關注本公眾號,拿出20分鐘,精讀一段《時代周刊》的精緻英文,漲姿勢,長本事,踏踏實實一步一個腳印。總有一天,閱讀原版文章如履平地!
⚠️注意⚠️ 以下文字中灰色部分在[看大選學英語|之《階級鬥爭美利堅》(上)]已經做過精讀鑽啃,長按下方二維碼即可閱讀解析:
閱讀下面這段話(節選自《時代周刊》提名Trump為2015年度人物的文章(最終選出的是德國總理默克爾),尤其注意加粗的部分,別急,先讀讀,再帶著大家精讀鑽啃:(本文針對[下部])
[上部]While a fearful nation watched the terrorists attack again, Donald Trump looked out from his golden Manhattan tower, divining the unseized opportunity before him. Toughness was his brand, and in a tumultuous political season, transgression his method.
In times of trial and desperation, when institutions fail, insecurity mounts and need arises, even the most enlightened democratic states can turn inward and break against themselves.[下部]James Madison warned his nascent nation of 「the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.」To remedy this, America’s founders forged a union with safeguards: due process of law, inalienable individual rights and a byzantine electoral system that intentionally slowed popular fury and change. Yet still the country has been tested over the centuries by demagogues and bigots, leaders who broke social and political norms, targeted enemies within and rallied the nation against the governing class.
⚠️注意⚠️ 上方文字中灰色部分([上部])在[看大選學英語|之《階級鬥爭美利堅》(上)]已經做過精讀鑽啃,長按上方二維碼即可閱讀解析。
怎麼樣?粗體部分都理解了嗎?
沒理解透不要緊,我們還是掰開了、揉碎了慢慢看。前幾期讀者都表示,沒想到讀了管大的精讀鑽啃以後,自己真的讀懂了!所以要有耐心,就會有回報!
先勵志一下下:
我們一部分一部分來看:
James Madison warned his nascent nation of 「the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.」這句話的前文說道:「在磨難與絕望交織的時代,當舊制日漸式微無用,當不安全感日益上升,當確這種需要愈發明顯,即便是民主精神最深入人心的國家,也可能會出現對外封閉大門、對內分裂鬥爭的局面。」
接下來的這句引用麥迪遜的話,來對如今的狀況進行進一步的評述。
nascent來自於拉丁語nasci(to be born),意思就是「新生的」、「萌芽的」。nas和nat同源都有「生」的意思(生來如此就是nature、生下來就學說的話就是native tongue)
nascent nation即「新生的國家」,詹姆斯麥迪遜(下圖)作為美國的國父founding fathers之一、又有「美國憲法之父」之稱,從他的角度來說,美國當然是一個nascent nation。
interested 大家最熟悉的意思是「感興趣的」,但是不要忘記interest除了「興趣」還是「利益」,interested還有一層意思,是「有利益關係的」、「利益相關」的。比如,中國人常說「這個事我有利害關係,不便表態。」 英文可以這樣來表達:
As an interested party, I should refrain from voicing an opinion.
所以interested的這個意項同時往往也意味著:利益相關,不客觀,不中立,也意味著可能會以對己方有利的立場來發聲。
再來看overbearing的意思:
overbearing
trying to control other people in an unpleasant way 專橫的;飛揚跋扈的
◆an overbearing manner
專斷的作風把這句話連起來再看:
James Madison warned his nascent nation of 「the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.」
國父麥迪遜就曾警告過他那新生的國家提防「多數人的暴政」(原文:私利薰心、專橫傲慢的「多數人」形成的那股壓倒性勢力量」)
再來往下看:
To remedy this, America’s founders forged a union with safeguards: due process of law, inalienable individual rights and a byzantine electoral system that intentionally slowed popular fury and change.remedy名詞為治療、藥品,也可以指處理方法、改進措施。動詞意為「改正」、「糾正」,比如to remedy a situation。
forge在美劇裡,大多數情況是「偽造」、「假冒」,不過這個詞其實並不只有造假的意思... 文章裡用的顯然是forge的原意:
forge
~ sth to put a lot of effort into making sth successful or strong so that it will last 艱苦幹成;努力加強
◆a move to forge new links between management and workers
努力建立勞資新關係的措施
◆Strategic alliances are being forged with major European companies.
正與歐洲主要公司設法結成戰略同盟。
◆She forged a new career in the music business.
她在樂壇上另創一番新事業。union除了協會、工會,做抽象一些的「聯合」講時為不可數名詞,也指聯邦國家或國家聯盟。在美國國內更是常用the Union來指代美國,比如國情諮文State of the Union,當然不僅美國這樣用,蘇聯官方英譯就是Soviet Union。還有European Union歐盟這種超越主權聯邦的國家聯合體。大寫一半特指某個聯邦國家或國家聯合體,小寫就是「聯邦國家」或「國家聯合體」的概念,多無特指。forge a union,締造出一個聯邦國家,締造那一刻尚無「美利堅合眾國」,也就無從特指了。
To remedy this, America’s founders forged a union with safeguards:「為了糾正這種情況(多數人的暴政),美國的國父們締造這個聯邦時附加了很多保障措施:」
due process of law和inalienable right是看原版雜誌和節目等必備的短語,在美國的討論中的出鏡率是極高的。
due process of law
[uncountable] (law 法律)
(in the US) the right of a citizen to be treated fairly, especially the right to a fair trial 正當法律程序(美國公民得到公正待遇的權利,尤指得到程序公正的審判)inalienable rights在美國的《獨立宣言》中就佔據開篇重要位置:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of hapiness.我們認為下述真理是不言而喻的:人人生而平等,造物主賦予他們若干不可讓與的權利,其中包括生存權、自由權和追求幸福的權利。byzantine來自於Byzantine(東羅馬拜佔庭),Byzantine可以指拜佔庭或拜佔庭建築風格的,首字母作小寫時(也可以大寫)意為:
byzantine
(of an idea, a system, etc. 思想、制度等) complicated, secret and difficult to change 複雜神秘而死板的
◆an organization of byzantine complexity
拜佔庭式複雜詭秘死板的機構popular fury在這裡影射前一句的the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority,字面來看就是「大眾的憤慨」,「民憤」,下文中的demagogue就是專門利用這種情緒的人,稍後再說。
To remedy this, America’s founders forged a union with safeguards: due process of law, inalienable individual rights and a byzantine electoral system that intentionally slowed popular fury and change.「為了糾正這種情況(多數人的暴政),美國的國父們締造這個聯邦時附加來很多保障措施:正當的司法程序、不可讓與或剝奪的個人權利以及一個極其複雜難懂的選舉制度,其複雜性是有意為之,目的就是要在國民情緒沸揚之時能使其冷卻,避免倉促的變革。」
再看最後一部分:
Yet still the country has been tested over the centuries by demagogues and bigots, leaders who broke social and political norms, targeted enemies within and rallied the nation against the governing class.test與上一篇中提到的trial在這裡的意思相近,都有「考驗」、「磨練」的意味。
has been tested over the centuries 幾百年來始終經歷著這樣的考驗
demagogue和bigot是一些美國媒體經常用來形容Trump的詞,無論你同不同意,都應該知道它們的意思:
demagogue
a political leader who tries to win support by using arguments based on emotion rather than reason 蠱惑民心的政客(利用民眾情緒來博取支持的政客)bigot
a person who has very strong, unreasonable beliefs or opinions about race, religion or politics and who will not listen to or accept the opinions of anyone who disagrees (種族、宗教或政治的)頑固盲從者,偏執者
◆a religious/racial bigot
宗教╱種族的偏執者targeted enemies within within在這裡做後置定語,即槍口瞄準內部的敵人。這與(上部)中提到的break against themselves也有呼應。
rallied the nation against the governing class 「把國民團結起來,與統治階級對立起來」。同樣也呼應了前半部的break against themselves。這句話更是在體現如今兩黨的anti-establishment的情緒,都對於建制派勢力不滿,對於現在的當權派不滿,這也是民主黨的桑德斯,共和黨的川普和克魯茲得到廣泛支持的原因。他們都在target enemies within和rallied the nation against the governing class。
Yet still the country has been tested over the centuries by demagogues and bigots, leaders who broke social and political norms, targeted enemies within and rallied the nation against the governing class.儘管這樣(國父們締造這個聯邦時附加了很多保障措施...),這個國家在其幾百年歷史中還是沒少遭受這些人的考驗磨練:包括蠱惑人心政客、偏執的極端分子以及那些突破社會與政治底線、搞內部鬥爭、煽動底層對抗統治階層的政治領袖。
不知道《瘋狂動物城》對Donald Trump的選情有沒有影響。[偷笑]
好了,回頭重新讀一遍:
James Madison warned his nascent nation of 「the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.」To remedy this, America’s founders forged a union with safeguards: due process of law, inalienable individual rights and a byzantine electoral system that intentionally slowed popular fury and change. Yet still the country has been tested over the centuries by demagogues and bigots, leaders who broke social and political norms, targeted enemies within and rallied the nation against the governing class.怎麼樣?大概讀通順了吧?
讀懂了的,不要浪費,做好筆記、摘抄、馬克、分享、攢人品。
再囑咐一遍:
閱讀不要一味求快,該啃得啃,該查得查,閉著眼睛瞎讀所換來的「閱讀速度」並不是真速度啦,降低了閱讀質量換來的速度,除非在考試中,或純粹不求甚解的泛讀裡,否則絕不推薦。
近期會更新外語閱讀經驗,會專門探討精度讀到什麼程度,不懂的部分怎麼對待和處理等問題。如有期待,敬請打賞鼓勵。(本系列其他文章獲取方式見底部)
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