返回首页

DorisKearnsGoodwin_2008-_向过去的总统学习_
So, indeed, I have spent my life looking into the lives of presidents who are no longer alive. 嗯,实际上,我用了毕生的精力 来研究那些已经离我们远去的总统们的生活
Waking up with Abraham Lincoln in the morning, thinking of Franklin Roosevelt when I went to bed at night. 早晨起来,我会想到亚伯拉罕·林肯 晚上睡觉还会想到富兰克林·罗斯福
But when I try and think about what I've learned about the meaning in life, my mind keeps wandering back to a seminar that I took when I was a graduate student at Harvard with the great psychologist Erik Erikson. 但每当我尽力去思考生命的意义时 我的思绪又总会回到 曾经在哈弗大学做本科生时参加的一次研讨会 那时我还和著名的心理学家埃里克·埃里克森一起
seminar:n.讨论会,研讨班; Harvard:n.哈佛大学;哈佛大学学生; psychologist:n.心理学家,心理学者;
He taught us that the richest and fullest lives attempt to achieve an inner balance between three realms : work, love and play. 他教育我们说最丰富而又充实的生命 在于达到3个方面的平衡 工作,爱情和娱乐
attempt:n.企图,试图;攻击;v.企图,试图;尝试; inner:n.内部;射中接近靶心部分的一发;adj.里面的;向内的;内部的;接近中心的; realms:n.领域(realm的复数);
And that to pursue one realm to the disregard of the other, is to open oneself to ultimate sadness in older age. 若只追求一方面而无视其它 会让人们年老时感到无比的悲伤
pursue:v.继续;从事;追赶;纠缠; disregard:vt.忽视;不理;漠视;不顾;n.忽视;不尊重; ultimate:adj.最终的;极限的;根本的;n.终极;根本;基本原则;
Whereas to pursue all three with equal dedication , is to make possible a life filled, not only with achievement, but with serenity . 然而,若能达到三者间的平衡 就会让生命充实,而你得到的将不仅仅是成就 还有内心祥和、安宁
Whereas:conj.然而;鉴于;反之; dedication:n.奉献;献身;(建筑物等的)落成典礼;(书、音乐或演出前部的)献词; serenity:n.平静,宁静;晴朗,风和日丽;
So since I tell stories, let me look back on the lives of two of the presidents I've studied to illustrate this point -- 既然是讲故事,我们先来回顾一下 两位总统的生命历程,来证明我的观点
illustrate:v.解释;加插图于;给(书等)做图表;表明…真实;
Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson. 他们是亚伯拉罕·林肯和林登·约翰逊
As for that first sphere of work, 那么第一方面--工作
sphere:n.球;领域;球体;球形;v.使成球形;包围;把…放在球内;使处于天体之间;
I think what Abraham Lincoln's life suggests is that fierce ambition is a good thing. 林肯的生活告诉我们 人要有大志向
fierce:adj.凶猛的;猛烈的;暴躁的; ambition:n.追求的目标;野心;志向;抱负;
He had a huge ambition. 林肯志向远大
But it wasn't simply for office or power or celebrity or fame -- what it was for was to accomplish something worthy enough in life so that he could make the world a little better place for his having lived in it. 但并不仅仅为了获取权力、地位或名誉 他追求的是给生命带来意义的东西 使周围的世界更加美好
celebrity:n.名人;名声; accomplish:v.完成;实现;达到; worthy:adj.值得的; n.杰出人物;
Even as a child, it seemed, Lincoln dreamed heroic dreams. 甚至在林肯还是个孩子的时候,就梦想成为英雄
heroic:adj.英雄的;英勇的;记叙英雄及其事迹的;夸张的;n.史诗;英勇行为;
He somehow had to escape that hard-scrabble farm from which he was born. 他必须从那乱糟糟的农场里逃脱出来 在那个地方
somehow:adv.以某种方法;莫名其妙地;
No schooling was possible for him, except a few weeks here, a few weeks there. 上学是不可能的 读书也就是断断续续的旁听而已
But he read books in every spare moment he could find. 但是他一有时间就会读书
spare:v.节约,吝惜;饶恕;分出,分让;adj.多余的;瘦的;少量的;n.剩余;备用零件;
It was said when he got a copy of the King James Bible or "Aesop's Fables ," he was so excited he couldn't sleep. 据说,有次他拿到一本詹姆斯王圣经 也就是人们说的“伊索寓言”的时候
Bible:n.有权威的书; Fables:寓言(fable的复数)
He couldn't eat. 兴奋的废寝忘食
The great poet Emily Dickinson once said, "There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away." 伟大的诗人埃米莉·狄金森曾经说过, 没有什么能像书一样让我们爱不释手
frigate:n.护卫舰;三帆快速战舰;
How true for Lincoln. 林肯就是这样的
Though he never would travel to Europe, he went with Shakespeare 's kings to merry England, he went with Lord Byron's poetry to Spain and Portugal. 尽管他没有去过欧洲 但是他可以和莎士比亚一起游历英伦 还在拜伦的诗歌长河里穿越西班牙和葡萄牙
Shakespeare:n.莎士比亚(英国剧作家); merry:adj.愉快的;高兴的; Lord:n.(英国)贵族,大人,大臣;v.使成贵族;作威作福; poetry:n.诗;诗意,诗情;诗歌艺术;
Literature allowed him to transcend his surroundings . 文学作品让他超越了环境的束缚
Literature:n.文学;文献;文艺;著作; transcend:v.超出,超越(通常的界限); surroundings:n.周围的环境;环境;(surrounding的复数)
But there were so many losses in his early life that he was haunted by death. 林肯在早年经历了许多挫折 周围的亲人相继死去
His mother died when he was only nine years old. 在他只有九岁的时候,母亲去世了。
His only sister, Sarah, in childbirth a few years later. 他唯一的姐姐莎拉几年后因难产死亡
childbirth:n.分娩;
And his first love, Ann Rutledge, at the age of 22. 还有他的初恋爱人安·拉特利奇22岁也死了
Moreover , when his mother lay dying she did not hold out for him the hope that they would meet in an afterworld . 还有,他母亲在垂死之时 她并没有拥抱林肯说 希望他们来世可以再见面
Moreover:adv.而且;此外; afterworld:n.来世,后世;阴间;后代;
She simply said to him, "Abraham, I'm going away from you now, and I shall never return." 她只是对他说 “亚伯拉罕,现在我要离你远去,再也不会回来了。”
As a result he became obsessed with the thought that when we die our life is swept away, dust to dust. 从那时起,他开始执迷地认为 人们死后,生命就此消逝,无影无踪
As a result:结果; obsessed:v.使痴迷;使迷恋;使着迷;(obsess的过去式和过去分词) swept:v.扫除(sweep的过去式和过去分词);adj.扫频的;
But only as he grew older did he develop a certain consolation from an ancient Greek notion -- but followed by other cultures as well -- that if you could accomplish something worthy in your life, you could live on in the memory of others. 后来随着慢慢长大,他才 在古希腊思想的影响下得到一些慰藉 当然还受到其它文化影响 他意识到如果人们能够追求到令生命意义的东西 你就可以被后人铭记
consolation:n.安慰;慰问;起安慰作用的人或事物; notion:n.观念;信念;理解;
Your honor and your reputation would outlive your earthly existence. 荣耀和名誉就也会比人的躯体更长久的留存
outlive:v.比…活得长;比…经久;经受住;渡过…而存在; earthly:adj.地球的;尘世的;可能的;
And that worthy ambition became his lodestar. 这一志向变成了林肯的座右铭
It carried him through the one significant depression that he suffered when he was in his early 30s. 伴随着他度过了生命中最艰难的时期 那是在他30出头的时候
significant:adj.重大的;有效的;有意义的;值得注意的;意味深长的;n.象征;有意义的事物; depression:n.沮丧;洼地;不景气;忧愁;
Three things had combined to lay him low. 三件事让他情绪低落
He had broken his engagement with Mary Todd , not certain he was ready to marry her, but knowing how devastating it was to her that he did that. 他和玛莉·托德解除了婚约 因为不确定自己要娶她 但他明白他的行为对于她来说是多么的残酷
engagement:n.婚约;约会;交战;诺言;n.参与度; Todd:n.托德(姓氏,英国化学家,曾获1957年诺贝尔化学奖); devastating:adj.毁灭性的; v.毁灭; (devastate的现在分词)
His one intimate friend, Joshua Speed, was leaving Illinois to go back to Kentucky because Speed's father had died. 还有就是他一个最好的朋友约书亚·斯皮得要离开伊利诺伊州 回到肯塔基州,因为斯皮得的父亲去世了。
intimate:n.知己; v.暗示; adj.亲密的; Joshua:n.约书亚;约书亚书; Illinois:n.伊利诺斯州(美国州名); Kentucky:n.肯塔基州;
And his political career in the state legislature was on a downward slide. 还有他在州议会的政治前途 越走越黯淡
career:n.职业;事业;生涯;经历; legislature:n.立法机关;立法机构; downward:adj.下降的;向下的;adv.同"downwards";
He was so depressed that friends worried he was suicidal . 朋友们担心他会自杀
depressed:adj.沮丧的; v.使抑郁; (depress的过去式和过去分词) suicidal:adj.自杀的,自杀性的;自我毁灭的;自取灭亡的;
They took all knives and razors and scissors from his room. 把他房里所有的小刀,刮胡刀还有剪刀都拿走
scissors:n.剪刀;v.剪断;删除;(scissor的第三人称单数和复数)
And his great friend Speed went to his side and said, "Lincoln, you must rally or you will die." 后来他的好朋友斯皮得来到身边对他说 林肯,你要振作,不然你就是死路一条。”
rally:v.团结;重整;恢复;(网球等)连续对打;n.集会;回复;公路赛车会;
He said that, "I would just as soon die right now, but I've not yet done anything to make any human being remember that I have lived." 他反说,“其实我现在就可以死 但是我还没有做过什么事能让人们 记得我存在过。”
So fuelled by that ambition, he returned to the state legislature. 他的壮志让他重燃激情,他回到了州议会
fuelled:v.刺激(fuel的过去式);加燃料;
He eventually won a seat in Congress . 最终在国会赢得一张席位
eventually:adv.最后,终于; Congress:n.国会;代表大会;会议;社交;
He then ran twice for the Senate , lost twice. 后来他两次竞选议员,两次都以失败告终
Senate:n.参议院,上院;(古罗马的)元老院;
'"Everyone is broken by life," Ernest Hemingway once said, "but some people are stronger in the broken places." 海明威曾经说过:“每个人都会经历生活磨练。 有些人即使被折磨得体无完肤,也仍然坚强。”
Hemingway:n.海明威(美国小说家);
So then he surprised the nation with an upset victory for the presidency over three far more experienced, far more educated, far more celebrated rivals . 他竞选总统的成功震惊了整个国家 也战胜了比他更有经验, 更有教育背景和名望的对手
upset:adj.沮丧; v.打乱; n.苦恼; (意外的)混乱; presidency:n.总统(或董事长,会长,大学校长等)的职位(任期);管辖;支配; rivals:n.对手(rival的复数);[劳经]竞争者;v.竞争(rival的三单形式);
And then when he won the general election , he stunned the nation even more by appointing each of these three rivals into his Cabinet . 然而在他真正成为总统的时候 又给民众更大的震惊 他分别任命了3位竞选对手成为他的内阁成员
general election:n.大选;普选; stunned:adj.震惊的; v.使昏迷; (stun的过去分词和过去式) appointing:v.任命;委任;安排,确定(时间、地点);(appoint的现在分词) Cabinet:n.内阁;储藏柜;陈列柜;adj.内阁的;小房间用的;玲珑的;细木工做的;
It was an unprecedented act at the time because everybody thought, "He'll look like a figurehead compared to these people." 在当时这种做法是前无古人的,因为人人都认为 “和其他人相比,林肯不过是有名无实之辈。”
unprecedented:adj.空前的;无前例的; figurehead:n.破浪神;有名无实的领袖;装饰船头的人像; compared:adj.比较的,对照的; v.相比; (compare的过去式和过去分词)
They said, "Why are you doing this, Lincoln?" 他们说,“林肯,你为什么要这么做？”
And he said, "Look, these are the strongest and most able men in the country. 他回答说,“这些人都是这个国家最强悍 最有能力的人。
The country is in peril . I need them by my side." 我们的国家处在危急之中,我需要他们在我身边。”
peril:n.危险;冒险;vt.危及;置…于险境;
But perhaps my old friend, Lyndon Johnson might have put it in less noble fashion, "Better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in." 但是,也许我的老朋友林登·约翰逊 用了一个更为通俗的方式来表达这个意思 让敌人在你的帐篷里对外撒尿 总比他们站在帐篷外往里面尿好
noble:adj.高尚的;贵族的;惰性的;宏伟的;n.贵族; pissing:v.撒尿;(piss的现在分词)
(Laughter) （笑声）
But it soon became clear that Abraham Lincoln would emerge as the undisputed captain of this unruly team. 但是事情很快变得明朗,林肯 不容置疑地出任了这个放纵不羁的团队的首领
emerge:v.浮现;显现;暴露;露出真相; undisputed:adj.无可争辩的;无异议的;毫无疑问的; unruly:adj.不守规矩的;任性的;难驾驭的;
For one thing , he possessed an uncanny ability to empathize with and to think about other peoples' point of view . 首先,他有一种不寻常的能力 设身处地的为他人考虑
For one thing:首先;一则; possessed:adj.着了魔;v.有;拥有;具有(特质);控制;(possess的过去分词和过去式) uncanny:adj.神秘的;离奇的;可怕的; empathize:vt.移情;神会; point of view:观点;见地;立场;
He repaired injured feelings that might have escalated into permanent hostility . 他修复那些受伤的心灵。以防那些心灵发展成 永久的敌对心理。
injured:adj.受伤的:委屈的: v.伤害,使受伤: n.伤员; escalated:v.(使)逐步扩大,不断恶化,加剧;(escalate的过去分词和过去式) permanent:adj.永久的,永恒的;n.烫发; hostility:n.敌意;战争行动;
He shared credit with ease, assumed responsibility for the failure of his subordinates , constantly acknowledged his errors and learned from his mistakes. 他把功劳与人分享, 对下属的错误勇于承担责任, 他总能承认自己的错误并总结经验教训
assumed:adj.假定的;假设的;v.假定;假设;认为;承担;(assume的过去分词和过去式) subordinates:n.下级; v.把…置于次要地位; (subordinate的第三人称单数和复数) constantly:adv.不断地;时常地;
These are the qualities we should be looking for in our candidates in 2008. 这些都是我们希望在2008年的候选人身上找到的品质。
(Applause) （鼓掌）
He refused to be provoked by petty grievances . 他从不因为微不足道的事情发怒。
provoked:v.激起;引发;挑衅;刺激;(provoke的过去分词和过去式) petty:adj.琐碎的;小气的;小规模的; grievances:n.不平的事;委屈;抱怨;牢骚;(grievance的复数)
He never submitted to jealousy or brooded over perceived slights . 他从不嫉妒别人或者因小事计较。
submitted:v.提交;顺从;投降;表示;认为;建议;(submit的过去分词和过去式) jealousy:n.嫉妒;猜忌;戒备; brooded:vt.孵;沉思;n.一窝;一伙; perceived:v.注意到;意识到;将…视为;认为;(perceive的过去式和过去分词) slights:adj.轻微的,少量的; vt.轻视,忽略; n.怠慢;
And he expressed his unshakeable convictions in everyday language, in metaphors , in stories. 然而他那不可动摇的信仰 渗透在日常的言谈,举止和经历中。
expressed:v.表示;表达;显而易见;不言自明;(express的过去分词和过去式) unshakeable:adj.不可动摇的;坚定不移的; convictions:n.判罪;定罪;坚定的看法(或信念);坚信;肯定;(conviction的复数) metaphors:n.隐喻(metaphor的复数形式);
And with a beauty of language, almost as if the Shakespeare and the poetry he had so loved as a child had worked their way into his very soul. 语言的魅力,让他的表达几乎如同 孩提时他钟爱的莎士比亚的诗歌 一样完美
In 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, he brought his old friend, Joshua Speed, back to the White House . 1863年,解放黑人奴隶宣言颁布, 他让老朋友约书亚·斯皮得重回白宫。
Emancipation:n.解放;释放; Proclamation:n.公告;宣布;宣告;公布; White House:n.白宫(美国总统官邸,位于首都华盛顿);
And remembered that conversation of decades before, when he was so sad. 他想起了几十年前最艰难时候他们之间的对话
And he, pointing to the Proclamation said, "I believe in this measure my fondest hopes will be realized." 林肯指着那个宣言说, “我通过它,我最热切的希望就可以实现了。”
But as he was about to put his signature on the Proclamation his own hand was numb and shaking because he had shaken a thousand hands that morning at a New Year's reception. 但是,当他正要在宣言上签字的时候, 他的手麻木了,不停地颤抖 因为在那天早上的招待会上他已经握了一千次手。
was about to:眼看就要;即将;正要;行将; signature:n.署名;签名;信号;
So he put the pen down. 于是他把笔放下。说:
He said, "If ever my soul were in an act, it is in this act. “如果说我的灵魂存在于某个法案中,那就是这个法案。
But if I sign with a shaking hand, posterity will say, 'He hesitated .'" 但是如果我用颤抖的手在上面签字的话, 我们的后代会说:‘我犹豫了。’”
posterity:n.子孙,后裔;后代; hesitated:v.(对某事)犹豫,迟疑不决;顾虑;疑虑;(hesitate的过去分词和过去式)
So he waited until he could take up the pen and sign with a bold and clear hand. 所以,他一直等到手不再颤抖才拿起笔 签上了坚定而清晰地一笔。
bold:adj.大胆的,英勇的;黑体的;厚颜无耻的;险峻的;
But even in his wildest dreams, 但是即使是在他最大胆的梦想里,
Lincoln could never have imagined how far his reputation would reach. 林肯也没有想到过 他声名远扬的程度。
I was so thrilled to find an interview with the great Russian writer, 我很惊讶地发现了一份20世纪早期,伟大的俄国作家
thrilled:adj.非常兴奋; v.使非常兴奋; (thrill的过去分词和过去式) interview:n.接见,采访;面试,面谈;v.采访;接见;对…进行面谈;
Leo Tolstoy , in a New York newspaper in the early 1900s. 列夫托尔斯泰被纽约一份报纸采访时的记录。
Tolstoy:n.托尔斯泰(俄国小说家);
And in it, Tolstoy told of a trip that he'd recently made to a very remote area of the Caucasus , where there were only wild barbarians , who had never left this part of Russia. 在采访中,托尔斯泰提到了他最近一次 去高加索的一个非常偏远的地区的旅行 那里都全是些落后的村民, 他们从来没有离开过俄罗斯的这一地区。
recently:adv.最近;新近; remote:adj.偏远的;偏僻的;遥远的;久远的; Caucasus:n.高加索(俄罗斯南部地区,位于黑海和里海之间,等于Caucasia); barbarians:n.野蛮人;蛮夷(barbarian的复数形式);
Knowing that Tolstoy was in their midst , they asked him to tell stories of the great men of history. 当他们知道托尔斯泰来到那里后, 就请他讲述历史上伟人的故事。
midst:n.当中,中间;prep.在…中间(等于amidst);
So he said, "I told them about Napoleon and Alexander the Great and Frederick the Great and Julius Caesar , and they loved it. 托尔斯泰说:“我给他们讲拿破仑, 亚历山大大帝和腓特烈大帝 还有凯撒的故事,他们非常喜欢。
Caesar:n.凯撒(罗马皇帝);暴君;人间的主宰;剖腹产手术;
But before I finished, the chief of the barbarians stood up and said, "But wait, you haven't told us about the greatest ruler of them all. 但是在我将要结束之前,村民的首领站起来说: “且慢,你还没有给我们讲最伟大的统治者。
We want to hear about that man who spoke with a voice of thunder , who laughed like the sunrise , who came from that place called America, which is so far from here, that if a young man should travel there, he would be an old man when he arrived. 我们想听那个人的故事,他讲话声音震耳欲聋; 笑起来如旭日东升; 他来自一个遥远的地方叫做美国。 如果一个年轻人想要到达那里, 要用一辈子的时间才能走到。
thunder:n.雷;雷声;轰隆声;v.打雷;发出雷鸣般响声; sunrise:n.日出;朝霞;
Tell us of that man. Tell us of Abraham Lincoln.'" 给我们讲这个人的故事。给我们讲亚伯拉罕·林肯的故事。’”
He was stunned. 托尔斯泰震惊了
He told them everything he could about Lincoln. 他把所有他知道的关于林肯的事都告诉了他们。
And then in the interview he said, "What made Lincoln so great? 之后在这次采访中他说:“是什么让林肯如此伟大？
Not as great a general as Napoleon, not as great a statesman as Frederick the Great." （他的伟大）既不是拿破仑大将的军式伟大, 也不是政治家腓特烈大帝式的伟大。
statesman:n.政治家;国务活动家;
But his greatness consisted , and historians would roundly agree, in the integrity of his character and the moral fiber of his being. 然而,所有的历史学家都会肯定这一说法,他的伟大存在于 他性格中的真诚、正直 和他与生俱来的道德情操。
greatness:n.伟大;巨大; consisted:vi.组成;在于;符合; roundly:adv.全面地;严厉地;直率地;圆圆地; integrity:n.完整;正直;诚实;廉正; moral:n.寓意;品行;教益;adj.道德的;道义上的;道德上的;品行端正的; fiber:n.纤维;光纤(等于fibre);
So in the end that powerful ambition that had carried Lincoln through his bleak childhood had been realized. 所以最后他的雄心壮志 那些曾经激励他走过悲惨童年的梦想终于实现了。
bleak:adj.阴冷的;荒凉的,无遮蔽的;黯淡的,无希望的;冷酷的;单调的; childhood:n.童年;幼年;孩童时期
That ambition that had allowed him to laboriously educate himself by himself, to go through that string of political failures and the darkest days of the war. 这一梦想让他发奋图强 并且鼓励他在一连串的政治失败 和战争的黑暗中振作起来。
laboriously:adv.辛苦地;费力地;不流畅地; string:n.字符串; v.悬挂; adj.由弦乐器组成的;
His story would be told. 他的故事应该被传颂。
So as for that second sphere, not of work, but of love -- encompassing family, friends and colleagues -- it, too, takes work and commitment . 现在我们来讲第二方面,感情生活 人们围绕着家人,朋友和同事, 也需要经营和承诺
encompassing:adj.包含的;包容的,环绕;v.围绕,包围(encompass的ing形式); colleagues:n.同事;同行(colleague的复数); commitment:n.承诺;投入;保证;许诺;
The Lyndon Johnson that I saw in the last years of his life, when I helped him on his memoirs , was a man who had spent so many years in the pursuit of work, power and individual success, 我看到晚年的林登·约翰逊, 那时候我帮他写回忆录。 他是多年来一直追求 工作,权力和个人成功的人。
memoirs:n.回忆录; in the pursuit of:追求;为了追求; individual:n.个人;有个性的人;adj.单独的;个别的;
that he had absolutely no psychic or emotional resources left to get him through the days once the Presidency was gone. 他几乎没有留下任何心灵或者感情上的财富 来帮他度过 那段不再是总统的时光。
absolutely:adv.绝对地;完全地; psychic:adj.精神的;心灵的;灵魂的;超自然的;n.灵媒;巫师; emotional:adj.情绪的;易激动的;感动人的; resources:n.[计][环境]资源; v.向…提供资金(resource的第三人称单数);
My relationship with him began on a rather curious level. 我和他的关系开始于一段不寻常的经历。
curious:adj.好奇的,有求知欲的;古怪的;爱挑剔的;
I was selected as a White House Fellow when I was 24 years old. 我24岁时被选为白宫学者。
We had a big dance at the White House. 我们在白宫里举行了一个大型舞会。
President Johnson did dance with me that night. 约翰逊总统那天晚上的确和我跳舞了
Not that peculiar -- there were only three women out of the 16 White House Fellows. 其实没有我想象的那么不寻常, 那时白宫的16位学者中只有3位女士。
peculiar:adj.特殊的;独特的;奇怪的;罕见的;n.特权;特有财产;
But he did whisper in my ear that he wanted me to work directly for him in the White House. 但是他也的确在我的耳边低语说, 他希望我在白宫里直接为他工作。
whisper:v.耳语;低语;私语;小声说;n.耳语(声);低语(声);私语(声);轻柔的声音; directly:adv.直接地;立即;马上;正好地;坦率地;conj.一…就;
But it was not to be that simple. 但是事情没有那么简单。
For in the months leading up to my selection , like many young people, I'd been active in the anti-Vietnam War movement, and had written an article against Lyndon Johnson, which unfortunately came out in The New Republic two days after the dance in the White House. 因为在往后的选举岁月里, 我就像众多的年轻人一样, 积极参与到了反对越南战争的运动中, 并且还写了一篇反对林登·约翰逊的文章, 不幸的是,这篇文章出版在了《新共和》上, 而这仅仅发生在白宫舞会的2天之后。
selection:n.选择;选拔;挑选;被挑选的人(或物); unfortunately:adv.不幸地;
(Laugher) （笑）
And the theme of the article was how to remove Lyndon Johnson from power. 那篇文章的主题是讲如何让林登·约翰逊下台。
(Laughter) （笑）
So I was certain he would kick me out of the program. 所以当时我坚信他会把我从白宫赶出来。
But instead, surprisingly , he said, "Oh, bring her down here for a year, and if I can't win her over , no one can." 但出乎意料的是,他说:“ 哦,让她在这里工作一年, 如果我不能令她信服,别人也不能。”
surprisingly:adv.令人惊讶地;出乎意料地 win her over:赢取芳心;
So I did end up working for him in the White House. 所以最后我还是在白宫里为他效力。
Eventually accompanied him to his ranch to help him on those memoirs, never fully understanding why he'd chosen me to spend so many hours with. 最后我们一起去了他的农场写回忆录 最终也没能弄明白为什么他会选择与我共度那么多的时光。
accompanied:v.陪同;陪伴;与…同时发生;为…伴奏;(accompany的过去式和过去分词) ranch:n.大农场;大牧场;v.经营牧场;在牧场工作;
I like to believe it was because I was a good listener. 我倒是愿意相信那是因为我善于倾听。
He was a great story teller . 他是个讲故事的高手。
teller:n.(美)出纳员;讲述者;讲故事者;计票员;
Fabulous , colorful, anecdotal stories. 他会讲很多非常有意思的奇闻轶事。
Fabulous:adj.难以置信的;传说的,寓言中的;极好的; anecdotal:adj.轶事的;轶事一样的;多轶事的;
There was a problem with these stories, however, which I later discovered, which is that half of them weren't true. 当然这些故事也存在一些瑕疵, 我后来才发现,那些故事有一半的情节是虚构的。
But they were great, nonetheless . 但是不管怎么说,讲的时候感觉很好。
nonetheless:adv.尽管如此,但是;
(Laughter) （笑）
So I think that part of his attraction for me was that I loved listening to his tall tales. 因此我觉得他之所以能吸引我,部分原因是我喜欢听他讲故事。
But I also worried that part of it was that I was then a young woman. 但是我也担心另外的原因--那时候我还是一个女孩子。
And he had had somewhat of a minor league womanizing reputation. 而且他似乎还有些沾花惹草的名声。
somewhat:n.几分;某物;adv.有点;多少;几分;稍微; minor league:adj.职业棒球小联盟的;次要的;无影响力的; womanizing:n.玩弄女性;沉溺于女色;v.与女人私通;玩女人;(womanize的现在分词)
So I constantly chatted to him about boyfriends, even when I didn't have any at all. 所以,我经常跟他聊男朋友的事情, 尽管那时候我还没有男朋友。
Everything was working perfectly, until one day he said he wanted to discuss our relationship. 我的工作进展得很顺利, 直到有一天,他说他想跟我聊聊我们之间的关系。
Sounded very ominous when he took me nearby to the lake, conveniently called Lake Lyndon Baines Johnson. 他带我去了湖边,我感觉有些不妙, 那个湖叫做林登·贝恩斯·约翰逊湖。
ominous:adj.预兆的;不吉利的; nearby:adj.附近的,邻近的;adv.在附近;prep.在…附近; conveniently:adv.便利地;合宜地;
And there was wine and cheese and a red-checked tablecloth -- all the romantic trappings . 还有红酒,奶酪和红格子桌布, 都是些很有浪漫情调饰品。
tablecloth:n.桌布;台布; romantic:adj.浪漫的;爱情的;n.浪漫的人;耽于幻想的人; trappings:n.服饰,礼服;外部标志;马饰;
And he started out, "Doris, more than any other woman I have ever known ... " 他开始对我说 “多丽丝,你比我所认识的所有女人都......”
other woman:n.情妇;女第三者;
And my heart sank. 我的心沉了下来。
And then he said, "You remind me of my mother." 然后他接着说: “你让我想起了我的妈妈。”
remind:v.提醒;使想起;
(Laughter) （笑）
It was pretty embarrassing , given what was going on in my mind. 想到当时我脑子里想的东西,是在是太难为情了。
embarrassing:adj.令人尴尬的; v.使尴尬; (embarrass的现在分词)
But I must say, the older I've gotten, the more I realize what an incredible privilege it was to have spent so many hours with this aging lion of a man. 但是我要说,随着年龄的增长, 我更加识到这是一个怎样的荣幸, 我有幸和这个男人中的王者共度了那么多时光。
incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的; privilege:n.特权;优待;v.给与…特权;特免;
A victor in a thousand contests, three great civil rights laws, Medicare , aid to education. 他在上千次的竞争中取胜, 成功颁布三个伟大的民权法案,保健医疗法案,教育支援法案。
victor:n.胜利者;获胜者;adj.胜利(者)的; civil rights:na.公民权; Medicare:n.(美,加)医疗保险(等于medicare);
And yet, roundly defeated in the end by the war in Vietnam. 最后却因越南战争被打得一派涂地。
And because he was so sad and so vulnerable , he opened up to me in ways he never would have had I know him at the height of his power -- sharing his fears, his sorrows and his worries. 他为此非常悲伤并变得脆弱, 他以从来不曾有过的方式向我倾诉 一个如此官高权重的人 和我分享他的恐惧、悲伤和忧虑
vulnerable:adj.易受攻击的,易受…的攻击;易受伤害的;有弱点的;
And I'd like to believe that the privilege fired within me the drive to understand the inner person behind the public figure, that I've tried to bring to each of my books since then. 我相信是这份荣幸让我欲罢不能。 促使我去了解公众人物背后的内心世界, 把我的感受写进书里。
But it also brought home to me the lessons which Erik Erikson had tried to instill in all of us, about the importance of finding balance in life. 它也让我清楚地明白 艾瑞克·埃克森曾试图向我们讲述的道理, --在生命中寻找平衡的重要性。
instill:vt.徐徐滴入;逐渐灌输;
For on the surface, Lyndon Johnson should have had everything in the world to feel good about in those last years, in the sense that he had been elected to the Presidency. 因为,在表面上,林登·约翰逊本应该 在他最后几年里拥有世间一切可以让他感觉良好的东西。 他曾经被选举为总统。
He had all the money he needed to pursue any leisure activity he wanted. 他有足够的金钱去挥霍 他想要的任何东西。
leisure:n.休闲;闲暇;空闲;adj.闲暇的;
He owned a spacious ranch in the countryside, a penthouse in the city. 他在乡村拥有一块广阔的农场,在城市还有一栋阁楼,
spacious:adj.宽敞的,广阔的;无边无际的; penthouse:n.阁楼;顶层公寓,屋顶房间;
Sailboats , speedboats . 有很多帆船及快艇。
Sailboats:n.帆船;(sailboat的复数) speedboats:n.快艇;高速游艇;
He had servants to answer any whim , and he had a family who loved him deeply. 有侍者对他言听计从, 还有非常爱他的家人。
servants:n.仆人;服务员(servant的复数); whim:n.奇想;一时的兴致;怪念头;幻想;
And yet, years of concentration solely on work and individual success meant that in his retirement he could find no solace in family, in recreation , in sports or in hobbies. 但是,几多年的专心于工作和追求个人成功 意味着当他退休之后,他就不能在 家庭,娱乐,体育和兴趣方面找到安慰。
concentration:n.浓度;含量;集中;专心; solely:adv.单独地,唯一地; retirement:n.退休;退职;退休年龄;退休生活; solace:n.安慰;慰藉;安慰之物;vt.安慰;抚慰;使快乐; recreation:n.娱乐;消遣;娱乐活动;游戏;
It was almost as if the hole in his heart was so large that even the love of a family, without work, could not fill it. 就像在他的心里有个很大的洞 以至于没有了工作的充实,即使家人的爱也不能将它填满。
As his spirits sagged , his body deteriorated until, I believe, he slowly brought about his own death. 他的精神变得无比空虚,身体状况也每况愈下 直到后来慢慢死去
sagged:adj.下垂的;凹陷的;v.下垂;下降(sag的过去式); deteriorated:v.变坏;恶化;退化;(deteriorate的过去分词和过去式)
In those last years, he said he was so sad watching the American people look toward a new President and forgetting him. 在后来的这些年里,他说他很悲伤 因为看到那么多的美国人满心期待新总统的出现而将他遗忘。
He spoke with immense sadness in his voice, saying maybe he should have spent more time with his children, and their children in turn. 他说话时声音里满是悲伤, 说也许他本应该花更多的时间跟孩子们一起, 和孩子的孩子们在一起。
immense:adj.巨大的,广大的;无边无际的;非常好的;
But it was too late. 但这一切都已经晚了。
Despite all that power, all that wealth , he was alone when he finally died -- his ultimate terror realized. 尽管他获得了那么大的权力,那么多的财富, 到最后还是孤独地死去 他最害怕的事情还是出现了。
Despite:prep.尽管,不管;n.轻视;憎恨;侮辱; wealth:n.财富;大量;富有; finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
So as for that third sphere of play, which he never had learned to enjoy, 我要讲的第三个方面就是娱乐 这一点约翰逊从来没有学着去享用过。
I've learned over the years that even this sphere requires a commitment of time and energy. 在这些年里我懂得了 即使是娱乐也是需要投入时间和精力的。
Enough so that a hobby, a sport, a love of music, or art, or literature, or any form of recreation, can provide true pleasure, relaxation and replenishment . 时间和精力都具备了,你的爱好、体育、对音乐的喜好、 对艺术或者文学的喜爱或者其它的任何一种娱乐方式 才能真正创造乐趣和轻松的感觉,也才可以提供精神的补给。
relaxation:n.放松;缓和;消遣; replenishment:n.补充,补给;
So deep, for instance , was Abraham Lincoln's love of Shakespeare, that he made time to spend more than a hundred nights in the theatre, even during those dark days of the war. 爱之深应该如同亚伯拉罕·林肯对莎士比亚的爱 他曾抽出一百多个夜晚去剧院, 即使是在战争的黑暗时期。
instance:n.实例;情况;建议;v.举...为例;
He said, when the lights went down and a Shakespeare play came on, for a few precious hours he could imagine himself back in Prince Hal's time. 他说,只要灯一灭,莎士比亚的剧目一开演, 他就会在这宝贵的几个小时里想象自己 回到了哈尔王子的时代。
precious:adj.宝贵的;珍贵的;矫揉造作的;
But an even more important form of relaxation for him, that Lyndon Johnson never could enjoy, was a love of, somehow, humor . 林登-约翰逊却从来没能享受过 的一种非常重要的放松方式就是 幽默
humor:n.幽默;心情;情绪;脾气;v.迎合;迁就;
And feeling out what hilarious parts of life can produce as side light to the sadness. 他不能感知出生命的欢乐 无法点亮悲伤。
hilarious:adj.欢闹的;非常滑稽的;喜不自禁的;
He once said that he laughed so he did not cry. 林肯曾经说过因为他笑所以他不会哭,
That a good story for him was better than a drop of whiskey . 说对他来说一则好故事胜过一瓶威士忌酒。
whiskey:n.威士忌酒;adj.威士忌酒的;
His storytelling powers had first been recognized when he was on the circuit in Illinois. 他讲故事的本领 是在伊利诺伊州的马戏团的时候被发现的。
storytelling:n.讲故事;说谎话;adj.讲故事的;说谎的; recognized:v.认识;认出;辨别出;承认;意识到;(recognize的过去分词和过去式) circuit:n.环行路线;电路;线路;巡回赛;v.巡回;周游;
The lawyers and the judges would travel from one county courthouse to the other, and when anyone was knowing Lincoln was in town, they would come from miles around to listen to him tell stories. 律师和法官会 从一个国家的法庭行到另一个法庭, 那时只要有一个人知道林肯就在镇上, 他们会从几英里外的地方赶过来听他讲故事。
county:n.郡,县; courthouse:n.法院;(美)县政府所在地;
He would stand with his back against a fire and entertain the crowd for hours with his winding tales. 他会站在那里背靠着火堆, 讲着情节曲折的故事娱乐群众。
entertain:v.娱乐;款待;使有兴趣;使快乐;
And all these stories became part of his memory bank , so he could call on them whenever he needed to. 所有的这些故事都成了他记忆库的一部分, 所以每当有机会的时候,他会信手拈来
memory bank:n.(计算机等的)存储体;
And they're not quite what you might expect from our marble monument . 这些都不是你能够从大理石纪念碑上找到的。
marble:n.大理石;大理石制品;弹珠;adj.大理石的;冷酷无情的; monument:n.丰碑;纪念碑(或馆、堂、像等);历史遗迹;有历史价值的建筑;
One of his favorite stories, for example, had to do with the revolutionary war hero, Ethan Allen. 例如,他最喜欢的故事之一, 就与革命战争英雄伊桑·艾伦有关。
revolutionary:adj.革命性的;革命的;彻底变革的;n.改革者;革命者;
And as Lincoln told the story, 林肯讲这个故事的时候,
Mr. Allen went to Britain after the war. 艾伦先生在战后就去了英国。
And the British people were still upset about losing the revolution, so they decided to embarrass him a little bit by putting a huge picture of General Washington in the only outhouse , where he'd have to encounter it. 那时候英国人民还为 输掉了革命而忿忿不平, 所以它们决定给他点难看 于是就把华盛顿将军的巨幅照片 挂在了唯一的外间,他每天的必经之所。
outhouse:n.外屋;屋外厕所;附属建筑物; encounter:v.遭遇,邂逅;遇到;n.遭遇,偶然碰见;
They figured he'd be upset about the indignity of George Washington being in an outhouse. 他们认为他一定会生气 看到华盛顿将军的被放在了外屋。
indignity:n.侮辱;轻蔑;有伤尊严;无礼举动;
But he came out of the outhouse not upset at all. 但是他出了外屋却一点都不生气,
And so they said, "Well, did you see George Washington in there?" 他们就问;“您没有在那里看到华盛顿将军吗？”
'"Oh, yes," he said, "perfectly appropriate place for him." “哦,看到了啊。”他说,“那个位置再适合他不过了。”
appropriate:adj.适当的;恰当的;v.占用,拨出;
'"What do you mean?" they said. “您什么意思？”他们说。
'"Well," he said, "there's nothing to make an Englishman shit faster than the sight of General George Washington." “好吧,”他说,“看看华盛顿大将军, 最能让英国佬屁滚尿流了。”
(Laughter) （笑）
(Applause) （鼓掌）
So you can imagine, if you are in the middle of a tense cabinet meeting -- and he had hundreds of these stories -- you would have to relax. 所以,你可以想象得到,如果在一场紧张的内阁会议里你也参与其中- 听他讲成百上千的这样的趣事 你一定会感到轻松。
So between his nightly treks to the theatre, his story telling, and his extraordinary sense of humor and his love of quoting Shakespeare and poetry, he found that form of play which carried him through his days. 在他晚间去剧院的周折中, 在他的故事以及绝妙的幽默感 还有他对莎士比亚和诗歌的热爱中, 他找到了那种可以陪伴他一生的娱乐方式。
nightly:adj.夜间的;每夜的;adv.每夜; treks:艰苦跋涉;徒步旅行(trek的第三人称单数); extraordinary:adj.非凡的;特别的;离奇的;临时的;特派的; quoting:v.引用;报价;举例说明;开价;为(企业的股份)上市;(quote的现在分词)
In my own life, I shall always be grateful for having found a form of play in my irrational love of baseball. 在我的一生中,我总是 为我对棒球的热爱心存感激
irrational:adj.不合理的;无理性的;荒谬的;n.[数]无理数;
Which allows me from the beginning of spring training to the end of the fall to have something to occupy my mind and heart other than my work. 这个爱好让我从春天训练一开始 到秋天结束, 都有可以充实思想和心灵的 东西在工作之外。
occupy:v.占据,占领;居住;使忙碌;
It all began when I was only six years old, and my father taught me that mysterious art of keeping score while listening to baseball games. 那是在我六岁的时候, 爸爸一边教我计分的技巧 一边收听棒球比赛。
mysterious:adj.神秘的;不可思议的;难解的;
So that when he went to work in New York during the day, 所以当他白天去纽约工作时
I could record for him the history of that afternoon's 我可以帮他记录那天下午
Brooklyn Dodgers game. 布鲁克林道奇队的比赛。
Dodgers:n.躲闪者,欺瞒者;传单广告用纸(dodger的复数形式);
Now, when you're only six years old, and your father comes home every single night and listens to you -- as I now realize that I, in excruciating detail, recounted every single play of every inning of the game that had just taken place that afternoon. 现在,试想你也仅仅是个六岁的孩子, 你爸爸每天晚上回家 都会听你讲---我现在意识到当时我有多么细致地 记录每一场比赛的细节 甚至每一个围垒重新计分。
excruciating:adj.折磨人的;极痛苦的;极坏的;v.折磨;使受酷刑;(excruciate的现在分词) recounted:vt.叙述;重新计算;n.重算; inning:n.(棒球的)一局;(荒地等的)围垦;执政期;轮到显身手的机会;
But he made me feel I was telling him a fabulous story. 爸爸让我感觉我在给他讲一个非常不错的故事。
It makes you think there's something magic about history to keep your father's attention. 我当时感觉必然有什么奇妙的东西可以 得到父亲的关注。
In fact, I'm convinced I learned the narrative art from those nightly sessions with my father. 事实上,我相信我学会了一种讲故事的技巧 而这些技巧就是在和我父亲晚上谈话中学来的。
convinced:adj.坚信; v.使确信; (convince的过去分词和过去式) narrative:n.叙述;故事;讲述;adj.叙事的,叙述的;叙事体的; sessions:n.会议;会期(session的复数);
Because at first, I'd be so excited I would blurt out, "The Dodgers won!" or, "The Dodgers lost!" 因为刚开始,我会很激动地脱口而出: “道奇队赢了！”或者,“道奇队输掉了！”
blurt:v.脱口而出;
Which took much of the drama of this two-hour-telling away. 这一说就让本可以讲两个小时的精彩比赛变得毫无悬念。
drama:n.戏剧;戏剧艺术;戏剧文学;戏剧性事件;
(Laughter) （笑）
So I finally learned you had to tell a story from beginning to middle to end. 所以我最终明白讲故事 就要从开始到中间再到最后。
I must say, so fervent was my love of the old Brooklyn Dodgers in those days, that I had to confess in my first confession two sins that related to baseball. 我想说,在那些日子里我对 布鲁克林道奇队的爱是如此的真挚, 所以在我第一次做忏悔的时候我就必须坦白 关于棒球我有两个罪过。
fervent:adj.热心的;强烈的;炽热的;热烈的; confession:n.忏悔,告解;供认; sins:n.罪恶;罪行;过错;过失;恶行;v.犯戒律;犯过失;(sin的第三人称单数和复数)
The first occurred because the Dodgers' catcher , Roy Campanella, came to my hometown of Rockville Centre , Long Island, just as I was in preparation for my first Holy Communion . 第一件是因为道奇队的捕手罗伊内拉 去了我的家乡洛克维尔中心,长岛 那时候我正在准备我的第一次圣餐。
occurred:v.发生;出现;存在于;出现在;(occur的过去分词和过去式) catcher:n.捕手,捕捉者;接球手; Rockville:n.罗克维尔市(位于美国马里兰州中部); Centre:中心 Holy Communion:n.[宗]圣餐礼;
And I was so excited -- first person I'd ever see outside of Ebbets Field. 那时的我太激动了 他是我在Ebbets球场之外见到的第一个明星。
Ebbets:绿北螈(产于美国东部的一种普通绿色蝾螈);
But it so happened he was speaking in a Protestant Church. 当他在清教徒的教堂里说话的时候。
Protestant:adj.抗议的;持异议的;n.抗议者;持异议者;
When you are brought up as a Catholic , you think that if you ever set foot in a Protestant Church, you'll be struck dead at the threshold . 你可以想象一下,你身为天主教徒 却要去清教徒教堂听演讲, 你会在门槛旁就被打死的。
Catholic:adj.天主教的;宽宏大量的;n.天主教徒;罗马天主教; set foot in:v.踏进;进入;涉足于; threshold:n.入口;门槛;开始;极限;临界值;
So I went to my father in tears, "What are we going to do?" 所以我抹着眼泪去找爸爸:“我该怎么办呀？”
He said, "Don't worry. He's speaking in a parish hall. 他说:“别担心。他现在在教区大厅里演讲,
parish:n.教区;地方行政区;
We're sitting in folding chairs. He's talking about sportsmanship . 我们就坐在折叠椅上。听他讲运动精神。
sportsmanship:n.运动员精神,运动道德;
It's not a sin." 这算不得罪过。”
But as I left that night, I was certain that somehow 但是那天晚上离开后,我就确信
I'd traded the life of my everlasting soul for this one night with Roy Campanella. 我已经用我永恒的灵魂生命 在那一晚上与罗伊内拉进行了交换。
everlasting:adj.永久的;永恒的;冗长的;n.永久;无穷;
(Laughter) （笑）
And there were no indulgences around that I could buy. 那时候我不能在家附近买到赎罪券。
indulgences:n.赎罪券;嗜好(indulgence的复数);
So I had this sin on my soul when I went to my first confession. 所以就带着这个罪恶去做了我的第一次忏悔。
I told the priest right away . 我讲了这件事给牧师。
priest:n.司祭,神父;教士,祭司,僧侣;v.使成为教士;任命…为祭司; right away:立刻;
He said, "No problem. It wasn't a religious service." 牧师说:“没关系。那并不是宗教仪式。”
religious:adj.宗教的;虔诚的;严谨的;修道的;n.修道士;尼姑;
But then, unfortunately, he said, "And what else, my child?" 讲完之后他说:“孩子,还有别的吗？”
And then came my second sin. 于是我开始讲我的第二宗罪。
I tried to sandwich it in between talking too much in church, wishing harm to others, being mean to my sisters. 我试着在教堂里尽量说的简明扼要 我试图伤害别人,对我姐姐严厉刻薄
sandwich:n.三明治;夹心面包片;
And he said, "To whom did you wish harm?" 牧师说:“你想伤害谁？”
And I had to say that I wished that various New York Yankees players would break arms, legs and ankles -- 我说,我想要纽约扬基队的球员 摔断胳膊,腿还有脚踝--
Yankees:扬基债;
(Laughter) （笑）
- so that the Brooklyn Dodgers could win their first World Series . 这样布鲁克林道奇队就可以赢得第一次世界联赛了。
World Series:n.世界系列赛(美国棒球联盟和全国棒球联盟优胜者之间的年度比赛);
He said, "How often do you make these horrible wishes?" 他说:“你多久会有一次这样可怕的愿望？”
horrible:可怕的,极讨厌的,
And I had to say, every night when I said my prayers. 我不得不承认,在我每天晚上做祷告的时候都有。
(Laughter) （笑）
So he said, "Look, I'll tell you something. 他说:“恩,我要告诉你一些事情。
I love the Brooklyn Dodgers, as you do, but I promise you some day they will win fairly and squarely . 我和你一样喜爱布鲁克林道奇队, 但我向你保证终有一天他们会通过公平竞争的方式赢得胜利。
fairly:adv.相当地;公平地;简直; squarely:adv.直角地;诚实地;正好;干脆地;正当地;
You do not need to wish harm on others to make it happen." 我们不能期待别人受伤而赢得比赛
'"Oh yes," I said. ”恩,好吧。”我说。
But luckily, my first confession -- to a baseball-loving priest! 真的很幸运,我的第一次忏悔是向一位喜爱棒球的牧师！
(Laughter) （笑）
Well, though my father died of a sudden heart attack when I was still in my 20s, before I had gotten married and had my three sons, 尽管我的父亲死于一场突发的心脏病, 那时候我还只有20多岁, 我还没有结婚也还没有我现在的三个儿子。
heart attack:n.[医]心肌梗塞
I have passed his memory -- as well as his love of baseball -- on to my boys. 我把对父亲的怀念和他对棒球的喜爱都讲给了我的儿子们听。
as well as:也;和…一样;不但…而且;
Though when the Dodgers abandoned us to come to L.A., 尽管道奇队离开我们去了洛杉矶,
abandoned:adj.被抛弃的放纵的;v.抛弃;丢弃,离开;放弃;(abandon的过去分词和过去式)
I lost faith in baseball until I moved to Boston and became an irrational Red Socks fan. 我也在搬到波士顿之前对棒球失去了信仰 从而默默地变成了一个“红袜子”的粉丝。
faith:n.信心;信任;宗教信仰; Boston:n.波士顿(美国城市);
And I must say, even now, when I sit with my sons with our season tickets, 我要说,即使是现在,每当我和儿子们 坐在一起手握季度球票的时候,
I can sometimes close my eyes against the sun and imagine myself, a young girl once more, in the presence of my father, watching the players of my youth on the grassy fields below. 我会闭上眼睛面朝太阳 设想我自己,又变成一个小姑娘,和父亲一起 看着我年轻时的队员们在下面的绿茵场上比赛,
in the presence of:在…面前;有某人在场; grassy:adj.长满草的;草绿色的;
Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, and Duke Snider. 杰基·罗宾逊,罗伊·内拉,佩厄·凌晨·里斯,杜克·施奈德。
Duke:n.公爵,(公国的)君主;公爵(种)樱桃;
I must say there is magic in these moments. 那是一段多么美妙的时光
When I open my eyes and I see my sons in the place where my father once sat, 当我睁开眼睛看到我的孩子们 他们坐在父亲曾经坐过的地方。
I feel an invisible loyalty and love linking my sons to the grandfather whose face they never had a chance to see, but whose heart and soul they have come to know through all the stories I have told. 我能感受到一种由衷的感动和情感。 这种情感联系着我的儿子和他们未曾谋面的祖父, 我相信他们之间早已心意相通 因为我给孩子们讲过的故事。
invisible:adj.看不见的;n.看不见的人或物; loyalty:n.忠诚;忠心;忠实;忠于…感情; heart and soul:全心全意地;
Which is why in the end, I shall always be grateful for this curious love of history, allowing me to spend a lifetime looking back into the past. 这也是为什么我总心存感激,感激我对历史的好奇和热爱 它让我可以在一生都能看到过去的事情,
Allowing me to learn from these large figures about the struggle for meaning for life. 也是它让我能够从过去的伟大人物身上学习 他们努力追求人生的意义。
Allowing me to believe that the private people we have loved and lost in our families, and the public figures we have respected in our history, just as Abraham Lincoln wanted to believe, really can live on, so long as we pledge to tell and to retell the stories of their lives. 也让我能够相信 那些曾经爱过的后来又离开的我们的亲人, 还有那些值得我们尊敬的历史人物 例如亚伯拉罕·林肯, 得以永垂不朽 我们反复讲述他们的生命的故事。
so long as:adv.只要; pledge:n.誓言;保证;抵押;抵押品;v.保证给予(或做);正式承诺;抵押; retell:vt.复述;再讲;重述;
Thank you for letting me be that storyteller today. 谢谢你们今天听我讲的这些故事。
storyteller:n.说故事的人;故事作者;短篇小说作家;
(Applause) （鼓掌）
Thank you. 谢谢。