英文书摘精选 名人书信04：威廉·罗斯科·塞耶致西奥多·罗斯福

William Roscoe Thayer to Theodore Roosevelt



威廉·罗斯科·塞耶致西奥多·罗斯福



Cambridge, Mass., Oct. 17, 1901

To President Roosevelt

White House, Washington

Dear Mr. President:



致罗斯福总统

白宫，华盛顿

亲爱的总统先生:



Just because everybody has been talking about the culminating episode at the dedication 1 of the Harvard Union Tuesday night, possibly nobody may think to report it to you. Yet, as it concerns you chiefly, you ought to hear of it, and so I write.



只是因为大家仍在谈论星期二晚上哈佛联盟大楼捐赠仪式上的最耀眼的一幕，可能没有人会想到要给你汇报。然而，因为这件事主要和您相关，您应该听一听，所以我便写下了这封信。



Major Henry Higginson, in giving the building to the students and graduates, made one of his matchless addresses-simple, right to the point, and from man's heart to man's heart.After saying how he hoped that the Union would foster friendship in college and loyalty 2 to Harvard, he went on to urge the young fellows never to forget that the final test of education and of character lies in devotion to country. Then he spoke 3 of President McKinley's assassination-“a cowardly treacherous 4 crime," to which "we reply by a renewal 5 of our confession 6 of faith, and by a stern resolve to square our daily thoughts and acts with our national faith and polity".



亨利·希金森少校在馈赠给哈佛在校学生和毕业生这栋哈佛联盟大楼的时候，发表了一篇无与伦比的演讲—简单，人理，而且打动人心。他说希望联盟能促进学生之间的友谊和对哈佛的忠诚，之后他继续告诫年轻人不要忘记对教育和品德的最终测试在于热爱忠于祖国。接着他谈到了麦金利总统的遇刺事件—他说，这是“怯弱的、叛逆的罪行”，为此，“作为回应，我们要再次坦诚我们的信仰，坚定不移地使我们的日常想法和行为与国家和政府的信念相一致。”



Presently, Mr. Higginson paused, and we thought that he had done; but in a moment, stepping forward a little, he raised his right hand high, as in benediction 7, and added, "God bless and guide aright our fellow-graduate, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States.”



不久，希金森先生停了下来，我们认为他已演讲完毕，但是片刻之后，他稍稍走向前，高举起右手，就像在祝福一样，接着说:“愿上帝保佑和正确指引我们的同窗，西奥多·罗斯福，美国的总统。”



I have never seen anything more solemnly impressive; and for a little while there was a hush 8 over the great audience. For myself, I had rather have such a benediction from Henry Higginson than from a whole chapter of bishops 9, and you should at least know about it.



我从来没有见过比这还要庄严的、令人记忆深刻的情景；全体观众沉静了好一会儿。对于我自己，我宁愿听到亨利·希金森的这样的祝福，这胜过整个参事会主教的祝福。我想您至少应该知道。



I cannot send this without adding my own best wishes. 1 have often in the past differed from your views on public matters, but I have had the firmest faith in your motives 10, and now that you are President, I rejoice to think that none of your predecessors 11 ever came to the White House having, as you have, the best wishes of literally 12 the whole nation. That fact alone gives you a greater power for good than any other president has ever had;may you use it to the full and bless our country so that it shall forever bless your memory.



在这封信寄出之前，我也要写下自己最美好的祝愿。我过去常常在公共事务上与您持不同的看法，但是我一直都坚决相信您的初衷。您现在身为总统，我很高兴地认为来到白宫的前任总统中没有一位像您一样对整个国家怀有如此诚挚的祝愿。这一事实本身赋予您更强大的力量去做有益于人民的事，其他任何总统都望尘莫及;愿您充分地发挥它的功用，保佑我们的国家，租国将永远保佑您。



The great needs, the lasting 13 achievements henceforth are in peace not war, in overcoming the moral and intellectual，-not the physical-enemies of civilization. With your courage and your strength, and the knowledge that the nation is behind you, what may you not do! God prosper 14 you! As an old-time friend and as a lover of my country, I cannot say less, and nothing that I could say would mean more.



从今以后，国民最需要的，而且是一项最为持久的成就就是维护和平，阻止战争，打败有碍文明发展的道德和智力上的(而非身体上的)阻碍。发挥您的勇气和力量吧，要知道整个国家都在支持您，还有什么您做不到呢!愿上帝保佑您!作为一位老朋友.作为一个热爱国家的公民，我一言难尽，而我所说的皆是肺腑之言。



                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ever truly yours

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Wm. R. Thayer



                                                                                                                                您真诚的朋友

                                                                                                                                威廉·R·塞耶

                                                                                                                                 于马萨诸塞州剑桥市

                                                                                                                                  1901年10月17日



课堂笔记：

1.西奥多·罗斯福( Theodore Roosevelt,  1858-1919 )，美国历史学家、政治家，第26任总统。1901年，麦金利总统遇刺后，他继任成为美国总统，时年42岁，成为最年轻的美国总统。罗斯福毕业于哈佛大学。

2.哈佛联盟大楼建于1900年，由亨利·李·希金森少校资助建成。联盟大楼旨在给学生提供联络交流的空间。

3.亨利·李·希金森(Henry Lee Higginson,  1834- 1919 )，美国著名商人、银行家和慈善家，常被称为“波士顿第一公民，”哈佛大学毕业，他捐修了哈佛联盟大楼，为日后哈佛医学院和商学院的建立提供了场所。同时，他还是世界著名的波士顿交响乐团的创始人。

4.威廉·麦金利(William McKinley,  1843-1901 ) ,美国第25任总统，他在任期间在复兴美国经济方面作出了较大贡献.1900年他再次赢得总统大选，不幸的是，1901年9月5日他遭到一个无政府主义者的刺杀，15日便与世长辞.不久，副总统西奥多·罗斯福宣誓就任总统.

5.这是一个由关系代词which引导的定语从句，作crime的定语.by引导的介词短语作方式状语，表示“通过”不定式“to square our daily thoughts and acts with our national faith and polity"用作名词resolve的定语，其中搭配"square ... with ...”表示“使……与……相符”之意。

6.连词“now that'’用于表示原因，说明事情发生之后会引起的结果分词结构“having the best wishes of literally the whole nation”用作伴随状语，连词as引导的从句“as you have”表示“就像你(拥有最美好的祝福)那样”。

7.情态动词may在此用于表示祝愿，搭配“may sb. do sth.”表示“希望某人做某事”。

8.名词“knowledge”在此表示“知道，了解”之意，"that"引导的从句为同位语从句。