2009年考研英语（一）Text 4 逐句翻译¶

Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension - Part A - Text 4

• 此文应注意 New World 和 Old World 的翻译：

• New World 指代美洲新大陆；而 Old World 指代英格兰。

• 此文应注意 New England 的翻译，参考 Definition of 'New England' ：

• 在本文中它指代现今美国的东北部地区，包括缅因州，新罕布什尔州，佛蒙特州，马萨诸塞州，罗得岛州和康涅狄格州，最初主要由清教徒于17世纪中叶定居。
• 在其他文献中有时指代澳大利亚东南部的一个地区，位于新南威尔士州的北部平原上

第一段¶

The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the New World are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England.

在美洲新大陆的历史上，受到最深入研究的知识分子是17世纪新英格兰地区的牧师和政治领袖。

According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial American was "so much importance attached to intellectual pursuits."

根据美国哲学通史的记载，殖民地时期的美洲地区“最重视对知识的追求。”

According to many books and articles, New England's leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.

据很多书籍和文献记载，新英格兰地区的领导人为在美国的知识文化生活中逐渐发展并占据主导的清教传统确立了基本主题和重点话题。

第二段¶

To make this approach to the New Englanders normally means to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church —— important subjects that we may not neglect.

用这种方法研究新英格兰人通常就意味着从清教徒对神学思想的创新和他们对教会独特的看法入手 —— 这些是不容忽视的重要主题。

But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the origin Puritans as carriers of European culture, adjusting to New World circumstances.

但是，为了和研究南部美国人知识文化生活的方法一致，我们可以认为最初的清教徒是正在适应新大陆环境的欧洲文化的继承者。

The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.

新英格兰殖民地曾是追求广泛认可的礼仪和精湛技艺的重要事件的发生地。

第三段¶

The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England.

Massachusetts 海湾的早期定居者包括在英国受过良好教育并极具影响力的人。

Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts churches in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston.

1629 年之后的十年间，大约有九十名知识渊博的牧师来到了 Massachusetts 洲的教会。除此之外，还有像 John Winthrop 这样的政治领袖。 John Winthrop 是一位受过良好教育的绅士，在来 Boston 之前曾担任过律师和王室官员。

These men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.

这些牧师和政治领袖编写了大量的著作并出版，同时被新大陆和旧大陆的读者们所熟悉，给新英格兰带来了一种诚心求知的氛围。

第四段¶

We should not forget, however, that most New Englanders were less well educated.

然而，我们不应该忘记大部分新英格兰人受教育程度不高。。

While few craftmen or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed, it is obvious that their views were less fully intellectualized.

虽然少数工匠或农夫（更不用说那些依靠别人生活的人和佣人了）给我们留下了可供分析的文学材料，但很明显，这些人的观点并不很理智。

Their thinking often had a traditional superstitious quality.

他们的想法经常有传统的迷信特征。

A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in late 1630s, left an account of his reasons for England that is filled with signs.

有一位叫 John Dane 的裁缝，在 17 世纪 30 年代末移民到美洲，他所留下的关于离开英国原因的叙述充满了种种征兆。

Sexual confusion,economic frustrations, and religious hope —— all came together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father that the first line he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words："Come out from among them, touch no unclean thing, and I will be your God and you shall be my people."

性关系混乱、经济不景气和对宗教的希望在一个关键时刻同时涌上心头，此时他打开《圣经》，告诉父亲，他所看到的《圣经》的第一行文字将决定他的命运，接着他读到了下面这些神奇的文字："从他们中间走出来，不要沾不洁净之物。我要做你们的上帝，你们要做我的子民。"

One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in Puritan churches.

人们不禁会想，当 Dane 在清教徒教堂里听到那些精心解释《圣经》的布道时会有怎样的感想。

第五段¶

Meanwhile, many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Dane's, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had not come to the New World for religion.

同时，很多在美洲的定居者并没有 Dane 那么虔诚的宗教信仰。正如一名神职人员在遇到沿海居民时所了解到的那样，他们开玩笑地说他们不是因为宗教的原因才到新大陆来的。

"Our main end was to catch fish."

“我们主要是来打渔的。”