英國語文第五冊(雙語):"五月花"號(2)

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On a sunny morning in July 1620, the Pilgrims kneel upon the sea-shore at Delfthaven, while the pastor prays for the success of their journey. Out upon the gleaming sea a little ship lies waiting. Money has not been found to transplant the whole colony, and scarcely one hundred have been sent. The remainder will follow when they can. These hundred depart amid tears and prayers and fond farewells. Mr. Robinson dismissed them with counsels which breathed a pure and high- toned wisdom, urging them to keep their minds ever open for the reception of new truths.

1620年七月，在一個陽光明媚的早上，清教徒們在代爾夫特海邊下跪，由牧師做禱告，以祈求此次航行的順利。茫茫海面上有一艘小船在等待。他們沒有足夠的錢將所有人都帶走，走的人連一百都不到。如果可能，那些留下來的人會再找機(jī)會跟上去。人們眼含淚水，在禱告聲中依依惜別。羅賓遜先生將大家遣散，并以忠言相告——告誡他們要保持純凈的智慧，敦促他們要永遠(yuǎn)敞開心胸準(zhǔn)備接受新的真理。

Their little ship, the Speedwell, brought them to South-ampton, where they found the Mayflower, a ship hired for the voyage, and a small band of Pilgrims from London. At Plymouth the Speedwell was pronounced unseaworthy, and was abandoned; and the Mayflower, crowded with the whole party (one hundred and two souls), set sail alone.

他們乘著“舒碧渡”號小船前往南格蘭特，他們在那里租了一艘名為“五月花”號的船，還有從倫敦來的一小撥清教徒在那里等著他們。到普利茅斯時，大家發(fā)現(xiàn)“舒碧渡”號小船經(jīng)不住風(fēng)浪，因此將其遺棄；所有人（102人）都擠在“五月花”號上，在海上孤獨(dú)漂泊。

The Mayflower was a ship of one hundred and sixty tons. The weather proved stormy and cold; the voyage unexpectedly long. It was the middle of September when they sailed. It was not till the 11th November that the Mayflower dropped her anchor in the waters of Cape Cod Bay.

“五月花”號重160噸。天氣寒冷，還有暴風(fēng)雨；使得此次航行變得意想不到的漫長。他們起航時是九月中旬，但是直到十一月十一號才終于到達(dá)鱈魚彎角水域。

A bleak-looking and discouraging coast lay before them. Nothing met the eye but low sand-hills, covered with ill-grown grown wood down to the margin of the sea. The Pilgrims had now to choose a place for their settlement. About this they hesitated so long that the captain threatened to put them all on shore and leave them.

他們面前是一片荒涼的海灘，讓人看了不禁氣餒。除了低矮的沙丘和生在于其上長得不好的樹木以外，他們什么都沒看到?，F(xiàn)在這些清教徒們必須要選一個地方作為營地，他們猶豫了許久，以致于船長威脅說要將它們所有人都趕上岸，自己開船離開。

Little expeditions were sent to explore. At first no suitable locality could be found. The men had great hardships to endure. The cold was so excessive that the spray froze upon their clothes, and they resembled men cased in armour. At length a spot was fixed upon. The soil appeared to be good, and abounded in "delicate springs" or water. On the 23rd December the Pilgrims landed—stepping ashore upon a huge boulder of granite, which is still reverently preserved by their descendants. Here they resolved to found their settlement, which they agreed to call New Plymouth.

他們派出了探險隊前去勘察。一開始他們沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)可選的地方。大家都經(jīng)受著痛苦。天氣寒冷刺骨，水汽在他們的衣服上結(jié)冰，就像給他們穿上了盔甲。最后，他們確定了一個地方。那里的土壤看起來很不錯，而且到處都是清甜可口的山泉。十月二十三日，他們登上了這片土地——踏上一個巨大的花崗石，這塊石頭至今還被其后代虔誠供奉保留。他們決定在這里定居，一致同意將其命名為新普利茅斯。

The winter was severe, and the infant colony was brought very near to extinction. They had been badly fed on board the Mayflower, and for some time after going on shore there was very imperfect shelter from the weather. Sickness fell heavily on the worn-out Pilgrims. Every second day a grave had to be dug in the frozen ground. By the time spring came in there were only fifty survivors, and these sadly enfeebled and dispirited.

極其寒冷的冬天讓這個新建的群體近乎滅絕。他們在船上吃得很差，而且有時上岸之后很難找到理想的避寒之地。疾病在這群窮困潦倒的清教徒中肆虐。每隔兩天就會死一個人，只有五十個人挨到了第二年的春天，而且它們也是虛弱無力，萎靡不振。