The Expedition of Humphry Clinker — Page 1

English → Chinese RESPECTED SIR, Level 8/10

I have received your esteemed favour of the 13th ultimo, whereby it appeareth, that you have perused those same Letters, the which were delivered unto you by my friend, the reverend Mr Hugo Behn;

我已收到您上月十三日的惠函，由此得知，您已阅览了那些信件，此信件乃由我的友人、可敬的雨果·贝恩先生转交于您；

and I am pleased to find you think they may be printed with a good prospect of success;

我甚感欣慰，得知您认为此信件付印后大有成功之望；

in as much as the objections you mention, I humbly conceive, are such as may be redargued, if not entirely removed--

至于您所提及的异议，鄙人斗胆认为，即便不能尽数消除，亦可予以驳解——

And, first, in the first place, as touching what prosecutions may arise from printing the private correspondence of persons still living, give me leave, with all due submission, to observe, that the Letters in question were not written and sent under the seal of secrecy;

首先，关于刊印在世之人私人信函可能引发的法律追究，请容鄙人冒昧陈言：所涉信件在书写与寄送之时，并无保密之约定；

that they have no tendency to the mala fama, or prejudice of any person whatsoever; but rather to the information and edification of mankind:

其内容无损于任何人之名誉，亦无害于任何人之利益，反而有益于世人之见闻与教化：

so that it becometh a sort of duty to promulgate them in usum publicum.

因此，将其公之于众，以供公众之用，实乃一种责任。

Besides, I have consulted Mr Davy Higgins, an eminent attorney of this place, who, after due inspection and consideration, declareth, That he doth not think the said Letters contain any matter which will be held actionable in the eye of the law.

此外，鄙人已就此事咨询本地知名律师戴维·希金斯先生，他经过详细审阅与考量后声明，认为上述信件并不含有任何在法律上可被追诉的内容。

Vocabulary

我: wǒ — I, me; first-person singular pronoun
已: yǐ — already; indicates completed action
收到: shōu dào — to receive, to have gotten something
您: nín — you; polite/formal second-person pronoun
上月: shàng yuè — last month, the previous month
十三日: shísān rì — the thirteenth day of a month
的: de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
由此: yóu cǐ — from this, hereby, as a result of this
得知: dé zhī — to learn, to come to know something
阅览: yuè lǎn — to read and review, to peruse documents
了: le — particle indicating completed action or new situation
那些: nà xiē — those, referring to previously mentioned plural items
信件: xìn jiàn — letters, pieces of written correspondence
此: cǐ — this, these; formal demonstrative pronoun
我的: wǒ de — my, mine; first-person possessive
友人: yǒu rén — friend, a person who is one's friend
可敬: kě jìng — respectable, worthy of respect and admiration
先生: xiān sheng — Mr., gentleman; polite title for a man
转交: zhuǎn jiāo — to pass on, to forward something to someone
于: yú — at, in, to; formal preposition of location or time
欣慰: xīn wèi — gratified, pleased and comforted by something
认为: rèn wéi — to think, to believe, to consider something
后: hòu — after, afterwards; following in time or order
大有: dà yǒu — there is great, there are ample chances of
成功: chéng gōng — success; to succeed in achieving a goal
至于: zhì yú — as for, regarding; transitioning to another topic
所: suǒ — classical particle preceding verbs to nominalize them
提及: tí jí — to mention, to bring up a topic
异议: yì yì — objection, dissent, differing opinion or protest
即便: jí biàn — even if, even though; concessive conjunction
不能: bù néng — cannot, unable to do something
消除: xiāo chú — to eliminate, to remove, to dispel completely
予以: yǔ yǐ — to give, to provide; formal verb introducing action
首先: shǒu xiān — first of all, firstly; introducing the first point
关于: guān yú — regarding, concerning, about a specific topic
在世: zài shì — living, still alive in the world
私人: sī rén — private, personal; pertaining to an individual
信函: xìn hán — letter, written correspondence, formal epistle
可能: kě néng — possibly, maybe; indicating possibility or likelihood
引发: yǐn fā — to trigger, to cause, to give rise to
法律: fǎ lǜ — law, legal system, statutory regulations
追究: zhuī jiū — to investigate and hold accountable, to prosecute
请: qǐng — please; to request politely
容: róng — to allow, to permit; to tolerate
冒昧: mào mèi — to take the liberty, presumptuous; apologetic phrase
在: zài — at, in, on; preposition of location or time
书写: shū xiě — to write, the act of writing something down
与: yǔ — and, with; conjunction connecting two elements
寄送: jì sòng — to send, to mail, to dispatch by post
并无: bìng wú — there is absolutely no, emphatically without
保密: bǎo mì — to keep secret, confidentiality, secrecy
之: zhī — classical possessive or linking particle; of
约定: yuē dìng — agreement, arrangement, an agreed-upon commitment
其: qí — its, their; classical third-person possessive pronoun
内容: nèi róng — content, substance, what something contains
任何人: rèn hé rén — anyone, any person whatsoever
名誉: míng yù — reputation, honor, good name of a person
亦: yì — also, too; classical equivalent of 也
无害: wú hài — harmless, causing no harm or damage
利益: lì yì — interests, benefits, profits of a person
反而: fǎn ér — on the contrary, instead; indicating reversal
有益: yǒu yì — beneficial, advantageous, good for someone
世人: shì rén — people of the world, humanity in general
见闻: jiàn wén — knowledge and experience, what one sees and hears
因此: yīn cǐ — therefore, thus, for this reason
将: jiāng — will, about to; future tense marker or to take
公之于众: gōng zhī yú zhòng — to make public, to disclose to everyone
公众: gōng zhòng — the public, the general public, the masses
一种: yī zhǒng — a kind of, a type of something
责任: zé rèn — responsibility, duty, obligation one must fulfill
此外: cǐ wài — besides, furthermore, in addition to this
咨询: zī xún — to consult, to seek advice from an expert
本地: běn dì — local, this place, the local area
知名: zhī míng — well-known, famous, prominent in one's field
律师: lǜ shī — lawyer, attorney, legal professional
他: tā — he, him; third-person masculine singular pronoun
经过: jīng guò — after, following; to go through a process
详细: xiáng xì — detailed, thorough, comprehensive in description
审阅: shěn yuè — to review and examine carefully, to scrutinize
考量: kǎo liáng — to consider carefully, to weigh and deliberate
声明: shēng míng — to declare, to state officially; a statement
上述: shàng shù — the above-mentioned, previously stated content
并不: bìng bù — emphatically does not, by no means
含有: hán yǒu — to contain, to include within its content
任何: rèn hé — any, whatever, whichever; without exception
上: shàng — above, on; here used as a domain marker

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