《四季隨筆》是吉辛的散文代表作。其中對(duì)隱士賴克羅夫特醉心于書籍、自然景色與回憶過(guò)去生活的描述,其實(shí)是吉辛的自述,作者以此來(lái)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(duì)文學(xué)名著的愛(ài)好與追求,以及對(duì)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(gè)部分,文筆優(yōu)美,行文流暢,是英國(guó)文學(xué)中小品文的珍品之一。
以下是由網(wǎng)友分享的《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 秋 02的內(nèi)容,讓我們一起來(lái)感受吉辛的四季吧!
How the mood for a book sometimes rushes upon one, either one knows not why, or in consequence, perhaps, of some most trifling suggestion. Yesterday I was walking at dusk. I came to an old farmhouse; at the garden gate a vehicle stood waiting, and I saw it was our doctor's gig. Having passed, I turned to look back. There was a faint afterglow in the sky beyond the chimneys; a light twinkled at one of the upper windows. I said to myself, "Tristram Shandy," 1 and hurried home to plunge into a book which I have not opened for I dare say twenty years.
有時(shí),閱讀一本書的沖動(dòng)會(huì)突然襲上心頭,要么你根本不知所以然,要么可能是因?yàn)楹懿蛔愕赖木売?。昨天,我在暮色中散步,?lái)到一間舊農(nóng)舍前?;▓@門口等候著一輛車,我認(rèn)出那是我們醫(yī)生的馬車。路過(guò)之后,我轉(zhuǎn)身回望。晚霞還在煙囪后的天空留連,房屋高處的一扇窗子上,有一縷光在閃爍。我自言自語(yǔ)地說(shuō)了聲“《項(xiàng)狄傳》”,便匆匆忙忙趕回家,一頭扎進(jìn)了那本我敢說(shuō)已經(jīng)二十年沒(méi)翻開的書中。
Not long ago, I awoke one morning and suddenly thought of the Correspondence between Goethe2 and Schiller3; and so impatient did I become to open the book that I got up an hour earlier than usual. A book worth rising for; much better worth than old Burton4, who pulled Johnson out of bed. A book which helps one to forget the idle or venomous chatter going on everywhere about us, and bids us cherish hope for a world "which has such people in't."
不久前的一個(gè)早晨,我醒來(lái)后突然想起《歌德席勒通信集》;因?yàn)榧辈豢赡偷匾_那本書,我竟然比平常早起了一個(gè)小時(shí)。這是一本值得為之早起的書,比起將約翰遜從被窩里拽起來(lái)的老伯頓要好得多。這本書讓人忘卻了我們周圍無(wú)處不在的無(wú)聊或惡意的閑聊,讓我們對(duì)一個(gè)“有這樣的人生活其中”的世界還抱有希望。
These volumes I had at hand; I could reach them down from my shelves at the moment when I hungered for them. But it often happens that the book which comes into my mind could only be procured with trouble and delay; I breathe regretfully and put aside the thought. Ah! the books that one will never read again. They gave delight, perchance something more; they left a perfume in the memory; but life has passed them by for ever. I have but to muse, and one after another they rise before me. Books gentle and quieting; books noble and inspiring; books that well merit to be pored over, not once but many a time. Yet never again shall I hold them in my hand; the years fl y too quickly, and are too few. Perhaps when I lie waiting for the end, some of those lost books will come into my wandering thoughts, and I shall remember them as friends to whom I owed a kindness — friends passed upon the way. What regret in that last farewell!
這些都是我手頭有的書,我在渴望閱讀它們的時(shí)候可以隨手從書架上取下來(lái)。但很多時(shí)候,我想起的某本書總是要費(fèi)勁周折苦等幾日才能得到,我只好懊惱地長(zhǎng)出一口氣,將這個(gè)思緒拋在一邊。哦!那些我再也不會(huì)讀的書。它們給人帶來(lái)歡樂(lè),也許還有其他;它們?cè)谟洃浿辛粝路曳迹坏巧钜呀?jīng)永遠(yuǎn)地將它們拋下了。只有在冥想中,它們才會(huì)一一浮現(xiàn)在我的腦海中。那些溫和讓人平靜的書,那些高貴給人靈感的書,那些值得一遍遍潛心細(xì)讀的書。然而,我再也不會(huì)將它們捧在手中了。時(shí)間飛逝太快,又有限得可憐。也許,當(dāng)我躺下等著生命終結(jié)時(shí),一些已然忘卻的書會(huì)來(lái)到我游移不定的思緒中,我會(huì)記起它們,就像記起那些在人生路上我受惠未報(bào)但失去聯(lián)系的老朋友一樣。在那最后的告別中該有多大的遺憾?。?/p>