The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was “So much important attached to intellectual pursuits.” According to many books and articles, New England’s leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.

在新大陆的历史上，被研究的最彻底的学者是17世纪新英格兰的牧师和政治领袖们。根据美国标准哲学史的记载，在美洲殖民地中，没有任何地方比新英格兰地区“更重视对学术的追求。”据许多书籍及文章认为，新英格兰的领袖们在美国学术界中确立了正在发展、后来成为主流的清教传统的基本主题和关注点。

 

To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church —— important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture, adjusting to New world circumstances. The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.

通过这条途径来了解新英格兰人，通常意味着要首先研究清教徒的神学创新和对于教会的独特看法——这是我们不可忽略的重要课题。但是为了与我们对南部思想生活的研究保持一致，我们可以将最初的清教徒们视作欧洲文化的传递者，他们根据新大陆的情况进行了调整。在追求公认的文明礼节和精湛技能的理想过程当中，新英格兰殖民地发生了许多重要的事情。

注: virtuosity: (formal) a very high degree of skill in performing or playing

所以本人把virtuosity翻译为精湛的技能。

 civility ：polite behaviour which most people consider normal
 　   e.g. Please have the civility to knock before you enter next time.

所以本人把civility翻译为文明礼节或文明礼貌
 

The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England. Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston. These men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.

马萨诸塞州的最早定居者包括那些在英格兰接受过良好的教育并深具影响力的英国人。在1629年之后的十年间，除了90多位来到马萨诸塞教堂的有学识的牧师，还有像约翰·温斯罗普（John Winthrop）这样的政治领袖，他是一位受过良好教育的绅士、律师，到波士顿之前曾是皇室官员。这些人大量撰写、出版书籍，在新旧大陆都有读者，这给新英格兰带来了热衷思想研究的氛围。

 

We should not forget, however, that most New Englanders were less well educated. While few crafts men or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed, it is obvious that their views were less fully intellectualized. Their thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality. A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late 1630s, left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with signs. Sexual confusion, economic frustrations , and religious hope —— all came together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words: “come out from among them, touch no unclean thing , and I will be your God and you shall be my people.” One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churches.

但是，我们不应该忘记，大多数新英格兰人没有接受过良好教育。虽然，几乎没有工匠或农民（更不用说其家人及仆人）给我们留下一些文学作品以供分析，但是，很明显他们的观点并不具有太大的思想性。他们的思想中往往有一种传统的迷信色彩。一个名为约翰·戴恩（John Dane）的裁缝于17世纪30年代末期移民到新大陆，他留下一个记录，陈述了离开英格兰的理由，其内容充满了各种符号征兆。性的困惑，经济挫折和宗教期望都会在一个决定性的时刻汇集涌现出来。这个时刻就是当他打开圣经对父亲说，他看到的第一行字将会决定他的命运，于是他把那些神奇的话语念了出来：“从他们当中走出来，不要沾不洁之物，我将成为你们的上帝，你就是我的子民”。人们会纳闷，戴恩（Dane）在清教徒教堂里听到那些仔细解释圣经的布道后会做何感想。

 

Meanwhile, many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Dane’s, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had not come to the New world for religion . “Our main end was to catch fish.”

与此同时，许多定居者并没有戴恩（Dane）那样虔诚，就像一位牧师在海边遇到一些人时听到的那样，那些人揶揄道，他们来新大陆可不是为了宗教，“我们的主要目的是捕鱼。”

 

 

36. The author holds that in the seventeenth-century New England _______________.

[A] Puritan tradition dominated political life.

[B] intellectual interests were encouraged.

[C] Politics benefited much from intellectual endeavors. （B）

[D] intellectual pursuits enjoyed a liberal environment.

作者认为，在17世纪的新英格兰_______________.

[A]清教传统主宰政治生活

[B]对思想的兴趣受到鼓励

[C]政治从思想研究中受益匪浅

[D]思想研究享有自由的氛围

 

37. It is suggested in Paragraph 2 that New Englanders _______________.

[A] experienced a comparatively peaceful early history.

[B] brought with them the culture of the Old World  （B）

[C] paid little attention to southern intellectual life 

[D] were obsessed with religious innovations 

文章第二段暗示，新英格兰_______________.

[A] 经历了相对和平的早期历史

[B] 带来了旧大陆的文化

[C] 对南部思想生活漠不关心

[D] 沉迷于宗教革新

 

38. The early ministers and political leaders in Massachusetts Bay _______________.

[A] were famous in the New World for their writings 

[B] gained increasing importance in religious affairs 

[C] abandoned high positions before coming to the New World 

[D] created a new intellectual atmosphere in New England  （D）

马萨诸塞湾早期的牧师和政治领袖_______________.

[A] 在新大陆以他们的著作闻名

[B] 在宗教事务中获得日益重要的地位

[C] 在来到新大陆之前放弃了高官名位。

[D] 在新英格兰创建了新的思想研究氛围

 

39. The story of John Dane shows that less well-educated New Englanders were often _______________.

[A] influenced by superstitions （A）

[B] troubled with religious beliefs 

[C] puzzled by church sermons 

[D] frustrated with family earnings 

John Dane的故事表明，受教育程度低的新英格兰人常常_______________.

[A] 受迷信的影响

[B] 受宗教信仰的困扰

[C] 对教堂的布道感到困惑

[D] 因家庭收入感到沮丧

 

40. The text suggests that early settlers in New England_______________.

[A] were mostly engaged in political activities 

[B] were motivated by an illusory prospect 

[C] came from different backgrounds. （C）

[D] left few formal records for later reference 

文章暗示，新英格兰的早期移民_______________.

[A] 大多数参与了政治活动

[B] 受到虚幻前景的激励

[C] 来自不同的思想背景

[D] 几乎没有留下正式记载以供后人研究