The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 4

English → Chinese Preface Level 8/10

Although nothing could be more ludicrous and unnatural than the figures they drew, they did not want patrons and admirers; and the world actually began to be infected with the spirit of knight-errantry, when Cervantes, by an inimitable piece of ridicule, reformed the taste of mankind, representing chivalry in the right point of view, and converting romance to purposes far more useful and entertaining, by making it assume the sock, and point out the follies of ordinary life.

尽管他们所描绘的人物形象再可笑、再失真不过，却并不缺乏赞助人与仰慕者；世人实际上已开始沉染游侠精神，直至塞万提斯以一部无与伦比的讽刺之作，矫正了人类的趣味，将骑士精神以正确的视角加以呈现，并使传奇小说转向更为有益而娱人的目的——令其披上喜剧的外衣，揭示日常生活中的种种愚行。

The same method has been practised by other Spanish and French authors, and by none more successfully than by Monsieur Le Sage, who, in his _Adventures of Gil Blas_, has described the knavery and foibles of life, with infinite humour and sagacity.

同样的手法为其他西班牙与法国作家所采用，而其中运用最为成功者，莫过于勒萨日先生——他在其《吉尔·布拉斯历险记》中，以无穷的幽默与睿智，描绘了人世间的奸诈与弱点。

The following sheets I have modelled on his plan, taking me liberty, however, to differ from him in the execution, where I thought his particular situations were uncommon, extravagant, or peculiar to the country in which the scene is laid.

以下篇章即以其构思为蓝本，然而在具体执行上，凡我认为其特定情节过于罕见、荒诞，或仅属其故事所在国之特有者，我均自取其便，与之有所不同。

The disgraces of Gil Blas are, for the most part, such as rather excite mirth than compassion; he himself laughs at them; and his transitions from distress to happiness, or at least ease, are so sudden, that neither the reader has time to pity him, nor himself to be acquainted with affliction.

吉尔·布拉斯所遭受的种种屈辱，大多引人发笑而非令人同情；他本人亦对此付之一笑；而他从困境转向幸福、或至少转向安逸的变化如此突然，以至于读者来不及为他怜悯，他自己也无从深谙苦难之滋味。

This conduct, in my opinion, not only deviates from probability, but prevents that generous indignation, which ought to animate the reader against the sordid and vicious disposition of the world.

依我之见，这种处理方式不仅有悖于现实可信度，更压制了那种慷慨的义愤——而这种义愤本应激励读者，奋起对抗世间卑污龌龊的风气。

Vocabulary

尽管: jǐnguǎn — although; even though; despite the fact that
他们: tāmen — they; them; third-person plural pronoun
所: suǒ — used before a verb to form a noun phrase
描绘: miáohuì — to depict; to portray vividly in words or images
人物: rénwù — character; person; figure in a story
形象: xíngxiàng — image; portrayal; vivid representation of a person
再: zài — again; however; no matter how
可笑: kěxiào — ridiculous; laughable; absurd in appearance or behavior
失真: shīzhēn — distorted; untrue; lacking fidelity to reality
不过: búguò — however; but; only; merely
却: què — yet; but; however; used to show contrast
并不: bìng bù — not at all; used to emphasize negation
缺乏: quēfá — to lack; to be deficient in something
赞助人: zànzhùrén — patron; sponsor; one who financially supports another
与: yǔ — and; with; together with
仰慕者: yǎngmùzhě — admirer; one who looks up to someone with admiration
世人: shìrén — people of the world; ordinary people in society
实际上: shíjìshang — in reality; actually; in fact; in practice
已: yǐ — already; by then; used to indicate completion
开始: kāishǐ — to begin; to start; the beginning of something
沉染: chénrǎn — to be deeply influenced by; to be steeped in
游侠: yóuxiá — knight-errant; wandering hero; chivalric adventurer
精神: jīngshén — spirit; ethos; mental attitude or guiding principle
直至: zhízhì — until; right up to; all the way until a point
塞万提斯: Sāiwàntísī — Cervantes; Spanish author who wrote Don Quixote
以: yǐ — with; by means of; using something as a tool
一部: yī bù — one volume; a single work or literary piece
无与伦比: wú yǔ lún bǐ — incomparable; unparalleled; without equal in quality
讽刺: fěngcì — satire; to satirize; mock through irony or wit
之作: zhī zuò — a work of; a piece of writing or art
矫正: jiǎozhèng — to correct; to rectify; to set something right
人类: rénlèi — humanity; humankind; the human race as a whole
趣味: qùwèi — taste; interest; aesthetic sensibility; preference
将: jiāng — to take; to use; a marker of disposal construction
骑士: qíshì — knight; chivalric warrior on horseback
正确: zhèngquè — correct; accurate; right; in accordance with fact
视角: shìjiǎo — perspective; viewpoint; angle from which something is seen
加以: jiāyǐ — to apply; to subject to; used before a verb phrase
呈现: chéngxiàn — to present; to display; to show or reveal clearly
传奇: chuánqí — legend; romance; chivalric tale of adventure
小说: xiǎoshuō — novel; fiction; a book-length narrative prose work
转向: zhuǎnxiàng — to turn toward; to shift direction or orientation
更为: gèng wéi — even more; all the more; to a greater degree
有益: yǒuyì — beneficial; useful; having a positive effect
而: ér — and; yet; but; a conjunction linking clauses
娱人: yú rén — to entertain people; to give pleasure to an audience
目的: mùdì — purpose; goal; aim; intended objective
披上: pī shàng — to put on; to dress in; to clothe with something
喜剧: xǐjù — comedy; a humorous dramatic or literary work
外衣: wàiyī — outer garment; outward appearance; a disguising cover
揭示: jiēshì — to reveal; to expose; to bring hidden things to light
日常: rìcháng — daily; everyday; pertaining to ordinary routine life
生活: shēnghuó — life; daily living; way of living
种种: zhǒngzhǒng — all kinds of; various; diverse sorts of things
愚行: yúxíng — foolish behavior; folly; absurd or senseless actions
同样: tóngyàng — similarly; in the same way; likewise
手法: shǒufǎ — technique; method; style; artistic approach
为: wéi — by; used in passive construction; to be used by
其他: qítā — other; the rest; different from what was mentioned
西班牙: Xībānyá — Spain; country in southwestern Europe
法国: Fǎguó — France; country in western Europe
作家: zuòjiā — writer; author; one who creates literary works
采用: cǎiyòng — to adopt; to use; to employ a method or approach
其中: qízhōng — among them; within that group; in the midst of
运用: yùnyòng — to apply; to make use of; to employ skillfully
最为: zuì wéi — most; the most; to the highest degree
成功: chénggōng — successful; to succeed; achieving a desired outcome
者: zhě — person who; one that; a nominalizing suffix
莫过于: mò guò yú — nothing surpasses; best exemplified by; none other than
先生: xiānsheng — mister; sir; a respectful title for a man
其: qí — his; its; their; third-person possessive pronoun
历险记: lìxiǎnjì — adventure record; account of thrilling experiences
无穷: wúqióng — endless; infinite; inexhaustible in quantity or degree
幽默: yōumò — humor; witty; having a sense of comic amusement
睿智: ruìzhì — wise; sagacious; having deep insight and wisdom
人世间: rénshìjiān — in the human world; among people in society
奸诈: jiānzhà — crafty; treacherous; deceitful and cunning
弱点: ruòdiǎn — weakness; shortcoming; a vulnerable point
以下: yǐxià — the following; below; what comes after this point
篇章: piānzhāng — chapters; passages; sections of a written work
即: jí — namely; that is; precisely; serving as the basis
构思: gòusī — conception; to conceive an idea; creative planning
蓝本: lánběn — blueprint; original model; source text for adaptation
然而: rán'ér — however; nevertheless; but; indicating a contrast
具体: jùtǐ — specific; concrete; detailed; not abstract or vague
执行: zhíxíng — execution; implementation; carrying out a plan
凡: fán — whenever; wherever; every time that; any instance
认为: rènwéi — to think; to believe; to consider; to be of the opinion
特定: tèdìng — specific; particular; designated; a particular case
情节: qíngjié — plot; episode; story detail; narrative sequence
过于: guòyú — excessively; too much; overly so
罕见: hǎnjiàn — rare; uncommon; seldom seen or encountered
荒诞: huāngdàn — absurd; fantastic; wildly unrealistic or ridiculous
或: huò — or; either; possibly; indicating an alternative
故事: gùshi — story; tale; a narrative account of events
所在国: suǒzàiguó — the country where something is located or set
之: zhī — possessive or linking particle; of; belonging to
特有: tèyǒu — unique to; peculiar to; exclusively belonging to
均: jūn — all; without exception; every one; uniformly
有所: yǒusuǒ — to have some; somewhat; to a certain degree
不同: bùtóng — different; unlike; not the same as
遭受: zāoshòu — to suffer; to undergo; to be subjected to hardship
屈辱: qūrǔ — humiliation; indignity; degrading treatment
大多: dàduō — mostly; for the most part; the majority
引人: yǐn rén — to attract people; to draw attention; engaging
发笑: fāxiào — to cause laughter; to provoke amusement in others
而非: ér fēi — rather than; instead of; as opposed to
令人: lìng rén — to make people feel; causing a certain emotion
同情: tóngqíng — sympathy; compassion; feeling sorry for someone
本人: běnrén — oneself; I myself; the person in question
亦: yì — also; too; likewise; a literary synonym for 也
对此: duì cǐ — regarding this; with respect to this matter
付之一笑: fù zhī yī xiào — to laugh it off; to dismiss something with a smile
从: cóng — from; since; starting from a point in time or space
困境: kùnjìng — difficult situation; predicament; a state of hardship
幸福: xìngfú — happiness; well-being; a state of joy and contentment
至少: zhìshǎo — at least; at a minimum; no less than
安逸: ānyì — comfortable ease; relaxed contentment; leisurely comfort
变化: biànhuà — change; transformation; shift from one state to another
如此: rúcǐ — so; thus; like this; to such a degree
突然: tūrán — sudden; abrupt; happening without warning
以至于: yǐzhìyú — so that; to the extent that; resulting in
读者: dúzhě — reader; one who reads a book or text
来不及: láibují — there is no time; too late to do something
怜悯: liánmǐn — pity; compassion; feeling of sympathy for suffering
自己: zìjǐ — oneself; self; one's own person
无从: wúcóng — unable to; having no way to; no means of doing
深谙: shēn'ān — to know deeply; to be thoroughly versed in something
苦难: kǔnàn — suffering; hardship; misery; painful adversity
滋味: zīwèi — taste; flavor; feeling; the quality of an experience
依: yī — according to; in accordance with; following
处理: chǔlǐ — to handle; to deal with; to process or manage
方式: fāngshì — method; way; manner of doing something
不仅: bùjǐn — not only; more than just; beyond merely
有悖于: yǒu bèi yú — to go against; to violate; to contradict a principle
现实: xiànshí — reality; actual conditions; the real world
可信度: kěxìndù — credibility; believability; degree of trustworthiness
更: gèng — even more; still more; to a greater extent
压制: yāzhì — to suppress; to repress; to hold something down
慷慨: kāngkǎi — generous; magnanimous; ardent and impassioned
义愤: yìfèn — righteous indignation; moral outrage at injustice
本应: běn yīng — should originally; ought to by rights; naturally should
激励: jīlì — to inspire; to motivate; to encourage action
奋起: fènqǐ — to rise up; to rouse oneself to action vigorously
对抗: duìkàng — to resist; to oppose; to stand against something
世间: shìjiān — in the world; among people; in human society
卑污: bēiwū — vile; base and filthy; morally corrupt and degraded
龌龊: wòchuò — sordid; dirty; morally reprehensible; despicably base
风气: fēngqì — social atmosphere; prevailing customs; moral climate

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