1705005171
1705005172
● paused：稍歇，不再往前继续研究别种文字。at home：有如鱼得水之乐。
1705005173
1705005174
● Gothic script：哥德式字体。英文法文所用的都是罗马字体，近代德文书亦有用罗马字体印者，但普氏那时的德文书都用哥德式字体。所谓Goth原是日耳曼一种人种之名，其字体锋芒毕露而多曲折，没有罗马字体那样易于辨认。equal：力能对付，读来不吃力。
1705005175
1705005176
For a while, he thought of writing a history of Italian literature. But, no, an Italian subject would not be new: Sismondi had covered the ground too well. He wished for a theme that was new as well as great. Spanish history, if it was not unknown, had not been explored at its most vital point, the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. Theirs was the momentous reign during which the scattered kingdoms were brought together, the age of the conquest of Naples, the founding of the Spanish Inquisition, the opening of the Western hemisphere. Thanks to the present government of Spain, the archives had been thrown open to Spanish scholars. They were busily publishing documents, chronicles, memoirs. But the decrepit kingdom, humbled by the loss of its foreign empire, rising from its ancient lethargy, was yet in too chaotic a state to foster any vigour of expression. Spain with all its historiographers, had not produced a master-mind who could assimilate for a greater purpose all these documents that had come to light.
1705005177
1705005178
● Sismondi（1773—1842）：瑞士历史家。他的关于意大利文学的著作内容很是详尽（covered the ground too well），没有留下多少东西可供后人发挥的了。
1705005179
1705005180
● theme：题材。他需要的是一个新颖的题材，可以发人所未发，而且是个大题目，可以大加发挥的。
1705005181
1705005182
● its most vital point：最重要的一点。explored：研究。西班牙历史不算是个冷门（not unknown），可是这一段的历史却没有人写过。
1705005183
1705005184
● Theirs=the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella。momentous：非常重要（的时期）。scattered kingdoms：西班牙本来分几个小国，现在是统一（brought together）了。Naples：意大利那时小国林立，所谓“城邦政治”是也。Naples是现代意大利的一个城市，在那时是一个小国，法国和西班牙为了争取该地的统治权，于1494年发生战争，西班牙先败后胜。Inquisition：异教裁判所。那时的西班牙虐待异教徒（包括犹太人和非正统的基督教徒）很是厉害。the Western hemisphere：西半球。哥伦布的探险是由Ferdinand and Isabella赞助成行的。新大陆于1492年发现。
1705005185
1705005186
● the present government：普氏当时的西班牙政府。archives：档案。thrown open：打开。学者可以自由阅览抄录。
1705005187
1705005188
● They指的是Spanish scholars。学者们整理结果，印行了很多有关十五世纪末叶和十六世纪初叶西班牙历史的文件，编年史和回忆录（情形好像近代吾国学者编印明清史档案一般）。
1705005189
1705005190
● decrepit：衰弱的。到了十九世纪，西班牙国势削弱，殖民地纷纷独立，海外帝国因以丧失（loss of its foreign empire），备受屈辱（humbled），声威大落；虽然力图扫除积弊，奋发自新（lethargy：暮气），然而国势仍旧混乱（chaotic），不能培养（foster）创造伟大著作的生气活力。expression：表达，即文学写作。
1705005191
1705005192
● historiographers：历史编著家，着重整理编订，和史学家（historians）有区别。master-mind：第一流的头脑。assimilate：吸收；它的宾语是documents。for a greater purpose：为了更大的目的；利用这些文献，写出一部巨著。come to light：（经学者整理后）重见天日。西班牙既然没有人动手写一部融会贯通可读可诵的历史书，只好由别国人来越俎代庖了。
1705005193
1705005194
The great theme was at Prescott’s disposal. In order to feel sure-footed in the language, he went over his Spanish grammar again. Then he began to read all round the subject. Beginning with the general laws of nations, the constitutional history of England, the histories of the continental countries, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, the general history of Spain, before he settled on his special field.
1705005195
1705005196
● at Prescott’s disposal：听他调遣，任他应用。sure-footed：脚头站稳；有充分把握。went over：从头研究一遍。
1705005197
1705005198
● all round the subject：一切有关本题的书籍。
1705005199
1705005200
● constitutional history：宪法史。
1705005201
1705005202
● the continental countries：欧陆各国，以别于英国。his special field：特定的范围，即Ferdinand和Isabella统治西班牙的那一段时期。
1705005203
1705005204
The book was a ten-year task: three and a half years of study before he wrote the opening sentence, three months for chapter one, seven months for the final chapter, two years for condensing and abridging. He had the text set up in type and caused four copies to be printed, for his friends to correct and criticize. Prescott, as he painfully scrawled his chapters, never guessed how hungry his countrymen were for the brilliant glow and colour that he gave them, the pageantry of kings and queens and battles. This was the romance that American longed for. When it was published, the book was a universal triumph.
1705005205
1705005206
● ten-year task：费时十年的工作。
1705005207
1705005208
● condensing：缩短。abridging：节略。材料太多，书虽写成，可删之处尚多，最后费了两年功夫，大加修削。
1705005209
1705005210
● text：书的正文（不连附注或图片等）。set up in type：排印成书。type是印刷用之活字（铅字）。caused four copies to be printed：先印四本，并不发卖，专供朋友评阅正误之用，为的是要精益求精。
1705005211
1705005212
● scrawled：潦草地写；并不是普氏写得潦草，其奈目力不济，写不清楚乎？hungry…for：嗷嗷待哺。the brilliant glow and colour：光华夺目，色彩绮丽的文字。that he gave them是定语从句：他所写给他们看的。the pageantry和glow and colour是“同位语”。帝王后妃和各处战事的描写，无不有声有色，热闹有趣，一幕接着一幕，无异是化装游行或盛大赛会。普氏辛辛苦苦写这部书时，决想不到他这一类的描写会受到美国人这样的欢迎。
1705005213
1705005214
1705005215
1705005216
1705005218
现代英文选评注 Man and Woman男与女
1705005219
1705005220
Erskine Caldwell (1903—1987)
[
上一页 ]
[ :1.705005171e+09 ]
[
下一页 ]