精美英文欣赏:约翰·亚当斯致妻

Part 5 John Adams to His Wife

第五部分 约翰·亚当斯致妻

Prince Town New Jersey¹ Aug. 28th, 1774

于新泽西普林斯镇1774年8月28日

My Dear:

我亲爱的:

I received your kind letter, at New York, and it is not easy for you to imagine the pleasure it has given me. I have not found a single opportunity to write since I left Boston, excepting by the post and I don't choose to write by that conveyance² event conveyance, for fear of foul³ play. But as we are now within forty two miles of Philadelphia, I hope there to find some private hand by which I can convey this.

在纽约收到了你亲切的来信，你很难想象出它给我带来的快乐。自从离开波士顿，我还没有找到一次给你写信的机会，虽然信可以邮寄，但我没有选择那种传递方式给你写信，因为害怕恶作剧，而现在我俩同距费城下超过42英里，我希望在那儿能找人私下为我们传递这封信。

The particulars of our journey, I must reserve, to be communicated after my return. It would take a volume to describe the whole. It has been upon the whole an agreeable jaunt⁴. We have had opportunities to see the world, and to form acquaintances with the most eminent⁵ and famous men in the several colonies we have passed through. We have been treated with unbounded civility, complaisance⁶, and respect.

我们旅程的细节我必须保留到回家后再告诉你，整个旅途的经历都可以写成一册书了。总的来说，这是一次令人愉快的旅行。我们有机会看看大千世界，并且有幸结了路经的几个殖民地中最杰出的知名人士。我们在那里受到了热烈欢迎和盛情款待，赢得了极大的尊重。

We yesterday visited Nassau Hall College, and were politely treated by the scholars, tutors, professors and president, whom we are, this day to hear preach. Tomorrow we reach the Theatre of Action. God almighty⁷ grant us wisdom and virtue⁸ sufficient for the high trust that is devolved upon us. The spirit of the people wherever we have been seems to be very favourable⁹. They universally consider our cause as their own, and express the firmest resolution, to abide¹⁰ the determination of the Congress.

昨天我们参观了纳索荷学院，得到了学者们、导师们、教授们和校长的礼貌相待，今天我们要去听他们演讲。明天我们会前往行动礼堂。愿万能的上帝赐给我们充足的智慧和美德，让我们能够承受上帝对我们的高度的信任。我们所到之处民众的精神面貌非常积极向上。他们普遍认为我们的事业就是他们的事业，并且表达了最为坚定的决心，要遵守国会的一切决定。

I am anxious for our perplexed¹¹, distressed¹² province--hope they will be directed into the right path. I beg you, my dear, to make yourself as easy and quiet as possible. Resignation to the will of heaven is our only resource in such dangerous times. Prudence¹³ and caution should be our guides, I have the strongest hopes, that we shall yet see a clearer sky, and better times.

我为我们地区困惑不安的人民感到忧心忡忡，希望他们会被指引到正确的道路上去、亲爱的，我恳求你，尽可能让自己放松和平静。在这个危险的年代，顺从上帝的意志是我们唯一的精神支柱。谨慎小心应该是我们的指导方针。我最强烈地希望将来我们能看到更加晴朗的天空和更加美好的时代。

Your account of the rain refreshed me. I hope our husbandry is prudently¹⁴ and industriously¹⁵ managed. Frugality¹⁶ must be our support. Our expenses, in this journey, will be very great-our only reward will be the consolatory¹⁷ reflection that we toil¹⁸, spend our time, and tempt¹⁹ dangers for the public good.-happy indeed, if we do any good!

你在信中讲述的雨景使我顿觉精神振奋。我希望我们的农业要谨慎管理和苦心经营。勤俭是我们的立足之本。这次旅行的开支会很大，但想到我们为了公众的利益而辛苦工作，花费时间，并且甘冒危险，我们倍感安慰，而这也是我们唯一的回报-如果我们做了任何有益的事，那的确令人感到幸福!

The education of our children is never out of my mind. Train them to virtue, habituate them to industry, activity, and spirit. Make them consider every vice²⁰, as shameful²¹ and unmanly: fire them with ambition to be useful-make them disdain²² to be destitute²³ of any useful, or ornamental²⁴ knowledge or accomplishment²⁵. Fix their ambition upon great and solid objects, and their contempt upon little, frivolous²⁶, and useless ones. It is time, my dear, for you to begin to teach them French. Every decency²⁷, grace, and honesty should be inculcated upon them.

孩子们的教育问题总是萦绕在我的脑海。培养他们良好的道德，使他们养成勤勉、充满活力和富有进取精神的习惯; 让他们视每一种缺点为可耻和懦弱: 激励他们满怀雄心壮志成为有用之才-使他们鄙视缺乏有用知识的人、毫无造诣的人和无所成就的人; 把他们的抱负建立在伟人、坚定的目标之上，而无视那些细小、琐碎和无价值的事情。亲爱的，是你开始教他们法语的时候了。应该让礼貌、优雅和诚实牢牢地铭刻于他们的心中。

I have kept a few minutes by way of journal, which shall be your entertainment when I come home, but we have had so many persons and so various characters to converse²⁸ with, and so many objects to view, that I have not been able to be so particular as I could wish-I am, with the tenderest affection and concern, your wandering.

我以日记的方式记了一些备忘录，待我回家时可让你浏览消遣。不过，我们有那么多不同的人物要交谈，有那么多的事物要观察，所以我不能如我所希望的那样详细叙述这一切。-接受我最温柔的爱意和关怀，你的流浪者。

John Adams

约翰·亚当斯

1 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

2 conveyance   

n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具

参考例句：

• Bicycles have become the most popular conveyance for Chinese people.自行车已成为中国人最流行的代步工具。
• Its another,older,usage is a synonym for conveyance.它的另一个更古老的习惯用法是作为财产转让的同义词使用。

3 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

4 jaunt   

v.短程旅游；n.游览

参考例句：

• They are off for a day's jaunt to the beach.他们出去到海边玩一天。
• They jaunt about quite a lot,especially during the summer.他们常常到处闲逛，夏天更是如此。

5 eminent   

adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的

参考例句：

• We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
• He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

6 complaisance   

n.彬彬有礼，殷勤，柔顺

参考例句：

• She speaks with complaisance.她说话彬彬有礼。
• His complaisance leaves a good impression on her.他的彬彬有礼给她留下了深刻的印象。

7 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

8 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

9 favourable   

adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的

参考例句：

• The company will lend you money on very favourable terms.这家公司将以非常优惠的条件借钱给你。
• We found that most people are favourable to the idea.我们发现大多数人同意这个意见。

10 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

11 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

12 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

13 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。

14 prudently   

adv. 谨慎地，慎重地

参考例句：

• He prudently pursued his plan. 他谨慎地实行他那计划。
• They had prudently withdrawn as soon as the van had got fairly under way. 他们在蓬车安全上路后立即谨慎地离去了。

15 industriously   

参考例句：

• She paces the whole class in studying English industriously. 她在刻苦学习英语上给全班同学树立了榜样。
• He industriously engages in unostentatious hard work. 他勤勤恳恳，埋头苦干。

16 frugality   

n.节约，节俭

参考例句：

• We must build up our country with industry and frugality.我们必须勤俭建国。
• By frugality she managed to get along on her small salary.凭着节俭，她设法以自己微薄的薪水生活。

17 consolatory   

adj.慰问的，可藉慰的

参考例句：

• Action is consolatory. It is the enemy of thought and the friend of flattering illusions. 行动是可以慰藉的。它是思想的敌人，是幻想的朋友。 来自互联网
• Action is consolatory. It is the enemy of thought and the friend of glittering illusions. 行动是令人安慰的，它是思想的敌人，是美好幻想的朋友。 来自互联网

18 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

19 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

20 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

21 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

22 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

23 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

24 ornamental   

adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物

参考例句：

• The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
• The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。

25 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

26 frivolous   

adj.轻薄的；轻率的

参考例句：

• This is a frivolous way of attacking the problem.这是一种轻率敷衍的处理问题的方式。
• He spent a lot of his money on frivolous things.他在一些无聊的事上花了好多钱。

27 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

28 converse   

vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反

参考例句：

• He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。
• I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。