1705007960 ● delivered in private：私下表示的。

1705007961

1705007962 “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!”

1705007963

1705007964 ● 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。

1705007965

1705007966 ● submission to：屈服于（人民的意志）。

1705007967

1705007968 ● 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。

1705007969

1705007970 ● boggles：突然受惊，因此停止不前。presumption：胆大妄为。

1705007971

1705007972 ● 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。

1705007973

1705007974 ● 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。

1705007975

1705007976 ● fumbling：笨拙的，瞎摸的。to the care of such fumbling hands：交到这种人的手里去。

1705007977

1705007978 ● 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…）。

1705007979

1705007980 ● 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。

1705007981

1705007982 This announcement had been carefully timed so that it would appear in the city edition of all morning papers; in this way, the maximum desirable effect would be achieved; the majority of his opponents would learn the bad news over their morning coffee. It was a thought which appeared to afford him a virtually limitless satisfaction.

1705007983

1705007984 ● timed：time作动词用，解作“时间算准”。city edition：本市版。

1705007985

1705007986 ● the maximum desirable effect would be achieved：可以达到希望中的最大效用。

1705007987

1705007988 ● It was a thought：（他的那些政敌一早起来，翻开报纸就看见他再度竞选的消息，不禁先则愕然，继则愤然，再则黯然）他一想到这点，心里就感到无限安慰。他事前封锁消息到那天晚上再公布，目的就要使他的敌人生一天气。virtually limitless：几乎是无限的。

1705007989

1705007990

1705007991

1705007992

1705007993 现代英文选评注 [:1705000339]

1705007994 现代英文选评注 Moon Shell月形螺壳

1705007995

1705007996 Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906—2001)

1705007997

1705007998 本文作者是名飞行家林白上校（Charles A. Lindbergh）的夫人，其父亲是外交家。林白夫人写诗，也写小说；这篇文章选自她1955年出版的散文集《海的礼物）》（Gift from the Sea）。该书收了八篇文章，大多是林白夫人记录自己在海滨的各种思想，大多有关妇女问题和人生问题。她的思想大多又是海滨的各种贝壳所引起的，所以这本书名《海的礼物》。这种发抒个人感慨的散文，在中国是“散文正宗”，美国十九世纪的散文也很多是这一种的，但是二十世纪便很少见。林白夫人此书出版后很受欢迎，列入畅销书。

1705007999

1705008000 This is a snail shell, round, full and glossy as a horse chestnut. Comfortable and compact, it sits curled up like a cat in the hollow of my hand. Milky and opaque, it has the pinkish bloom of the sky on a summer evening, ripening to rain. On its smooth symmetrical face is pencilled with precision a perfect spiral, winding inward to the pinpoint center of the shell, the tiny dark core of the apex, the pupil of the eye. It stares at me, this mysterious single eye—and I stare back.

1705008001

1705008002 ● snail：蜗牛。海滩上的贝壳，也有圆圆的像蜗牛壳的。full：丰满的。glossy：光泽鲜明的。horse chestnut：“七叶树”所结的果子，据说以前是马的饲料。

1705008003

1705008004 ● compact：满满的。Comfortable形容贝壳，似乎奇怪；但贝壳既比作为猫，此字也是妥当的。curled是过去分词，作形容词用，形容主语it。这两句的形容词，有些放在名词的前面，有些放在后面，其间颇有考究。如第一句改成：This is a round snail shell. 第二句改成：It sits comfortable, compact, and curled up. 都比较差。

1705008005

1705008006 ● in the hollow of my hand：在我手心里面（我手的洼处）。

1705008007

1705008008 ● 第三句又是以两个形容词开头。这种句法，至少可以省掉verb to be；否则的话It is comfortable and compact；it is milky and opaque：重复地说，句法很笨。现在把形容词放在一句之首，句子的主语还没出现；句子的重心不落在这几个形容词身上，句子里可以讲些更重要的事。opaque：不透明的。bloom：红润之色。ripening：这个字来形容天空，很怪。原义是“成熟”，夏日黄昏，红云渐浓，乃下雨之兆。

1705008009

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