美国语文第六册第111期:皮特对罗伯特沃尔浦尔爵士的答复(1)-英语课

时间：2019-02-20 作者：英语课 分类：美国语文第六册

英语课

The atrocious crime of being a young man, which the honorable gentleman has, with such spirit and decency 1, charged upon me, 这位深孚众望的绅士用这样的心情和礼仪指责我说，这是一个年轻人令人震惊的犯罪。

I shall neither attempt to palliate nor deny; 对此，我既不打算辩解也不想否认。
but content myself with hoping that I may be one of those whose follies 2 cease with their youth, 不过，我很高兴自己或许可以成为一位在年轻时不再做愚蠢的事情的人，
and not of that number who are ignorant in spite of experience. 不是那种碍于经验而表现得很无知的人。
Whether youth can be imputed 3 to a man as a reproach, I will not assume the province of determining; 不论对一个人而言是否可以把错误归咎于年轻，我都不愿意假装自己有支配别人的权责；
but surely age may become justly contemptible 4, if the opportunities which it brings have passed away without improvement, 但可以肯定的是，如果年龄赋予的机会在没有任何改善的情况下悄悄溜走的话，年龄或许成为遭到轻蔑的正当理由，
and vice 5 appears to prevail when the passions have subsided 6. 当激情冷静下来时堕落开始崭露头角。
The wretch 7, who, after having seen the consequences of a thousand errors, continues still to blunder, 在目睹一千个过错产生的恶果后，这个可怜的人会继续错上加错，
and whose age has only added obstinacy 8 to stupidity, is surely the object either of abhorrence 9 or contempt, 他的年龄只不过会令他的愚蠢更加顽固，他当然成了厌恶或轻蔑的对象，
and deserves not that his gray hairs should secure him from insult. 他的灰头发不应该确保他免受攻讦。
Much more is he to be abhorred 10, who, as he has advanced in age, has receded 11 from virtue 12, and become more wicked—with less temptation; 更有甚者，尽管他在年龄上逐渐增长，可是在德性上却愈发退步，变得更加邪恶——更加经不起诱惑。
who prostitutes himself for money which he can not enjoy, and spends the remains 13 of his life in the ruin of his country. 这个为了金钱而甘愿出卖自己的人，尽管没有带来欢乐，却用自己的余生毁掉了自己的国家。
But youth is not my only crime; I am accused of acting 14 a theatrical 15 part. 但是，年轻不是我唯一的罪过；我被指责为扮演有威胁的角色。
A theatrical part may either imply some peculiarity 16 of gesture, or a dissimulation 17 of my real sentiments, and an adoption 18 of the opinions and language of another man. 所谓有威胁的角色要么暗示姿态具有某种特征，要么暗示我在掩饰自己的真正情感。

1 decency

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

2 follies

罪恶，时事讽刺剧；愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 )

He has given up youthful follies. 他不再做年轻人的荒唐事了。
The writings of Swift mocked the follies of his age. 斯威夫特的作品嘲弄了他那个时代的愚人。

3 imputed

v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 )

They imputed the accident to the driver's carelessness. 他们把这次车祸归咎于司机的疏忽。来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
He imputed the failure of his marriage to his wife's shortcomings. 他把婚姻的失败归咎于妻子的缺点。来自辞典例句

4 contemptible

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

5 vice

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 subsided

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

美国语文第六册 第111期:皮特对罗伯特沃尔浦尔爵士的答复(1)

美国语文第六册第111期:皮特对罗伯特沃尔浦尔爵士的答复(1)