书城教材教辅美国语文:美国中学课文经典读本(英汉双语版)
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第89章 陆军少校安德烈

MAJOR ANDRE was an officer in the English army during the revolutionary war.He was entrusted with the very delicate duty of communicating with Benedict Arnold,an American officer,who proposed treacherously to deliver the garrison at West Point to the English.Andre was detected,and,though a noble,honorable man,was,according to the rules of war,executed as a spy.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON,from whose letter to a friend this extract is taken,was one of the most distinguished patriots and officers of the Revolution,and was the first Secretary of the Treasury under the Constitution.

1.NEVER,perhaps,did any man suffer death with more justice,or deserve it less.The first step he took,after his capture,was to write a letter to General Washington,conceived in terms of dignity without insolence,and apology without meanness.The scope of it was to vindicate himself from the imputation of having assumed a mean character,for treacherous or interested purposes:asserting that he had been involuntarily an impostor;that,contrary to his intention,which was to meet a person for intelligence on neutral ground,he had been betrayed within our posts,and forced into the vile condition of an enemy in disguise;soliciting only,that,to whatever rigor policy might devote him,a decency of treatment might be observed,due to a person who,though unfortunate,had been guilty of nothing dishonorable.His request was granted in its full extent;for,in the whole progress of the affair,he was treated with the most scrupulous delicacy.The board of officers were not more impressed with the candor and firmness,mixed with a becoming sensibility,which he displayed,than he was penetrated with their liberality and politeness.He acknowledged the generosity of the behavior toward him in every respect,but particularly in this,in the strongest terms of manly gratitude.

2.In one of the visits I made to him,said he,“There is only one thing that disturbs my tranquillity.Sir Henry Clinton has been too good to me;he has been lavish of his kindness.I am bound to him by too many obligations,and love him too well,to bear the thought that he should reproach himself,or that others should reproach him,on the supposition of my having conceived myself obliged,by his instructions,to run the risk I did.I would not,for the world,leave a sting in his mind that should embitter his future days.”He could scarce finish the sentence,bursting into tears,in spite of his efforts to suppress them;and with difficulty collected himself enough afterward to add:“I wish to be permitted to assure him I did not act under this impression,but submitted to a necessity imposed upon me,as contrary to my own inclination as to his orders.”

3.When his sentence was announced to him,he remarked that,since it was his lot to die,there was still a choice in the mode which would make a material difference in his feelings;and he would be happy,if possible,to be indulged with a professional death.He made a second application by letter,in concise but pursuasive terms.It was thought this indulgence,being incompatible with the customs of war,could not be granted;and it was therefore determined,in both cases,to evade an answer,to spare him the sensations which a certain knowledge of the mode would inflict.

4.In going to the place of execution,he bowed familiarly,as he went along,to all those with whom he had been acquainted in his confinement.A smile of complacency expressed the serene fortitude of his mind.Arrived at the fatal spot,he asked,with some emotion,“Must I,then,die in this manner?”He was told it had been unavoidable.“I am reconciled to my fate,”said he,“but not to the mode.”Soon,however,recollecting himself,he added,“It will be but a momentary pang;”and,springing upon the cart,performed the last offices to himself,with a composure that excited the admiration and melted the hearts of the beholders.

5.Upon being told the final moment was at hand,and asked if he had any thing to say,he answered,“Nothing,but to request you will witness to the world,that I die like a brave man.”Among the extraordinary circumstances that attended him,in the midst of his enemies,he died universally esteemed and universally regretted.

(FROM HAMILTON )

中文阅读

陆军少校安德烈是革命战争期间英国部队的一名军官。他被委托去做一件非常微妙的工作--与美国军官本尼迪克特·阿诺德沟通,因为阿诺德提出了一个叛国性的建议--将西点军校的卫戍部队送给英国。安德烈嗅觉敏锐,尽管他是一位贵族,但是他为人可敬。根据战争条律,他被作为一名间谍而处死。

这篇节选来自亚历山大·汉密尔顿给一位朋友的信。他是革命时期最杰出的爱国者与军官之一,也是自美国宪法出台以后财政部的第一秘书。

1.也许,从来没有什么人会像他一样怀揣公正来忍受死亡的痛苦,或者说更值得这样。自他被捕后,他迈出的第一步就是给华盛顿将军写信。他给人们留下的印象是“尊贵而不傲慢,自辩而不卑微”。他这么做的最终目的是为了证明自己的无辜。他被判定为叛国罪。是一个为了谋取私利的品格卑劣的人。法院断言他曾经无意间成了骗子,而这与他的本愿相悖。他本来是为情报工作站以中立的立场去见一个人,他是在履行岗位职责时被出卖的,被迫化妆成敌人进入恶劣的环境。他只是恳求,无论采取什么样的严苛的政策,但以体面的方式来对待他,因为他不幸,但是他根本没有犯过任何无耻的罪过。他的请求被全部批准了,在事件的全过程中,他受到了最细致入微、谨慎小心的对待。与其说他给军事法庭留下的印象是他表现出来的坦白、坚定,混杂着适度的敏感,倒不如说是他们的公允与礼貌让他感动了。他用最强有力的男性的感谢方式对各个方面给予他的慷慨行为表示了感谢。

2.在我对他的一次拜访中,他说:“只有一件事打破了我的心情平静。亨利·克林顿先生一直对我特别好,他一直慷慨行善。我因为工作的关系注定要与他有颇多来往,我也非常爱他,一想到假定自己在他的指导下去冒险,他就会自责,别人就会责备他,我就备受折磨。无论如何,我说什么也不会在他的心里留下任何痛苦让他在未来的日子里受煎熬。”尽管他想竭力克制自己的情感,可是话还没有说完,他就已经泪流满面。之后,他尽力使自己平静下来,继续说道:“我希望允许我保证我的行动并没有受他的影响,而是由于强加于我身上的需要,使我不得不服从,正如这与他的命令南辕北辙,与我的愿望也是南辕北辙。”

3.对他的判决公布以后,他说,既然他的死是命中注定的,不过还有不同的方式可以选择,所以从他的情感来讲就有了重大的不同。如果可能的话,让他因公殉职,他会很高兴。他写了第二封请求信,信写得简洁而具有说服力。人们以为这种纵容与战争的习惯水火不容,不会得到准许,因此决定不管在哪种情况下都不能宽容,不能取消对他的处罚。

4.在奔赴刑场的路上,他一直亲切地向在被监禁期间认识的人鞠躬致意。他脸上心满意足的微笑表达了他平静、刚毅的内心。到了即将丧命的刑场以后,他有点激动地说道:“我非得这么死吗?”有人告诉他这是不可避免的。“我向命运低头了,”他说,“但是对这种方式我永远不会低头。”不过,他很快恢复了冷静,继续说道,“这只是瞬间的痛苦。”他跳上马车,进行最后的祷告,他的淡定让仰慕者振奋,让旁观者动容。

5.当他被告知,最后时刻即将到来,他是否还有什么话要说的时候,他答道:“没有什么,只是要求你们向这个世界证明,我是勇敢地死去的。”在这非同寻常的环境里,有很多他的敌人,然而他的死受到了普遍的尊敬,大家都为他感到痛惜。

(汉密尔顿)