BBC英国史

This was the middle-class parish at work

这是由中产阶级信徒兴起的

well off, busily charitable and as much interested in virtue as in wit.

他们生活小康而乐善好施 并且德才兼备

There had been philanthropy before, of course,

慈善事业自然是古已有之

but this was the first time that businessmen

但这还是第一次 商人得以

came together with high-profile artists, writers and sculptors

与声望卓著的艺术家 作家和雕刻家一起

in a campaign of conscience to attack a hideous evil

凭着良心 在一个基督教的都市中

in what was supposed to be a Christian modern metropolis.

并肩和疾苦作斗争

The charges of the hospital, if they survived

如果孩子们能活下来

would be employed in the service of the nation.

代价就是献身为国

In the Navy if they were boys or in domestic service if they were girls.

男孩应诏加入海军 女孩子去当女仆

The Foundling Hospital was philanthropy with a purpose.

育婴堂的慈善是有目的的

Its charges would be model Britons of the future,

长大的孤儿会成为未来的模范英国人

not gin-soaked, syphilitic rakes.

取代酗酒作乐 行为不检的浪荡子

They were going to be sober, educated,

他们将文质彬彬 气度不凡

industrious, God-fearing and, above all, patriotic.

勤劳持家 虔诚为神 还有更重要的 忠心为国

This was Britannia's time.

这是大不列颠的时代

词汇解析

1、purpose

意义；用途

The purpose of the occasion was to raise money for medical supplies.

那次活动是为筹集资金购买医药物资。

Various insurance schemes already exist for this purpose.

已经有各种保险计划可以实现这一目的。

目标；目的

They might well be prepared to do you harm in order to achieve their purpose.

为达成自己的目的，他们说不定已经做好了伤害你的准备。

His purpose was to make a profit by improving the company's performance.

他的目标是通过提高公司的业绩来实现盈利。

实际上

For all practical purposes the treaty has already ceased to exist.

实际上协议已经不复存在。

To all intents and purposes the case was closed.

实际上该案已经了结了。

2、employ

雇用

The company employs 18 staff.

公司雇用了18名员工。

More than 3,000 local workers are employed in the tourism industry.

3,000余名当地人受雇于旅游业。

使用;采用

The tactics the police are now to employ are definitely uncompromising.

警方目前即将采取的策略明显很强硬。

the vocabulary that she employs.

她使用的词汇

利用，花费（时间）

Your time could be usefully employed in attending to professional matters.

你可以有效地利用时间处理一些专业问题。

The journalists would be much better employed in trying to explain to us how the astronomical legal costs of the cases can be justified.

记者们最好花时间向我们说明为什么诉讼费高得惊人。