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The Awakening of Europe, 19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert

19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert

"He sat upon the deck, The Book was in his hand. 'Do not fear. Heaven is as near,' He said, 'by water as by land.' " —LONGFELLOW. Elizabeth had been Queen of England for twenty years before any steps were taken to colonise the New World, towards which all eyes were turned. But while she and her adventurers were dazzled by dreams of gold in the frozen regions of the north, one of her subjects was watching the English fishermen on the coasts of Newfoundland and planning homes for them in America.

This man was Sir Humphrey Gilbert. Year by year ships came from Spain and Portugal, England and France, to the shores of this Newfoundland, and here it was that Gilbert planned a little colony of his own countrymen. His most faithful friend and adviser was his step-brother, Walter Raleigh, who was hereafter to play a large part among Elizabeth's seamen. Both were Devonshire men, like Drake and Hawkins; but Gilbert was among the first Englishmen to see that the love of adventure, which was leading so many at this time to annoy the Spaniards, might be turned to better account. England, he thought, was playing an ignoble part. Instead of taking the lead in voyages of discovery, as she might have done, with the best of ships and sailors, she had given herself up to plundering the treasure-ships of Spain. Drake was the hero of the hour. The queen herself had shared his ill-gotten plunder. The cry of Elizabeth's England was for gold.

So when Gilbert undertook the task of carrying English colonists to the shores of the New World, Elizabeth tried to turn him from his purpose. He was willing to brave the displeasure of his royal mistress. There was no gold to be got out of his lofty scheme, but he stood firm. He had dreams of making his colony a starting-point for the north-west passage. He was no common adventurer. He had a great mind and a great soul.

"He is not worthy to live at all that, for fear or danger of death, shunneth his country's service and his own honour, seeing death is inevitable and the fame of virtue immortal," he used to say when pleading for the Arctic voyage. In 1578, when Drake was sailing round the world in his little Pelican, and Frobisher was fighting his way amid the frozen seas of the north, Sir Humphrey Gilbert was collecting ships and men to plant his colony over the seas. With eleven ships and some 500 men he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Newfoundland, but from the very beginning the expedition was a failure. One of the ships was lost, and misfortune after misfortune compelled the rest to return.

Undaunted, he tried again. With Walter Raleigh's help he fitted out a second expedition. In 1583 the little fleet left England with a parting gift from the queen in the shape of a golden anchor. But again a series of disasters overtook the expedition. Two days after leaving harbour the largest ship in the fleet deserted. Angrily Gilbert sailed on without it, arriving in safety on the shores of Newfoundland. Summoning Spanish and Portuguese together, he raised a pillar with the arms of England engraved on it, and formally took possession of the country in the queen's name.

But it was not easy to keep order. The sailors, after the manner of their day, were lawless adventurers, pirates, and robbers. They only wanted to make their fortune; they had no industry, perseverance, or endurance—qualities needed for all colonisation.

Everything went wrong, and at last the would-be colonists begged to be taken home. Only two ships were left, the Squirrel and the Golden Hind. Gilbert commanded the Squirrel, the smallest of the two, and totally unfit to "pass through the ocean sea at that season of the year." But "I will not forsake my little company going homeward, with whom I have passed through so many storms and perils," said their commander. The weather was very wild, the oldest sailor on board had never seen "more outrageous seas." The Squirrel could not weather them, and one night she foundered with all hands. Gilbert was last seen, his Bible in his hand, bidding his terrified companions be of good cheer.

"We are as near to heaven by water as by land," he cried as the little Squirrel went down into the deep Atlantic with her brave commander. Though he failed, Sir Humphrey Gilbert was called the Father of American colonisation, because it was he who first turned men's thoughts from plundering exploits to the higher aims of civilisation.

19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert ||吉尔伯特 19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert 19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert 19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert 19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert 19.ハンフリー・ギルバート卿 19. Сэр Хамфри Гилберт 19. Sir Humphrey Gilbert 19. Сер Хамфрі Гілберт 19. 汉弗莱·吉尔伯特爵士

"He sat upon the deck, The Book was in his hand. ||||甲板|||||| "Si sedette sul ponte, il libro era nella sua mano. 'Do not fear. Non temete. Heaven is as near,' He said, 'by water as by land.' 天国|||||||||| 他说:“天国在水上和在陆地上一样近。” " —LONGFELLOW. 朗费罗 Elizabeth had been Queen of England for twenty years before any steps were taken to colonise the New World, towards which all eyes were turned. |||||||||||措施||||殖民||||||||| 伊丽莎白在任何殖民新世界的措施采取之前,已经当了二十年的英国女王,所有的目光都转向了新世界。 But while she and her adventurers were dazzled by dreams of gold in the frozen regions of the north, one of her subjects was watching the English fishermen on the coasts of Newfoundland and planning homes for them in America. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||纽芬兰||||||| 但是,当她和她的冒险者们被北方寒冷地区的黄金梦所迷惑时,她的一个臣民正在关注新芬兰海岸的英 fishermen,并为他们在美洲计划家园。

This man was Sir Humphrey Gilbert. ||||汉弗莱| 这个人是霍姆弗雷·吉尔伯特爵士。 Year by year ships came from Spain and Portugal, England and France, to the shores of this Newfoundland, and here it was that Gilbert planned a little colony of his own countrymen. 年复一年,来自西班牙、葡萄牙、英格兰和法国的船只抵达纽芬兰的海岸,而在这里,吉尔伯特计划建立一个由自己国家人组成的小殖民地。 His most faithful friend and adviser was his step-brother, Walter Raleigh, who was hereafter to play a large part among Elizabeth’s seamen. |||||顾问||||||沃尔特·罗||||||||||| 他最忠实的朋友和顾问是他的异父兄弟沃尔特·拉雷,后者将在伊丽莎白的水手中扮演重要角色。 Both were Devonshire men, like Drake and Hawkins; but Gilbert was among the first Englishmen to see that the love of adventure, which was leading so many at this time to annoy the Spaniards, might be turned to better account. ||德文郡|||||霍金斯|||||||||||这|冒险精神||||||||||||惹恼|||||转化为|||利用 Entrambi erano uomini del Devonshire, come Drake e Hawkins; ma Gilbert fu tra i primi inglesi a capire che l'amore per l'avventura, che in quel momento spingeva tanti a infastidire gli spagnoli, poteva essere sfruttato meglio. 两人都是德文郡人, 和德雷克和霍金斯一样;但是吉尔伯特是最早意识到冒险精神的英格兰人之一,这种精神在当时催动着许多人去激怒西班牙人,可能会被用于更好的目的。 England, he thought, was playing an ignoble part. ||||||卑鄙的| 他认为,英格兰正在扮演一个卑鄙的角色。 Instead of taking the lead in voyages of discovery, as she might have done, with the best of ships and sailors, she had given herself up to plundering the treasure-ships of Spain. Invece di prendere la guida dei viaggi di scoperta, come avrebbe potuto fare, con le migliori navi e marinai, si era data al saccheggio delle navi del tesoro della Spagna. 她本可以带着最好的船和水手在发现之旅中领航,但她却沉迷于掠夺西班牙的宝藏船。 Drake was the hero of the hour. 德雷克是这一时刻的英雄。 The queen herself had shared his ill-gotten plunder. ||||分享||不义的||掠夺物 La regina stessa aveva condiviso il suo bottino illecito. 女王本人分享了他那不义之财的战利品。 The cry of Elizabeth’s England was for gold. 伊丽莎白时代的英国呼喊着渴望黄金。

So when Gilbert undertook the task of carrying English colonists to the shores of the New World, Elizabeth tried to turn him from his purpose. |||||||||殖民者|||||||||||劝阻|||| 因此,当吉尔伯特承接将英国殖民者运送到新世界的任务时,伊丽莎白试图阻止他达成这个目的。 He was willing to brave the displeasure of his royal mistress. ||||||||||女主 Era disposto a sfidare il disappunto della sua reale padrona. Он был готов навлечь на себя неудовольствие своей королевской госпожи. 他愿意冒着他皇家情人的不满。 There was no gold to be got out of his lofty scheme, but he stood firm. ||||||||||高尚的||||| Non c'era oro da ricavare dal suo alto progetto, ma lui rimase fermo. 他的高尚计划中没有任何黄金可得,但他仍然坚定不移。 He had dreams of making his colony a starting-point for the north-west passage. 他梦想着将他的殖民地作为西北通道的起点。 He was no common adventurer. 他不是普通的冒险者。 He had a great mind and a great soul. 他有伟大的头脑和伟大的灵魂。

"He is not worthy to live at all that, for fear or danger of death, shunneth his country’s service and his own honour, seeing death is inevitable and the fame of virtue immortal," he used to say when pleading for the Arctic voyage. |||||||||||||||避开|||||||||||||||||不朽||||||恳求|||北极| "No es digno de vivir en absoluto el que, por temor o peligro de muerte, rehuye el servicio de su patria y su propio honor, viendo que la muerte es inevitable y la fama de la virtud inmortal", solía decir cuando abogaba por el viaje al Ártico. "Non è affatto degno di vivere chi, per paura o pericolo di morte, si sottrae al servizio della patria e al proprio onore, visto che la morte è inevitabile e la fama della virtù immortale", era solito dire quando si batteva per il viaggio nell'Artico. "为了害怕或死亡的危险而避开祖国的服务和自己的荣誉的人,根本不值得活下去,因为死亡是不可避免的,而美德的声誉是永恒的,"他在为北极航行辩护时常常这样说。 In 1578, when Drake was sailing round the world in his little Pelican, and Frobisher was fighting his way amid the frozen seas of the north, Sir Humphrey Gilbert was collecting ships and men to plant his colony over the seas. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||建立||||| 1578年,当德雷克在他的小鹈鹕号上环游世界,而弗罗比舍在北极的冰冻海域中奋战时,汉弗里·吉尔伯特爵士正在收集船只和人员,以在海上建立他的殖民地。 With eleven ships and some 500 men he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Newfoundland, but from the very beginning the expedition was a failure. 他带着十一艘船和大约500名船员横渡大西洋来到了纽芬兰,但从一开始,这次远征就注定是一次失败。 One of the ships was lost, and misfortune after misfortune compelled the rest to return. 一艘||||||||||迫使|||| 一艘船沉没,接踵而至的不幸迫使其余的船只返回。

Undaunted, he tried again. Imperterrito, ci riprovò. With Walter Raleigh’s help he fitted out a second expedition. ||拉尔赫的||||||| Com a ajuda de Walter Raleigh, ele preparou uma segunda expedição. In 1583 the little fleet left England with a parting gift from the queen in the shape of a golden anchor. ||||||||告别|||||在||||||锚 1583年,小舰队带着来自女王的告别礼物——一个金色锚,离开了英格兰。 But again a series of disasters overtook the expedition. ||||||降临于|| 但这次又一连串的灾难袭击了这次远征。 Two days after leaving harbour the largest ship in the fleet deserted. Due giorni dopo aver lasciato il porto, la nave più grande della flotta disertò. 离开港口两天后,舰队中最大的船抛弃了队伍。 Angrily Gilbert sailed on without it, arriving in safety on the shores of Newfoundland. 愤怒地||||||||||||| Summoning Spanish and Portuguese together, he raised a pillar with the arms of England engraved on it, and formally took possession of the country in the queen’s name. 召唤||||||||柱子|||国徽|||雕刻的||||||||||以||| Riunendo spagnoli e portoghesi, innalzò un pilastro con incise le armi dell'Inghilterra e prese formalmente possesso del Paese in nome della regina. 他召唤了西班牙和葡萄牙,举起一根刻有英格兰国徽的柱子,并正式以女王的名义占领了这个国家。

But it was not easy to keep order. |||||||秩序 但维持秩序并不容易。 The sailors, after the manner of their day, were lawless adventurers, pirates, and robbers. ||||方式|||||无法无天|||| 水手们在他们那个时代中是无法无天的冒险者、海盗和强盗。 They only wanted to make their fortune; they had no industry, perseverance, or endurance—qualities needed for all colonisation. ||||||||||勤奋||||||||殖民活动 他们只是想发财;他们没有行业、毅力或耐力——这些是殖民所需的品质。

Everything went wrong, and at last the would-be colonists begged to be taken home. Tutto andò storto e alla fine gli aspiranti coloni chiesero di essere riportati a casa. 一切都出错了,最后那些想要殖民的人乞求被送回家。 Only two ships were left, the Squirrel and the Golden Hind. ||||||松鼠号|||| 只剩下两艘船,松鼠号和金鹰号。 Gilbert commanded the Squirrel, the smallest of the two, and totally unfit to "pass through the ocean sea at that season of the year." ||||||||||完全不适合|不适合|||||||||季节||| 吉尔伯特指挥着小松鼠,它是两个中的最小者,完全不适合在这个季节 "穿越海洋"。 But "I will not forsake my little company going homeward, with whom I have passed through so many storms and perils," said their commander. |||||||同伴|||||||||||||||| 但他们的指挥官说道:"我不会抛弃我的小队伍,他们正在回家的路上,和他们一起经历了如此多的风暴和危险。" The weather was very wild, the oldest sailor on board had never seen "more outrageous seas." ||||狂暴||||||||||| 天气非常恶劣,船上最老的水手从未见过 "更狂暴的海面"。 The Squirrel could not weather them, and one night she foundered with all hands. ||||抵御||||||沉没了|||全体船员 Lo Scoiattolo non riuscì a resistere e una notte naufragò con tutti gli uomini. 松鼠无法抵御它们,一夜之间与所有船员沉没了。 Gilbert was last seen, his Bible in his hand, bidding his terrified companions be of good cheer. |||||||||劝告||||||好心情| Gilbert è stato visto per l'ultima volta con la Bibbia in mano, mentre diceva ai suoi compagni terrorizzati di stare tranquilli. 吉尔伯特最后一次被看到时,手中拿着他的圣经,向他惊恐的同伴们祝愿振作。

"We are as near to heaven by water as by land," he cried as the little Squirrel went down into the deep Atlantic with her brave commander. "我们靠水离天堂和靠陆地是一样近的,"他大喊着,当小松鼠与她勇敢的指挥官一起沉入深深的大西洋。 Though he failed, Sir Humphrey Gilbert was called the Father of American colonisation, because it was he who first turned men’s thoughts from plundering exploits to the higher aims of civilisation. ||||||||||||||||||||||||掠夺行为||||||文明 Anche se fallì, Sir Humphrey Gilbert fu chiamato il Padre della colonizzazione americana, perché fu lui a spostare per primo il pensiero degli uomini dalle imprese di saccheggio agli obiettivi più alti della civilizzazione. 尽管他失败了,但霍姆弗雷·吉尔伯特被称为美国殖民化之父,因为正是他首次将人们的思想从掠夺性的冒险转向更高的文明目标。