Passage 1 is adapted from Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France. Originally published in 1790. Passage 2 is adapted from Thomas Paine, Rights of Man. Originally published in 1791.
Passage 1
第一句:To avoid . . . the evils of inconstancy and versatility, ten thousand times worse than those of obstinacy and the blindest prejudice, we have consecrated the state, that no man should approach to look into its defects or corruptions but with due caution; that he should never dream of beginning its reformation by its subversion; that he should approach to the faults of the state as to the wounds of a father, with pious awe and trembling solicitude.
整个句型的结构:“To avoid sth, we did sth, that no man should do…; that he should do…”
这个句子首先要搞清楚对于作者来说,“inconstancy and versatility(动荡和多变)” 和 “obstinacy and prejudice(固执和偏见)” 哪一样带来的危害最大,从这个点就基本上可以看出作者对于法国革命的态度(同意还是不同意)。
因为有“worse than(比。。。糟糕)”,所以作者认为国家的动荡和多变比起一个国家的墨守成规更可怕。而为了避免国家的动荡,我们捍卫国家,任何人都不应该用颠覆的方式去改变,而是需要用虔诚的敬畏和牵挂。
因此看出:作者是反对这一次造成国家动荡的法国革命的。紧紧抓住作者的这个态度再去分析后面的内容。
常规翻译:为了避免动荡和多变造成的祸害,此祸害比固执和最盲目的偏见带来的灾难严重千倍万倍,我们捍卫国家,任何人都不能只用应有的警惕来看待国家的缺陷和腐败;他绝不应该梦想用颠覆的方式来改造它;他对待它的缺陷应该如同对待父亲的伤口一样,满怀虔诚的敬畏和急切的牵挂。
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非常规翻译:无常与善变之弊,为害万倍于顽固与盲极偏见之病…为免于此,我等奉国为圣,凡人皆不得近前,但凭应有慎微,挑其缺陷,指其腐败;不得梦想以颠覆开启改良;而须虔诚敬畏,战兢关切,视国之欠缺,若父之伤患。