雙語詩歌翻譯|劉蓉-《習慣說》

劉蓉（1816~1873）字孟容，號霞軒，湖南湘鄉(xiāng)人，清朝湘軍將領(lǐng)、桐城派古文家，官至陜西巡撫。其代表作為《養(yǎng)晦堂文集》等?！读?慣說》選自劉蓉《養(yǎng)晦堂詩文集》。這篇文章主要采用了記敘和議論的表達方式，揭示的道理是，對于一個人來說，無論是培養(yǎng)好習慣，還是克服壞習慣，都應該從 少年時期開始；因為這個時期，是形成各種習慣的最初階段，培養(yǎng)好習慣不容易，克服壞習慣也不容易。正如文中所說的：“故君子之學，貴于慎始。”而一個人在 學習時，初始階段的習慣也非常重要，君子求學，貴在慎重地對待開始階段的習慣養(yǎng)成。

劉蓉·《習慣說》

蓉少時，讀書養(yǎng)晦堂之西偏一室，俯而讀，仰而思，思有弗得輒起，繞室以旋。室有洼，徑尺，浸淫日廣。每履之，足若躓焉。既久，而遂安之。

一日，先君子來室中坐，語之，顧而笑曰：“一室之不治，何以天下家國為？”顧謂童子取土平之。

后蓉復履其地，蹶然以驚，如土忽隆起者。俯視，地坦然，則既平矣。已而復然，又久而后安之。

噫！習之中人甚矣哉！足之履平地，而不與洼適也；及其久，則洼者若平；至使久而即乎其故，則反窒焉而不寧。故君子之學貴乎慎始。

When I was young I studied in a western chamber of the Obscurity House. Sometimes I bent down to read; sometimes I looked up to think. When I could not, after much thinking, figure out the meaning of what I was reading, I rose to my feet and walked about the room. In the earthen floor of the room there was a hollow about one foot wide; and that grew larger day by day. Every time I walked over it, I stumbled; but by degrees, I got used to it. One day Father came into my study and saw the hollow. “How can you serve your country well,” he said, smiling, “when you cannot keep such a little room tidy?” So he ordered a boy to fill it up with earth. Later when I walked over the spot again, I was surprised to find the earth there seemed swelling. I looked down, and found the hollow had already been filled up and the place was now as flat as a pancake. It was some time before I could get used to it again. Ah! How a habit works on man! You find it fit for your feet to walk on the level ground but not on places with holes. When you have, however, become accustomed to the sunken places in the floor, you will feel as if they were level. You will, on the country, stumble and feel uncomfortable when you walk on the spot newly level-up. Therefore the Superior Man is very cautious when he starts learning a thing.