Tribute to the dog 向狗致敬
本文是一篇法庭辯護(hù)詞，作者George Graham (1830-1904) 是美國(guó)密蘇里州的一個(gè)議員，是當(dāng)時(shí)杰出的演講家和辯論家。本篇是他早年從事法律工作時(shí)在法庭上所作，其時(shí)他為一位因狗被殺而起訴的人做辯護(hù)。辯護(hù)時(shí)，Vest 沒有要求任何證詞，只是憑借其辯論就贏得了官司。他辯詞的撼人之處在于：拿出人類獸性的一面與狗人性的一面作對(duì)比，引起法官們對(duì)狗的感激和同情，以及對(duì)殺狗人的強(qiáng)烈憎惡。這不僅僅是一篇辯護(hù)詞，也是一篇優(yōu)秀的講演稿，更是對(duì)人性的呼喚……
Gentlemen of the Jury:
The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith.
The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer.
He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.
注釋:
* jury：“陪審團(tuán)”。
* turn against：“反目”、“反對(duì)”的意思。的朋友有時(shí)候也會(huì)反目成為敵人。
* rear：“撫養(yǎng)”的意思。用愛心撫養(yǎng)出來的兒女也會(huì)不知感激。那些和我們親近的人、我們信任的人也可能成為traitors（背叛者）。
* prone：“易于……的”。
* malice：“惡意”、“傷害某人的意愿”。有些人在我們成功時(shí)，隨時(shí)都會(huì)跪倒在面前以示尊敬，而當(dāng)我們?cè)庥鍪r(shí)，會(huì)第一個(gè)惡毒地向我們?nèi)邮^。
* treacherous：“陰險(xiǎn)的”、“*詐的”等意思。上面提到的那些不知感恩和借風(fēng)使舵的人都屬于陰險(xiǎn)的人。而狗卻不是這樣，狗在任何時(shí)候都對(duì)主人忠心耿耿，無論其窮富、身體健康與否。
* wintry：winter的形容詞形式，表示“冬天的”、“寒冷的”意思。只要能靠近它的主人，哪怕是睡在冰涼的地上、任由寒風(fēng)侵襲，狗都無怨無悔。
* pauper ：“貧民”、“非常窮的人”。再貧窮的主人熟睡時(shí)，狗也象守侯王子一樣守侯他。
* outcast：“被拋棄、被驅(qū)逐的人”。當(dāng)主人被世人拋棄、無家可歸時(shí)，狗也總是形影不離。
本文是一篇法庭辯護(hù)詞，作者George Graham (1830-1904) 是美國(guó)密蘇里州的一個(gè)議員，是當(dāng)時(shí)杰出的演講家和辯論家。本篇是他早年從事法律工作時(shí)在法庭上所作，其時(shí)他為一位因狗被殺而起訴的人做辯護(hù)。辯護(hù)時(shí)，Vest 沒有要求任何證詞，只是憑借其辯論就贏得了官司。他辯詞的撼人之處在于：拿出人類獸性的一面與狗人性的一面作對(duì)比，引起法官們對(duì)狗的感激和同情，以及對(duì)殺狗人的強(qiáng)烈憎惡。這不僅僅是一篇辯護(hù)詞，也是一篇優(yōu)秀的講演稿，更是對(duì)人性的呼喚……
Gentlemen of the Jury:
The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith.
The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer.
He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.
注釋:
* jury：“陪審團(tuán)”。
* turn against：“反目”、“反對(duì)”的意思。的朋友有時(shí)候也會(huì)反目成為敵人。
* rear：“撫養(yǎng)”的意思。用愛心撫養(yǎng)出來的兒女也會(huì)不知感激。那些和我們親近的人、我們信任的人也可能成為traitors（背叛者）。
* prone：“易于……的”。
* malice：“惡意”、“傷害某人的意愿”。有些人在我們成功時(shí)，隨時(shí)都會(huì)跪倒在面前以示尊敬，而當(dāng)我們?cè)庥鍪r(shí)，會(huì)第一個(gè)惡毒地向我們?nèi)邮^。
* treacherous：“陰險(xiǎn)的”、“*詐的”等意思。上面提到的那些不知感恩和借風(fēng)使舵的人都屬于陰險(xiǎn)的人。而狗卻不是這樣，狗在任何時(shí)候都對(duì)主人忠心耿耿，無論其窮富、身體健康與否。
* wintry：winter的形容詞形式，表示“冬天的”、“寒冷的”意思。只要能靠近它的主人，哪怕是睡在冰涼的地上、任由寒風(fēng)侵襲，狗都無怨無悔。
* pauper ：“貧民”、“非常窮的人”。再貧窮的主人熟睡時(shí)，狗也象守侯王子一樣守侯他。
* outcast：“被拋棄、被驅(qū)逐的人”。當(dāng)主人被世人拋棄、無家可歸時(shí)，狗也總是形影不離。