The Prince — Page 10
在一封写给弗朗切斯科·韦托里、日期为1513年12月13日的信中,他留下了一段关于这一时期生活的非常有趣的描述,这段描述阐明了他写作《君主论》的方法和动机。
In a letter to Francesco Vettori, dated 13th December 1513, he has left a very interesting description of his life at this period, which elucidates his methods and his motives in writing The Prince.
在描述了他与家人和邻居的日常活动之后,他写道:
After describing his daily occupations with his family and neighbours, he writes:
「傍晚来临,我回到家中,走进书房;在入口处,我脱下沾满尘土污垢的农夫粗衣,换上我高贵的朝服,如此衣着得体地重新装扮之后,我步入古人们的古老殿堂,
"The evening being come, I return home and go to my study; at the entrance I pull off my peasant-clothes, covered with dust and dirt, and put on my noble court dress, and thus becomingly re-clothed I pass into the ancient courts of the men of old,
在那里,他们以爱意迎接我,用唯属于我的精神食粮滋养我;在那里,我毫不犹豫地与他们交谈,询问他们行为背后的缘由,而他们也以仁慈之心给予我解答;
where, being lovingly received by them, I am fed with that food which is mine alone; where I do not hesitate to speak with them, and to ask for the reason of their actions, and they in their benignity answer me;
就这样长达四个小时,我感不到丝毫疲倦,我忘却一切烦忧,贫困不能使我沮丧,死亡不能令我恐惧;我整个人完全沉浸在那些伟大人物之中。」
and for four hours I feel no weariness, I forget every trouble, poverty does not dismay, death does not terrify me; I am possessed entirely by those great men.
Vocabulary
- letter
- 信件,写给某人的书面信息
- dated
- 注明日期的,标有特定日期
- December
- 十二月,一年中最后一个月
- left
- 留下,遗留某物给后人
- interesting
- 有趣的,引人入胜的
- description
- 描述,对某事物的详细说明
- period
- 时期,某段特定的时间阶段
- elucidates
- 阐明,清楚地解释某事物
- methods
- 方法,完成某事的具体方式
- motives
- 动机,驱使人行动的原因
- writing
- 写作,用文字表达思想的行为
- Prince
- 君主论,马基雅维利著作;也指王子
- describing
- 描述,描写某事物的状态
- daily
- 每日的,每天发生或进行的
- occupations
- 日常活动,职业或消遣事务
- neighbours
- 邻居,住在附近的人
- evening
- 傍晚,白天结束后的时段
- return
- 返回,回到某地
- study
- 书房,用于读书学习的房间
- entrance
- 入口处,进入某地的地方
- pull
- 脱下,拉扯去除衣物
- peasant-clothes
- 农民的衣服,粗布平民服装
- covered
- 覆盖着,沾满某物的状态
- dust
- 灰尘,细小的干燥颗粒物
- dirt
- 污垢,泥土或肮脏的物质
- noble
- 高贵的,贵族阶层的
- court
- 宫廷,王室或贵族的场所
- dress
- 服装,正式或特定场合的衣物
- thus
- 因此,以这样的方式
- becomingly
- 得体地,以适合身份的方式
- re-clothed
- 重新着装,换上新衣服
- pass
- 进入,走入某个空间
- ancient
- 古代的,久远历史时期的
- courts
- 宫廷,古代帝王或贵族的聚集地
- lovingly
- 充满爱意地,亲切温柔地
- received
- 被接待,受到欢迎
- fed
- 被喂养,获得滋养
- alone
- 唯一的,只属于我的
- hesitate
- 犹豫,不敢或迟疑去做某事
- reason
- 原因,理由,某事发生的缘故
- actions
- 行为,人们所做的事情
- benignity
- 仁慈,善良温和的态度
- answer
- 回答,对问题作出回应
- weariness
- 疲倦,极度疲劳的感觉
- forget
- 忘记,不再记得某事
- trouble
- 烦恼,麻烦,令人担忧的事
- poverty
- 贫穷,缺乏物质资源的状态
- dismay
- 使沮丧,令人感到担忧或绝望
- death
- 死亡,生命的终结
- terrify
- 使恐惧,令人极度害怕
- possessed
- 被占据,完全沉浸于某事
- entirely
- 完全地,彻底地,全部地
- great
- 伟大的,卓越的,重要的
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