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Part 5 John Adams to His Wife

第五部分 约翰·亚当斯致妻

Prince Town New Jersey Aug. 28th, 1774

于新泽西普林斯镇1774年8月28日

My Dear:

我亲爱的:

I received your kind letter, at New York, and it is not easy for you to imagine the pleasure it has given me. I have not found a single opportunity to write since I left Boston, excepting by the post and I don’t choose to write by that conveyance event conveyance, for fear of foul play. But as we are now within forty two miles of Philadelphia, I hope there to find some private hand by which I can convey this.

在纽约收到了你亲切的来信，你很难想象出它给我带来的快乐。自从离开波士顿，我还没有找到一次给你写信的机会，虽然信可以邮寄，但我没有选择那种传递方式给你写信，因为害怕恶作剧，而现在我俩同距费城下超过42英里，我希望在那儿能找人私下为我们传递这封信。

The particulars of our journey, I must reserve, to be communicated after my return. It would take a volume to describe the whole. It has been upon the whole an agreeable jaunt. We have had opportunities to see the world, and to form acquaintances with the most eminent and famous men in the several colonies we have passed through. We have been treated with unbounded civility, complaisance, and respect.

我们旅程的细节我必须保留到回家后再告诉你，整个旅途的经历都可以写成一册书了。总的来说，这是一次令人愉快的旅行。我们有机会看看大千世界，并且有幸结了路经的几个殖民地中最杰出的知名人士。我们在那里受到了热烈欢迎和盛情款待，赢得了极大的尊重。

We yesterday visited Nassau Hall College, and were politely treated by the scholars, tutors, professors and president, whom we are, this day to hear preach. Tomorrow we reach the Theatre of Action. God almighty grant us wisdom and virtue sufficient for the high trust that is devolved upon us. The spirit of the people wherever we have been seems to be very favourable. They universally consider our cause as their own, and express the firmest resolution, to abide the determination of the Congress.

昨天我们参观了纳索荷学院，得到了学者们、导师们、教授们和校长的礼貌相待，今天我们要去听他们演讲。明天我们会前往行动礼堂。愿万能的上帝赐给我们充足的智慧和美德，让我们能够承受上帝对我们的高度的信任。我们所到之处民众的精神面貌非常积极向上。他们普遍认为我们的事业就是他们的事业，并且表达了最为坚定的决心，要遵守国会的一切决定。

I am anxious for our perplexed, distressed province–hope they will be directed into the right path. I beg you, my dear, to make yourself as easy and quiet as possible. Resignation to the will of heaven is our only resource in such dangerous times. Prudence and caution should be our guides, I have the strongest hopes, that we shall yet see a clearer sky, and better times.

我为我们地区困惑不安的人民感到忧心忡忡，希望他们会被指引到正确的道路上去、亲爱的，我恳求你，尽可能让自己放松和平静。在这个危险的年代，顺从上帝的意志是我们唯一的精神支柱。谨慎小心应该是我们的指导方针。我最强烈地希望将来我们能看到更加晴朗的天空和更加美好的时代。

Your account of the rain refreshed me. I hope our husbandry is prudently and industriously managed. Frugality must be our support. Our expenses, in this journey, will be very great-our only reward will be the consolatory reflection that we toil, spend our time, and tempt dangers for the public good.-happy indeed, if we do any good!

你在信中讲述的雨景使我顿觉精神振奋。我希望我们的农业要谨慎管理和苦心经营。勤俭是我们的立足之本。这次旅行的开支会很大，但想到我们为了公众的利益而辛苦工作，花费时间，并且甘冒危险，我们倍感安慰，而这也是我们唯一的回报-如果我们做了任何有益的事，那的确令人感到幸福!

The education of our children is never out of my mind. Train them to virtue, habituate them to industry, activity, and spirit. Make them consider every vice, as shameful and unmanly: fire them with ambition to be useful-make them disdain to be destitute of any useful, or ornamental knowledge or accomplishment. Fix their ambition upon great and solid objects, and their contempt upon little, frivolous, and useless ones. It is time, my dear, for you to begin to teach them French. Every decency, grace, and honesty should be inculcated upon them.

孩子们的教育问题总是萦绕在我的脑海。培养他们良好的道德，使他们养成勤勉、充满活力和富有进取精神的习惯; 让他们视每一种缺点为可耻和懦弱: 激励他们满怀雄心壮志成为有用之才-使他们鄙视缺乏有用知识的人、毫无造诣的人和无所成就的人; 把他们的抱负建立在伟人、坚定的目标之上，而无视那些细小、琐碎和无价值的事情。亲爱的，是你开始教他们法语的时候了。应该让礼貌、优雅和诚实牢牢地铭刻于他们的心中。

I have kept a few minutes by way of journal, which shall be your entertainment when I come home, but we have had so many persons and so various characters to converse with, and so many objects to view, that I have not been able to be so particular as I could wish-I am, with the tenderest affection and concern, your wandering.

我以日记的方式记了一些备忘录，待我回家时可让你浏览消遣。不过，我们有那么多不同的人物要交谈，有那么多的事物要观察，所以我不能如我所希望的那样详细叙述这一切。-接受我最温柔的爱意和关怀，你的流浪者。

John Adams

约翰·亚当斯