4. So soul, from the circumstances in which it is placed, mistakes its own character, until the truth is revealed to it by some holy teacher, and then it knows itself to be Brahme.”

[结构简析] from the circumstances in which … ，介词短语+定从，实际上都是修饰mistake

[参考译文] 从它所处的环境中出发，灵魂把自己的身份搞错了。直到某个神圣的先生揭示的事实，那时它才知道自己是个贵族。

3. By closing the eyes and slumbering, by consenting to be deceived by shows, men establish and confirm their daily life of routine and habit everywhere, which still is built on purely illusory foundation.

[参考译文] 闭上眼睛，昏昏欲睡，允许自己被表面现象所蒙蔽，人们通过这些手段来建立和确定他们的生活日程和各种习惯。这仍然是建立在幻(觉)想基础上的东西。

2. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, --that petty fears and petty pleasure are but the shadow of reality.

[结构简析] 主句中两个that. 第一个是perceive 的宾语从句。破折号的第二个 that从句是说明，对比前一个that 句。

[参考译文] 在我们冷静和明智时，我们会感到只有伟大的和有价值的东西才能永恒绝对地存在，而那些微不足道的恐惧和欢乐仅仅是现实的阴影而已。

1. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life, to compare it with such things as we know, would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments.

[结构简析] 虚拟条件句，主句中to compare it with… know是插入语，也有假设之意。

[参考译文] 如果人们坚持只观察现实，不让自己被蒙蔽，那么生活，把它和我们知道的事情相比较，就象神话，象一千零一夜中描述的一切。

16. look to 指望，注意

难句译注

15. posterity 子孙后代

14. drench 浸泡，使湿透

13. instill (慢慢地)滴注，灌输

12. apprehend 领悟，理解

11. lapse 时间的推移/消逝