《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 秋 07

《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(xué)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(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 07的內(nèi)容，讓我們一起來感受吉辛的四季吧!

This morning's sunshine faded amid slow-gathering clouds, but something of its light seems still to linger in the air, and to touch the rain which is falling softly. I hear a pattering upon the still leafage of the garden; it is a sound which lulls, and tunes the mind to calm thoughtfulness.

今天早晨，太陽逐漸消逝在慢慢聚集的烏云后面，但它的光芒似乎還逗留在空氣中，愛撫著輕輕落下的雨滴。我聽到雨點啪啪地打在花園中靜靜的枝葉上；這聲音讓人感到安慰，引人進入一種寧靜沉思的心境。

I have a letter to-day from my old friend in Germany, E. B.15 For many and many a year these letters have made a pleasant incident in my life; more than that, they have often brought me help and comfort. It must be a rare thing for friendly correspondence to go on during the greater part of a lifetime between men of different nationalities who see each other not twice in two decades. We were young men when we first met in London, poor, struggling, full of hopes and ideals; now we look back upon those far memories from the autumn of life. B. writes to-day in a vein of quiet contentment, which does me good. He quotes Goethe: "Was man in der Jugend begehrt hat man im Alter die Fulle."

今天我收到一封信，是德國的老朋友E.B.寄來的。許多年來，這些信是我生命中的樂事；它們不只讓我愉快，還給我?guī)韼椭臀拷?。兩個不同國籍的人，二十年來不曾見過第二面，卻保持友好通信大半輩子，這種事肯定很少見。我們第一次在倫敦見面的時候，兩個人都還年輕，貧窮，在艱難奮斗中，充滿了希望和理想；現(xiàn)在我們都處在生命的秋天了，回首之下，那已經(jīng)是遙遠的記憶了。今天B的來信傳遞出寧靜滿足的情調(diào)，讓我心情愉快。他還引用歌德的話：“人在青年之時希望的事，在老年成就”。

These words of Goethe's were once a hope to me; later, they made me shake my head incredulously; now I smile to think how true they have proved in my own case. But what, exactly, do they mean? Are they merely an expression of the optimistic spirit? If so, optimism has to content itself with rather doubtful generalities. Can it truly be said that most men find the wishes of their youth satisfied in later life? Ten years ago, I should have utterly denied it, and could have brought what seemed to me abundant evidence in its disproof. And as regards myself, is it not by mere happy accident that I pass my latter years in such enjoyment of all I most desired? Accident—but there is no such thing. I might just as well have called it an accident had I succeeded in earning the money on which now I live.

歌德的這句話曾經(jīng)給予我希望，后來我對它搖頭表示懷疑；如今我微笑地想到，就我個人的境遇而言，這句話是多么正確啊。但是它究竟是什么意思呢？只是一種樂觀精神的表達嗎？如果確實如此，樂觀主義恐怕不是放之四海而皆準的。對大多數(shù)人來說，他們年輕時的愿望在以后的日子都會實現(xiàn)，真的可以這樣說嗎？十年前，我會對它全盤否定，也許還會拿出看似充足的證據(jù)予以反駁。就我自己來說，還不是因為幸運的偶然事件，如今才過上自己一直渴望的安樂生活。偶然事件——但它根本是不存在的。假使我掙到了得以維持現(xiàn)在生活的錢，我也一定會稱之為偶然事件。

From the beginning of my manhood, it is true, I longed for bookish leisure; that, assuredly, is seldom even one of the desires in a young man's heart, but perhaps it is one of those which may most reasonably look for gratification later on. What, however, of the multitudes who aim only at wealth, for the power and the pride and the material pleasures which it represents? We know very well that few indeed are successful in that aim; and, missing it, do they not miss everything? For them, are not Goethe's words mere mockery?

從我成年伊始，在探求學(xué)問中擷取閑情逸致，就一直是我的愿望；這種愿望很少存在于年輕人的心中，但也許是最有理由期望在日后得到滿足的一個愿望。但是，那些一心追逐財富并渴望獲得它所代表的權(quán)利、驕傲和物質(zhì)享受的蕓蕓眾生呢？我們非常清楚在這條道路上成功的人不多；如果達不到這個目標，他們豈不是失去了一切？對于他們來說，歌德的話不就只是嘲諷嗎？

Apply them to mankind at large, and perhaps, after all, they are true. The fact of national prosperity and contentment implies, necessarily, the prosperity and contentment of the greater number of the individuals of which the nation consists. In other words, the average man who is past middle life has obtained what he strove for—success in his calling. As a young man, he would not, perhaps, have set forth his aspirations so moderately, but do they not, as a fact, amount to this? In defence of the optimistic view, one may urge how rare it is to meet with an elderly man who harbours a repining spirit. True; but I have always regarded as a fact of infinite pathos the ability men have to subdue themselves to the conditions of life. Contentment so often means resignation, abandonment of the hope seen to be forbidden.

把歌德的話放在全體人類身上，它也許終究還是事實。國家的繁榮富足，也必然意味著組成這個國家的大多數(shù)人的富裕滿足。換句話說，過了中年的普通人實現(xiàn)了他的奮斗目標——他期望的“成功”。年輕時，他或許不會把抱負定位得這么庸俗，但最終不就等于是這樣了嗎？為這個樂觀的觀點辯護一句，你可以指出我們很少看見一個老人壯志未酬心懷悔恨。不錯，但是一直以來，我都為人們屈服于生活現(xiàn)實的這種能力感到無限悲哀。滿足通常都意味著屈從，也就是放棄了被人視為妄想的希望。

I cannot resolve this doubt.

這個疑惑我無法消除。