美国语文第六册 第112期:皮特先生的品格(1)

 The secretary stood alone. 这位大臣一个人站了起来。

Modern degeneracy had not reached him. 近代堕落的风气没有在他身上觅到。

Original and unaccommodating, the features of his character had the hardihood of antiquity¹. 他的性格之独具和不肯通融的方方面面，颇具古人的刚毅风范。

His august mind overawed majesty² itself. 他那如疾风暴雨般的思想连陛下都不胜敬畏。

No state chicanery³, no narrow system of vicious politics, no idle contest for ministerial victories, sank him to the vulgar level of the great; 没有对国事的枉顾，没有对残酷的政治设立狭隘的制度，没有与大臣们的成功进行愚蠢的竞争，却将他贬至平庸的水平上；

but overbearing, persuasive⁴, and impracticable, his object was England, his ambition was fame. 但是，他的目标是整个英格兰，他的抱负就是荣誉，这个断言有些傲慢但有说服力，尽管断不可行。

Without dividing, he destroyed party; without corrupting⁵, he made a venal⁶ age unanimous. 没有分化，他毁灭了整个党派；没有贪赃舞弊，他开创的是贪污盛行的时代。

France sunk beneath him. 法兰西倒在他脚下。

With one hand he smote⁷ the house of Bourbon, and wielded⁸ in the other the democracy of England. 他一只手就推到了波旁王朝，对另一个英格兰民主政体施加决定性影响。

The sight of his mind was infinite; and his schemes were to effect, not England, not the present age only, but Europe and posterity⁹. 他的思想疆域是无限的；他的图谋并不只是影响英格兰和当前的时代，而是欧洲和后世。

Wonderful were the means by which those schemes were accomplished¹⁰; 奇妙之处在于，这些图谋赖以实现的手段。

always seasonable, always adequate, the suggestion of an understanding animated¹¹ by ardor¹² and enlightened by prophecy. 始终有合理性，始终恰当，对这些图谋的理解暗示系由热情驱动的，由预言而受到启发的。

The ordinary feelings which make life amiable¹³ and indolent, were unknown to him. 赋予生命以和蔼和懒惰这些特质的正常情感，他无从知晓。

No domestic difficulties, no domestic weakness, reached him; 国家处于困境和积弱并不会影响他。

but, aloof¹⁴ from the sordid¹⁵ occurrences of life, and unsullied by its intercourse¹⁶, 但是，脱离生活的卑鄙肮脏，不会为人际交往所玷污，

he came occasionally into our system, to counsel and decide. 他偶尔会闯进我们的圈子，提出劝告和做出决定。

 

1 antiquity   

n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹

参考例句：

• The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。
• There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

2 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

3 chicanery   

n.欺诈，欺骗

参考例句：

• We will continue to see such chicanery in the future.在往后的日子我们仍将看到这样的骗局持续上演。
• Why do you give me so much chicanery as a explanation?你为什么给我那么多狡辩的解释？

4 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

5 corrupting   

（使）败坏( corrupt的现在分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• It would be corrupting discipline to leave him unpunished. 不惩治他会败坏风纪。
• It would be corrupting military discipline to leave him unpunished. 不惩治他会败坏军纪。

6 venal   

adj.唯利是图的，贪脏枉法的

参考例句：

• Ian Trimmer is corrupt and thoroughly venal.伊恩·特里默贪污受贿，是个彻头彻尾的贪官。
• Venal judges are a disgrace to a country.贪污腐败的法官是国家的耻辱。

7 smote   

v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Figuratively, he could not kiss the hand that smote him. 打个比方说，他是不能认敌为友。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• \"Whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most unmercifully.\" 珠儿会毫不留情地将这些\"儿童\"踩倒，再连根拔起。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

8 wielded   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• The bad eggs wielded power, while the good people were oppressed. 坏人当道，好人受气
• He was nominally the leader, but others actually wielded the power. 名义上他是领导者，但实际上是别人掌握实权。

9 posterity   

n.后裔，子孙，后代

参考例句：

• Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。
• The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

10 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

11 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

12 ardor   

n.热情，狂热

参考例句：

• His political ardor led him into many arguments.他的政治狂热使他多次卷入争论中。
• He took up his pursuit with ardor.他满腔热忱地从事工作。

13 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

14 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

15 sordid   

adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的

参考例句：

• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively.他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。
• They lived in a sordid apartment.他们住在肮脏的公寓房子里。

16 intercourse   

n.性交；交流，交往，交际

参考例句：

• The magazine becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples.该杂志成为两民族间文化交流的媒介。
• There was close intercourse between them.他们过往很密。