-
II. Detailed Study of the Text
1)
The Power and Freedom of
Commitment
【译文】相伴承诺的力量与自由
commitment
:
n
.
(1)
a promise or obligation to do sth. or to behave in
a particular way; a promise to support
sb./sth.
承（许，允）诺
e.g.
I
’
m overworked at the moment
–
I
’
ve
taken on too many commitments.
Our
company has a commitment to quality and customer
service.
(2) state of being dedicated
or devoted
致力，献身
e.g.
We are looking for
someone with a real sense of commitment to the
job.
commit
v.
做（
不合法的、错的事）
，犯（罪）
；承诺，保证
< br>
e.g.
commit a crime
犯罪
commit suicide
自杀
The President
is committed to reforming health care.
2)
On our wedding
day, Tony and I
pledged
to
each other:
“I
will
place
my
trust
in
the
goodness
of
your
heart;
the
holiness
of
our
union;
and
the
healing,
transforming
power of
commitment and love.
”
【译文
】婚礼那天，托尼和我许下誓言：
“我会信任你的善良，
婚姻的神圣以及承诺和真爱所具有的抚慰和改变自我的力量。
”
pledge
:
v
. to make a formal, usually
public, promise that you will do something
发誓；
保证
e.g.
T
he government pledged their
support for the plan.
At the fund-
raising dinner Moore pledged $$100,000 to the
orchestra.
pledge
:
n.
solemn promise, vow
誓言，誓约，保证
e.g.
M
anagement has given a
pledge that there will be no job cuts this year.
They have made a pledge never to reveal
the secret.
3)
I have come to understand
and
appreciate
the meaning
of these words in a much deeper way.
【译文】慢慢地，我开始懂得并更深刻地理解了这些话的含义。
appreciate
:
v.
(1) to
understand how good or useful sb. or sth. is
理解；体会到
e.g.
I
appreciate your problem, but I
don
’
t think I can help you.
You don
’
t seem to
appreciate how busy I am.
(2) to
recognize the good qualities of sb./sth.
欣赏，赏识，高度评价
e.g.
Y
ou can’t
fully
appreciate foreign literature in translation.
I really appreciate a good
cup of tea.
(3) to be grateful for sth
that sb has done; to welcome sth
感激，感谢
e.g.
Thanks ever so much for
your help, I really appreciate it.
I
would appreciate it if you paid in
cash.
appreciation
:
n.
understanding and
enjoyment
欣赏；感激
e.g.
S
he shows little
appreciation of good music.
- 1 -
It
helps children to develop an appreciation of
poetry and literature.
4)
It
brings
to
our
mind
images
of
sacrifice
,
loss
of
freedom,
and
the
diminishing
of
possibilities and choices.
【译文】它让人想到牺牲、失去自由、可能性和机会减少。
sacrifice
:
n.
the fact of giving up
sth. important or valuable to you in order to get
or do sth.
that seems more important;
sth. that you give up in this way
牺牲；牺牲品
e.g.
He became a top
sportsman at some sacrifice to himself.
v.
to give up sth
that is important or valuable to you in order to
get or do sth that seems more
important
for yourself or for another person
牺牲，献身
e.g.
She sacrificed everything for her
children.
She sacrificed her career to
marry him.
diminish
:
v.
(1) to become
or to make sth. become smaller, weaker, etc.
减少（低，弱，小）
e.g.
His strength has
diminished over the years.
Nothing could
diminish people
’
s enthusiasm
for Christmas shopping.
(2) to make
sb./sth. seem less important than they really are
减低（重要性）
，贬低
e.g.
The opposition are
trying to diminish our achievement.
I
don’t wish to diminish the impor
tance
of their contribution.
5)
If we’re
really honest with ourselves, what many of us hope
for in a “committed relationship”
is that another person will be
committed to
us while
we
reserve
the right to keep
the back
door open for ourselves: If
we
’
re truly honest, what
many of us hope for in married life is that
another
person
will
commit
himself/herself
wholly
to
us
while
we
have
the
right
to
not
commit wholly.
【
译文】如果坦然面对内心，我们会发现很多人在“承诺关系”中所期望的都是对方
能忠于
承诺，而我们却为自己留有后路。
reserve
:
v.
(1)
(~ sth. for sb./sth.)
to
keep sth. for sb./sth., so that it cannot be used
by any other person
or for any other
reason
保（留，存）
e.g.
I’d prefer to reserve
judgment until I know all
the facts.
These seats are reserved for special
guests.
(2) to ask for a seat, table,
room, etc. to be available for you or sb. else at
a future time
预定
或保留座位、住处等
e.g.
She reserved a table
for two in the name of Hill.
reserve
:
n.
a supply of sth. that is
available to be used in the future or when it is
needed
储
备（物，量）
e.g.
The country has foreign
currency reserves of $$83 billion.
They sold half the wood and kept the
rest in reserve for winter.
6)
This is true,
not only of how we think of commitment in our
relationships, but in many other
things
as well
–
for instance, when
we think of committing fully to a spiritual path,
to our
work, and so on: It is true not
only of how we think of promises in marriage but
also in many
other things, for example,
when we think of committing wholly to a spiritual
belief, to our
- 2 -
work, etc.
【译文】
事实的确如此。
这不仅体现在与他人的
承诺关系中，
也体现在其它很多方面—
—譬如全身心投入一段灵
魂之旅或一份工作等等。
7)
10
）
We
hold back
a part of
ourselves, thus we withhold a part of our own life
force.
【译文】但保留部分自我的同时，我们自己的生命力也被部分地限制住了
。
(1)
(~from)
to hesitate or to
make sb. hesitate to act or speak
退缩，踌躇
e.g.
She held back, not
knowing how to break the terrible news.
She held back from telling him what she
thought of him.
(2) to stop yourself
from feeling or showing a particular emotion
抑制住（感情等）
e.g
.
Anger
flooded through her. She couldn’t hold it
back.
He bravely held
back his tears.
8)
11)
Somehow the
idea of “keeping our options open” gives us
an
illusion
of freedom.
【译文】
“保留回旋余地”的想法让我们对自由充满幻想。
illusion
:
n
. something that seems to
be different from the way it really is
幻影（觉，想）
e.g.
The idea of absolute personal freedom
is an illusion.
He was unlikely
to be satisfied with the illusion of power.
9)
To be wholehearted is to
transcend
inner
conflicts
, to
align
completely with the
truth within
ourselves: To be fully
devoted to something is to go beyond the range of
inner conflicts, to go
completely with
the truth one believes.
【译文】要专注就得超越内心冲突，与真理同在。
transcend
:
v
. to go beyond
超越
e
.g.
The beautry
of her songs trancends words and language.
align
:
v
.
(~
with/against sth./sb.)
to
decide to publicly support or not
support sb./sth.
与??
一致
e.g.
His views are aligned
closely with the board
’
s
majority.
conflict
:
n
.
(1) a situation in which there are
opposing ideas, opinions, feelings or wishes; a
situation in
which it is difficult to
choose
冲突，分歧
e.g.
The story
tells of a classic conflict between love and duty.
Her diary was a record of her inner
conflict.
(2) a situation in which
people, groups, or countries are involved in a
serious disagreement,
argument, or
violence
争端，斗争
e.g.
T
he violence was the result
of political and ethnic conflicts.
John often comes into conflict with his
boss.
conflict
:
v
.
(~
with)
be in opposition or disagreement;
be incompatible; clash
不合，冲突，
抵触
e.g.
Their version of events
conflicts with ours.
10)
That state of
mind and heart is the only place where we can be
truly at home, deeply at
peace, fully alive.
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