History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 14
我再次认真、系统地重读了整部作品，包括作者的注释以及我认为有必要附加的注释，这使我意识到自己大大高估了吉本真正应受批评之处的重要性。
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;
我同样注意到了他的种种错误，以及他在某些议题上的偏颇之处；
I was struck with the same errors, the same partiality on certain subjects;
但我远远没有充分认识到他研究成果的广博、知识涉猎的多样，
but I had been far from doing adequate justice to the immensity of his researches, the variety of his knowledge,
尤其是那种真正哲学式的洞察力（_justesse d'esprit_），它能以审视当下的眼光来评判历史，
and above all, to that truly philosophical discrimination (_justesse d'esprit_) which judges the past as it would judge the present;
这种洞察力不会被时间笼罩在逝者身上的迷雾所蒙蔽，
which does not permit itself to be blinded by the clouds which time gathers around the dead,
而正是这层迷雾使我们看不清：无论是身披托加袍还是着现代服饰，无论是在元老院还是在我们的议会中，人性从未改变，
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,
十八个世纪前所发生的事，与我们今日所经历的别无二致。
and that events took place eighteen centuries ago, as they take place in our days.
我由此深感，他的著作尽管有种种缺陷，终将是一部不朽的杰作——我们固然可以纠正他的谬误、批驳他的偏见，
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,
却不得不承认，鲜有人能像他这样，即便未必达到同等的高度，至少以如此全面而匀称的方式，兼具一位史学家所应有的一切素养。
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.
Vocabulary
- second
- 第二个；再次；支持或赞同
- attentive
- 专心的；留意的；细心照顾的
- and
- 和；与；以及
- regular
- 定期的；规则的；经常的；正常的
- perusal
- 仔细阅读；逐一查看；审视
- of
- 的；属于
- the
- 那个；这个；定冠词
- entire
- 整个的；完整的；全部的
- work
- 工作；著作；劳动
- notes
- 笔记；注释；音符
- author
- 作者；著者
- those
- 那些；那个
- which
- 哪个；哪些；关系代词
- had
- 有过；曾经有
- thought
- 思想；认为；想法
- it
- 它；这个
- right
- 右的；正确的；权利
- to
- 到；向；对于
- showed
- 显示；表明；说明
- me
- 我；我的
- how
- 如何；怎样；多少程度
- much
- 很多；大量；多少
- exaggerated
- 夸大的；言过其实的
- importance
- 重要性；重要；有影响力
- really
- 真的；实际上；真正地
- deserved
- 应得的；值得的；应该受到
- was
- 是；曾是
- struck
- 击中；打击；惊动
- with
- 用；和；与
- same
- 相同的；同样的
- errors
- 错误；过失；谬误
- on
- 在；上面；关于
- certain
- 某些；特定的；肯定的
- subjects
- 主题；科目；主人翁
- but
- 但是；却；除了
- been
- 是；一直是
- far
- 远的；很；大量的
- from
- 从；来自；距离
- doing
- 做；干；进行
- adequate
- 充分的；适当的；足够的
- justice
- 公正；正义；司法
- his
- 他的
- researches
- 研究；调查；探究
- variety
- 多样性；种类；变化
- knowledge
- 知识；认识；学问
- above
- 上面；以上；超过
- all
- 全部的；所有的
- that
- 那个；那；以至于
- truly
- 真正地；确实；诚实地
- philosophical
- 哲学的；思想上的
- discrimination
- 辨别；区分；歧视
- judges
- 法官；判官；评判者
- past
- 过去；以前；经过
- as
- 作为；因为；如同
- would
- 将会；会；愿意
- judge
- 判断；评判；审判
- present
- 现在；当下；呈现
- does
- 做；行动；执行
- not
- 不；没有
- permit
- 允许；准许；使可能
- itself
- 它自己；自身
- be
- 是；存在
- blinded
- 使失明；蒙蔽
- by
- 由；被；在旁边
- clouds
- 云；阴云；使模糊
- time
- 时间；时代；次数
- gathers
- 聚集；收集；汇聚
- around
- 周围；大约；绕
- dead
- 死的；完全的；已故的
- prevent
- 防止；阻止；妨碍
- us
- 我们
- seeing
- 看到；理解；明白
- under
- 在下面；在以下；在
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