来自《耶鲁大学开放课程：美国内战与重建1845-1877 第1集 第1集》

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  O helmsmen, though carriest great companions.
  以你的熟练而强大的手和警觉的眼睛奋勇前进
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  How can I pierce the impenetrable blank of your future?
  我如何能穿过你那难以通过的空白未来
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  I feel thy ominous greatness, evil as well as good.
  我感到那巨大的不详 既邪恶又美好
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  I watch thee advancing, absorbing the present,
  我注视着这前进的 迷人的当下
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  transcending the past.
  超越了过去
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  I see thy light lighting and thy shadow shadowing
  我凝望着照耀着的灯光 荫蔽着的阴影
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  as if the entire globe.
  就如同凝望着整个地球一般
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  But I do not undertake to define thee,
  但我无法描述这场景
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  hardly can I comprehend thee."
  我更无法理解你"
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  Well that's Whitman saying, as we all do at times,
  这就是惠特曼所说的 和我们平时所说的一样
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  "America is an idea."
  "美利坚是一种理念"
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  This course is the story of what that idea was
  这门课就是探讨这种理念是什么