美国语文第五册 第168期:约翰-亚当斯的假设演讲(4)

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　　every sword will be drawn¹, and the solemn vow² uttered to maintain it, or perish on the bed of honor.  每一把刀剑应该出鞘，发出的神圣誓言应该兑现，否则不如畏缩于恐惧角落干脆消失。

　　Publish it from the pulpit; religion will approve it, and the love of religious liberty will cling around it, resolved to stand with it or fall with it.  在讲坛发出誓言，教会给予认可，宗教自由的爱将与其同在，决心与誓言同存亡。

　　Send it to the public halls; proclaim it there;  在公众场合发出誓言，宣布自己决心信念，

　　let them see it who saw their brothers and their sons fall on the field of Bunker Hill and in the streets of Lexington and Concord³, and the very walls will cry out in its support.  让那些民众见证，他们曾经目睹自家兄弟和孩子们倒在邦克山周围田野，倒在列克星敦市和康科德大街上，倒在众多英雄为国捐躯的众多地方。

　　Sir, I know the uncertainty⁴ of human affairs, but I see—I see clearly through this day's business.  先生们，我知道人类事物的不确定因素，但是通过今天事件，我看见，不！我清楚地看见，真的，

　　You and I, indeed, may rue⁵ it. We may not live to see the time this declaration shall be made good.  你和我，或许为此后悔，我们可能活不到《独立宣言》将给民众带来福音的那一天。

　　We may die; die colonists⁶; die slaves; die, it may be, ignominiously⁷ and on the scaffold.  我们可能死去，作为殖民地平民而死，作为奴隶而亡。绞刑架上的死亡，恐怕难以抹去可耻，

　　Be it so: be it so. 天命难违，听其自然。

　　If it be the pleasure of Heaven that my country shall require the poor offering of my life,  假如归于天堂极乐，我的国家将从我的卑微生命消逝中有所受益，

　　the victim shall be ready at the appointed hour of sacrifice, come when that hour may. 牺牲者已做好准备随时祭祀自己宝贵生命，不妨让我坦然面对那一时刻的降临。

　　But while I do live, let me have a country, or at least the hope of a country, and that a FREE country.  然而，如果我能幸存于世，那么，让我拥抱一个国家，或者至少是一个国家的希望，甚至一个自由的国度。

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