美國語文第五冊 第299期：弗吉尼亞人（01）
Mr. Esmond called his American house Castlewood, from the patrimonial home in the old country.
埃斯蒙德先生將他的美國房產稱為卡斯爾伍德莊園，那是坐落于鄉(xiāng)間的一處世襲家產。
The whole usages of Virginia, indeed, were fondly modeled after the English customs.
作為殖民地的弗吉尼亞州無不熱衷效仿大英帝國諸多習俗，對英國皇室極盡效忠。
It was a loyal colony. The Virginians boasted that King Charles the Second had been king in Virginia before he had been king in England.
弗吉尼亞人甚至不惜吹噓，在英國登基前，國王查理二世已在弗吉尼亞州被擁戴為王，
English king and English church were alike faithfully honored there.
英國國王及英國教會在本州受到的敬畏絲毫不亞于英國本土民眾的虔誠信奉。
The resident gentry were allied to good English families.
弗吉尼亞州貴族家族大可追溯到英國上流社會的背景淵源，
They held their heads above the Dutch traders of New York, and the money-getting Roundheads of Pennsylvania and New England.
這些貴族家庭紛紛將家族顯赫的祖先頭像懸掛起來，炫耀地掛在那些紐約市荷蘭商人的頭頂上端，掛在那些賓夕法尼亞州及新英格蘭地區(qū)撈錢的圓顱黨人的頭頂上端。
Never were people less republican than those of the great province which was soon to be foremost in the memorable revolt against the British Crown.
那些大省相比，該州擁戴共和政體的民眾絕不會少，在反抗英國宗主國統治的難忘戰(zhàn)爭中，這點隨后顯示弗吉尼亞州的至關重要。
The gentry of Virginia dwelt on their great lands after a fashion almost patriarchal.
弗吉尼亞州貴族世家承襲的地產通常頗為可觀，他們遵循近乎家族式的管理模式，
For its rough cultivation, each estate had a multitude of hands—of purchased and assigned servants—who were subject to the command of the master.
這種模式簡單粗放，每戶莊園人手豐裕，包括那些買來的黑奴還有指派做活的固定奴仆。那些仆從服從主人的調遣掌控，
The land yielded their food, live stock, and game.
而土地則為其提供食物、牲畜以及享樂性龐雜需求。
The great rivers swarmed with fish for the taking.
弗吉尼亞州內河魚類資源極為豐富，
From their banks the passage home was clear.
水路暢達通衢方便，
Their ships took the tobacco off their private wharves on the banks of the Potomac or the James River, and carried it to London or Bristol,
往來穿梭的船只從波多馬克河或詹姆士河的私家碼頭運走煙葉，直抵倫敦或布里斯托爾，
bringing back English goods and articles of home manufacture in return for the only produce which the Virginian gentry chose to cultivate.
然后回程運回英國各類居家用度，那些該州名望家族視其為可熏陶其家族子女貴族氣質的眾多商品。
