美国语文第五册 第260期:宗教 社会的唯一基石(2)

 　　that the weak have no guardian¹, and the injured no avenger²; 弱者没有监护人，伤者无法讨还公道，

　　that there is no recompense for sacrifices to uprightness and the public good; 为正义与公众事业奉献牺牲的人无法获取补偿。

　　that an oath is unheard in heaven; that secret crimes have no witness but the perpetrator; 天空不再听到铿锵誓言，作恶多端者无人为其犯罪指证，

　　that human existence has no purpose, and human virtue³ no unfailing friend; 人类生存没有目标，人类美德没有始终如一的支持，

　　that this brief life is everything to us, and death is total, everlasting⁴ extinction⁵; 有信仰的生活对我们来说意味一切，然而死亡最终来临，象征永恒的万劫不归，

　　once let them thoroughly⁶ abandon religion, and who can conceive or describe the extent of the desolation which would follow? 一旦彻底放弃宗教，谁能想象抑或描述接踵而来孤独寂灭的人类精神荒原？

　　We hope, perhaps, that human laws and natural sympathy would hold society together. 我们寄望，或许，人类法则和本性悲悯可以促进整个社会凝聚抱团。

　　As reasonably might we believe that were the sun quenched⁷ in the heavens, our torches would illuminate⁸, 不妨合乎情理地设想一下，如果天空中太阳最终熄灭，

　　and our fires quicken and fertilize⁹ the creation. 人类火炬能否持久发光？

　　What is there in human nature to awaken¹⁰ respect and tenderness, 人类光明能否孕育世间万物生长？

　　if man is the unprotected insect of a day? And what is he more, if atheism¹¹ be true? 如果，无神论确实可信，或者人类沦为不受保护的一介虫豸，那么，究竟什么可以唤醒人类本性或心底蛰伏的生命尊重与脉脉温情？

　　Erase¹² all thought and fear of God from a community, and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole man. 泯灭所有思想，消除社会群体对上帝的敬畏，沉溺于声色犬马的物质享受，整个人类离彻底堕落亦就为期不远。

　　Appetite, knowing no restraint, and suffering, having no solace¹³ or hope, would trample¹⁴ in scorn on the restraints of human laws. 不知自我约束的贪婪欲望，毫无安慰祈盼的逆来顺受，势必轻蔑地践踏人类法律的底线。

　　Virtue, duty, principle, would be mocked and spurned¹⁵ as unmeaning sounds. 良好美德、责任担当以及普世原则将任由嘲弄蔑视并随意抛弃，

　　A sordid¹⁶ self-interest would supplant¹⁷ every feeling; 肮脏卑劣地追求自身利益更是肆意剔除每一个体的真实情感，

　　and man would become, in fact, what the theory in atheism declares him to be,—a companion for brutes¹⁸. 事实上，正如无神论理论公开宣称的，人类无疑终将沦与禽兽为伍。

1 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

2 avenger   

n. 复仇者

参考例句：

• "Tom Sawyer, the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. “我乃西班牙海黑衣侠盗，汤姆 - 索亚。
• Avenger's Shield-0.26 threat per hit (0.008 threat per second) 飞盾-0.26仇恨每击（0.08仇恨每秒）

3 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。

4 everlasting   

adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的

参考例句：

• These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。
• He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。

5 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

6 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

7 quenched   

解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却

参考例句：

• He quenched his thirst with a long drink of cold water. 他喝了好多冷水解渴。
• I quenched my thirst with a glass of cold beer. 我喝了一杯冰啤酒解渴。

8 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

9 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。

10 awaken   

vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起

参考例句：

• Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
• Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

11 atheism   

n.无神论，不信神

参考例句：

• Atheism is the opinion that there is no God.无神论是认为不存在上帝的看法。
• Atheism is a hot topic.无神论是个热门话题。

12 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

13 solace   

n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和

参考例句：

• They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
• His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

14 trample   

vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯

参考例句：

• Don't trample on the grass. 勿踏草地。
• Don't trample on the flowers when you play in the garden. 在花园里玩耍时,不要踩坏花。

15 spurned   

v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Eve spurned Mark's invitation. 伊夫一口回绝了马克的邀请。
• With Mrs. Reed, I remember my best was always spurned with scorn. 对里德太太呢，我记得我的最大努力总是遭到唾弃。 来自辞典例句

16 sordid   

adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的

参考例句：

• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively.他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。
• They lived in a sordid apartment.他们住在肮脏的公寓房子里。

17 supplant   

vt.排挤；取代

参考例句：

• Electric cars may one day supplant petrol-driven ones.也许有一天电动车会取代汽油驱动的车。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

18 brutes   

兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性

参考例句：

• They're not like dogs; they're hideous brutes. 它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。
• Suddenly the foul musty odour of the brutes struck his nostrils. 突然，他的鼻尖闻到了老鼠的霉臭味。 来自英汉文学