25．Letter to Mrs. Bixby(1)

25．Letter  to  Mrs.  Bixby(1)

Mrs.  Bixby,

 

Boston,  Massachusetts,

 

Dear  Madam,

　　I  have  been  shown  in  the  files  of  the  War  Department(3)  a  statement  ofthe Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sonswho  have  died  gloriously  on  the  field  of  battle.  I  feel  how  weak  andfruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile  youfrom  the  grief  of  a  loss  so  overwhelming.  But  I  cannot  refrain  fromtendering  to  you  the  consolation  that  may  be  found  in  the  thanks  of  theRepublic they died to save. I pray that our heavenly Father may assuagethe anguish¹ of your bereavement², and leave you only the cherished memoryof the loved and lost(4), and the solemn pride that must be yours to havelaid  so  costly  a  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  freedom.
Yours  very  sincerely  and  respectfully,

 

Abraham  Lincoln

1 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

2 bereavement   

n.亲人丧亡，丧失亲人，丧亲之痛

参考例句：

• the pain of an emotional crisis such as divorce or bereavement 诸如离婚或痛失亲人等情感危机的痛苦
• I sympathize with you in your bereavement. 我对你痛失亲人表示同情。 来自《简明英汉词典》