Providence had many years before taken from her her eldest son,
很多年前,上帝帶走了她的大兒子。
who went from his forest home to try his fortune on the high seas, since which she had heard no tidings of him;
那年,他離開了森林里的家,去海上淘金。
and in her latter time had, by the hand of death, deprived her of the companion and staff of her earthly pilgrimage, in the person of her husband.
從那以后,母親再亦沒有聽到他的音訊;隨后,死亡之神最終奪去她的丈夫她世俗生活中的伴侶以及家庭支柱。
Yet to this hour she had upborne; she had not only been able to provide for her little flock,
即便那時,她仍然還有支撐下去的信念,她靜心地照料她的孩子們,
but had never lost an opportunity of ministering to the wants of the miserable and destitute.
亦從未錯過任何機會對更為貧困潦倒的人伸出援手。
The indolent may well bear with poverty while the ability to gain sustenance remains.
懶惰很可能和貧窮與生俱來,但維持生存能力依然還在,
The individual who has but his own wants to supply may suffer with fortitude the winter of want;
唯有那些給予奉獻的個體,堅韌不拔地面對物質(zhì)的極度匱乏,從而飽經(jīng)塵世苦難;
his affections are not wounded, his heart is not wrung.
她的鐘愛不會受傷,她的心靈亦不會榨干。
The most desolate in populous cities may hope, for charity has not quite closed her hand and heart, and shut her eyes on misery.
在人口稠密的喧囂城市,最為孤獨的人或許心懷希望,因為慈善的人會向她打開心靈之窗,慈善的人不會對她的悲慘熟視無睹。