《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 冬 01

《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(shū)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(shū)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(shū)中均有充分的反映。本書(shū)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 - 冬 01的內(nèi)容，讓我們一起來(lái)感受吉辛的四季吧!

Blasts from the Channel, with raining scud, and spume of mist breaking upon the hills, have kept me indoors all day. Yet not for a moment have I been dull or idle, and now, by the latter end of a seacoal fire, I feel such enjoyment of my ease and tranquility that I must needs word it before going up to bed.

從海峽吹來(lái)寒風(fēng)，夾雜著冰冷的雨點(diǎn)，群山上大霧彌漫，這種天氣讓我整整一天都呆在家里。但是我沒(méi)有感到片刻的空虛和無(wú)聊，現(xiàn)在，爐膛里的煤將要燃盡，我感覺(jué)舒適平靜，心情愉快，在睡覺(jué)之前，必須要將此時(shí)的感受記下來(lái)。

Of course one ought to be able to breast weather such as this of today, and to find one's pleasure in the strife with it. For the man sound in body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every sky has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously. I remember the time when I would have set out with gusto for a tramp along the wind-swept and rain-beaten roads; nowadays, I should perhaps pay for the experiment with my life. All the more do I prize the shelter of these good walls, the honest workmanship which makes my doors and windows proof against the assailing blast. In all England, the land of comfort, there is no room more comfortable than this in which I sit. Comfortable in the good old sense of the word, giving solace to the mind no less than ease to the body. And never does it look more homely, more a refuge and a sanctuary, than on winter nights.

當(dāng)然，人應(yīng)該能夠勇敢面對(duì)今天這樣的天氣，并在與它的斗爭(zhēng)中找到快樂(lè)。對(duì)于身體健康思想平靜的人，壞天氣是不存在的；每種天氣自有它的美麗之處，鞭笞血脈的暴風(fēng)雨只是讓它搏動(dòng)得更加有力而已。還記得當(dāng)初，我會(huì)滿懷興致地頂風(fēng)冒雨出門走走；而如今，這樣做可能會(huì)要了我的老命。我因此也更加珍惜這個(gè)堅(jiān)實(shí)墻壁圍成的庇護(hù)所，我的門窗制作得非常牢固，能夠抵御狂風(fēng)暴雨的襲擊。在英格蘭這塊舒適的土地上，沒(méi)有哪間屋子比現(xiàn)在我住的這間更加舒服了。我所謂的舒服是就標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的古老含義而言，既給心靈以慰藉，又讓身體感覺(jué)安逸。而在冬夜，是它看起來(lái)最像安樂(lè)之家，也最像一個(gè)庇護(hù)所或避難所。

In my first winter here, I tried fires of wood, having had my hearth arranged for the purpose; but that was a mistake. One cannot burn logs successfully in a small room; either the fire, being kept moderate, needs constant attention, or its triumphant blaze makes the room too hot. A fire is a delightful thing, a companion and an inspiration. If my room were kept warm by some wretched modern contrivance of water-pipes or heated air, would it be the same to me as that beautiful core of glowing fuel, which, if I sit and gaze into it, becomes a world of wonders? Let science warm the heaven-forsaken inhabitants of flats and hotels as effectually and economically as it may; if the choice were forced upon me, I had rather sit, like an Italian, wrapped in my mantle, softly stirring with a key the silver-grey surface of the brasier's charcoal. They tell me we are burning all our coal, and with wicked wastefulness. I am sorry for it, but I cannot on that account make cheerless perhaps the last winter of my life. There may be waste on domestic hearths, but the wickedness is elsewhere—too blatant to call for indication. Use common sense, by all means, in the construction of grates; that more than half the heat of the kindly coal should be blown up the chimney is desired by no one; but hold by the open fire as you hold by whatever else is best in England. Because, in the course of nature, it will be some day a thing of the past (like most other things that are worth living for), is that a reason why it should not be enjoyed as long as possible? Human beings may ere long take their nourishment in the form of pills; the prevision of that happy economy causes me no reproach when I sit down to a joint of meat.

在這里的第一個(gè)冬天，我嘗試燃燒木頭取暖，還為此修整了壁爐，但這是一個(gè)錯(cuò)誤。在一個(gè)小房間里，木頭是無(wú)法成功燃燒的；要么火勢(shì)太小，需要一直照看，要么火勢(shì)太旺，使房間溫度過(guò)高。火是讓人愉快的事物，是伴侶和靈感。如果我的房間依靠暖氣管或空調(diào)這種討厭的現(xiàn)代設(shè)施保持溫暖，那和跳動(dòng)著熊熊燃燒的美麗火苗會(huì)是一樣的嗎？如果我坐下來(lái)凝視著那火苗，它會(huì)變成一個(gè)奇異的世界。住在公寓和旅館里的上帝的棄兒們，就讓科學(xué)來(lái)有效而經(jīng)濟(jì)地溫暖他們吧。如果必須作出選擇，我寧愿像意大利人那樣坐下來(lái)，裹著外套，用棍子輕輕撥動(dòng)火盆里銀灰色的木炭。人們說(shuō)，我們將所有的煤拿來(lái)燃燒，是一種罪惡的浪費(fèi)。我對(duì)此感到遺憾，但是我不能因此就讓我生命中可能是最后的一個(gè)冬天過(guò)得不開(kāi)心。家庭壁爐也許會(huì)造成浪費(fèi)，但更大更無(wú)恥的罪惡還在別處，到處可見(jiàn)。在壁爐的建造上，一定要運(yùn)用節(jié)能常識(shí)；沒(méi)人愿意看到煤燃燒產(chǎn)生的一大半熱量由煙囪向外散發(fā)；但是請(qǐng)堅(jiān)守在爐火旁吧，就像堅(jiān)守英國(guó)最好的那些事物一樣。因?yàn)椋凑兆匀坏陌l(fā)展規(guī)律，它終有一天會(huì)成為過(guò)去的事物（像生活中值得珍惜的大多數(shù)事物一樣），這難道能成為妨礙我們盡量長(zhǎng)時(shí)間享受它的一個(gè)理由嗎？人類也許不久以后會(huì)吞食藥丸來(lái)攝取營(yíng)養(yǎng)，即使能預(yù)見(jiàn)這種幸福的經(jīng)濟(jì)，在我坐下來(lái)大塊吃肉時(shí)，也不會(huì)讓我感到任何自責(zé)。

See how friendly together are the fire and the shaded lamp; both have their part alike in the illumining and warming of the room. As the fire purrs and softly crackles, so does my lamp at intervals utter a little gurgling sound when the oil flows to the wick, and custom has made this a pleasure to me. Another sound, blending with both, is the gentle ticking of the clock. I could not endure one of those bustling little clocks which tick like a fever pulse, and are only fit for a stockbroker's office; mine hums very slowly, as though it savoured the minutes no less than I do; and when it strikes, the little voice is silver-sweet, telling me without sadness that another hour of life is reckoned, another of the priceless hours—

看爐火和油燈在一起多么相益得彰，它們都有相似的照明和溫暖房間的作用。嗚嗚的爐火發(fā)出溫柔的噼啪聲，油流向燈芯時(shí)，油燈不時(shí)也會(huì)發(fā)出輕微的滋滋聲，我習(xí)慣了這些聲音，并視之為一件樂(lè)事。另外一個(gè)和它們匯合在一起的聲音，是鐘表輕輕地滴答聲。我無(wú)法忍受那些走得急匆匆像發(fā)燒的脈博的小鐘表，它們只適合掛在股票經(jīng)紀(jì)人的辦公室里；我的鐘表響起來(lái)不慌不忙，似乎和我一樣在用心品味著分分秒秒；報(bào)點(diǎn)時(shí)，它會(huì)發(fā)出銀鈴般清脆的聲音，不帶一絲悲傷地告知我，生命中又一個(gè)小時(shí)的到來(lái)，又一個(gè)無(wú)價(jià)的小時(shí)——

Quae nobis pereunt et imputantur.1

“它永遠(yuǎn)不屬于我們了，卻還視為我們所有?！?/p>

After extinguishing the lamp, and when I have reached the door, I always turn to look back; my room is so cosily alluring in the light of the last gleeds, that I do not easily move away. The warm glow is reflected on shining wood, on my chair, my writing-table, on the bookcases, and from the gilt title of some stately volume; it illumes this picture, it half disperses the gloom on that. I could imagine that, as in a fairy tale, the books do but await my departure to begin talking among themselves. A little tongue of flame shoots up from a dying ember; shadows shift upon the ceiling and the walls. With a sigh of utter contentment, I go forth, and shut the door softly.

熄燈后走向門口時(shí)，我總是會(huì)回頭看看；在壁爐最后的微光中，我的房間是那樣舒適誘人，讓我舍不得離開(kāi)。一種溫暖的光芒從大部頭燙金的書(shū)籍折射回來(lái)，映在閃亮的木頭、座椅、書(shū)桌和書(shū)架上；它照亮了這幅畫(huà)，驅(qū)散了籠罩其上的陰暗。我可以想象，就像在童話中一樣，這些書(shū)等我一離開(kāi)就會(huì)開(kāi)始交談了。從余燼中忽然跳出一簇小火苗，天花板和墻上的陰影跟著跳動(dòng)了一下。我十分滿足地嘆了一口氣，往前走去，并輕輕地帶上了房間的門。