Susan Brownnell Anthony to Elizabeth Cady Stanton
苏珊·布朗内尔·安东尼致伊丽莎白·凯迪·斯坦顿
October,1902
My dear Mrs. Stanton,
我亲爱的斯坦顿太太:
I shall indeed be happy to spend with you November 12, the day on which you round out your four-score and seven, over four years ahead of me, but in age as in all else I follow you closely. It is fifty-one years since first we met and we have been busy through every one of them, stirring up the world to recognize the rights of women. The older we grow, the more keenly we feel the humiliation of disfranchisement and the more vividly we realize its disadvantages in every department of life and most of all in the labor market.
能和您一起度过12月12日，我万分高兴,那天将是您的87岁寿辰。您长我4岁，但是，除了年龄以外，在所有方面我都紧紧跟随着您的脚步。自我们第一次相遇以来，已有51个春秋，我们在过去的每一个年月里都在东奔西走，忙着唤醒世人承认妇女的权利。随着年龄的增长。我们愈发强烈地感受到被剥夺公民权的屈辱，更加深刻地意识到丧失公民权给我们生话的方方面面造成的不便，尤其是在劳动市场领域。
We little dreamed when we began this contest, optimistic with the hope and buoyancy of youth, that half a century later we would be compelled to leave the finish of the battle to another generation of women.0 But our hearts are filled with joy to know that they enter upon this task equipped with a college education, with business experience with the fully admitted right to speak in public-all of which were denied to women fifty years ago. They have practically but one point to gain一the suffrage;we had all. These strong, courageous, capable young women will take our place and complete our work. There is an army of them where we were but a handful. Ancient prejudice has become so softened, public sentiment so liberalized and women have so thoroughly demonstrated their ability as to leave not a shadow of doubt that they will carry our cause to victory.
我们没有想到当我们开始这场竞赛时，我们满怀希望，青春年少，朝气蓬勃，现在半个世纪已经过去，我们将不得不把这场未尽的战斗交付给新一代的女性。但是，得知接受这项使命的新一代女性们都接受过大学教育，具有工作经验，完全享有在公众场合发言的权利，我们心中充满着喜悦，而在50年前，妇女们是没有资格享受这些的。我们实现了我们的目标。现在她们可能只有一个目标要去完成—为女性争取选举权。这些坚强、勇敢、能干的年轻女性将取代我们，完成我们未尽的事业。她们有着强大的队伍，而我们只有寥寥几人。古老的偏见已经开始松动，公众的情感已经得以释放，女性已经充分展示了她们的才能，因此，毫无疑问，她们将把我们的事业推向胜利。
And we, dear old friend, shall move on to the next sphere of existence.-higher and larger, we cannot fail to believe, and one where women will not be placed in an inferior position but will be welcomed on a plane of perfect intellectual and spiritual equality.
而我们，亲爱的老朋友.我们将步入另一个存在的领城—一个更高远、更广大的世界，我们不能不相信，在那里妇女将不再被置于低等的地位，我们将登上一架理智和精神平等的完美航班，将受到热烈的欢迎。
Ever lovingly yours
Susan Brownnell Anthony
水远爱你的
苏珊·布朗内尔·安东尼
1902年10月
课堂笔记：
1.世界女权运动起源于欧美国家，紧跟着人类工业革命的进步。女权运动的初衷是:自然、法律和造物者时人都是公平的，妇女在生活、自由和对幸福的追求上具有和男子相同的权利。
2.英语句型结构“the+形容词或副词比较级，the+形容词或副词比较级”表示“越……就越……”。句首的“the older we grow”属状语从句，用于和后面的语句形成比较，另外两句“the keenly…”和“the more vividly…”是主句，用连词“and”连接，表示并列。
3.此句是个主从复合句，其中"when”引导时间状语从句，句首代词“we"是主句的主语，谓语动词为“dream"，宾语由“that”从句充当。句中的形容词短语“optimistic with the hope and buoyancy of youth"(满怀希望，青春年少，朝气蓬勃)用作主语补足语，补充说明状语从句“when we began this contest”中的主语。
4.美国争取妇女投票权的斗争可以追溯到 1839年。许多年后，苏珊·布朗内尔·安东尼说服一位国会议员提出了一项关于给予妇女投票权的宪法修正案。直到1920年8月，美国妇女才最终获得选举权。
5.固定搭配"so... as to do...”表示“如此...以至做……”。"so”为副词，用于修饰其后的形容词或副词，"as to do sth.”用作结果状语主句中用到了三个“so”引导的结构，读来铿锵有力。其中，第一个“so”用于修饰“softened"，分词“softened”在此当形容词用，作“become"的表语;第二个“so"前省略了和上一句相同的谓语部分"has become" , "so”在此修饰作形容词用的分词“liberated"，第三个“so”修饰副词 "thoroughly"句尾的"that"从句用作"doubt"的同位语，说明“doubt"的具体内容。
6.此处指人死后去的天国。 |