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● discount it：对于此话半信半疑，把这句话打折扣。neither could they afford：如不相信此话，对他们自己也有害处。
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● any hint of this kind：任何这一类的暗示（关于他的退休）。
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● encouraging rather than otherwise：他的政敌觉得有鼓励的作用，此种作用大于别种作用。related是过去分词，形容hint。他自己既暗示要退休，这种暗示同别种迹象（signs）联系起来时，政敌们更有跃跃欲试取而代之之意。
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● heartening和前面的encouraging相仿，都是从他的政敌的立场说话的。optimists也是政敌之中的乐观主义者。rumors：谣言。
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● it was confidently whispered中的it是代替后面的that a mysterious…这个clause。
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● devouring：吞噬。there occurred中的there和普通there is中的there相仿，没有什么特别意义。intervals：短时期。reverted to：回复到。play marbles：玩（彩石或玻璃的）弹子。hide-and-seek：捉迷藏。
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● combustibility：易燃性。support：（对于上述谣言之）支持。oblique：间接的。
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● run：连续发表。（竞选也是run，run这个字的用处真大。）life span：生命的长度，寿命。
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● senectitude：衰老。此字罕用，美国有些报纸的社论文章做得很古雅，这种罕用字、僻字、古字有时也会搬出来。舞文弄墨，为中外所共喜，不能独责美国报纸的社论作者也。（此处没有用引号，但是这种句子很像有些报纸里社论的句子。）
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● that aged men 中的that是连接词，也是连前面reminding the voters使选民们勿忘此事。aged men in positions of public trust：老年人而居高位，身负万民重托。constitute=make up：形成。hazard：危险。（这种种话无非要叫市长真的任满不干。）
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But Skeffington smashed them all in a matter of minutes.
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On his seventy-second birthday Frank Skeffington had lunch with his nephew, and over the meal told him of his plan to run again. That night, at a birthday dinner given him by the party leaders, he made the announcement public. It was substantially the same announcement that he had delivered in private that noon.
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● smashed：打碎。a matter of有about之意：不消几分钟，把敌方的流言都打碎了。
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● announcement：呼应全文开头的announced his decision。
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● delivered in private：私下表示的。
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“My decision represents a submission to the will of the populace,” he said, “and is against my very personal desire. I had hoped, at the end of my current term, to retire to a well-earned rest, but unfortunately one look at the names of those who have declared themselves as candidates for this office forced me to change my decisions. Why, the mind positively boggles at the presumption of these men! As one looks down this bold list one would think that the only qualification necessary to run for mayor of this great city was to be without any qualification whatever. This is a time for experience, for leadership; I cannot abandon this fine city to the care of such fumbling hands. And so, dutifully if reluctantly, I submit my name to you once again, realizing full well that while my own health and rest are important, it is far more important that this city of ours should not be allowed to revert to Government by Pygmies!”
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● 这段话是市长在生日宴会上，对党内显要发表的谈话。市长年逾古稀，但是所说的话还是虎虎有生气，话里还骂了人。
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● submission to：屈服于（人民的意志）。
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● I had hoped：用过去完成时态，那是因为同本句的另一动词forced比较而得。forced在后，hoped在前，但是forced也是过去的事，所以一个用过去式，一个用过去完成式。my current term：这一届任期。a well-earned rest：凭劳力挣来的休息；做了几十年公仆，老来也该享享清福。one look：一看。这一看使我改变了主意。
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● boggles：突然受惊，因此停止不前。presumption：胆大妄为。
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● As one looks down和前面的one look不同。这里的one不是“一次”，而是“某个人”，即说话的人自己。this bold list：胆大的人的名单。他们凭什么资格来竞选市长？我们将要以为，竞选市长的唯一资格就是没有什么资格；只有“一无所长，一无足取”的人才配来做这个大城市的市长。
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● for experience, for leadership：用了两个抽象名词；其实是我们需要有经验的“人”，有领导才干的“人”，英文于此地不用“人”这个概念，此乃中英文思想不同之处。
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● fumbling：笨拙的，瞎摸的。to the care of such fumbling hands：交到这种人的手里去。
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● dutifully if reluctantly：心虽不愿，但是为了波士顿八十万市民计……。submit my name：把我的名字提出来。realizing full（副词）well：同时我充分了解这点道理。后面随一”that” clause，此clause中又先出一”while” clause，后面又用it代替另一”that” clause（that this city…）。
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● revert：此字前面已见过，是“返老还童”；这里也有“开倒车”之意。Government by Pygmies：林肯有government by the people（由人民来作主的政府）的名言。这里是由Pygmies（侏儒，小人物）来作主的政府。
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