翻译考试优秀短文翻译：英译汉14

　　No doubt everyone has to apologise for his life, sooner or later. When we appear at the Last Judgment and the Recording Angel reads out a list of our sins, we will presumably be given an opportunity to apologise, in the old sense of rebuttal, and in the new sense too, by way of confession and plea of repentance. In this life, it is well to apologise (in the new sense), but promptly, voluntarily, fully and sincerely. If the error is a matter of opinion and unpunishable, so much the better —an apology then becomes a gracious and creditable occasion, and an example to all. An enforced apology is a miserable affair.

　　毋庸置疑，任何人都要为自己的一生辩护，不管是今生还是来世。当我们出席最后的审判时，记录天使诵读出所罗列的我们的罪孽，我们作了忏悔并请求宽恕，这样大概会被给予辩白(这个词的老义)和表示歉意(它的新义)的机会。在今生中，道歉(新义)是桩对的事， 但是要做到及时、要心甘情愿、要完完全全、要诚心诚意。如果过错是看法上的事，并且错不当罚，那最好不过——说一声“对不起”就成了一个显示大度的机会，可赞可叹，众人之楷模也。而被迫去道歉，那可就难受了。