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History he knew well, for it was a living thing with him.
他熟悉歷史故事，它們對他來說都是活生生的事情。
"There," he would say, pointing to a bend of the river, "there, my boy, do you see those trees?
“看那兒”他會指著一處河彎對我講道，“就是在那兒，我的 孩子，你看見那些樹了么？
That is where the Prince of Orange cut the dikes to drown the land and save Leyden."
那是奧蘭治親王挖開河堤，淹沒大片田地的地方。為拯救萊頓城，他必須這么做。”
Or he would tell me the tale of the old Meuse,
他還給我講老梅茲河源遠流長的故事，
until the broad river ceased to be a convenient harbour and became a wonderful highroad, carrying the ships of De Ruyter and Tromp upon that famous last voyage, when they gave their lives that the sea might be free to all.
講解這條寬闊 的河流如何由便利的良港變成壯觀的大馬路的。還有著名的德·魯伊特與特隆普的船隊的最后出航。他倆為探索未知的海域，讓人們能自由航行于茫茫大洋之上，而一會不返了。
Then there were the little villages, clustering around the protecting church which once, many years ago, had been the home of their Patron Saints.
再看過去是一些小村莊，圍繞在護佑它們的那座教堂四周。很多年前，這里曾是守護圣徒們居住的家。
In the distance we could see the leaning tower of Delft.
遠處還能望見德爾夫的斜塔。
Within sight of its high arches, William the Silent had been murdered and there Grotius had learned to construe his first Latin sentences.
它高聳的拱頂曾目睹了沉默者威廉遭暗殺的過程。格羅斯特就是在這里開始了他最初的拉丁文語法分析的。
And still further away, the long low body of the church of Gouda,
再遠些那長而低的建筑就是高達教堂，
the early home of the man whose wit had proved mightier than the armies of many an emperor, the charity boy whom the world came to know as Erasmus.
也是一位智慧的威力超過國王軍隊的偉人早年曾居住在這是。他就是舉世聞名的埃拉斯穆斯高達教堂收養的孤兒．
Finally the silver line of the endless sea and as a contrast,
最后，我們的目光落在了浩瀚海洋的銀色邊際級上。
immediately below us, the patchwork of roofs and chimneys and houses and gardens and hospitals and schools and railways, which we called our home.
它與近在腳下的大片屋頂、煙囪、花園、學校、鐵路等建筑形 成了鮮明的對照。
But the tower showed us the old home in a new light.
我們把這片拼湊的大雜償稱為自己的“家”但塔樓卻賦予了這舊家新的啟示。
The confused commotion of the streets and the market-place, of the factories and the workshop, became the well-ordered expression of human energy and purpose.
從塔頂上俯瞰下去；那些混亂無章的街道和市場，工廠與作坊，歷歷 變成了人類能力和目標的井然有序的展示。
Best of all, the wide view of the glorious past, which surrounded us on all sides, gave us new courage to face the problems of the future when we had gone back to our daily tasks.
更有益的是，縱覽圍繞在我們四周的人類的輝煌過去，能使我們帶著新的勇氣，回到日常生活中，直面未來的種種難題。
History is the mighty Tower of Experience, which Time has built amidst the endless fields of bygone ages.
歷史是一座雄偉壯麗的經驗之塔，它是時間在無盡的逝去歲月中苦心搭建起來的。
It is no easy task to reach the top of this ancient structure and get the benefit of the full view.
要登上這座古老建筑的頂端去一覽眾山并非易事。
There is no elevator, but young feet are strong and it can be done.
這里沒有電梯，可年輕人有強健有力的雙腳，能夠完成這一艱苦的攀登。
Here I give you the key that will open the door.
在這里，我送給你們一把打開世界之門的鑰匙。
When you return, you too will understand the reason for my enthusiasm.
當你們返回時，你們就會理解我為何如此熱情了。
