美国语文第六册 第68期:在弗吉尼亚制宪大会上的演讲(3)

 　　Shall we resort to entreaty¹ and humble² supplication³? 难道我们要祈求和卑下地哀求吗？

　　What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted⁴? 我们还有什么没有穷尽的办法吗？

　　Let us not, I beseech⁵ you, deceive ourselves longer. 没有了。我恳求诸位，不要在欺骗自己了。

　　We have done everything that could be done, to avert⁶ the storm which is now coming on. 为防止暴风雨的到来，我们所能做的一切都做了。

　　We have petitioned; we have remonstrated⁷; we have supplicated⁸; we have prostrated⁹ ourselves at the foot of the throne, 我们已经请愿了；我们已经抗议过了；我们已经在王权的脚下拜倒过了，

　　and implored¹⁰ its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry¹¹ and parliament. 乞求它的干预能够制止政府和国会伸出残暴的手。

　　Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances¹² have produced additional violence and insult; 我们的请愿受到轻蔑；我们的抗议则导致变本加厉的暴力和伤害；

　　our supplications disregarded; and we have been spurned¹³ with contempt from the foot of the throne. 我们的乞求没人理会；我们拜倒在王权脚下得到的结果就是遭到唾弃。

　　In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation¹⁴. 在所有这一切都徒劳无益后，我们仍然抱有和平与和解的希望。

　　There is no longer any room for hope. 现在看来，希望已化为泡影。

　　If we wish to be free; if we mean to preserve inviolate¹⁵ those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending; 唯愿我们渴望自由；唯愿我们本意是维持那些长久以来我们一直为之争取的无法衡量的权利；

　　if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, 唯愿我们的本意不是下贱地放弃我们长久以来一直致力，

　　and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained—we must fight! 以及一直告诫自己绝对不能放弃，直到我们争取的光荣目标获得实现的高尚的斗争——我们必须战斗！

　　I repeat it, we must fight! 我再重复一遍，我们必须战斗！

1 entreaty   

n.恳求，哀求

参考例句：

• Mrs. Quilp durst only make a gesture of entreaty.奎尔普太太仅做出一种哀求的姿势。
• Her gaze clung to him in entreaty.她的眼光带着恳求的神色停留在他身上。

2 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

3 supplication   

n.恳求，祈愿，哀求

参考例句：

• She knelt in supplication. 她跪地祷求。
• The supplication touched him home. 这个请求深深地打动了他。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

4 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

5 beseech   

v.祈求，恳求

参考例句：

• I beseech you to do this before it is too late.我恳求你做做这件事吧，趁现在还来得及。
• I beseech your favor.我恳求您帮忙。

6 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

7 remonstrated   

v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫

参考例句：

• They remonstrated with the official about the decision. 他们就这一决定向这位官员提出了抗议。
• We remonstrated against the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. 我们对虐待战俘之事提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

8 supplicated   

v.祈求，哀求，恳求( supplicate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She supplicated the judge for protection. 她恳求法官保护。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He supplicated the king for clemency. 他恳求国王开恩。 来自互联网

9 prostrated   

v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力

参考例句：

• He was prostrated by the loss of his wife. 他因丧妻而忧郁。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• They prostrated themselves before the emperor. 他们拜倒在皇帝的面前。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 implored   

恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She implored him to stay. 她恳求他留下。
• She implored him with tears in her eyes to forgive her. 她含泪哀求他原谅她。

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 remonstrances   

n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were remonstrances, but he persisted notwithstanding. 虽遭抗议，他仍然坚持下去。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Mr. Archibald did not give himself the trouble of making many remonstrances. 阿奇博尔德先生似乎不想自找麻烦多方规劝。 来自辞典例句

13 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

14 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

15 inviolate   

adj.未亵渎的，未受侵犯的

参考例句：

• The constitution proclaims that public property shall be inviolate.宪法宣告公共财产不可侵犯。
• They considered themselves inviolate from attack.他们认为自己是不可侵犯的。