双语美文之似水流年 (45)年轻人(1)

To begin with the Youthful type of character.

我们首先来讨论一下年轻人的性格特征。

Young men have strong passions, and tend to gratify1 them indiscriminately.

年轻人有炽热的激情,而且想不管不顾地逐个满足。

They are changeable and fickle in their desires, which are violent while they last, but quickly over:

他们的愿望举棋不定,有的时候很猛烈,但转瞬即逝。

their impulses are keen but not deep-rooted, and are like sick people’s attacks of hunger and thirst.

他们极易冲动,但根基不深,如同病人遭到饥渴的侵袭一样。

They are hot-tempered, and quick-tempered, and apt to give way to their anger; bad temper often gets the better of them,

他们热情奔放,又性如烈火,很容易发怒,常常管不住自己的脾气。

for owing to their love of honour they cannot bear being slighted, and are indignant if they imagine themselves unfairly treated.

由于珍惜荣誉,他们不想让人轻视,所以如果受到别人不公平地对待,他们就会怒发冲冠。

While they love honour, they love victory still more; for youth is eager for superiority over others, and victory is one form of this.

诚然,他们爱惜荣誉,却更钟情于胜利,青年人热衷于胜人一筹,而胜利就是其中的一种表现形式。

They love both more than they love money, which indeed they love very little, not having yet learnt what it means to be without it,

他们对荣誉和胜利的爱远远胜过了金钱。他们不太在意钱,因为还没真正明白没钱会怎么样

this is the point of Pittancus, remark about Amphiaraus.

庇塔喀斯谈论安菲阿劳斯时就是这么说的。

They look at the good side rather than the bad, not having yet witnessed many instances of wickedness.

他们倾向于看到事物向好的发展方向,而非坏的趋势,那是由于他们还没有目睹过多少不道德的事。

They trust others readily, because they have not yet often been cheated.

他们很乐意相信别人,那是由于他们很少上当受骗。

They are sanguine; nature warms their blood as though with excess of wine; and besides that, they have as yet met with few disappointments.

他们面色红润,大自然仿佛用了过度的葡萄酒来温暖他们的血液。除了这些,他们也没有经历过什么沮丧的事。

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