Measure a wave with it,

用法律去评判海浪的是否汹涌吧
measure fire,

用法律去评判火焰是否炙热吧
cut sorrow up in inches, weigh content.

将悲伤寸寸切开称称它的实际重量
You can weigh John Brown's body well enough,

你就能借悲伤度量出他的重量
but how and in what balance do you weigh John Brown?

但你又该如何衡量评判他呢
He had no gift for life, no gift to bring life,

他不恋生亦不怜生
but his body and a cutting edge, and he knew how to die."

只余一具残躯英勇就义"
More on old John Brown coming up.

我们待会儿还会提及更多
The year before John Brown's raid the most important,

在约翰·布朗起义的前一年
the most exhilarating,

在这一年激荡人心的一年
and by far the most substantively interesting political debates

至今为止美国政治史上最具争议的
in American history would occur in Illinois,

这场辩论在伊利诺斯州发生