🔊 There was a time in the youth of the world when Goods and Ills entered equally into the concerns of men, so that the Goods did not prevail to make them altogether blessed, nor the Ills to make them wholly miserable.

在世界初生之时,曾有一度,善与恶平等地涉足人间事务,以致善未能全然得胜使人尽享福祉,恶也未能完全主宰令人全然悲惨。

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Goods /ɡʊdz/

n. （抽象概念）好处,利益；积极因素➕

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Ills /ɪlz/

n. （抽象概念）坏事,不幸；消极因素➕

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prevail /prɪˈveɪl/

v. 盛行,占优势➕

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blessed /blɛst/

adj. 幸福的,神圣的➕

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miserable /ˈmɪzərəbl/

adj. 悲惨的,痛苦的➕

🔊 But owing to the foolishness of mankind the Ills multiplied greatly in number and increased in strength, until it seemed as though they would deprive the Goods of all share in human affairs, and banish them from the earth.

但由于人类的愚昧,恶的数量大为增加,力量也日益增强,以至于仿佛要剥夺善在人间事务中的所有份额,并将它们从地上驱逐出去。

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foolishness /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/

n. 愚蠢,愚笨➕

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multiplied /ˈmʌltɪplaɪd/

v. 增加,倍增（multiply的过去式）➕

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deprive /dɪˈpraɪv/

v. 剥夺,使丧失➕

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banish /ˈbænɪʃ/

v. 驱逐,放逐➕

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human affairs /ˈhjuːmən əˈfeərz/

n. 人类事务,人事➕

🔊 The latter, therefore, betook themselves to heaven and complained to Jupiter of the treatment they had received, at the same time praying him to grant them protection from the Ills, and to advise them concerning the manner of their intercourse with men.

于是,后者便升天向朱庇特申诉所受的待遇,同时祈求他赐予保护以抵御恶,并就它们与人类交往的方式提供建议。

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latter /ˈlætər/

pron. 后者➕

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betook /bɪˈtʊk/

v. 前往,去（betake的过去式）➕

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Jupiter /ˈdʒuːpɪtər/

n. 朱庇特（罗马神话中的主神）➕

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treatment /ˈtriːtmənt/

n. 待遇,处理；治疗➕

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grant /ɡrænt/

v. 授予,同意➕

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concerning /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

prep. 关于,涉及➕

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intercourse /ˈɪntərkɔːrs/

n. 交往,交流；性交➕

🔊 Jupiter granted their request for protection, and decreed that for the future they should not go among men openly in a body, and so be liable to attack from the hostile Ills, but singly and unobserved, and at infrequent and unexpected intervals.

朱庇特应允了它们的保护请求,并下令今后它们不得再公然成群结队地降临人间,以免遭受敌对恶的攻击,而应单独且不为人察觉地,以稀疏且意想不到的间隔前往。

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decreed /dɪˈkriːd/

v. 颁布法令,判决（decree的过去式）➕

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openly /ˈoʊpənli/

adv. 公开地,坦率地➕

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in a body /ɪn ə ˈbɒdi/

phrase. 集体地,全体一致地➕

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liable /ˈlaɪəbl/

adj. 易受...的,有责任的➕

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hostile /ˈhɒstaɪl/

adj. 敌对的,不友善的➕

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singly /ˈsɪŋɡli/

adv. 单独地,逐个地➕

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unobserved /ˌʌnəbˈzɜːrvd/

adj. 未被注意的,未被观察到的➕

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infrequent /ɪnˈfriːkwənt/

adj. 不频繁的,罕见的➕

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unexpected /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/

adj. 意外的,未预料到的➕

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intervals /ˈɪntərvəlz/

n. 间隔,间隙➕

🔊 Hence it is that the earth is full of Ills, for they come and go as they please and are never far away; while Goods, alas! come one by one only, and have to travel all the way from heaven, so that they are very seldom seen.

正因如此,地上充斥着恶,因为它们随心所欲地来去,从不远离；而善,唉！只能一个一个地降临,且必须从天上长途跋涉而来,故而鲜少得见。

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Hence /hɛns/

adv. 因此,从此➕

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alas /əˈlæs/

interj. 唉（表示悲伤、遗憾或恐惧）➕

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seldom /ˈsɛldəm/

adv. 很少,不常➕

Chapter twenty-four: The Goods and the Ills (第二十四章:善与恶)

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