《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 夏 13

《四季隨筆》是吉辛的散文代表作。其中對隱士賴克羅夫特醉心于書籍、自然景色與回憶過去生活的描述，其實是吉辛的自述，作者以此來抒發(fā)自己的情感，因而本書是一部富有自傳色彩的小品文集。

吉辛窮困的一生，對文學名著的愛好與追求，以及對大自然恬靜生活的向往，在書中均有充分的反映。本書分為春、夏、秋、冬四個部分，文筆優(yōu)美，行文流暢，是英國文學中小品文的珍品之一。

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In this high summertide, I remember with a strange feeling that there are people who, of their free choice, spend day and night in cities, who throng to the gabble of drawing-rooms, make festival in public eatinghouses, sweat in the glare of the theatre. They call it life; they call it enjoyment. Why, so it is, for them; they are so made. The folly is mine, to wonder that they fulfill their destiny.

在這盛夏時節(jié)，我想起那些自愿選擇在城市生活的人們，心下感覺有些奇怪。他們蜂擁到喧嚷的交際場所，到公共餐館大肆慶祝，在劇院炫目的燈光下大汗淋漓。他們稱之為生活，他們稱之為享受。為什么他們會有這樣的想法，也許是天生如此。而我如果置疑他們是否實現(xiàn)了生命的價值，那就愚蠢了。

But with what deep and quiet thanksgiving do I remind myself that never shall I mingle with that well-millinered and tailored herd! Happily, I never saw much of them. Certain occasions I recall when a supposed necessity took me into their dismal precincts; a sick buzzing in the brain, a languor as of exhausted limbs, comes upon me with the memory. The relief with which I stepped out into the street again, when all was over! Dear to me then was poverty, which for the moment seemed to make me a free man. Dear to me was the labour at my desk, which, by comparison, enabled me to respect myself.

一想到再不用和那些衣冠楚楚的人打交道，我心里便生出一種多么深沉寧靜的感恩之情！幸好這種人我見的從來不多。記得有幾次，因為不得已我來到他們沉悶的街區(qū)。回想起當時的情形，我的腦袋嗡嗡作響，感到眩暈，無精打采，四肢乏力。當我再次步上大街離開時，渾身頓感解脫！當時，連貧窮都讓我珍視，它似乎能使我成為一個自由人。書桌邊的筆耕也讓我熱愛，相比之下，它能讓我尊重自己。

Never again shall I shake hands with man or woman who is not in truth my friend. Never again shall I go to see acquaintances with whom I have no acquaintance. All men my brothers? Nay, thank Heaven, that they are not! I will do harm, if I can help it, to no one; I will wish good to all; but I will make no pretence of personal kindliness where, in the nature of things, it cannot be felt. I have grimaced a smile and pattered unmeaning words to many a person whom I despised or from whom in heart I shrank; I did so because I had not courage to do otherwise. For a man conscious of such weakness, the best is to live apart from the world. Brave Samuel Johnson12! One such truth-teller is worth all the moralists and preachers who ever laboured to humanise mankind. Had HE withdrawn into solitude, it would have been a national loss. Every one of his blunt, fearless words had more value than a whole evangel on the lips of a timidly good man. It is thus that the commonalty, however well clad, should be treated. So seldom does the fool or the ruffian in broadcloth hear his just designation; so seldom is the man found who has a right to address him by it. By the bandying of insults we profit nothing; there can be no useful rebuke which is exposed to a tuquoque. But, as the world is, an honest and wise man should have a rough tongue. Let him speak and spare not!

那些并非我真正朋友的男男女女，我再不會和他們握手了。我也不會再和陌生人結(jié)交了。世人皆我兄弟？不，老天保佑，他們不是！如果能自我克制，我不會傷害任何人，我會祝福所有人，但是如果心無好感，我也不會偽裝親切友善了。有許多讓我鄙視或打心眼里排斥的人，我曾經(jīng)擠出笑容，隨口應酬他們，因為我沒有勇氣采取別的方式。對于一個意識到自己這方面缺陷的人，最好的方法是離群索居。塞繆爾·約翰遜真是勇氣可嘉！這樣一個敢說真話的人，抵得上所有致力于教化人類的道德家和布道家。如果他選擇遁世，那真是整個國家的損失。他嘴里任何一個犀利無畏的詞匯，都比一個怯懦善良之人念誦的整部福音書有價值。對待民眾就應該這樣直言不諱，不論他們衣著多么考究。華衣美服的愚人和惡棍很少聽到他們應得的稱呼，也很難找到一個有權(quán)如此稱呼他們的人。惡語相向?qū)ξ覀儧]任何益處，如果對方回上一句“你也是”，那你的任何指責便失去了意義。但是，在這個世界上，一個誠實睿智的人應該有一張尖刻的嘴。請讓他暢所欲言，毫不留情吧！