美国语文第五册 第168期:约翰-亚当斯的假设演讲(4)

 　　Read this declaration at the head of the army;  请在起义前朗读这篇宣言，

　　every sword will be drawn¹, and the solemn vow² uttered to maintain it, or perish on the bed of honor.  每一把刀剑应该出鞘，发出的神圣誓言应该兑现，否则不如畏缩于恐惧角落干脆消失。

　　Publish it from the pulpit; religion will approve it, and the love of religious liberty will cling around it, resolved to stand with it or fall with it.  在讲坛发出誓言，教会给予认可，宗教自由的爱将与其同在，决心与誓言同存亡。

　　Send it to the public halls; proclaim it there;  在公众场合发出誓言，宣布自己决心信念，

　　let them see it who saw their brothers and their sons fall on the field of Bunker Hill and in the streets of Lexington and Concord³, and the very walls will cry out in its support.  让那些民众见证，他们曾经目睹自家兄弟和孩子们倒在邦克山周围田野，倒在列克星敦市和康科德大街上，倒在众多英雄为国捐躯的众多地方。

　　Sir, I know the uncertainty⁴ of human affairs, but I see—I see clearly through this day's business.  先生们，我知道人类事物的不确定因素，但是通过今天事件，我看见，不！我清楚地看见，真的，

　　You and I, indeed, may rue⁵ it. We may not live to see the time this declaration shall be made good.  你和我，或许为此后悔，我们可能活不到《独立宣言》将给民众带来福音的那一天。

　　We may die; die colonists⁶; die slaves; die, it may be, ignominiously⁷ and on the scaffold.  我们可能死去，作为殖民地平民而死，作为奴隶而亡。绞刑架上的死亡，恐怕难以抹去可耻，

　　Be it so: be it so. 天命难违，听其自然。

　　If it be the pleasure of Heaven that my country shall require the poor offering of my life,  假如归于天堂极乐，我的国家将从我的卑微生命消逝中有所受益，

　　the victim shall be ready at the appointed hour of sacrifice, come when that hour may. 牺牲者已做好准备随时祭祀自己宝贵生命，不妨让我坦然面对那一时刻的降临。

　　But while I do live, let me have a country, or at least the hope of a country, and that a FREE country.  然而，如果我能幸存于世，那么，让我拥抱一个国家，或者至少是一个国家的希望，甚至一个自由的国度。

1 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

2 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

3 concord   

n.和谐；协调

参考例句：

• These states had lived in concord for centuries.这些国家几个世纪以来一直和睦相处。
• His speech did nothing for racial concord.他的讲话对种族和谐没有作用。

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

5 rue   

n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔

参考例句：

• You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
• You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。

6 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ignominiously   

adv.耻辱地，屈辱地，丢脸地

参考例句：

• Their attempt failed ignominiously. 他们的企图可耻地失败了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She would be scolded, abused, ignominiously discharged. 他们会说她，骂她，解雇她，让她丢尽脸面的。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹