Do what you believe is right. In a free country there will always be conflicting ideas, and this is a source of strength. It is conflict and not unquestioning agreement that keeps freedom alive. Though Jefferson was for many years the object of strong criticism, he never answered his critics. He expressed his philosophy in letters to a friend, "There are two sides to every question. If you take one side站在這一方 with decision 下定決心and act on it with effect實(shí)現(xiàn), those who take the other side will of course resent your actions."
Trust the future; trust the young. Jefferson felt that the present should never be chained to 束縛于customs which have lost their usefulness. "No society," he said, "can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs to the living generation." He did not fear new ideas, nor did he fear the future. "How much pain," he remarked, "has been caused by evils which have never happened! I expect the best, not the worst. I steer my ship with hope, leaving fear behind."
Jefferson's courage and idealism were based on knowledge. He probably knew more than any other man of his age. He was an expert in agriculture, archeology, and medicine. He practiced crop rotation and soil conservation a century before these became standard practice標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化生產(chǎn), and he invented a plow 犁superior to any other in existence. He influenced architecture throughout America, and he was constantly producing devices for making the tasks of ordinary life easier to perform.
custom
n. 習(xí)慣,風(fēng)俗
perpetual
a. never-ending; going on for a long time or without stopping 永恒的;連續(xù)不斷的
constitution
n. 憲法;章程
living
a. alive now 活(著)的
remark
vt. say; comment 說(shuō);評(píng)論說(shuō)
n. 話語(yǔ);評(píng)論
evil
n. sth. bad; sin 邪惡,罪惡
a. very bad 邪惡的,壞的
idealism
n. 理想主義;唯心主義
arch(a)eology
n. study of ancient things, esp. remains of prehistoric times 考古學(xué)
rotation
n. 輪作;旋轉(zhuǎn)
rotate
v.
conservation
n. protecting from loss of from being used up 保護(hù);保存
conserve
vt.
superior 沒有比較級(jí)和最高級(jí) be superior to sb.
a. good or better in quality or value 較好的;優(yōu)的
superiority
n.
existence
n. the state of existing 存在
influence
vt. have an effect on 影響
architecture
n. art and science of building 建筑術(shù);建筑學(xué)