The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 2

English → Chinese Preface Level 8/10

The reader gratifies his curiosity in pursuing the adventures of a person in whose favour he is prepossessed; he espouses his cause, he sympathises with him in his distress, his indignation is heated against the authors of his calamity: the humane passions are inflamed; the contrast between dejected virtue and insulting vice appears with greater aggravation, and every impression having a double force on the imagination, the memory retains the circumstance, and the heart improves by the example.

读者在追寻一位令其心生好感之人的冒险经历时，满足了自己的好奇心；他拥护其事业，在其遭遇苦难时与之感同身受，对造成其不幸的始作俑者义愤填膺：人道之情由此激发；沮丧的美德与嚣张的罪恶之间的对比愈发鲜明，每一印象对想象力的冲击加倍，记忆铭刻下这些情景，而心灵也从中得到升华。

The attention is not tired with a bare catalogue of characters, but agreeably diverted with all the variety of invention; and the vicissitudes of life appear in their peculiar circumstances, opening an ample field for wit and humour.

读者的注意力不会因枯燥的人物罗列而感到疲倦，反而因各种奇思妙想而愉悦地转移；生活的变迁在其独特的情境中呈现，为机智与幽默开辟了广阔的天地。

Romance, no doubt, owes its origin to ignorance, vanity, and superstition.

浪漫传奇无疑起源于无知、虚荣与迷信。

In the dark ages of the World, when a man had rendered himself famous for wisdom or valour, his family and adherents availed themselves of his superior qualities, magnified his virtues, and represented his character and person as sacred and supernatural.

在世界的蒙昧时代，当一个人因智慧或勇武而声名显赫时，其家族与追随者便利用他卓越的品质，极力夸大其美德，将其品格与人格渲染为神圣而超自然的存在。

The vulgar easily swallowed the bait, implored his protection, and yielded the tribute of homage and praise, even to adoration; his exploits were handed down to posterity with a thousand exaggerations; they were repeated as incitements to virtue; divine honours were paid, and altars erected to his memory, for the encouragement of those who attempted to imitate his example; and hence arose the heathen mythology, which is no other than a collection of extravagant romances.

普通民众轻易地上了这个当，恳求其庇护，奉上崇敬与赞美之礼，乃至顶礼膜拜；他的英雄事迹被添油加醋地流传给后人；这些故事被反复讲述，以激励人们向善；人们向其献上神圣的荣誉，为纪念他而建立祭坛，以鼓励那些试图效仿其榜样的人；由此便产生了异教神话，而这不过是一部荒诞传奇的合集。

Vocabulary

读者: dúzhě — Reader; person who reads books or articles.
在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or ongoing action.
追寻: zhuīxún — To pursue, seek out, or trace something eagerly.
一位: yī wèi — One (person); polite measure word for a person.
心生: xīn shēng — To feel arise in one's heart; to develop emotionally.
好感: hǎogǎn — Favorable impression; positive feeling toward someone.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
冒险: màoxiǎn — Adventure; to take risks or bold ventures.
经历: jīnglì — Experience; events one has personally gone through.
时: shí — When; at the time of; during a period.
满足: mǎnzú — To satisfy; to fulfill a desire or need.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or change of state.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; one's own self or personal identity.
好奇心: hàoqíxīn — Curiosity; strong desire to know or learn things.
他: tā — He; third-person masculine singular pronoun.
拥护: yōnghù — To support, uphold, or champion a cause or person.
其: qí — His, her, its; literary third-person possessive pronoun.
事业: shìyè — Cause, career, or undertaking one dedicates oneself to.
遭遇: zāoyù — To encounter misfortune; bitter experience or ordeal.
苦难: kǔnàn — Suffering, hardship, and misery endured over time.
感同身受: gǎn tóng shēn shòu — To empathize deeply; feeling another's pain as one's own.
对: duì — Toward; regarding; directed at something or someone.
造成: zàochéng — To cause, bring about, or result in something.
不幸: bùxìng — Misfortune, bad luck; unfortunate circumstances or events.
始作俑者: shǐ zuò yǒng zhě — The originator of an evil practice; the first wrongdoer.
义愤填膺: yìfèn tiányīng — Filled with righteous indignation; morally outraged.
人道: réndào — Humanity, humaneness; compassionate moral sentiment.
由此: yóucǐ — From this; thereby; as a result of this.
激发: jīfā — To inspire, arouse, or stimulate feelings or energy.
沮丧: jǔsàng — Dejected, frustrated, or discouraged in spirit.
美德: měidé — Virtue, moral excellence, admirable character quality.
与: yǔ — And; with; together with (literary conjunction).
嚣张: xiāozhāng — Arrogant, rampant, or brazenly aggressive behavior.
罪恶: zuì'è — Evil, sin, wickedness; immoral or criminal conduct.
之间: zhījiān — Between; among; in the space or relationship between.
对比: duìbǐ — Contrast; comparison highlighting differences between things.
愈发: yùfā — Even more; increasingly; all the more so.
鲜明: xiānmíng — Vivid, distinct, sharply clear and prominent contrast.
每一: měi yī — Each one; every single one without exception.
印象: yìnxiàng — Impression; mental image left by an experience.
想象力: xiǎngxiànglì — Imagination; creative mental capacity to form images.
冲击: chōngjī — Impact, shock; a powerful striking or affecting force.
加倍: jiābèi — To double; to increase twofold or intensify greatly.
记忆: jìyì — Memory; the ability to recall past experiences.
铭刻: míngkè — To engrave deeply; to imprint permanently in memory.
下: xià — Down; below; to record or engrave upon (complement).
这些: zhèxiē — These; referring to multiple nearby things or ideas.
情景: qíngjǐng — Scene, scenario; a vivid emotional picture or moment.
而: ér — And yet; while; transitional literary conjunction.
心灵: xīnlíng — Soul, mind, spirit; the inner emotional and moral self.
也: yě — Also, too; additionally sharing a quality or action.
从中: cóngzhōng — From within it; in the process; from this experience.
得到: dédào — To obtain, receive, or gain something desired.
升华: shēnghuá — Sublimation; to elevate or purify to a higher state.
注意力: zhùyìlì — Attention; the mental focus directed at something.
不会: bù huì — Will not; cannot; expressing inability or negation.
因: yīn — Because of; due to; on account of (literary).
枯燥: kūzào — Dry, boring, tedious; lacking interest or vitality.
人物: rénwù — Character, figure; a notable person or fictional role.
罗列: luóliè — To list, enumerate; to lay out items in succession.
感到: gǎndào — To feel, sense, or perceive an emotion or state.
疲倦: píjuàn — Fatigued, weary, tired from effort or monotony.
反而: fǎn'ér — On the contrary; instead; unexpectedly the opposite.
各种: gèzhǒng — Various kinds; all sorts and types of things.
奇思妙想: qísī miàoxiǎng — Wonderful and creative ideas; ingenious imaginative thoughts.
愉悦: yúyuè — Joyful, delighted, pleasantly happy in mood.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking manner adverb to verb.
转移: zhuǎnyí — To shift, transfer, or redirect attention or position.
生活: shēnghuó — Life, livelihood; daily existence and way of living.
变迁: biànqiān — Changes over time; social or historical transformation.
独特: dútè — Unique, distinctive; having special qualities unlike others.
情境: qíngjìng — Situation, context; specific circumstances of a scene.
中: zhōng — In, within, among; inside a space or context.
呈现: chéngxiàn — To present, display, or reveal something visually.
为: wéi — As, to be; serves as a function or role (literary).
机智: jīzhì — Witty, quick-witted; clever and resourceful in thought.
幽默: yōumò — Humor; the quality of being funny or amusing.
开辟: kāipì — To open up, blaze, or create a new space or path.
广阔: guǎngkuò — Vast, expansive, wide open in space or scope.
天地: tiāndì — Heaven and earth; world; a vast realm or domain.
浪漫: làngmàn — Romantic; idealistic, imaginative, or sentimentally adventurous.
传奇: chuánqí — Legend, romance; an extraordinary or legendary tale.
无疑: wúyí — Undoubtedly, without a doubt; certainly and clearly.
起源于: qǐyuán yú — To originate from; to have its roots in something.
无知: wúzhī — Ignorance; lacking knowledge or awareness of facts.
虚荣: xūróng — Vanity; excessive pride in appearances or reputation.
迷信: míxìn — Superstition; irrational belief in supernatural influences.
世界: shìjiè — World; the entire earth and its human civilization.
蒙昧: méngmèi — Ignorant, unenlightened; in a state of primitive darkness.
时代: shídài — Era, age, epoch; a distinct historical period of time.
当: dāng — When; at the time that; during (a condition).
一个人: yī gè rén — A person; one individual human being.
智慧: zhìhuì — Wisdom; deep knowledge, insight, and sound judgment.
或: huò — Or; alternatively; either one of two options.
勇武: yǒngwǔ — Brave and martial; courageous and skilled in combat.
声名显赫: shēngmíng xiǎnhè — Renowned and illustrious; having a very great reputation.
家族: jiāzú — Clan, family; a group of related families or lineage.
追随者: zhuīsuí zhě — Followers, disciples; those who follow and support someone.
便: biàn — Then, thereupon; consequently in literary narrative.
利用: lìyòng — To use, exploit, or take advantage of something.
卓越: zhuóyuè — Outstanding, excellent, superior beyond the ordinary standard.
品质: pǐnzhì — Quality, character; inherent nature or moral attributes.
极力: jílì — To do one's utmost; with all possible effort or force.
夸大: kuādà — To exaggerate; to overstate the scale or importance of.
将: jiāng — To take and do; preposition marking object before verb.
品格: pǐngé — Character, moral integrity; a person's ethical standard.
人格: réngé — Personality, personhood; one's moral dignity and character.
渲染: xuànrǎn — To embellish, exaggerate; to color or dramatize a depiction.
神圣: shénshèng — Sacred, holy, divine; possessing revered spiritual status.
超自然: chāo zìrán — Supernatural; beyond the natural world's ordinary laws.
存在: cúnzài — Existence; to exist or be present as an entity.
普通: pǔtōng — Ordinary, common, average; not special or distinguished.
民众: mínzhòng — The common people; the general populace or masses.
轻易: qīngyì — Easily, rashly; without much effort or careful thought.
上了: shàng le — Fell for; was deceived by or taken in by.
这个: zhège — This; referring to a specific nearby thing or idea.
恳求: kěnqiú — To earnestly beg or implore; to make heartfelt requests.
庇护: bìhù — To shelter, protect; to provide refuge and sanctuary.
奉上: fèngshàng — To respectfully present or offer up to someone.
崇敬: chóngjìng — Deep reverence and admiration; to venerate with awe.
赞美: zànměi — To praise, admire, and speak highly of someone.
乃至: nǎizhì — Even to the point of; and even; going as far as.
顶礼膜拜: dǐnglǐ móbài — To worship devoutly; to prostrate oneself in deep reverence.
英雄: yīngxióng — Hero; a person of great courage and noble achievement.
事迹: shìjì — Deeds, exploits; notable acts or achievements of a person.
被: bèi — Passive marker; indicates the subject receives the action.
添油加醋: tiān yóu jiā cù — To embellish with exaggerations; to add spice to stories.
流传: liúchuán — To be passed down; to circulate through generations.
给: gěi — To give; for; to the benefit of someone.
后人: hòurén — Descendants, posterity; people of later generations.
故事: gùshi — Story, tale; a narrative account of events.
反复: fǎnfù — Repeatedly, over and over; again and again.
讲述: jiǎngshù — To narrate, tell, or recount a story or event.
以: yǐ — In order to, so as to; using as a means (literary).
激励: jīlì — To inspire, motivate, or encourage toward positive action.
人们: rénmen — People; human beings in general; folks collectively.
向善: xiàng shàn — To incline toward goodness; to pursue virtue and morality.
献上: xiànshàng — To offer up, present respectfully as tribute or gift.
荣誉: róngyù — Honor, glory; recognition of merit and distinguished achievement.
纪念: jìniàn — To commemorate; to remember and honor in tribute.
建立: jiànlì — To establish, found, or set up something new.
祭坛: jìtán — Altar; a raised structure used for religious offerings.
鼓励: gǔlì — To encourage, motivate, and give support to someone.
那些: nàxiē — Those; referring to multiple distant or abstract things.
试图: shìtú — To attempt, try to do; to endeavor toward a goal.
效仿: xiàofǎng — To imitate, emulate; to follow as a model or example.
榜样: bǎngyàng — Role model, example; a person worth imitating.
人: rén — Person, people, human being.
产生: chǎnshēng — To produce, generate, or give rise to something.
异教: yìjiào — Paganism, heathenism; a non-mainstream or foreign religion.
神话: shénhuà — Myth, mythology; traditional stories of gods and heroes.
这: zhè — This; a demonstrative pronoun for nearby things.
不过: búguò — Nothing more than; merely; however (conjunction).
是: shì — Is, are, am; the copula verb of being.
一部: yī bù — One volume or work; measure word for books or films.
荒诞: huāngdàn — Absurd, ridiculous, fantastically unreasonable or preposterous.
合集: héjí — Anthology, collection; a compiled set of works or pieces.

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