【双语有声阅读】绅士的定义The Definition of a Gentleman

绅士，他是一个从不使别人遭受痛苦的人。这几乎就是为一个有修养的人所下的定义。

 

 

 

Hence it is, that it is almost a definition of a gentleman, to say he is one who never inflicts¹ pain. This description is both refined and, as far as it goes, accurate. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him; and he concurs² with their movements rather than takes the initiative himself.

 

His benefits may be considered as parallel to what are called comforts or conveniences in arrangements of a personal nature: like an easy chair or a good fire, which do their part in dispelling³ cold and fatigue⁴, though nature provides both means of rest and animal heat without them.

 

He is never mean or little in his disputes, never takes unfair advantage, never mistakes personalities⁵ or sharp sayings for arguments or insinuates⁶ evil which he dare not say out.

 

From a long-sighted prudence⁷, he observes the maxim⁸ of the ancient sage⁹, that we should ever conduct ourselves towards our enemy as if he were one day to be our friend.

 

He has too much good sense to be affronted¹⁰ at insults, he is too well employed to remember injuries, and too engaged to bear malice¹¹. He is patient,tolerant, and resigned, on philosophical¹² principles; he submits to pain,because it is inevitable,to the death of family members, because it is irreparable,and to death, because it is his destiny.

 

If he engages in controversy¹³ of any kind, his disciplined intellect preserves him from the blundering discourtesy of better, though less educated minds; who, like blunt weapons,tear and hack¹⁴ instead of cutting clean, who mistake the point in argument,waste their strength on trifles, misconceive their adversary¹⁵, and leave the question more involved than they find it.

 

He may be right or wrong in his opinion, but he is too clear-headed to be unjust; he is as simple as he is forcible, and as brief as he is decisive. Nowhere shall we find greater candor¹⁶, consideration, indulgence: he throws himself into the minds of his opponents, he accounts for their mistakes. He knows the weakness of human reason as well as its strength, its province and its limits.

 

绅士，他是一个从不使别人遭受痛苦的人。这几乎就是为一个有修养的人所下的定义。这样描述是精妙的，而且，就其本身而言，也是准确的。他主要是致力于为他周围的人们排除妨碍他们进行自由而拘谨的活动时索面临的障碍；他附和他们的行动，而不是自己采取主动。

 

他这样做的好处可以看作类似于所谓人们相互之间作安排时索带来的舒适和便利：就象一把安乐椅或者一个温暖的炉火，它们能驱散寒冷和疲倦，虽然，没有它们，大自然也能提供休息和增加体温的方法。

 

与人有了争端，他从不刻薄，也不小气，从不乘人之危，从不为了争辩而误解别人的人格或说尖利的言辞，或者暗示那些他不敢说出口的邪恶的事情。

 

他从有远见的审慎的观点出发，遵守古代圣贤的座右铭：我们应该这样对待我们的敌人，好像他终有一天会成为我们的朋友。

 

他很明智，不因受辱而感到被冒犯，他忙于自己的事情，顾不上对自己所受到的伤害耿耿于怀，也懒于为此而心怀恶意。在哲学的原则上，他表现出耐心、宽容和顺从；他正视痛苦，因为痛苦不可避免，他忍受丧亲之痛，因为失去的亲人不可挽回，他屈从于死亡，因为死亡是他最终的归宿。

 

假入他与人进行争论，他那训练有素的智力使他避免犯那些智力更强然而却缺乏教育的人们常犯的粗鲁和失礼，那些人如同粗钝的武器，乱劈乱砍，而不是公正地争论，他们曲解论点，在枝节问题上浪费精力，他们误解对手，把问题弄得比原来更复杂。

 

他的意见可能是对的，也可能是错的，但是，他的头脑非常清醒，不至于不公正；正像他强劲一样，他很朴素，正像他果断一样，他很简洁。

1 inflicts   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Bullfrog 50 Inflicts poison when your enemy damages you at short range. 牛娃50对近距离攻击你的敌人造成毒伤。
• The U.S. always inflicts its concept of human nature on other nations. 美国总是把自己的人权观念强加于别国。

2 concurs   

同意（concur的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Gilardi concurs that the newly compiled data is a powerful tool. 吉拉迪认同新汇集的数据是一个强有力的工具。
• Curtin concurs that it's been a blessing and a reward. 柯廷也同意这是一种祝福和奖励。

3 dispelling   

v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He succeeded in dispelling our suspicious and won our confidence. 他终于消除了我们的怀疑，得到了我们的信任。 来自辞典例句
• Truth is a torch, which can pierce the mist without dispelling it. 真理是一个火炬，不用驱散大雾，其火炬即能透过。 来自互联网

4 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

5 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

6 insinuates   

n.暗示( insinuate的名词复数 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入v.暗示( insinuate的第三人称单数 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入

参考例句：

• Slang insinuates itself into the language. 俚语慢慢地渗入语言中。 来自辞典例句
• But the division of labor slowly insinuates itself into this process of production. 但是，分工慢慢地侵入了这种生产过程。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

7 prudence   

n.谨慎，精明，节俭

参考例句：

• A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
• The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。

8 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。

9 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

10 affronted   

adj.被侮辱的，被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 )；相遇

参考例句：

• He hoped they would not feel affronted if they were not invited . 他希望如果他们没有获得邀请也不要感到受辱。
• Affronted at his impertinence,she stared at him coldly and wordlessly. 被他的无礼而冒犯，她冷冷地、无言地盯着他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 malice   

n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋

参考例句：

• I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
• There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

12 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

13 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

14 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

15 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。

16 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。