美國語文第六冊 第191期:新英格蘭清教徒先輩的品格(3)

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只要這塊土地上的居民在行使他們重要權(quán)利的過程中沒有被宗主國干擾，

they submitted to the form of English government; but when those rights were invaded, they spurned even the form away.

他們會屈從英國政府的體制。但是，當這些權(quán)利被侵犯時，他們甚至會將這種體制一腳踢開。

This act was the Revolution, which came of course and spontaneously, and had nothing in it of the wonderful or unforeseen.

這種行動就是革命，自發(fā)而起，沒有一點奇妙或不可預(yù)見性。

The wonder would have been if it had not occurred.

倘若沒發(fā)生的話，那倒奇怪了。

It was, indeed, a happy and glorious event, but by no means unnatural;

的確，這場革命是一個愉快和輝煌的事件，再自然不過了。

and I intend no slight to the revered actors in the Revolution when I assert that their fathers before them were as free as they — every whit as free.

當我斷定他們的先輩像他們一樣渴望自由——事實上一點也不自由時，我不打算對這場大革命令人崇敬的演員輕描淡寫了。

The principles of the Revolution were not the suddenly acquired property of a few bosoms: they were abroad in the land in the ages before;

革命的原則并非突然之間變成少數(shù)幾個人內(nèi)心的既得財產(chǎn)，以前很多年就在這塊土地上廣泛存在了。

they had always been taught, like the truths of the Bible; they had descended from father to son, down from those primitive days,

就像圣經(jīng)中的真理一樣，人們從小就對這些原則耳聞目染，從原始時代開始就父子相傳。

when the Pilgrim, established in his simple dwelling, and seated at his blazing fire, piled high from the forest which shaded his door,

當時朝圣者在自己簡陋的住所里，坐在熊熊燃燒的篝火旁邊，而樹木則是從在自己門上投下樹蔭的森林里砍伐來的，堆得很高，

repeated to his listening children the story of his wrongs and his resistance, and bade them rejoice,

向?qū)Ｐ膬A聽的孩子們重復(fù)著關(guān)于自己做錯事情和反抗的故事，孩子們聽后欣喜若狂，

though the wild winds and the wild beasts were howling without, that they had nothing to fear from great men's oppression.

盡管外面沒刮大風，也沒有野獸的嚎叫，但他們從大人的郁悶聽不出任何害怕。

Here are the beginnings of the Revolution.

這就是革命的開端。

Every settler's hearth was a school of independence; the scholars were apt, and the lessons sunk deeply;

每位定居者的爐邊都是一所呼喚獨立的學堂。學者們循循善誘，講的課程令學生深深地陶醉在其中;

and thus it came that our country was always free; it could not be other than free.

因此，得出的結(jié)論是我們國家永遠是自由的，舍此無他。