美国语文第六册 第172期:北美印第安人(1)

Not many generations ago, where you now sit, encircled with all that exalts¹ and embellishes² civilized³ life,

并非在很久以前，就在诸位坐着的地方，围在一起欢呼的全都是穿戴光鲜的文明人。

the rank thistle nodded in the wind and the wild fox dug his hole unscared.

蓟花在风中摇曳婆娑，野狐旁若无人地掘洞。

Here lived and loved another race of beings.

在这里生活和相亲相爱的是另一个族类。

Beneath the same sun that rolls over your head, the Indian hunter pursued the panting deer;

在同一片阳光下，印第安猎人在追逐跑得气喘吁吁的梅花鹿；

gazing on the same moon that smiles for you, the Indian lover wooed his dusky mate.

还是那个冲每个人都绽开笑脸的月亮，印第安情侣向在黑暗中伫立的同伴求爱呢。

Here the wigwam blaze beamed on the tender and helpless, and the council fire glared on the wise and daring.

微风吹拂着棚屋，镇政务会会场里燃起的篝火映红了睿智的长者和勇敢的青年人的脸庞。

北美印第安人

Now they dipped their noble limbs in your sedgy lakes, and now they paddled the light canoe along your rocky shores.

现在，他们将高贵的腿浸在属于你们的莎草丛生的湖里，现在他们沿着你脚下那岩石嶙峋的堤岸摇着轻舟。

Here they warred; the echoing whoop⁴, the bloody⁵ grapple, the defying death song, all were here;

就在这里，他们开始作战。带着回音的呐喊声，血淋淋的搏斗，誓死抵抗的战歌，所有这一切都是在这里上演的。

and when the tiger strife⁶ was over, here curled the smoke of peace.

当猛虎间的你死我活的搏斗结束后，和平的火光袅袅升起。

Here, too, they worshiped; and from many a dark bosom⁷ went up a fervent⁸ prayer to the Great Spirit.

这里，也是他们向神献祭的地方，虔诚的祷告者在他们许多黝黑的胸膛里激发出伟大的精神。

He had not written his laws for them on tables of stone, but he had traced them on the tables of their hearts.

神没有在石桌上为他们写下他拟定的戒律，

The poor child of nature knew not the God of Revelation, but the God of the universe he acknowledged in everything around.

贫穷的孩子自然不晓得上帝的神启，但是他认为在自己的周围上帝无处不在。

1 exalts   

赞扬( exalt的第三人称单数 )； 歌颂； 提升； 提拔

参考例句：

• How the thought exalts me in my own eyes! 这种思想在我自己的眼睛里使我身价百倍啊！
• Fancy amuses; imagination expands and exalts us. 幻想使人乐，想象则使我们开阔和升华。

2 embellishes   

v.美化( embellish的第三人称单数 )；装饰；修饰；润色

参考例句：

• At the side of the husband who embellishes his existence with hetaerism stands the neglected wife. 同靠杂婚制来使自己的生活更美好的丈夫并存的还有一个被遗弃的妻子。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• Easily shapes and embellishes the eyebrows for more attractive look. 方便勾画、修饰眉型，使柳眉更完美、更有型。 来自互联网

3 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

4 whoop   

n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息

参考例句：

• He gave a whoop of joy when he saw his new bicycle.他看到自己的新自行车时，高兴得叫了起来。
• Everybody is planning to whoop it up this weekend.大家都打算在这个周末好好欢闹一番。

5 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

6 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

7 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

8 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。