美国语文第六册 第81期:怀念先辈(1)
我们响应上帝的召唤，向我们的先辈致以崇高的敬意和深切的缅怀。
Both the ties of nature and the dictates 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 ancestry, 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 barbarians, the foundations of our nation were laid by civilized men, by Christians.
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 distinguished 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 preeminent wisdom, of decision of character, and of most inflexible 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 virtues;
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 follies have been sedulously immortalized in satirical anecdote.
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 overthrow;
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 contemptible, 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?
