美国语文第六册 第113期:皮特先生的品格(1)
这位大臣一个人站了起来。
Modern degeneracy had not reached him.
近代堕落的风气没有在他身上觅到。
Original and unaccommodating, the features of his character had the hardihood of antiquity.
他的性格之独具和不肯通融的方方面面，颇具古人的刚毅风范。
His august mind overawed majesty itself.
他那如疾风暴雨般的思想连陛下都不胜敬畏。
No state chicanery, no narrow system of vicious politics, no idle contest for ministerial victories, sank him to the vulgar level of the great;
没有对国事的枉顾，没有对残酷的政治设立狭隘的制度，没有与大臣们的成功进行愚蠢的竞争，却将他贬至平庸的水平上;
but overbearing, persuasive, and impracticable, his object was England, his ambition was fame.
但是，他的目标是整个英格兰，他的抱负就是荣誉，这个断言有些傲慢但有说服力，尽管断不可行。
Without dividing, he destroyed party; without corrupting, he made a venal age unanimous.
没有分化，他毁灭了整个党派;没有贪赃舞弊，他开创的是贪污盛行的时代。
France sunk beneath him.
法兰西倒在他脚下。
With one hand he smote the house of Bourbon, and wielded in the other the democracy of England.
他一只手就推到了波旁王朝，对另一个英格兰民主政体施加决定性影响。
The sight of his mind was infinite; and his schemes were to effect, not England, not the present age only, but Europe and posterity.
他的思想疆域是无限的;他的图谋并不只是影响英格兰和当前的时代，而是欧洲和后世。
Wonderful were the means by which those schemes were accomplished;
奇妙之处在于，这些图谋赖以实现的手段。
always seasonable, always adequate, the suggestion of an understanding animated by ardor and enlightened by prophecy.
始终有合理性，始终恰当，对这些图谋的理解暗示系由热情驱动的，由预言而受到启发的。
The ordinary feelings which make life amiable and indolent, were unknown to him.
赋予生命以和蔼和懒惰这些特质的正常情感，他无从知晓。
No domestic difficulties, no domestic weakness, reached him;
国家处于困境和积弱并不会影响他。
but, aloof from the sordid occurrences of life, and unsullied by its intercourse,
但是，脱离生活的卑鄙肮脏，不会为人际交往所玷污，
he came occasionally into our system, to counsel and decide.
他偶尔会闯进我们的圈子，提出劝告和做出决定。
