美国语文第六册 第81期:怀念先辈(1)

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　　Both the ties of nature and the dictates² of policy demand this. 不论是亲情的纽带还是上天的神旨，都要求我们这样做。

　　And surely no nation had ever less occasion to be ashamed of its ancestry³, or more occasion for gratulation in that respect; 可以确信的是，没有哪个国家曾经为它的祖先感到羞耻，更多的是表示敬意中获得满足。

　　for while most nations trace their origin to barbarians⁴, the foundations of our nation were laid by civilized⁵ men, by Christians⁶. 由于绝大多数国家的历史都可以追溯到野蛮人，我们国家是由文明人，是由基督徒建立起来的。

　　Many of them were men of distinguished⁷ families, of powerful talents,  其中许多人都出身于受人尊敬的家庭，都是有影响力的天才人士，

　　of great learning and of preeminent⁸ wisdom, of decision of character, and of most inflexible⁹ integrity. 都是伟大的学者，拥有卓越的智慧和决断力，而且拥有不可动摇的正直品质。

　　And yet not unfrequently they have been treated as if they had no virtues¹⁰; 不同寻常的是，人们认为他们拥有完美无缺的美德；

　　while their sins and follies¹¹ have been sedulously¹² immortalized in satirical anecdote¹³. 与此同时，在颇具讽刺意味的趣闻轶事里，他们的过错和愚蠢行为被刻意看做是不朽的。

　　The influence of such treatment of our fathers is too manifest. 这样对待我们的先辈所产生的影响显而易见。

　　It creates and lets loose upon their institutions, the vandal spirit of innovation and overthrow¹⁴; 创建制度然后放任其发展，创新和推翻都带有野蛮人的印记，

　　for after the memory of our father shall have been rendered contemptible¹⁵, who will appreciate and sustain their institutions? 在对先辈的怀念已经证明是可鄙的之后，谁还会珍视和维护他们的制度呢？

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