不论对一个人而言是否可以把错误归咎于年轻，我都不愿意假装自己有支配别人的权责；

but surely age may become justly contemptible⁴, if the opportunities which it brings have passed away without improvement, 但可以肯定的是，如果年龄赋予的机会在没有任何改善的情况下悄悄溜走的话，年龄或许成为遭到轻蔑的正当理由，

and vice⁵ appears to prevail when the passions have subsided⁶. 当激情冷静下来时堕落开始崭露头角。

The wretch⁷, who, after having seen the consequences of a thousand errors, continues still to blunder, 在目睹一千个过错产生的恶果后，这个可怜的人会继续错上加错，

and whose age has only added obstinacy⁸ to stupidity, is surely the object either of abhorrence⁹ or contempt, 他的年龄只不过会令他的愚蠢更加顽固，他当然成了厌恶或轻蔑的对象，

and deserves not that his gray hairs should secure him from insult. 他的灰头发不应该确保他免受攻讦。

Much more is he to be abhorred¹⁰, who, as he has advanced in age, has receded¹¹ from virtue¹², and become more wicked—with less temptation; 更有甚者，尽管他在年龄上逐渐增长，可是在德性上却愈发退步，变得更加邪恶——更加经不起诱惑。

who prostitutes himself for money which he can not enjoy, and spends the remains¹³ of his life in the ruin of his country. 这个为了金钱而甘愿出卖自己的人，尽管没有带来欢乐，却用自己的余生毁掉了自己的国家。

But youth is not my only crime; I am accused of acting¹⁴ a theatrical¹⁵ part. 但是，年轻不是我唯一的罪过；我被指责为扮演有威胁的角色。

A theatrical part may either imply some peculiarity¹⁶ of gesture, or a dissimulation¹⁷ of my real sentiments, and an adoption¹⁸ of the opinions and language of another man. 所谓有威胁的角色要么暗示姿态具有某种特征，要么暗示我在掩饰自己的真正情感。

 

1 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

2 follies   

罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He has given up youthful follies. 他不再做年轻人的荒唐事了。
• The writings of Swift mocked the follies of his age. 斯威夫特的作品嘲弄了他那个时代的愚人。

3 imputed   

v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They imputed the accident to the driver's carelessness. 他们把这次车祸归咎于司机的疏忽。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He imputed the failure of his marriage to his wife's shortcomings. 他把婚姻的失败归咎于妻子的缺点。 来自辞典例句

4 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

8 obstinacy   

n.顽固；（病痛等）难治

参考例句：

• It is a very accountable obstinacy.这是一种完全可以理解的固执态度。
• Cindy's anger usually made him stand firm to the point of obstinacy.辛迪一发怒，常常使他坚持自见，并达到执拗的地步。

9 abhorrence   

n.憎恶；可憎恶的事

参考例句：

• This nation has an abhorrence of terrrorism.这个民族憎恶恐怖主义。
• It is an abhorrence to his feeling.这是他深恶痛绝的事。

10 abhorred   

v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰

参考例句：

• He abhorred the thoughts of stripping me and making me miserable. 他憎恶把我掠夺干净，使我受苦的那个念头。 来自辞典例句
• Each of these oracles hated a particular phrase. Liu the Sage abhorred "Not right for sowing". 二诸葛忌讳“不宜栽种”，三仙姑忌讳“米烂了”。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

11 receded   

v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• The floodwaters have now receded. 洪水现已消退。
• The sound of the truck receded into the distance. 卡车的声音渐渐在远处消失了。

12 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

15 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

16 peculiarity   

n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖

参考例句：

• Each country has its own peculiarity.每个国家都有自己的独特之处。
• The peculiarity of this shop is its day and nigth service.这家商店的特点是昼夜服务。

17 dissimulation   

n.掩饰，虚伪，装糊涂

参考例句：

• A habit of dissimulation is a hindrance, and a poorness to him. 在他这样的一个人，一种掩饰的习惯是一种阻挠，一个弱点。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Still we have our limits beyond which we call dissimulation treachery. 不过我们仍然有自己的限度，超过这个界限，就是虚伪与背信弃义。 来自辞典例句

18 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。