美国语文第六册 第258期:印第安耍把戏者(5)

Yet they are the best I can do. I endeavor to recollect¹ all I have ever heard or thought upon a subject, and to express it as neatly² as I can.

然而，我能做的也就是这些了。就一个主题，我极力回想所有我曾经听到的或者有关的思考，尽可能恰到好处地表述出来。

Instead of writing on four subjects at a time, it is as much as I can manage, to keep the thread of one discourse³ clear and unentangled.

我当然不会一次就四个主题侃侃下笔，这远非我能力所及，我能做到的就是使一篇文章的线索清晰和简单化。

I have also time on my hands to correct my opinions and polish my periods; but the one I can not, and the other I will not, do.

我也把有限的时间用在纠正我的观点和修饰词藻上；但是，有的我不能做，而其他的我又不会做。

I am fond of arguing; yet, with a good deal of pains and practice, it is often much as I can do to beat my man, though he may be a very indifferent hand.

我热衷于辩论；然而，借此产生的许多苦恼和经验，通常都会极大地挫伤自我，尽管他也许是非常平庸的一个人。

A common fencer would disarm⁴ his adversary⁵ in the twinkling of an eye, unless he were a professor like himself.

一般的剑术家会在眨眼之间令对手怒气全消，除非他是一个顾影自怜的教授。

A stroke of wit will sometimes produce this effect, but there is no such power or superiority in sense or reasoning.

风趣有时就有这种效果，但是在理性或推理层面上，没有这样的感染力或优越感。

There is no complete mastery of execution to be shown there; and you hardly know the professor from the impudent⁶ pretender or the mere⁷ clown.

那里没有显示出对技巧的完美掌握和驾驭，从粗鲁无礼的觊觎高位者或者纯粹行为荒诞不经的人看法出发，你根本无法洞悉这位教授的内心世界。

1 recollect   

v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得

参考例句：

• He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
• She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

2 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

3 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

4 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

5 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

6 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。