The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 6

English → Chinese Preface Level 8/10

It now remains to give my reasons for making the chief personage of this work a North Briton, which are chiefly these: I could, at a small expense, bestow on him such education as I thought the dignity of his birth and character required, which could not possibly be obtained in England, by such slender means as the nature of my plan would afford.

现在还需说明我将本书主人公设定为北不列颠人的理由，主要如下：我可以以较少的花费，给予他我认为其出身与品格之尊严所需的教育，而这种教育在英格兰是断然无法以本书构思所能提供的微薄条件获得的。

In the next place, I could represent simplicity of manners in a remote part of the kingdom, with more propriety than in any place near the capital; and lastly, the disposition of the Scots, addicted to travelling, justifies my conduct in deriving an adventurer from that country.

其次，我可以更为恰当地以王国偏远地区来呈现风俗的质朴，而非以任何接近京都之地；最后，苏格兰人热衷游历的性情，为我将一位冒险者的出身安排在那个国度提供了正当的依据。

That the delicate reader may not be offended at the unmeaning oaths which proceed from the mouths of some persons in these memoirs, I beg leave to promise, that I imagined nothing could more effectually expose the absurdity of such miserable expletives, than a natural and verbal representation of the discourse in which they occur.

为使敏感的读者不致因本回忆录中某些人物口中所出的无谓誓言而感到冒犯，我冒昧承诺：我以为没有什么比对这些誓言所出现的话语进行自然而如实的呈现，更能有效揭示此类可悲口头语之荒谬了。

Vocabulary

现在: xiànzài — Now; at the present time
还: hái — Still; also; in addition
需: xū — To need; to require something
说明: shuōmíng — To explain; to clarify; an explanation
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
将: jiāng — Will; about to; future tense marker
本书: běn shū — This book; the present volume
主人公: zhǔréngōng — Main character; protagonist of a story
设定: shèdìng — To set; to establish; a setting or premise
为: wéi — To be; to act as; serving as
北: běi — North; northern direction
人: rén — Person; people; human being
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
理由: lǐyóu — Reason; grounds; justification for something
主要: zhǔyào — Main; primary; most important
如下: rúxià — As follows; listed below
可以: kěyǐ — Can; may; be able to do something
以: yǐ — With; by means of; using
较少: jiào shǎo — Relatively fewer; comparatively less
花费: huāfèi — To spend; cost; expenditure of money or effort
给予: jǐyǔ — To give; to bestow; to provide something
他: tā — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun
认为: rènwéi — To think; to believe; to consider something
其: qí — His; its; their; third-person possessive pronoun
出身: chūshēn — Family background; social origin; upbringing
与: yǔ — And; with; together with
品格: pǐngé — Character; moral quality; personal integrity
之: zhī — Classical possessive or linking particle; of
尊严: zūnyán — Dignity; honor; self-respect
所需: suǒxū — What is needed; required; necessary things
教育: jiàoyù — Education; to educate; schooling
而: ér — And; yet; but; connective conjunction
这种: zhè zhǒng — This kind of; this type of
在: zài — At; in; located at a place
是: shì — Is; am; are; to be verb
断然: duànrán — Absolutely; flatly; resolutely and firmly
无法: wúfǎ — Unable to; impossible; no way to
构思: gòusī — To conceive; to devise; creative conception
所能: suǒ néng — What one is capable of; within one's ability
提供: tígōng — To provide; to supply; to offer something
微薄: wēibó — Meager; slim; very small in amount
条件: tiáojiàn — Condition; requirement; circumstance
获得: huòdé — To obtain; to acquire; to gain something
其次: qícì — Secondly; next; in the second place
更为: gèng wéi — Even more; all the more; to a greater degree
恰当: qiàdàng — Appropriate; fitting; suitable for the situation
地: de — Adverbial structural particle; -ly suffix
王国: wángguó — Kingdom; realm; a monarch's domain
偏远: piānyuǎn — Remote; distant; far from the center
地区: dìqū — Region; area; district; geographical zone
来: lái — To come; used as directional complement
呈现: chéngxiàn — To present; to display; to show clearly
风俗: fēngsú — Customs; traditions; local social practices
质朴: zhìpǔ — Simple; plain; unaffected; unpretentious in nature
而非: ér fēi — Rather than; instead of; as opposed to
任何: rènhé — Any; whatever; whichever; any kind
接近: jiējìn — To approach; to be close to; near
京都: jīngdū — Capital city; the imperial capital
最后: zuìhòu — Finally; last; at the end
热衷: rèzhōng — To be passionate about; enthusiastic; zealous
游历: yóulì — To travel widely; to journey; extensive travel
性情: xìngqíng — Temperament; disposition; natural personality
一位: yī wèi — One (person); a polite measure word for people
冒险者: màoxiǎnzhě — Adventurer; one who seeks risk and adventure
安排: ānpái — To arrange; to organize; to plan something
那个: nàge — That; that one; referring to something mentioned
国度: guódù — Country; land; nation; a realm
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or change
正当: zhèngdàng — Legitimate; proper; justifiable; appropriate
依据: yījù — Basis; grounds; evidence; to be based on
使: shǐ — To cause; to make; to enable someone
敏感: mǐngǎn — Sensitive; easily affected or offended
读者: dúzhě — Reader; one who reads books or texts
不致: bù zhì — So as not to; to avoid reaching a point
因: yīn — Because of; due to; on account of
本: běn — This; the present; original; root
回忆录: huíyìlù — Memoirs; memoir; a written record of memories
中: zhōng — In; inside; within; middle
某些: mǒuxiē — Some; certain; particular unspecified ones
人物: rénwù — Character; figure; personage in a story
口中: kǒu zhōng — From the mouth; spoken by someone
无谓: wúwèi — Pointless; meaningless; unnecessary; futile
誓言: shìyán — Oath; vow; a solemn sworn statement
感到: gǎndào — To feel; to sense; to experience an emotion
冒犯: màofàn — To offend; to affront; to violate someone's dignity
冒昧: màomèi — To take the liberty; presumptuous; bold enough to
承诺: chéngnuò — To promise; to commit; a pledge or commitment
以为: yǐwéi — To think; to believe mistakenly; to assume
没有: méiyǒu — To not have; there is no; without
什么: shénme — What; anything; whatever; used in questions
比: bǐ — Than; compared to; to compare
对: duì — Toward; regarding; correct; to face
这些: zhèxiē — These; referring to multiple nearby things
所: suǒ — Classical particle before verbs forming noun phrases
出现: chūxiàn — To appear; to emerge; to occur
话语: huàyǔ — Words; utterances; spoken language
进行: jìnxíng — To carry out; to conduct; to proceed with
自然: zìrán — Natural; naturally; of course; nature
如实: rúshí — Truthfully; as it really is; faithfully accurate
更能: gèng néng — Even more able to; more capable of doing
有效: yǒuxiào — Effective; valid; producing desired results
揭示: jiēshì — To reveal; to expose; to illuminate the truth
此类: cǐ lèi — This type; such kinds; these categories
可悲: kěbēi — Lamentable; pitiful; deplorable; sadly unfortunate
口头语: kǒutóuyǔ — Catchphrase; verbal habit; frequently used expression
荒谬: huāngmiù — Absurd; ridiculous; utterly unreasonable or preposterous

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