The Souls of Black Folk — Page 7

English → Chinese Full Text Level 8/10

This, then, is the end of his striving: to be a co-worker in the kingdom of culture, to escape both death and isolation, to husband and use his best powers and his latent genius.

那么，这便是他奋斗的终极目标：在文化的王国中成为一名共同劳作者，既逃脱死亡与孤立，又能善加珍惜并运用他最优秀的才能与潜在的天赋。

These powers of body and mind have in the past been strangely wasted, dispersed, or forgotten.

这些身心的力量在过去曾被奇异地浪费、分散或遗忘。

The shadow of a mighty Negro past flits through the tale of Ethiopia the Shadowy and of Egypt the Sphinx.

一段强大的黑人历史的影子，穿行于神秘的埃塞俄比亚与斯芬克斯之地埃及的传说之中。

Through history, the powers of single black men flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness.

纵观历史，一个个黑人的才能如流星般在各处闪现，有时在世界尚未正确衡量其光芒之前便已陨落。

Here in America, in the few days since Emancipation, the black man's turning hither and thither in hesitant and doubtful striving has often made his very strength to lose effectiveness, to seem like absence of power, like weakness.

在美国，自解放以来的短短岁月里，黑人在彷徨犹疑的奋斗中左右摇摆，往往使其本有的力量丧失效能，看起来像是毫无力量，如同软弱无力。

And yet it is not weakness,—it is the contradiction of double aims.

然而这并非软弱，——这是双重目标相互矛盾的结果。

The double-aimed struggle of the black artisan—on the one hand to escape white contempt for a nation of mere hewers of wood and drawers of water, and on the other hand to plough and nail and dig for a poverty-stricken horde—could only result in making him a poor craftsman, for he had but half a heart in either cause.

黑人工匠的双重奋斗目标——一方面要逃脱白人对一个仅仅砍柴挑水之民族的蔑视，另一方面又要为一群贫困潦倒的人耕作、钉钉、挖掘——只能使他成为一个拙劣的工匠，因为他对两者皆是三心二意。

By the poverty and ignorance of his people, the Negro minister or doctor was tempted toward quackery and demagogy; and by the criticism of the other world, toward ideals that made him ashamed of his lowly tasks.

由于本族人民的贫穷与无知，黑人牧师或医生往往被诱向江湖骗术与煽动蛊惑；而外部世界的批评，又将他引向某种理想，使他对自己卑微的职责感到羞耻。

Vocabulary

那么: nàme — then; in that case; so
这: zhè — this; referring to something nearby
便是: biàn shì — that is; this is exactly
他: tā — he; him; third-person masculine pronoun
奋斗: fèndòu — to struggle; to strive hard toward a goal
的: de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
终极: zhōngjí — ultimate; final; the highest level
目标: mùbiāo — goal; objective; target aim
在: zài — at; in; located at a place
文化: wénhuà — culture; civilization; cultural heritage
王国: wángguó — kingdom; realm; domain of a subject
中: zhōng — in; within; inside a place or group
成为: chéngwéi — to become; to turn into something
一名: yī míng — one (person); a single individual member
共同: gòngtóng — joint; common; shared together by all
劳作: láozuò — to labor; to work diligently with effort
者: zhě — person who does something; one who
既: jì — both; already; since; as well as
逃脱: táotuō — to escape; to break free from something
死亡: sǐwáng — death; the end of life; dying
与: yǔ — and; with; together with another
孤立: gūlì — isolation; being alone; cut off from others
又能: yòu néng — also able to; additionally capable of doing
善加: shàn jiā — to make good use of; to properly apply
珍惜: zhēnxī — to cherish; to treasure; to value dearly
并: bìng — and; also; moreover; in addition to
运用: yùnyòng — to apply; to utilize; to make use of
最: zuì — most; -est superlative degree marker
优秀: yōuxiù — excellent; outstanding; superior in quality
才能: cáinéng — talent; ability; skill and capability
潜在: qiánzài — latent; potential; hidden underlying capacity
天赋: tiānfù — innate talent; natural gift from birth
这些: zhèxiē — these; referring to multiple nearby things
身心: shēnxīn — body and mind; physical and mental together
力量: lìliàng — strength; power; force or energy
过去: guòqù — the past; formerly; in previous times
曾被: céng bèi — were once (passive); had previously been subjected to
奇异: qíyì — strange; bizarre; remarkably unusual or odd
地: de — adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
浪费: làngfèi — to waste; to squander resources unnecessarily
分散: fēnsàn — to scatter; to disperse; spread apart widely
或: huò — or; either; alternatively one or another
遗忘: yíwàng — to forget; to leave something behind in memory
一段: yī duàn — a period; a section of time or text
强大: qiángdà — powerful; strong; mighty and formidable
黑人: hēirén — Black person; person of African descent
历史: lìshǐ — history; the record of past events
影子: yǐngzi — shadow; reflection; a trace or image
穿行: chuānxíng — to pass through; to travel across something
于: yú — in; at; from; classical preposition particle
神秘: shénmì — mysterious; enigmatic; full of mystery
之地: zhī dì — the land of; place belonging to something
埃及: Āijí — Egypt; ancient civilization country in Africa
传说: chuánshuō — legend; myth; traditional story passed down
之中: zhī zhōng — within; in the midst of something
纵观: zòngguān — to survey broadly; to look at overall picture
一个个: yī gè gè — one by one; each individual one after another
如: rú — like; as; resembling; similar to
流星: liúxīng — meteor; shooting star; fleeting light in sky
般: bān — like; similar to; in the manner of
各处: gèchù — everywhere; various places; here and there
闪现: shǎnxiàn — to flash; to appear briefly and suddenly
有时: yǒushí — sometimes; occasionally; at certain times
世界: shìjiè — the world; earth; the global community
尚未: shàngwèi — not yet; still has not happened yet
正确: zhèngquè — correct; accurate; right and proper
衡量: héngliáng — to measure; to assess; to evaluate something
其: qí — its; his; their; classical third-person pronoun
光芒: guāngmáng — radiance; brilliant light rays; glowing brilliance
之前: zhīqián — before; prior to; earlier than a time
便已: biàn yǐ — had already; then already done by then
陨落: yǔnluò — to fall; to perish; to die like a meteor
美国: Měiguó — United States of America; the USA
自: zì — from; since; starting from a point
解放: jiěfàng — liberation; emancipation; freedom from oppression
以来: yǐlái — since; from a past time until now
短短: duǎnduǎn — brief; short; only a very short time
岁月: suìyuè — years; time; the passage of years
里: lǐ — inside; within; in a time or space
彷徨: pánghuáng — to hesitate; to wander irresolute; feeling lost
犹疑: yóuyí — to hesitate; to be undecided; wavering doubt
左右: zuǒyòu — left and right; to sway; approximately; vacillate
摇摆: yáobǎi — to swing; to vacillate; to sway back forth
往往: wǎngwǎng — often; frequently; in many cases
使: shǐ — to cause; to make; to enable something
本有: běn yǒu — originally possessed; inherently had by nature
丧失: sàngshī — to lose; to forfeit; to be deprived of
效能: xiàonéng — effectiveness; efficiency; functional capability
看起来: kàn qǐlái — to appear; to seem; to look like something
像是: xiàng shì — seems like; appears to be; resembles something
毫无: háowú — completely without; utterly lacking any trace
如同: rútóng — just like; as if; similar to something
软弱: ruǎnruò — weak; feeble; lacking strength or willpower
无力: wúlì — powerless; without strength; unable to act
然而: rán'ér — however; yet; but; nevertheless contrasting conjunction
并非: bìng fēi — not at all; it is definitely not so
这是: zhè shì — this is; this represents something specific
双重: shuāngchóng — dual; double; twofold in nature or effect
相互: xiānghù — mutual; reciprocal; each affecting the other
矛盾: máodùn — contradiction; conflict; mutually opposing forces
结果: jiéguǒ — result; outcome; consequence of something
工匠: gōngjiàng — craftsman; artisan; skilled manual worker
一方面: yī fāngmiàn — on one hand; one aspect of a situation
要: yào — want; need; must; going to do
白人: báirén — white person; person of European descent
对: duì — toward; facing; regarding; correct
一个: yī gè — one; a single unit or individual thing
仅仅: jǐnjǐn — merely; only; just; nothing more than
之: zhī — classical possessive particle; of; belonging to
民族: mínzú — ethnic group; nation; people sharing culture
蔑视: mièshì — to despise; to look down on; contempt
另一方面: lìng yī fāngmiàn — on the other hand; another aspect or side
又要: yòu yào — also must; additionally needs to do something
为: wèi — for; on behalf of; in order to
一群: yī qún — a group of; a crowd of people
贫困: pínkùn — impoverished; poverty-stricken; in financial hardship
潦倒: liáodǎo — destitute; down and out; utterly demoralized
人: rén — person; people; human being
耕作: gēngzuò — to till; to farm; to cultivate the land
挖掘: wājué — to dig; to excavate; to unearth something
只能: zhǐ néng — can only; is only able to do
拙劣: zhuōliè — clumsy; inferior; crude and poorly done
因为: yīnwèi — because; due to; the reason being that
两者: liǎng zhě — both; the two; either of the two things
皆是: jiē shì — all are; both are; everything is so
三心二意: sān xīn èr yì — half-hearted; indecisive; lacking full commitment
由于: yóuyú — due to; because of; owing to a reason
本族: běn zú — one's own ethnic group; native people
人民: rénmín — the people; citizens; the masses of society
贫穷: pínqióng — poor; poverty-stricken; lacking money or resources
无知: wúzhī — ignorant; lacking knowledge; unaware of things
牧师: mùshī — pastor; minister; Christian religious leader
医生: yīshēng — doctor; physician; medical professional
被: bèi — passive marker; by (someone doing something)
诱向: yòu xiàng — to be lured toward; tempted in a direction
江湖: jiānghú — the underworld; itinerant tricksters; shady world
骗术: piànshù — trickery; deceptive technique; fraudulent scheme
煽动: shāndòng — to incite; to stir up; to instigate others
蛊惑: gǔhuò — to bewitch; to mislead; to corrupt with temptation
而: ér — and; but; yet; conjunctive particle
外部: wàibù — external; outside; from an outer source
批评: pīpíng — criticism; to criticize; to find fault with
又将: yòu jiāng — will also; additionally will lead to something
引向: yǐn xiàng — to lead toward; to guide in a direction
某种: mǒu zhǒng — a certain kind; some type of something
理想: lǐxiǎng — ideal; dream; lofty aspiration or goal
自己: zìjǐ — oneself; self; one's own person
卑微: bēiwēi — humble; lowly; of low social status
职责: zhízé — duty; responsibility; obligation of one's role
感到: gǎndào — to feel; to sense; to experience emotionally
羞耻: xiūchǐ — shame; disgrace; feeling of humiliation

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