1705007807 现代英文选评注 [:1705000338]

1705007808 现代英文选评注 Skeffington’s Decision to Run for Re-election市长决心竞选

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1705007810 Edwin O’Connor (1918—1968)

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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.”

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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。

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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.

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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。

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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。

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1705007822 ● mayor of the city：注意mayor前面不用限定冠词the。

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1705007824 ● matter：决心竞选这件“事情”。

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1705007826 ● public speculation：公众的推测。市长任期快满了，他要不要再度竞选呢？大家纷纷猜测，如由中国学生写来，这一句中的“猜测”很可能用一个动词，不大可能用一个名词（speculation）的。大致说来，表示动作的字，如用名词来表示，全句的主要动词仅用一个平凡的be（这里是had been），这样一个句子，比较平稳而欠生动。现在作者只想平铺直叙地开头，这样平稳的句法，比较合宜。要看生动的场面，后面多的是。

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1705007828 ● there had been：曾经有过。for a good while：猜测了好久。作者又加以补充说明，把for一字重复地用（for, in fact, four years）。事实上是，猜测了四年，从（ever since）他上次当选就任那时开始，就有人猜想他会不会任满后竞选连任了。

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1705007830 ● inaugurated：就任。反对他的人希望那就是他的最后一任，for连the last time：最后一次，但是这样说法作者认为还不够严格，for后面加了一个“what”clause：他们所希望的最后一次。fondly hoped：一厢情愿地希望。

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1705007832 ● the current year：本年度，今年。这一句用speculation做主语，呼应上一句的speculation，句与句之间连接得很紧。not alone=not only。deadline：限期。他是否想竞选连任，应该有所表示了。drawing near：移近；这是成语。

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1705007834 ● municipal elections：市区选举，选举市长等官员。off years：通常说来，不选举总统的美国选年都可称为off years。1952，1956，1960等年才是大选年。（按：参议员、州长何年选举，每州情况不一样，市长何年竞选，各大都市情形也不同。1993年是个off year，但纽泽西州竞选州长，纽约市竞选市长也很热闹。）politically：就政治方面说来，若是有更重要的选举（全国性或全州性的竞争[national or state contests]），波士顿一般市民对于市长竞选一事，不会这么关心。现在所以推测增多，传说纷纭，就是为了这两个原因：一、他表明态度的日期日益迫近；二、此外别无重要选举事宜。

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1705007836 ● spotlight：舞台或照相馆用的集光照明灯。光集中一点，和floodlight（光线遍照各处的泛光灯）不同。集光灯所照之处，必是使人最注目之处。现在只有这一样选举，市民只关心这么一件事，好像只有它一件事，为强光灯所照射；它无需（did not have to）和别种选举去分占这盏强光灯（或者说，去分占市民的注意力）。

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1705007838 ● mounted：增高。and as it had=and as interest had mounted。就在市民的兴趣增高的时候，Skeffington的政敌的希望也增高了。so had=had mounted。

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1705007840 ● 为什么他的政敌觉得有希望呢？因为他虽然公认（admittedly）是政海中的一个不倒翁（政客之中政治生命最长[most durable]的一个），可是同样也是公认的（just as admittedly），此人的春秋日高，恐怕将要退休。press conference：记者招待会。political career：政治生涯。

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1705007842 ● with a certain dreaminess：以梦想式的态度或语调。had gone so far as to：居然走得这样远；居然这样明白地表示。speak…of the joys of retirement：说起退隐之乐。of the quiet time的of，也是连speak的。

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1705007844 ● withdrawal：退出（政界）。follow：一生为公众服务之后，“继”之以退隐。

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1705007846 “Far from the madding crowd,” he had said, gazing at the reporters expressionlessly. “The declining years spent in solitude and contemplation. Possibly in some rustic retreat.”

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1705007848 This hint had not been received without a measure of cynicism; one reporter from the chief opposition paper had led the questioning which followed.

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1705007850 ● Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife：本是Thomas Gray诗中的句子。madding即mad，远离疯狂的人群。

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1705007852 ● he had said：此人在八月初公开表示要竞选，但是在此之前，他“曾经”暗示过要退休。他的再度竞选，既是“过去”的事，他一切关于退休的话，当然都是属于“过去的过去”。本文第一句用了It was early in August，决定了时间先后的标准。在此以前所发生的事，该用过去完成时态。

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1705007854 ● the reporters：记者们，这是在记者招待会上。

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1705007856 ● declining years：晚年，衰龄。spent：是过去分词。这是不完全句子。some rustic retreat：某处乡村偏僻的地方。retreat也可解作隐居的地方，或不受人打扰的地方。如宿舍里太闹不能读书，一定要在图书馆里才读得成书，那么图书馆也就是你的retreat。

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