英國語文第六冊(雙語):大馬士革與倫敦（二）(6)
This extraordinary quiet and solemnity of demeanour may arise partly, also, from a sense of danger. Every man has arms, and has the right both of wearing and of using them: and no man makes a journey, be it only to a neighbouring village, without sword and pistols. Now this tends to quiet, earnest, solemn manners. If a scuffle takes place, it is not a black eye or a bloody face that is the result, but the certain death of some of the parties; and hence they are taught the principle of self-restraint and moral control……
這種行為上的極其安靜和拘謹產(chǎn)生的部分原因也歸咎于一種自身的危機感。每個人都持有武器，而且每個人都有權利攜帶和使用武器：那里所有的人，只要是外出，即使只是去鄰村，也要攜帶一把長劍或者手槍。也由此才造就了人們安靜、認真和拘謹?shù)呐e止態(tài)度。一旦發(fā)生斗毆，后果不是雙方簡單的鼻青臉腫，而是其中一方的必定死亡；因此他們必須緊守自制和道德自律的原則。
3. The Arabs, and Orientals in general, sit much more than we do. The tradesmen all sit at their work: the smith, the carpenter, and the merchant, the butcher, the joiner, and the spice-monger, sit quietly and transact their business. They sit as tailors do, cross-legged, but with their feet doubled in beneath them. They sit on their feet, and maintain that such is the most natural and easy position! They seem to have no pleasure in motion: no man goes out to take a walk; no man moves for the sake of exercise. They go out, as they say, to smell the air, by some spreading tree or fountain of water. And yet they are capable of enduring great and long-continued labour. Abu Mausur travelled with us nearly forty days, during which we rode at the rate of from six to eighteen hours a day; and yet, though never upon a horse, he was always with us at the requisite time and place. He performed the journey on foot, and was rarely far behind.
3. 阿拉伯人和東方人坐著的時間一般比我們要久，因為所有的手藝人都是坐著工作：鐵匠、木匠、商人、屠夫、工匠和香料販子都是安靜地坐著經(jīng)營生意。他們像裁縫那樣盤腿而坐，只不過他們雙腳都被壓在腿下面。他們就那樣坐在自己的腳上而且一直保持那個姿勢，就好像這個姿勢是最自然、最舒服的姿勢！他們似乎領悟不到運動的樂趣所在：沒有人出去散步；沒有人會為了鍛煉身體而運動，他們出門只是為了到茂盛的大樹或者泉水旁呼吸一下新鮮空氣。并且他們能忍受去干費時的、冗雜的活兒，阿卜·摩蘇爾和我們一起旅行了將近40天的樣子，在此期間，我們每天都要騎馬騎6至18個小時；他盡管沒有騎過馬，但他總會在必要的時間里、在必要的地點陪著我們，他一路都是步行，而且從來沒有落在我們后面過。
Take, then, these things together, and you will easily perceive that in the city of Damascus everything is still and calm as the unclouded sky and the balmy air. The hoof of the camel falls noiselessly on the unpaved street; the sheep-skin foot-gloves of the Damascenes make no sound; and all the movements, both of men and of animals, are slow and solemn.
總結(jié)這所有的因素，你就能很好理解為什么大馬士革的一切都像晴朗的天空和溫和的空氣一樣是靜止的、平靜的。駱駝的蹄子安靜地踏在尚未鋪砌的街道上；大馬士革人的羊皮靴子同樣也不會發(fā)出聲響；所有人和動物的動作緩慢而又嚴肅。
