History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 14
A second attentive and regular perusal of the entire work, of the notes of the author, and of those which I had thought it right to subjoin, showed me how much I had exaggerated the importance of the reproaches which Gibbon really deserved;
对整部著作、作者注释以及我认为有必要附加的那些注释的第二次认真而系统的通读，使我认识到自己在多大程度上夸大了吉本确实应受批评之处的重要性；
I was struck with the same errors, the same partiality on certain subjects;
我同样察觉到了那些错误，以及他在某些问题上的同样的偏颇；
but I had been far from doing adequate justice to the immensity of his researches, the variety of his knowledge, and above all, to that truly philosophical discrimination (_justesse d'esprit_) which judges the past as it would judge the present;
但我远未充分认识到他研究的宏博、学识的广博，尤其是那种真正哲学意义上的洞察力（justesse d'esprit），这种洞察力以评判当下的眼光来评判过去；
which does not permit itself to be blinded by the clouds which time gathers around the dead, and which prevent us from seeing that, under the toga, as under the modern dress, in the senate as in our councils, men were what they still are, and that events took place eighteen centuries ago, as they take place in our days.
这种洞察力不允许自己被时间笼罩在逝者周围的迷雾所蒙蔽，那迷雾使我们看不到：穿着托加袍与穿着现代服装之下，在元老院与在我们的议会之中，人性从未改变，十八个世纪前发生的事，与今日所发生的并无二致。
I then felt that his book, in spite of its faults, will always be a noble work—and that we may correct his errors and combat his prejudices, without ceasing to admit that few men have combined, if we are not to say in so high a degree, at least in a manner so complete, and so well regulated, the necessary qualifications for a writer of history.
我于是认识到，他的著作尽管存在缺陷，却将永远是一部崇高的作品——我们固然可以纠正他的错误、批驳他的偏见，但我们不得不承认，能够将一位历史著述者所需具备的各种素养集于一身，即便未必达到如此之高的程度，至少也以如此完备、如此均衡的方式加以融合者，实属罕见。
Vocabulary
- 对
- duì — Regarding; directed at; correct
- 整部
- zhěng bù — The entire work or volume
- 著作
- zhùzuò — A written work; scholarly publication
- 作者
- zuòzhě — The author or writer of a work
- 注释
- zhùshì — Annotations or explanatory notes added to text
- 以及
- yǐjí — As well as; and also
- 我
- wǒ — I; me; the first-person pronoun
- 认为
- rènwéi — To think; to consider; to hold a view
- 有必要
- yǒu bìyào — It is necessary; there is a need
- 附加
- fùjiā — To add on; to append something extra
- 的
- de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 那些
- nàxiē — Those; referring to previously mentioned items
- 第二次
- dì èr cì — The second time; second occurrence
- 认真
- rènzhēn — Serious; careful; conscientious in doing something
- 而
- ér — And; yet; but; connecting clauses
- 系统
- xìtǒng — Systematic; organized; a coherent system
- 通读
- tōng dú — To read through completely from start to finish
- 使
- shǐ — To cause; to make; to enable something
- 认识到
- rènshi dào — To come to realize; to become aware of
- 自己
- zìjǐ — Oneself; one's own; reflexive pronoun
- 在
- zài — At; in; existing at a place or degree
- 多大
- duō dà — To what extent; how large or great
- 程度上
- chéngdù shang — To what degree; in terms of extent
- 夸大了
- kuādà le — Exaggerated; overstated beyond actual facts
- 确实
- quèshí — Indeed; truly; certainly without doubt
- 应受
- yīng shòu — Deserving to receive; ought to bear
- 批评
- pīpíng — Criticism; to critique or find fault with
- 之处
- zhī chù — The place or aspect where something applies
- 重要性
- zhòngyàoxìng — Importance; significance of something
- 同样
- tóngyàng — Similarly; in the same way; likewise
- 察觉到了
- chájué dào le — Noticed; perceived; became aware of something
- 错误
- cuòwù — Error; mistake; something factually wrong
- 他
- tā — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun
- 某些
- mǒuxiē — Certain; some unspecified ones among many
- 问题
- wèntí — Question; problem; issue to be addressed
- 上
- shàng — On; above; regarding a topic or matter
- 偏颇
- piānpō — Biased; one-sided; lacking impartiality
- 但
- dàn — But; however; introduces a contrasting clause
- 远未
- yuǎn wèi — Far from; nowhere near; still not yet
- 充分
- chōngfèn — Sufficient; fully; adequately to a great degree
- 研究
- yánjiū — To study; research; scholarly investigation
- 宏博
- hóng bó — Vast and erudite; broad and profound knowledge
- 学识
- xuéshí — Learning; erudition; scholarly knowledge accumulated
- 广博
- guǎngbó — Extensive; wide-ranging; broad in scope
- 尤其是
- yóuqí shì — Especially; particularly; most notably among these
- 那种
- nà zhǒng — That kind of; that type of quality
- 真正
- zhēnzhèng — True; genuine; real in the fullest sense
- 哲学
- zhéxué — Philosophy; the study of fundamental questions
- 意义上
- yìyì shang — In the sense of; in terms of meaning
- 洞察力
- dòngchálì — Insight; perceptiveness; ability to see deeply
- 这种
- zhè zhǒng — This kind of; this type of quality
- 以
- yǐ — Using; by means of; with a certain standard
- 评判
- píngjuàn — To judge; to evaluate; to assess critically
- 当下
- dāngxià — The present moment; current time; right now
- 眼光
- yǎnguāng — Perspective; vision; way of looking at things
- 来
- lái — To come; used to introduce an action
- 过去
- guòqù — The past; former times; to pass by
- 不允许
- bù yǔnxǔ — Does not permit; not allowed; forbidden
- 被
- bèi — Passive marker; indicates action done to subject
- 时间
- shíjiān — Time; a period or duration of time
- 笼罩
- lǒngzhào — To envelop; to shroud; to cover over
- 逝者
- shìzhě — The deceased; those who have passed away
- 周围
- zhōuwéi — Around; surrounding; in the vicinity of
- 迷雾
- míwù — Fog; mist; obscuring haze of confusion
- 所
- suǒ — Passive construction marker; that which is done
- 蒙蔽
- méngbì — To deceive; to obscure; to blind someone
- 那
- nà — Then; in that case; that (demonstrative)
- 我们
- wǒmen — We; us; first-person plural pronoun
- 看不到
- kàn bu dào — Cannot see; unable to perceive or notice
- 穿着
- chuānzhe — Wearing; dressed in; having clothing on
- 与
- yǔ — And; with; together with something else
- 现代
- xiàndài — Modern; contemporary; of the present era
- 服装
- fúzhuāng — Clothing; costume; attire of any kind
- 之下
- zhī xià — Under; beneath; below a certain condition
- 议会
- yìhuì — Parliament; legislative assembly; deliberative body
- 之中
- zhī zhōng — Within; among; in the midst of
- 人性
- rénxìng — Human nature; the essential qualities of humanity
- 从未
- cóng wèi — Never; has never at any time happened
- 改变
- gǎibiàn — To change; to alter; transformation over time
- 十八个
- shíbā gè — Eighteen; a count of eighteen units
- 世纪
- shìjì — Century; a period of one hundred years
- 前
- qián — Before; ago; in front of in time
- 发生
- fāshēng — To occur; to happen; to take place
- 事
- shì — Matter; affair; event; thing that happens
- 今日
- jīnrì — Today; the present day; nowadays
- 并无二致
- bìng wú èr zhì — No different at all; exactly the same
- 于是
- yúshì — Therefore; as a result; consequently
- 尽管
- jǐnguǎn — Although; despite; even though there are flaws
- 存在
- cúnzài — To exist; existence; presence of something
- 缺陷
- quēxiàn — Defect; flaw; shortcoming in a work
- 却
- què — Yet; but; however indicating contrast
- 将
- jiāng — Will; shall; future tense auxiliary marker
- 永远
- yǒngyuǎn — Forever; always; eternally without end
- 是
- shì — To be; is; am; are; linking verb
- 一部
- yī bù — One volume; a single major work
- 崇高
- chónggāo — Sublime; lofty; noble and highly admirable
- 作品
- zuòpǐn — A work; creation; artistic or literary output
- 固然
- gùrán — Admittedly; granted that; of course but still
- 可以
- kěyǐ — Can; may; it is possible to do
- 纠正
- jiūzhèng — To correct; to rectify; to fix errors
- 批驳
- pībó — To refute; to rebut; to argue against
- 偏见
- piānjiàn — Prejudice; bias; one-sided unfair viewpoint
- 不得不
- bù dé bù — Cannot but; have to; compelled to do
- 承认
- chéngrèn — To acknowledge; to admit; to recognize truth
- 能够
- nénggòu — To be able to; capable of doing something
- 一位
- yī wèi — One person; a single individual (polite counter)
- 历史
- lìshǐ — History; the record of past events
- 著述者
- zhùshùzhě — A writer of scholarly works; historian-author
- 所需
- suǒ xū — Required; needed; that which is necessary
- 具备
- jùbèi — To possess; to have all required qualities
- 各种
- gèzhǒng — Various kinds; all sorts of different types
- 素养
- sùyǎng — Cultivation; accomplishment; acquired personal qualities
- 集于一身
- jí yú yī shēn — Combined in one person; embodied all together
- 即便
- jíbiàn — Even if; even though; supposing that
- 未必
- wèibì — Not necessarily; may not be; uncertain
- 达到
- dádào — To reach; to attain; to achieve a level
- 如此
- rúcǐ — Such; like this; to such a degree
- 之高
- zhī gāo — Such height; so high a level or degree
- 程度
- chéngdù — Degree; level; extent of something achieved
- 至少
- zhìshǎo — At least; minimum; no fewer than that
- 也
- yě — Also; too; even; likewise in addition
- 完备
- wánbèi — Complete; comprehensive; fully equipped or prepared
- 均衡
- jūnhéng — Balanced; well-proportioned; equilibrium among parts
- 方式
- fāngshì — Method; way; manner of doing something
- 加以
- jiāyǐ — To apply; to handle in a certain way
- 融合
- rónghé — To integrate; to blend; fusion of elements
- 者
- zhě — Suffix meaning 'one who'; person or thing
- 实属
- shí shǔ — Truly is; genuinely belongs to a category
- 罕见
- hǎnjiàn — Rare; seldom seen; uncommon occurrence
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