ACCEPTING THE COMMAND OF THE ARMY(1)
You may believe me, when I assure you in the most solemn manner that, so far from(2) seeking this employment, I have used every effort in my power to avoid it, not only from my unwillingness to part with you and the family, but from a consciousness(3) of its being a trust(4) too great for my capacity; and I should enjoy more real happiness in one month with you at home than I have the most distant prospect of finding abroad, if my stay were to be seven times seven years(5). But as it has been a kind of destiny that has thrown me upon this service, I shall hope that my undertaking it(6) is designed to answer some good purpose ....
I shall rely confidently on that Providence(7) which has heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me, not doubting but that I shall return safe to you in the fall(8). I shall feel no pain from the toil or danger of the campaign; my unhappiness will flow from(9) the uneasiness I know you will feel from being left alone. I therefore beg that you will summon your whole fortitude, and pass your time as agreeably as possible. Nothing will give me so much sincere satisfaction as to hear this(10), and to hear it from your own pen.
From A Letter to His Wife, 1775
by George Washington
注释:
(01) accepting the command of the army： 受命统率全军。华盛顿于1775年就任全军总司令时给爱妻写了一封信。本文摘自这封信的两段。
(02) far from： 远远不;完全不。
(03) not only from…．but from…： 不仅由于……而且由于……。but后面省去了also. ．
(04) its being a trust： 这是一种信任。动名词短语，作介词of的宾语。
(05) if my stay were to be seven times seven years：假如我在外数十年。虚拟语气。seven times seven：许许多多。
(06) my undertaking it： 我来承担这一任务。动名词短语， 作is designed的主语。
(07) Providence： 大写时，解释为"上帝"。
(08) not doubting but that…： 深信……。这里but无实义，but that相当于that,
(09) flow from：来自。
(10) this： 代词，代替前面的you will summon your whole fortitude，and pass your time as agreeably as possible。
[Enlearner]
to part with you and the family
part with: to give up or let go of; relinquish.
Additional words and their definitions:
sol·emn (slm) solemn·ly adv.
part with Synonyms: separate, divide, part, sever, sunder, divorce Separate applies both to putting apart and to keeping apart: "In the darkness and confusion, the bands of these commanders became separated from each other" (Washington Irving). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English destine, from Old French destinee, from feminine past participle of destiner, to destine, from Latin dstinre, to determine; see st- in Indo-European roots.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English, from Old French fat, from Latin ftum, prophecy, doom, from neuter past participle of fr, to speak; see bh-2 in Indo-European roots.] A task is a well-defined responsibility that is usually imposed by another and that may be burdensome: I stayed at work late to finish the task at hand. Job often suggests a specific short-term undertaking: "did little jobs about the house with skill" (W.H. Auden). Chore generally denotes a minor, routine, or odd job: The farmer's morning chores included milking the cows. Stint refers to a person's prescribed share of work: Her stint as a lifeguard usually consumes three hours a day. Assignment generally denotes a task allotted by a person in authority: His homework assignment involved writing an essay.
Ability is the mental or physical power to do something: "To make a fortune some assistance from fate is essential. Ability alone is insufficient" (Ihara Saikaku). Capacity refers to the potential for acquiring that power: "The capability [women] have shown in the realm of higher education, their achievements in the business world, their capacity for organization . . . have been a revelation" (Susan B. Anthony). Faculty denotes an inherent ability: My lawyer has a faculty for detecting hypocrisy. Skill stresses ability acquired or developed through experience: "The intellect, character and skill possessed by any man are the product of certain original tendencies and the training which they have received" (Edward L. Thorndike). Competence suggests the ability to do something satisfactorily but not necessarily outstandingly: The violinist played the concerto with unquestioned competence but limited imagination. Aptitude implies inherent capacity for learning, understanding, or performing: "She handled her brushes with a certain ease and freedom which came, not from long and close acquaintance with them, but from a natural aptitude" (Kate Chopin).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English toilen, from Anglo-Norman toiler, to stir about, from Latin tudiculre, from tudicula, a machine for bruising olives, diminutive of tudes, hammer.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English somonen, from Old French somondre, from Vulgar Latin *summonere, from Latin summonre, to remind privately, hint to : sub-, secretly; see sub- + monre, to warn; see men-1 in Indo-European roots.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- summon·er n. Verb 1. muster up - gather or bring together; "muster the courage to do something"; "she rallied her intellect"; "Summon all your courage" Adv. 1. agreeably - in an enjoyable manner; "we spent a pleasantly lazy afternoon" Symphony |
汉译：
受命统率全军
乔治·华盛顿
你可以相信我，我极其庄严地向你保证我根本没有追求过这项任命，而是竭尽全力，千方百计地回避它。这不仅是因为我不愿意同你以及全家人分别，而且因为我深知责任重大，非我力所能及。另外，倘若我出门数十载寻求前景非常遥远的幸福，那还比不上在家中与你相聚一个月那样真正幸福。但是，既然命运已赋予我这个使命，我希望，安排我来承担这个任务是为了使我有所建树。……
我将信赖一直保佑我和降福于我的上帝，深信到秋天我将平安地回到你的身边。对出征所带来的艰辛和危险，我不会感到痛苦，使我难过的是我知道你独自一人留在家中必然感到焦虑不安。因此，我恳求你鼓起全部勇气，尽量愉快地过日子.没有什么比听到你过得愉快的消息--并且是从你的笔下听到这消息，能使我感到更大的欣慰了．
作者简介：
WASHINGTON, GEORGE (1732--1799) First President of the U.S.A. His life and deeds are too well known to be related here, except so far as concerns the world of letters. His Farewell ,Address was the only thing he ever wrote that was intended for publication, but his numerous letters, and the public communications to the Continental Congress, are of great interest and value. His diaries give an inside view of many stirring revolutionary events.
乔治·华盛顿(1732-1799) 美国首任总统．除了文学方面的情况外，他的生平和业绩是人所共知的，这里无需赘述．《临别致词》是他唯一为准备出版而写的文章，然而他大量的书信以及他与美国独立战争时的议会的公开通讯，却很有吸引力和价值．他的日记可使人们了解许多激动人心的革命事件的内幕．
下面框框里是大家的英译总汇：
You can trust in me. I solemnly assure you that I have never assumed this appointment but tried very hard to avoid it. It is not only because I disagree to be separated from you and the whole family, but also because that I am aware the responsibility as is out of my reach. Besides, going on expedition over decades for a remote blessing is not comparable in happiness with staying with you in one month. However, since mission has been assigned to me, I believe this arrangement is for me to have achievement. I reply on the God who blesses me and truly believe that I will be back to you in fall. I never feel painful as regard to the hardship and danger during the expedition, but what makes me sad is that I know you would stay lonely at home. Therefore, I crave your courage to be happy. Nothing can gratify me except hearing that you live happily—heard from your letter. Appointed as the commander-in-chief
I will trust my fate in my God who has been protecting and blessing me, and I truly believe that I will return to you safe and sound this fall. I won’t have any complaints to the dangers and hardships of the expedition, but I do feel sad knowing you must be worrying about me when you are home alone. Therefore, I beg you to gather all your courage and live happily as much as you can. There will be nothing more comforting to me than knowing that you are happy, and learning your happiness from your own writing.
George Washington You can trust me, I assure you with great solemnity that I did not pursue this task at all, nevertheless, I tried my best to avoid it. This is not only because I do not want to be separated from you and family, I know the responsibility is so big, it is not something I am capable of. Also, the future happiness which I need to go out for decades to seek is not as real as the happiness of staying home and being with you for 1 month. Since fate has given me this task, I wish, giving me this task will make me accomplish something. I will put faith on God who has been bless me all along, I believe I will be back at your side when fall comes. I will not feel painful for the danger and hardship which battle will bring me. Which makes me sad is that I know you will be anxiety when you are home alone. Therefore I beg you to summon up all your courage to live happily. Nothing will make me feel more gratified than hearing you are having a happy life, especially from your letter.
You can trust me on this. I solemnly guarantee you that I have never pursued/gone after this assignment, but have been trying, by all means, to avoid it. This is not only because I don’t want to part with you and my family, but also because I am fully aware that the great responsibilities are beyond my capability. In addition, the far-fetched happiness, which I set out to pursue, possibly for decades, can’t compare with the true happiness I feel during the one month I am home with you. But, fate has assigned me this mission, a mission, I hope, for me to achieve something. I will trust God who has been protecting me and blessing me, in the deep belief that I will return to your arms safe and sound in the fall. The hardship and peril brought by the journey won’t bother me; What saddens me is to know that you will be left home alone and worried. Therefore, I beg you, in all sincerity, to gather all your courage to try to live happily. Nothing can give me more comforts than hearing--and especially from your writing--that you are happy.
I will trust and rely on my God who has been blessing me with grace；I am assured that I will come back to you safely in the fall. I won’t feel painful for the hardships and dangers of the battle, but I am sad that you surely will be anxious when alone at home. Thus, I urge you to equip yourself with full courage and try your best to live happily. Nothing could comfort me better than knowing that you are happy, especially from your letters.
You may trust me, I most solemnly assure you that I did not ask for this appointment but tried my best and do everything possible to avoid it, not only because I would not want to stay away from you and the family but also because I knew that the great responsiblity would be beyond my capability. In addition, if I leave home for decades just to pursue a kind of happiness that is still far away in the future, I would rather stay a month with you at home for the real happiness. However, since the fate has assigned me to this task, I hope that this assignment will enable me to accomplish something. selfselfself
you can trust me, seriously, I swear that I have never wanted this appointment. Instead, I tried very very hard, every possible way to not take it. Not just because I don't want to be away from you and the family, but because I knew it's too great a job that I may not be able to handle. Plus, I would rather be with you at home for a month of genuine happiness than leave my home behind for years to come to chase for a vague perspecitve. But, it sounds like it is my destiny, therefor, I hope, I can make something out of this job, yeah. I believe God will bless me with luck, and am pretty sure that I will be back in the fall, in one piece. I don't think I am going to suffer from the peril and agony on the campaign trail, rather, I will definitely feel bad to leave you home alone and tortured by uncertainty. So, I beg you to sommon all your courage, and be happy everyday. Nothing cheers me up more than hearing joyous news from you, in your own writings.
I would trust God who has always been blessing me, I believe that I am going to come back in fall. The hardship and perils that proceed by the expedition would not hurt me, but you staying at home alone would. Therefore, I beg that you must summon up all of your encourage to spend your time happily. Nothing could make me happier than knowing that you lead a happy life--especially when I hear from you. Ordered to lead the army |
