Second Treatise of Government — Page 4

English → Chinese Preface Level 9/10

I should not speak so plainly of a gentleman, long since past answering, had not the pulpit, of late years, publicly owned his doctrine, and made it the current divinity of the times.

如果不是因为近年来讲坛公开承认了他的教义，并使之成为当代流行的神学，我本不应该如此直白地谈论一位早已无法为自己辩护的绅士。

It is necessary those men, who taking on them to be teachers, have so dangerously misled others, should be openly shewed of what authority this their Patriarch is, whom they have so blindly followed, that so they may either retract what upon so ill grounds they have vented, and cannot be maintained; or else justify those principles which they preached up for gospel; though they had no better an author than an English courtier:

那些自命为导师、却如此危险地误导他人的人，有必要被公开揭示其所盲目追随的这位始祖究竟有何权威，以便他们或者收回那些基于如此站不住脚的根据而发表的、无法自圆其说的言论，或者为他们所大肆宣扬为福音的那些原则进行辩护——尽管他们所依据的作者不过是一位英国朝臣：

for I should not have writ against Sir Robert, or taken the pains to shew his mistakes, inconsistencies, and want of (what he so much boasts of, and pretends wholly to build on) scripture-proofs, were there not men amongst us, who, by crying up his books, and espousing his doctrine, save me from the reproach of writing against a dead adversary.

因为若非我们中间有人通过鼓吹其著作、拥护其学说，使我免受攻击一个已故对手之讥讽，我本不会著文反驳罗伯特爵士，也不会费心去揭示他的错误、前后矛盾之处，以及他所极力夸耀并自称完全赖以立论的圣经依据之匮乏。

They have been so zealous in this point, that, if I have done him any wrong, I cannot hope they should spare me.

他们在这一点上如此热忱，以至于若我对他有任何不公之处，我断不能指望他们会宽恕我。

I wish, where they have done the truth and the public wrong, they would be as ready to redress it, and allow its just weight to this reflection, viz.

我希望，在他们有负于真理与公众之处，他们能同样乐于纠正，并对以下这番反思给予应有的重视，即：

Vocabulary

如果: rúguǒ — if; supposing a certain condition is met
不是: bú shì — is not; used to negate a statement
因为: yīnwèi — because; indicating reason or cause
近年来: jìn nián lái — in recent years; over the past few years
讲坛: jiǎngtán — pulpit or lectern; platform for public speaking
公开: gōngkāi — openly; publicly; to make something public
承认: chéngrèn — to admit; to acknowledge; to recognize
了: le — particle indicating completed action or change
他: tā — he; him; third-person masculine pronoun
的: de — possessive or descriptive particle
教义: jiàoyì — doctrine; religious or ideological teaching
并: bìng — and; moreover; simultaneously
使: shǐ — to cause; to make; to enable
之: zhī — it; classical pronoun or possessive particle
成为: chéngwéi — to become; to turn into something
当代: dāngdài — contemporary; current era or generation
流行: liúxíng — popular; fashionable; widely spread
神学: shénxué — theology; study of religious doctrine
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
本: běn — originally; by nature; this very
不应该: bù yīnggāi — should not; ought not to do something
如此: rúcǐ — so; like this; in such a manner
直白: zhíbái — direct; straightforward; bluntly honest
地: de — adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
谈论: tánlùn — to discuss; to talk about a topic
一位: yī wèi — one (person); polite measure word for people
早已: zǎoyǐ — long ago; already for a long time
无法: wúfǎ — unable to; no way to do something
为: wèi — for; on behalf of; in order to
自己: zìjǐ — oneself; one's own self
辩护: biànhù — to defend; to speak in defense of
绅士: shēnshì — gentleman; a man of good social standing
那些: nàxiē — those; referring to previously mentioned items
自命为: zì mìng wéi — to fancy oneself as; self-proclaimed
导师: dǎoshī — mentor; guide; teacher or spiritual leader
却: què — yet; but; however; contrary conjunction
危险地: wēixiǎn de — dangerously; in a hazardous manner
误导: wùdǎo — to mislead; to lead astray wrongly
他人: tārén — others; other people; third parties
人: rén — person; people; human being
有必要: yǒu bìyào — it is necessary; there is a need
被: bèi — passive marker indicating an action received
揭示: jiēshì — to reveal; to expose; to disclose something
其: qí — his; its; their; classical possessive pronoun
所: suǒ — classical particle preceding a verb phrase
盲目: mángmù — blind; without judgment; following uncritically
追随: zhuīsuí — to follow; to pursue; to trail behind
这位: zhè wèi — this (person); polite reference to someone
始祖: shǐzǔ — founder; originator; earliest ancestor
究竟: jiūjìng — exactly; after all; used for emphasis
有何: yǒu hé — what; what kind of; classical phrasing
权威: quánwēi — authority; authoritative; expert standing
以便: yǐbiàn — so that; in order to facilitate something
他们: tāmen — they; them; third-person plural pronoun
或者: huòzhě — or; either; one possibility among others
收回: shōuhuí — to retract; to take back what was said
基于: jīyú — based on; grounded in; founded upon
站不住脚: zhàn bu zhù jiǎo — cannot stand; untenable; lacking solid basis
根据: gēnjù — basis; grounds; according to; evidence
而: ér — and; yet; but; classical connective particle
发表: fābiǎo — to publish; to issue; to make a statement
自圆其说: zì yuán qí shuō — to justify oneself; to make one's argument consistent
言论: yánlùn — speech; statements; expressed opinions
大肆: dàsì — wantonly; without restraint; excessively
宣扬: xuānyáng — to publicize; to propagate; to promote widely
福音: fúyīn — gospel; good news; evangelical message
原则: yuánzé — principle; fundamental rule or standard
进行: jìnxíng — to carry out; to conduct; to proceed with
尽管: jǐnguǎn — even though; despite; although; notwithstanding
依据: yījù — basis; according to; grounds for argument
作者: zuòzhě — author; writer; creator of a work
不过: búguò — only; merely; however; but
是: shì — is; to be; linking verb
英国: Yīngguó — England; the United Kingdom
朝臣: cháochén — courtier; official serving at a royal court
若非: ruòfēi — if not; were it not for; unless
我们: wǒmen — we; us; first-person plural pronoun
中间: zhōngjiān — among; in the middle; between
有人: yǒu rén — someone; there is a person who
通过: tōngguò — through; by means of; to pass through
鼓吹: gǔchuī — to advocate; to trumpet; to promote vigorously
著作: zhùzuò — written work; book; literary or academic work
拥护: yōnghù — to support; to uphold; to champion a cause
学说: xuéshuō — theory; doctrine; academic school of thought
免受: miǎn shòu — to be protected from; to avoid suffering
攻击: gōngjī — to attack; to assault; criticism or assault
一个: yī gè — one; a single; general measure word
已故: yǐgù — deceased; late; no longer living
对手: duìshǒu — opponent; rival; adversary
讥讽: jīfěng — to mock; to ridicule; sarcastic criticism
不会: bú huì — will not; cannot; unlikely to happen
著文: zhù wén — to write an article; to compose a piece
反驳: fǎnbó — to refute; to rebut; to counter an argument
爵士: juéshì — knight; Sir; title of honor in British system
也: yě — also; too; likewise; as well
费心: fèixīn — to take the trouble; to bother doing something
去: qù — to go; directional particle or verb complement
错误: cuòwù — error; mistake; incorrect; wrong
前后矛盾: qián hòu máodùn — self-contradictory; inconsistent between earlier and later statements
之处: zhī chù — the place where; the aspect or point of
以及: yǐjí — as well as; and; along with
极力: jílì — with all one's effort; strenuously; forcefully
夸耀: kuāyào — to boast; to show off; to flaunt
自称: zìchēng — to call oneself; self-proclaimed; self-described
完全: wánquán — completely; entirely; fully; totally
赖以: làiyǐ — to depend on; to rely upon for support
立论: lìlùn — to establish an argument; to set forth a theory
圣经: Shèngjīng — the Bible; sacred scripture of Christianity
匮乏: kuìfá — scarce; lacking; deficient in resources
在: zài — at; in; on; to be located somewhere
这一点: zhè yī diǎn — this point; this aspect; this particular matter
上: shàng — on; above; regarding; in terms of
热忱: rèchén — enthusiasm; fervor; passionate devotion
以至于: yǐzhìyú — so much so that; to such a degree that
若: ruò — if; supposing; classical conditional conjunction
对: duì — toward; regarding; correct; facing
有: yǒu — to have; there is; to exist
任何: rènhé — any; whatever; no matter which
不公: bù gōng — unfair; unjust; lacking fairness
断不能: duàn bù néng — absolutely cannot; must not under any circumstances
指望: zhǐwàng — to count on; to hope for; to expect
会: huì — will; can; likely to; able to
宽恕: kuānshù — to forgive; to pardon; to show mercy
希望: xīwàng — to hope; hope; wish for something
有负于: yǒu fù yú — to let down; to fail; to be unworthy of
真理: zhēnlǐ — truth; ultimate truth; fundamental principle
与: yǔ — and; with; together with
公众: gōngzhòng — the public; general public; society at large
能: néng — can; able to; capable of
同样: tóngyàng — similarly; equally; in the same way
乐于: lèyú — to be willing to; to take pleasure in
纠正: jiūzhèng — to correct; to rectify; to fix an error
以下: yǐxià — the following; below; the content below
这番: zhè fān — this; these remarks or this set of thoughts
反思: fǎnsī — reflection; to reflect critically on something
给予: jǐyǔ — to give; to grant; to bestow upon
应有: yīng yǒu — due; deserved; appropriate; ought to have
重视: zhòngshì — to value; to take seriously; to attach importance
即: jí — namely; that is; immediately; i.e.

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