美国语文第六册 第220期:为死者悲(4)

if thou art a friend, and hast ever wronged, in thought, or word, or deed, the spirit that generously confided¹ in thee;

如果你是一位朋友，曾经做过错事，不论在思想、言语还是行为上，那么你的精神境界一般而言会有局限性；

if thou hast given one unmerited pang² to that true heart, which now lies cold and still beneath thy feet;

假若你的心脏确实产生了不适的剧痛，你就应该在温度较低的地方平躺下来；

then be sure that every unkind look, every ungracious word, every ungentle action, will come thronging³ back upon thy memory, and knocking dolefully at thy soul;

然后可以肯定的是每一种近乎残酷的神情，每一句勉强的话语和每一个缺乏教养的行为，都会从记忆深处复活，令人沮丧地敲打和拷问着你的灵魂；

then be sure that thou wilt⁴ lie down sorrowing and repentant⁵ on the grave, and utter the unheard groan⁶, and pour the unavailing tear;

此后在鬼门关前你肯定要忍受悲哀和悔恨的折磨，发出无人能听到的叹息，涌出徒劳的眼泪；

more deep, more bitter, because unheard and unavailing.

之所以更深沉和辛酸，是因为无人能听到和徒劳无益。

Then weave thy chaplet of flowers, and strew⁷ the beauties of nature about the grave;

接下来，人们为你编花圈，为坟墓点缀大自然的美；

console thy broken spirit, if thou canst, with these tender, yet futile⁸, tributes of regret;

用这些温馨然而无甚意义的东西安慰你那颗破碎的心，聊表惋惜；

but take warning by the bitterness of this, thy contrite⁹ affliction over the dead, and henceforth be more faithful and affectionate in the discharge of thy duties to the living.

但是，通过悲痛借以告诫，你对撒手人寰已经悔悟，从此以后将更忠实和充满深情地履行你对活人的责任。

1 confided   

v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）

参考例句：

• She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
• He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露，他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

3 thronging   

v.成群，挤满( throng的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Architects from around the world are thronging to Beijing theacross the capital. 来自世界各地的建筑师都蜂拥而至这座处处高楼耸立的大都市——北京。 来自互联网
• People are thronging to his new play. 人们成群结队地去看他那出新戏。 来自互联网

4 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

5 repentant   

adj.对…感到悔恨的

参考例句：

• He was repentant when he saw what he'd done.他看到自己的作为，心里悔恨。
• I'll be meek under their coldness and repentant of my evil ways.我愿意乖乖地忍受她们的奚落，忏悔我过去的恶行。

6 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

7 strew   

vt.撒；使散落；撒在…上，散布于

参考例句：

• Their custom is to strew flowers over the graves.他们的风俗是在坟墓上撒花。
• Shells of all shapes and sizes strew the long narrow beach.各种各样的贝壳点缀着狭长的海滩。

8 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

9 contrite   

adj.悔悟了的，后悔的，痛悔的

参考例句：

• She was contrite the morning after her angry outburst.她发了一顿脾气之后一早上追悔莫及。
• She assumed a contrite expression.她装出一副后悔的表情。