美国语文第六册 第303期:夜间奇遇(3)
最后，其中一位年轻人指出不可能与长期以来形成的偏见进行斗争，
wheeled around, and with some familiarity exclaimed, "Well, my old gentleman, what think you of these things?"
他环顾四周，以老相识的口吻大声问道：“那位老先生，不知君意如何?”
"If," said the traveler, "a streak of vivid lightning had at that moment crossed the room,
“如果这时，”这位旅行者开口道，“一道亮光划过房间，
their amazement could not have been greater than it was from what followed."
他们的惊愕不会比接下来发生的事情所带来的惊愕更大。”
The most eloquent and unanswerable appeal that he had ever heard or read,
这个他听过或在书上读到的最雄辩和无法回答的诉求，
was made for nearly an hour by the old gentleman. So perfect was his recollection,
是这位年长的绅士用了将近一小时搜肠刮肚才想出来的。他的回忆非常准确，
that every argument urged against the Christian religion was met in the order in which it was advanced.
针对基督教提出的每一反对理由，都是预先设定的。
Hume's sophistry on the subject of miracles, was, if possible, more perfectly answered
如果可能的话，在这个令人惊奇的话题上休谟的诡辩术，
than it had already been done by Campbell. And in the whole lecture there was so much simplicity and energy,
要比坎贝尔已经做出的回答显得更恰到好处。在整个演讲中无处不体现出简洁和活力，
pathos and sublimity, that not another word was uttered.
激起怜悯的因素和庄严，没有一句毫无意义的废话。
"An attempt to describe it," said the traveler, "would be an attempt to paint the sunbeams."
“要想描述出来，”这位旅行者说，“无异于在阳光光束上着色。”
It was now a matter of curiosity and inquiry who the old gentleman was.
现在，人们好奇和想知道这位老绅士是谁。
The traveler concluded that it was the preacher from whom the pulpit eloquence was heard;
这位旅行者断定从讲坛传来的洪亮的声音是布道者的;
but no, it was John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the United States.
但不是这样，原来他是美国首席大法官约翰·马歇尔。
