美国语文第六册 第83期:怀念先辈(2)

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　　for, imperfect as they were, the world before had not seen their like, nor will it soon, we fear, behold¹ their like again. 尽管他们并不完美，而之前的世界并没有见到与他们相类的人，我们担心今后也不会见到这样的人。

　　Such models of moral excellence², such apostles of civil and religious liberty, 道德上这样完美的模范，这样孜孜追求国家和宗教自由的传道先驱，

　　such shades of the illustrious dead looking down upon their descendants with approbation³ or reproof,  那些以赞许和鄙夷的神情看待他们先辈的杰出人士的内心留下这样的阴影，

　　according as they follow or depart from the good way, constitute a censorship inferior only to the eye of God; 不论他们遵守还是抛弃美德，建立属下审查制度只是为了做给上帝看。

　　and to ridicule⁴ them is national suicide. 嘲笑先辈就意味着这个国家在自杀。

　　The doctrines⁵ of our fathers have been represented as gloomy, superstitious⁶, severe, irrational⁷, and of a licentious⁸ tendency. 我们先辈的信条以蒙昧、迷信、纯朴和非理性为特征，具有一种淫乱倾向。

　　But when other systems shall have produced a piety⁹ as devoted¹⁰, a morality as pure, a patriotism¹¹ as disinterested¹², 但是，当其他制度导致能够为之献身的虔敬，纯粹的道德伦理，公正的爱国主义，

　　and a state of society as happy, as have prevailed where their doctrines have been most prevalent, 快乐的社会形态时——这是他们的制度所能取得的最普遍的结果，

　　it may be in season to seek an answer to this objection. 也许就反对的理由寻求答案就有其合理性了。

　　The persecutions instituted by our fathers have been the occasion of ceaseless obloquy¹³ upon their fair fame. 从我们先辈开始的迫害使他们的名誉蒙受无休止的诽谤。

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