美国语文第六册 第225期:政治信仰自由(2)

During the throes and convulsions of the ancient world;

在灾害和动乱频繁的古代；

during the agonizing¹ spasms² of infuriated man, seeking, through blood and slaughter³, his long-lost liberty;

被激怒的人在极度痛苦的痉挛中，通过流血和屠杀追寻失去已久的自由；

it was not wonderful that the agitation⁴ of the billows should reach even this distant and peaceful shore;

巨浪的翻滚搅动甚至会波及遥远而平静的海岸，这并不奇怪；

that this should be more felt and feared by some, and less by others, and should divide opinions as to measures of safety.

有些人的感触更多，也更能引起他们的惊惧。

But every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.

而其他人则可能无动于衷，见解的分歧可以作为安全性的衡量尺度。

We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.

但是，意见相左并非原则上的分歧。我们用不同的称谓来命名同一原则。我们都是共和党人；我们都是联邦党人。

If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union, or to change its republican form,

倘若我们当中有人想瓦解这个合众国，或改变它的共和形式，

let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated when reason is left free to combat it.

那么当理性允许自由争辩时，就让他们为了安全这个具有历史价值的纪念碑，不受打扰的与或许可以忍受的错误见解共处吧。

1 agonizing   

adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式)

参考例句：

• I spent days agonizing over whether to take the job or not. 我用了好些天苦苦思考是否接受这个工作。
• his father's agonizing death 他父亲极度痛苦的死

2 spasms   

n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作

参考例句：

• After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The smile died, squeezed out by spasms of anticipation and anxiety. 一阵阵预测和焦虑把她脸上的微笑挤掉了。 来自辞典例句

3 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

4 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。