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Part 5 John Adams to His Wife
第五部分 約翰·亞當斯致妻
Prince Town New Jersey Aug. 28th, 1774
于新澤西普林斯鎮(zhèn)1774年8月28日
My Dear:
我親愛的:
I received your kind letter, at New York, and it is not easy for you to imagine the pleasure it has given me. I have not found a single opportunity to write since I left Boston, excepting by the post and I don't choose to write by that conveyance event conveyance, for fear of foul play. But as we are now within forty two miles of Philadelphia, I hope there to find some private hand by which I can convey this.
在紐約收到了你親切的來信，你很難想象出它給我?guī)淼目鞓贰Ｗ詮碾x開波士頓，我還沒有找到一次給你寫信的機會，雖然信可以郵寄，但我沒有選擇那種傳遞方式給你寫信，因為害怕惡作劇，而現(xiàn)在我倆同距費城下超過42英里，我希望在那兒能找人私下為我們傳遞這封信。
The particulars of our journey, I must reserve, to be communicated after my return. It would take a volume to describe the whole. It has been upon the whole an agreeable jaunt. We have had opportunities to see the world, and to form acquaintances with the most eminent and famous men in the several colonies we have passed through. We have been treated with unbounded civility, complaisance, and respect.
我們旅程的細節(jié)我必須保留到回家后再告訴你，整個旅途的經(jīng)歷都可以寫成一冊書了。總的來說，這是一次令人愉快的旅行。我們有機會看看大千世界，并且有幸結(jié)了路經(jīng)的幾個殖民地中最杰出的知名人士。我們在那里受到了熱烈歡迎和盛情款待，贏得了極大的尊重。
We yesterday visited Nassau Hall College, and were politely treated by the scholars, tutors, professors and president, whom we are, this day to hear preach. Tomorrow we reach the Theatre of Action. God almighty grant us wisdom and virtue sufficient for the high trust that is devolved upon us. The spirit of the people wherever we have been seems to be very favourable. They universally consider our cause as their own, and express the firmest resolution, to abide the determination of the Congress.
昨天我們參觀了納索荷學(xué)院，得到了學(xué)者們、導(dǎo)師們、教授們和校長的禮貌相待，今天我們要去聽他們演講。明天我們會前往行動禮堂。愿萬能的上帝賜給我們充足的智慧和美德，讓我們能夠承受上帝對我們的高度的信任。我們所到之處民眾的精神面貌非常積極向上。他們普遍認為我們的事業(yè)就是他們的事業(yè)，并且表達了最為堅定的決心，要遵守國會的一切決定。
I am anxious for our perplexed, distressed province--hope they will be directed into the right path. I beg you, my dear, to make yourself as easy and quiet as possible. Resignation to the will of heaven is our only resource in such dangerous times. Prudence and caution should be our guides, I have the strongest hopes, that we shall yet see a clearer sky, and better times.
我為我們地區(qū)困惑不安的人民感到憂心忡忡，希望他們會被指引到正確的道路上去、親愛的，我懇求你，盡可能讓自己放松和平靜。在這個危險的年代，順從上帝的意志是我們唯一的精神支柱。謹慎小心應(yīng)該是我們的指導(dǎo)方針。我最強烈地希望將來我們能看到更加晴朗的天空和更加美好的時代。
Your account of the rain refreshed me. I hope our husbandry is prudently and industriously managed. Frugality must be our support. Our expenses, in this journey, will be very great-our only reward will be the consolatory reflection that we toil, spend our time, and tempt dangers for the public good.-happy indeed, if we do any good!
你在信中講述的雨景使我頓覺精神振奮。我希望我們的農(nóng)業(yè)要謹慎管理和苦心經(jīng)營。勤儉是我們的立足之本。這次旅行的開支會很大，但想到我們?yōu)榱斯姷睦娑量喙ぷ鳎ㄙM時間，并且甘冒危險，我們倍感安慰，而這也是我們唯一的回報-如果我們做了任何有益的事，那的確令人感到幸福!
The education of our children is never out of my mind. Train them to virtue, habituate them to industry, activity, and spirit. Make them consider every vice, as shameful and unmanly: fire them with ambition to be useful-make them disdain to be destitute of any useful, or ornamental knowledge or accomplishment. Fix their ambition upon great and solid objects, and their contempt upon little, frivolous, and useless ones. It is time, my dear, for you to begin to teach them French. Every decency, grace, and honesty should be inculcated upon them.
孩子們的教育問題總是縈繞在我的腦海。培養(yǎng)他們良好的道德，使他們養(yǎng)成勤勉、充滿活力和富有進取精神的習慣; 讓他們視每一種缺點為可恥和懦弱: 激勵他們滿懷雄心壯志成為有用之才-使他們鄙視缺乏有用知識的人、毫無造詣的人和無所成就的人; 把他們的抱負建立在偉人、堅定的目標之上，而無視那些細小、瑣碎和無價值的事情。親愛的，是你開始教他們法語的時候了。應(yīng)該讓禮貌、優(yōu)雅和誠實牢牢地銘刻于他們的心中。
I have kept a few minutes by way of journal, which shall be your entertainment when I come home, but we have had so many persons and so various characters to converse with, and so many objects to view, that I have not been able to be so particular as I could wish-I am, with the tenderest affection and concern, your wandering.
我以日記的方式記了一些備忘錄，待我回家時可讓你瀏覽消遣。不過，我們有那么多不同的人物要交談，有那么多的事物要觀察，所以我不能如我所希望的那樣詳細敘述這一切。-接受我最溫柔的愛意和關(guān)懷，你的流浪者。
John Adams
約翰·亞當斯
