Chapter 1

I.  First then, WHAT DO WE SEE?

Do we not see the complete, and, as far as man can judge, the final overthrow¹ of the uncontrolled dominion² of the Ottoman Empire?  The result of the Berlin treaty is that, although the form is preserved, the dominant³ power of the Ottoman Empire is at an end.

Look first at Europe as re-arranged by the treaty of Berlin.  If you compare the new map of Turkey in Europe with the map before the commencement of the war you will find that it is not one third of the size.  Montenegro, Servia, and Roumania are no longer tributary⁴ States; Bulgaria north of the Balkans is independent of Turkey; Bosnia and Herzegovina are virtually transferred to Austria; and a considerable portion of Thessaly is handed over to Greece.  Then again the position of the remnant that is left is entirely⁵ changed.  The New Roumelia is to have an independent administration.  The remainder of Thessaly, Thrace, Macedonia, and Crete, are all to be placed under constitutional government, to be arranged with the concurrence⁶ of the great powers of Europe.  The power to oppress is therefore at an end, and as far as man can judge, for ever.  The Ottoman was let loose from the Euphrates as a scourge⁷ on Apostate⁸ Christendom.  He has done his work, though not for God’s glory, and is now laid aside by the same hand that raised him up.  He was appointed for a given time, and a given work, but now that time is expired, that work is done, and he is wasting under his predicted doom⁹.

But how is it in Asia?  Let the treaty between the Porte and England answer the question.  In that treaty, p. 6and in the letter of the Secretary of State explaining its object, there is the clear recognition of the complete defencelessness of the Turkish Empire.  The treaty was made because there was no power of self defence left in the Ottoman, or in other words, because the Euphratean flood was almost dry.

The very existence of the treaty is therefore a proof that the power of self-support is gone.  But that is not all, or nearly so.  According to the treaty, England makes itself responsible for a complete reform in Turkish administration.  Turkey in Asia is henceforth to be governed, if not as an English protectorate, at all events under English counsel.  Is it possible to imagine a greater proof of Turkish decay?  If there were any life left, would the haughty¹⁰ Turk submit to such conditions?  If he did not know that he was helpless, would he ever have consented to such terms?  The conditions of the treaty are a self-evident proof of his loss of power.  But that is not all; for is it possible to suppose that England will be responsible for the continuation of Turkish misrule?  Is it likely that England will hold those treaty powers, and not use them?  Is it to be supposed for one moment that we have undertaken the responsibilities, and are now going to look on as passive spectators on all the corruptions¹¹ of the past misgovernment?  But if England secures a complete reform the days of the misrule of Turkish Pashas are numbered.  The death warrant of the whole system is signed and sealed, and the fault will rest with England if Turkey in Asia is not in a very short time virtually free.

p. 7Now these are the indisputable facts of the case; the undoubted results of the two treaties; and the remarkable¹² fact is that these results are exactly such as the students of prophecy have been predicting for many years.  From one prophecy they have foretold¹³ for years that there must be a decay of the Ottoman Empire simultaneous with the loss of the temporal power of the Pope, [7a] and now we see their words come true.  From another prophecy they have believed that the decay of the Ottoman power is represented in symbol by the drying up of the Euphratean flood, so that the Ottoman must recede¹⁴ from his conquests just as the waters of a flood recede from the land over which there has been an overflow¹⁵, [7b] and this is the process which we are now witnessing.  From Europe the waters are almost, if not entirely, gone, so that Europe is practically dry.  And as for Asia, the waters there have become so shallow that the Englishman, we hope, will walk through them and scarcely wet his feet.  I am well aware that some people have felt a difficulty in applying the symbol of the Euphratean overflow to the Ottoman invasion, and I am quite prepared to acknowledge that there is a great uncertainty¹⁶ about the interpretation¹⁷ of all symbolic¹⁸ prophecies; but one thing we must all admit, that if we are right in our interpretation of the symbol, we see in these two treaties the most remarkable fulfilment of the prophecy.  We see the drying up going on in our own days and under our own eyes; so that we have this day a fresh evidence conspicuous¹⁹ before the p. 8world of the divine inspiration of God’s holy word, of the truth of the prophetic scriptures²⁰, and of the sovereignty of God over the mightiest²¹ nations of the world.  Sceptics may doubt, and infidels may scoff²²; but we see that God’s word is from himself.  What he has predicted, that is coming to pass, and, though the time appointed has been long, we see in the great facts of our own day that the word of God’s prophecy is true.

1 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

2 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

3 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

4 tributary   

n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的

参考例句：

• There was a tributary road near the end of the village.村的尽头有条岔道。
• As the largest tributary of Jinsha river,Yalong river is abundant in hydropower resources.雅砻江是金沙江的最大支流，水力资源十分丰富。

5 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 concurrence   

n.同意；并发

参考例句：

• There is a concurrence of opinion between them.他们的想法一致。
• The concurrence of their disappearances had to be more than coincidental.他们同时失踪肯定不仅仅是巧合。

7 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。

8 apostate   

n.背叛者，变节者

参考例句：

• He is an apostate from Christianity.他是一个基督教的背信者。
• The most furious anarchist become the most barefaced apostate.最激烈的无政府主义者，居然成了最露骨的变节者。

9 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

10 haughty   

adj.傲慢的，高傲的

参考例句：

• He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。
• They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

11 corruptions   

n.堕落( corruption的名词复数 )；腐化；腐败；贿赂

参考例句：

• He stressed the corruptions of sin. 他强调了罪恶的腐朽。 来自互联网

12 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

13 foretold   

v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She foretold that the man would die soon. 她预言那人快要死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Must lose one joy, by his life's star foretold. 这样注定：他，为了信守一个盟誓／就非得拿牺牲一个喜悦作代价。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

14 recede   

vi.退(去)，渐渐远去；向后倾斜，缩进

参考例句：

• The colleges would recede in importance.大学的重要性会降低。
• He saw that the dirty water had begun to recede.他发现那污浊的水开始往下退了。

15 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

16 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

17 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

18 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

19 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

20 scriptures   

经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典

参考例句：

• Here the apostle Peter affirms his belief that the Scriptures are 'inspired'. 使徒彼得在此表达了他相信《圣经》是通过默感写成的。
• You won't find this moral precept in the scriptures. 你在《圣经》中找不到这种道德规范。

21 mightiest   

adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的

参考例句：

• \"If thou fearest to leave me in our cottage, thou mightiest take me along with thee. “要是你害怕把我一个人留在咱们的小屋里，你可以带我一块儿去那儿嘛。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
• Silent though is, after all, the mightiest agent in human affairs. 确实，沉默毕竟是人类事件中最强大的代理人。 来自互联网

22 scoff   

n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽

参考例句：

• You are not supposed to scoff at religion.你不该嘲弄宗教。
• He was the scoff of the town.他成为全城的笑柄。