《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 春 04

《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 - 春 04的內(nèi)容，讓我們一起來(lái)感受吉辛的四季吧!

There was a time in my life when, if I had suddenly been set in the position I now enjoy, conscience would have lain in ambush for me. What! An income sufficient to support three or four working-class families—a house all to myself—things beautiful wherever I turn—and absolutely nothing to do for it all! I should have been hard put to it to defend myself. In those days I was feelingly reminded, hour by hour, with what a struggle the obscure multitudes manage to keep alive. Nobody knows better than I do quam parvo liceat producere vitam. I have hungered in the streets; I have laid my head in the poorest shelter; I know what it is to feel the heart burn with wrath and envy of "the privileged classes." Yes, but all that time I was one of "the privileged" myself, and now I can accept a recognized standing among them without shadow of self-reproach.

我的生命中曾有一個(gè)時(shí)期，如果我突然置于現(xiàn)在的舒適環(huán)境，良心會(huì)暗中譴責(zé)我。什么！足夠養(yǎng)活三四戶工人階級(jí)家庭的收入—完全屬于自己的房子—滿眼都是漂亮的東西—而且絕對(duì)地坐享其成！我應(yīng)該很難為自己辯護(hù)。那時(shí)候，我常常由衷地想到，無(wú)名小卒們要維持生存是多么艱難。沒(méi)有人比我更了解“用多么少的東西，就可以維持生命”。我曾在街頭忍饑挨餓，也曾在最齷齪的寓所棲身；我了解對(duì)“特權(quán)階層”的憤怒和妒忌在心中燃燒時(shí)火辣辣的感覺(jué)。然而，那時(shí)候我已是“特權(quán)階層”的一員，但現(xiàn)在我可以接受這個(gè)階層的一席之地，而心中全無(wú)自責(zé)的陰影。

It does not mean that my larger sympathies are blunted. By going to certain places, looking upon certain scenes, I could most effectually destroy all the calm that life has brought me. If I hold apart and purposely refuse to look that way, it is because I believe that the world is better, not worse, for having one more inhabitant who lives as becomes a civilized being. Let him whose soul prompts him to assail the iniquity of things, cry and spare not; let him who has the vocation go forth and combat. In me it would be to err from Nature's guidance. I know, if I know anything, that I am made for the life of tranquility and meditation. I know that only thus can such virtue as I possess find scope. More than half a century of existence has taught me that most of the wrong and folly which darken earth is due to those who cannot possess their souls in quiet; that most of the good which saves mankind from destruction comes of life that is led in thoughtful stillness. Every day the world grows noisier; I, for one, will have no part in that increasing clamour, and, were it only by my silence, I confer a boon on all.

這并不代表我的大眾同情心遲鈍了。去到某些地方，看到某些場(chǎng)景，我就能把生活帶給我的平靜破壞無(wú)遺。如果我保持距離，有意不往那個(gè)方向看，那是因?yàn)槲矣X(jué)得，多一個(gè)過(guò)上文明生活的人，世界會(huì)變得更加美好，而不是更糟。讓那些受靈魂驅(qū)策的人去抨擊世間所有的不公，大聲疾呼，毫不留情吧；讓那些專司此職的人走上前去斗爭(zhēng)吧。我如果那樣做，便是有悖本性的引導(dǎo)了。如果我有所知的話，我知道自己是為平靜和冥思的生活而生的。我知道，只有過(guò)這樣的生活，我身上的優(yōu)點(diǎn)才有發(fā)揮的空間。在世上活了大半個(gè)世紀(jì)，我認(rèn)識(shí)到，玷污人間的大多數(shù)錯(cuò)誤和蠢事都是那些不肯讓靈魂寧?kù)o的人搞出來(lái)的；大多數(shù)挽救人類免受滅頂之災(zāi)的善舉都是那些在沉思和寧?kù)o中生活的人做出的。每一天，世界都變得更加喧鬧，而在這片愈演愈烈的喧嚷聲中我是沒(méi)份的。雖然我做的只是保持沉默，但這對(duì)所有人都是一份恩惠。

How well would the revenues of a country be expended, if, by mere pensioning, one-fifth of its population could be induced to live as I do!

如果僅僅靠提供養(yǎng)老金，能使一個(gè)國(guó)家五分之一的人口都過(guò)上我這樣的優(yōu)裕生活，那會(huì)是使用國(guó)家稅收歲入多么好的方法啊！