美国语文第六册 第114期:皮特先生的品格(2)

 A character so exalted¹, so strenuous², so various, so authoritative³, 一种如此高不可攀，如此令人茫然无措，如此易变，如此彰显权威的性格，

astonished a corrupt⁴ age, and the treasury⁵ trembled at the name of Pitt, through all classes of venality⁶. 令一个贪腐横行的时代惊愕莫名，通过腐败的各个阶层，国库的情况动摇了皮特的声誉。

Corruption⁷ imagined, indeed, that she had found defects in this statesman, 的确，贪污腐败者以为，在这个政治家身上必定存在缺点，

and talked much of the inconsistency of his glory, and much of the ruin of his victories; 谈论更多的是他的荣誉有矛盾之处，他的胜利必定瓦解；

but the history of his country, and the calamities⁸ of the enemy, answered and refuted her. 但是，他的国家的历史和这个敌人的灾难，回答和驳斥了贪污腐败者的断言。

Nor were his political his only talents. 从事政治并非他唯一的才能。

His eloquence⁹ was an era in the senate; peculiar¹⁰ and spontaneous; 他的雄辩在议院堪称一个纪元，独有的风格和机智；

familiarly expressing gigantic sentiments and instructive wisdom; 熟悉的表达方式孕育着巨大的情感力量和有益的智慧；

not like the torrent¹¹ of Demosthenes, or the splendid conflagration¹² of Tully; 既不像德摩斯梯尼式的湍急洪流，也不似西塞罗式的熊熊烈火；

it resembled sometimes the thunder, and sometimes the music of the spheres. 有时像隆隆雷声，有时又像舒缓的音乐。

He did not conduct the understanding through the painful subtilty of argumentation, nor was he ever on the rack of exertion¹³; 他不会通过论证那种令人伤脑筋的狡猾来让听众理解，也不会始终费力地绞尽脑汁，

but rather lightened upon the subject, and reached the point by the flashings of the mind, 而是直入主题，通过思想的闪光来切入重点。

which, like those of the eye, were felt, but could not be followed. 恰似眼睛观察到的那一切，只能感知但无法效法。

Upon the whole, there was in this man something that could create, subvert¹⁴, or reform; 总的来说，在这个男人身上存在能够创造，颠覆和或者改头换面的东西；

an understanding, a spirit, and an eloquence, to summon mankind to society, or to break the bonds of slavery asunder¹⁵, 一种知性，一种精神和一种雄辩，召唤人类去交流思想或者打破奴隶制枷锁，

and to rule the wildness of free minds with unbounded authority; 通过没有束缚的权威来释放内心的狂野；

something that could establish or overwhelm empires, and strike a blow in the world that should resound¹⁶ through the universe. 那种能建立或推翻帝国，朝这个能听到宇宙回音的世界给予有力一击的气质。

 

1 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

2 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

3 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

4 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

5 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

6 venality   

n.贪赃枉法，腐败

参考例句：

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 calamities   

n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事

参考例句：

• They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 eloquence   

n.雄辩；口才，修辞

参考例句：

• I am afraid my eloquence did not avail against the facts.恐怕我的雄辩也无补于事实了。
• The people were charmed by his eloquence.人们被他的口才迷住了。

10 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

11 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

12 conflagration   

n.建筑物或森林大火

参考例句：

• A conflagration in 1947 reduced 90 percent of the houses to ashes.1947年的一场大火，使90%的房屋化为灰烬。
• The light of that conflagration will fade away.这熊熊烈火会渐渐熄灭。

13 exertion   

n.尽力，努力

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

14 subvert   

v.推翻；暗中破坏；搅乱

参考例句：

• The rebel army is attempting to subvert the government.反叛军队企图颠覆政府统治。
• They tried to subvert our state and our Party. This is the crux of the matter.他们是要颠覆我们的国家，颠覆我们的党，这是问题的实质。

15 asunder   

adj.分离的，化为碎片

参考例句：

• The curtains had been drawn asunder.窗帘被拉向两边。
• Your conscience,conviction,integrity,and loyalties were torn asunder.你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。

16 resound   

v.回响

参考例句：

• A roar of approval resounded through the Ukrainian parliament.一片赞成声在乌克兰议会中回响。
• The soldiers' boots resounded in the street.士兵的军靴踏在地面上的声音在大街上回响。