1705007773
1705007774
All this is obvious enough, and we who inhabit what we like to call the “free world” complacently assume that, in contradistinction with the state of affairs across the Iron Curtain, with us humor is unrestricted and abundant. But is it? I have come to feel of late that in the United States, as well as in Britain, the area of life in which ridicule is permissible is steadily shrinking, and that a dangerous tendency is becoming manifest to take ourselves with undue seriousness. Irreverence is decidedly out of fashion, and the clown or satirist, if he is to continue in business, must keep a careful eye on his targets lest they frown unduly.
1705007775
1705007776
● obvious：明显的。we：我们住在“自由世界”的人；作者认为这样说，意义尚未够精确，改为，我们这种居住于我们常称之为“自由世界”那地方的人。complacently：自鸣得意地。assume：作此假定。
1705007777
1705007778
● state of affairs：情形。我们常自以为：和不自由地区的情形相比，我们这里（with us）幽默是大行其道——丰富而不受限制。但是事实真是这样吗？（is it?=is humor unrestricted and abundant?）
1705007779
1705007780
● of late：最近。I have come to feel：在前面有一段是用作“插入语句”的，这里可是“主句”了。在前面那一段，作者要强调humor这个字，故把那五个字贬为“插入语句”。在本句中，作者要批评英美人，说他们的幽默逐渐丧失，这种话也许是不中听的，作者怕得罪人，乃吞吞吐吐，故意不把想说的话说出来。在这种情形之下，I have come to feel就成了主句了。
1705007781
1705007782
● 此句的吞吞吐吐，可由其起句的缓慢见之。I have come to feel of late非主要的话也（虽然文法上是主句）；in the United States, as well as in Britain，亦非主要的话也，话说了这么多，说到主要的意思，仍旧用一种婉曲的说法：在英美两国，讥笑可以适用的范围是越来越小了；人生中可以容许讥笑的范围是不断地在缩小。英美两国，虽号称民主，但是碰到有些问题，也不敢出之玩笑口吻的。
1705007783
1705007784
● I come to feel后面跟两个名词性从句。第二个名词性从句，也是以that领头：我们可以渐渐看得见有一种危险的倾向（原文是：“有一种危险的倾向正成为明显”），那就是，我们把自己的生活弄得太严肃。undue：过度的。
1705007785
1705007786
● Irreverence：不敬，玩笑。clown：丑。satirist：讽刺家。
1705007787
1705007788
● continue in business：假如他还想吃这一行饭的话。古之弄臣，可以谈笑之中进忠谏，今之滑稽明星，假如讥笑了社会上某种人士，他就可能不受欢迎。targets：（讽刺的）目标。丑角一定要时时看清楚他的目标，只怕（lest）受讽刺的人皱起眉头，脸色大为不悦。
1705007789
1705007790
In King Lear’s misfortunes his only faithful and true counselor was the Fool. It might be so with us. The ultimate safeguard is perhaps not atomic weapons, larger and better bases, louder radio stations, but more fools. The foolishness of man, Blake wrote, is the wisdom of God; and it may well be that those who seek to suppress or limit laughter are more dangerous than all the subversive conspiracies which the F.B.I. ever has or will uncover. Laughter, in fact, is the most effective of all subversive conspiracies, and it operates on our side.
1705007791
1705007792
● King Lear是莎士比亚悲剧中的主人翁，他受不了女儿的虐待，无家可归，在暴风雨中徬徨，只有一个小丑（Fool）陪伴着他。小丑说些不着边际的话，其实都是针对着Lear的痛苦。counselor：顾问，谋士。在老王遭遇不幸的时候，唯一忠实而说真话的谋士，是那个小丑。我们现在也处在一个不幸的时代，我们可能也需要小丑来做朋友（It might be so with us）。
1705007793
1705007794
● ultimate safeguard：（自由世界）终究的保障。
1705007795
1705007796
● William Blake（1757—1827）：英国神秘主义诗人。
1705007797
1705007798
● subversive conspiracies：颠覆（政府）的阴谋。
1705007799
1705007800
● F.B.I.：美国联邦调查局（Federal Bureau of Investigation）。uncover：揭发（阴谋）。联邦调查局历来揭发各种颠覆阴谋，将来这种工作还要继续下去，但是一切颠覆阴谋，要论危险，还比不上那种不许人家笑的人。事实可能是这样：那种设法（seek）要禁止人家笑，或是限制人家笑的人，是比那种种阴谋更为危险。这是一个paradox。
1705007801
1705007802
● 事实上，笑才是最有效的颠覆活动。民主国家不怕老百姓笑口常开，极权国家才怕人笑。嘻嘻哈哈，而极权统治休矣。最后一句our重读，表示笑可颠覆极权的政府，是有利于我们自由世界的。
1705007803
1705007804
1705007805
1705007806
1705007808
现代英文选评注 Skeffington’s Decision to Run for Re-election市长决心竞选
1705007809
1705007810
Edwin O’Connor (1918—1968)
1705007811
1705007812
下面几段采自长篇小说《最后一次欢呼》（The Last Hurrah）之第一章。《最后一次欢呼》写一老年政客再度竞选市长的故事，内容轻松幽默，作者态度于讽刺中带有同情，文笔有力。该书于1956年出版，即成畅销书，纽约时报评为：“The best novel about American politics.”
1705007813
1705007814
该书虽是小说，但其主角乃影射原也任麻州州长的波士顿市长James Michael Curly。近百年来的波士顿城，爱尔兰人的政治势力一直很大。本书作者奥康纳原籍爱尔兰，Curly与书中的市长也是原籍爱尔兰的。
1705007815
1705007816
It was early in August when Frank Skeffington decided—or rather, announced his decision, which actually had been arrived at some months before—to run for re-election as mayor of the city. This was a matter about which there had been public speculation for a good while: for, in fact, four years, ever since he had been inaugurated for what his opponents had fondly hoped was the last time. Since the beginning of the current year, however, the speculation had increased, not alone because the deadline was drawing nearer, but also because there were no other elections of importance coming up—the municipal elections took place in off years politically and so did not have to share the spotlight with national or state contests. Thus interest had mounted, and as it had, so had the hopes of Skeffington’s opponents. For while he was admittedly among the most durable of politicians, he was just as admittedly getting older, and in recent speeches and press conferences he had expressed little interest in continuing his long political career. On one memorable occasion he had gone so far as to speak with a certain dreaminess of the joys of retirement, of the quiet time of withdrawal which would follow a lifetime spent in the service of the public.
1705007817
1705007818
● 从第一句可以看出来，英文意义之力求准确。此人是八月初决定竞选（to run）蝉联（re-election）市长的。话是这么说了，但是作者立刻自己修正。更正确（rather）的说法是：此人在八月初只是正式宣布决心竞选而已。那决心本身（which）是在几个月之前，就培养好了。英文说“达到”（arrived at）某种决心。
1705007819
1705007820
● 此句的decided，跟后面的to run。横线中间的补充语句中的decision，也是跟后面的to run。这样的句法结构很紧凑。
1705007821
1705007822
● mayor of the city：注意mayor前面不用限定冠词the。
[
上一页 ]
[ :1.705007773e+09 ]
[
下一页 ]