《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 夏 11

《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 - 夏 11的內(nèi)容，讓我們一起來感受吉辛的四季吧!

I awoke a little after four o'clock. There was sunlight upon the blind, that pure gold of the earliest beam which always makes me think of Dante's angels. I had slept unusually well, without a dream, and felt the blessing of rest through all my frame; my head was clear, my pulse beat temperately. And, when I had lain thus for a few minutes, asking myself what book I should reach from the shelf that hangs near my pillow, there came upon me a desire to rise and go forth into the early morning. On the moment I bestirred myself. The drawing up of the blind, the opening of the window, only increased my zeal, and I was soon in the garden, then out in the road, walking light-heartedly I cared not whither.

我清晨四點多鐘醒來，一縷陽光照在窗簾上，這最早的金色光線，總是讓我想起但丁的天使。我睡得非常安穩(wěn)，一夜沒有做夢，整個身體都感受到充分休息的裨益；我的頭腦清醒，脈搏跳動平穩(wěn)。我就這樣躺了幾分鐘，自問要從枕頭邊的架子上取下哪本書。這時，我忽然有了一種欲望，要起床出外享受清晨，于是便起身下床。卷起窗簾，打開窗子后，我熱情更濃，于是很快便來到花園，接著走到外面的路上，開始心情輕松地散步，也不在意往哪兒走。

How long is it since I went forth at the hour of summer sunrise? It is one of the greatest pleasures, physical and mental, that any man in moderate health can grant himself; yet hardly once in a year do mood and circumstance combine to put it within one's reach. The habit of lying in bed hours after broad daylight is strange enough, if one thinks of it; a habit entirely evil; one of the most foolish changes made by modern system in the healthier life of the old time. But that my energies are not equal to such great innovation, I would begin going to bed at sunset and rising with the beam of day; ten to one, it would vastly improve my health, and undoubtedly it would add to the pleasures of my existence.

上次在夏天日出時分出外散步是多久以前的事了？這對每個身體狀況良好的人來說，在身心上都是極大的享受；但是一年中難得有一次，情景會如此交融。請想一想吧，天光大亮后還在床上躺幾個小時，這個習慣非常奇怪，完全是一個罪惡的習慣，是現(xiàn)代社會制度導致昔日健康生活發(fā)生的最愚蠢的變化之一。要不是現(xiàn)在我的精力不適合這種起居方式的革新，我會在日落時就上床睡覺，隨著朝陽的第一縷光線起床。十之有九，這將大大地改善我的健康狀況，并且無疑也會平添許多生活的樂趣。

When travelling, I have now and then watched the sunrise, and always with an exultation unlike anything produced in me by other aspects of nature. I remember daybreak on the Mediterranean; the shapes of islands growing in hue after hue of tenderest light, until they floated amid a sea of glory. And among the mountains—that crowning height, one moment a cold pallor, the next soft-glowing under the touch of the rosy-fingered goddess. These are the things I shall never see again; things, indeed, so perfect in memory that I should dread to blur them by a newer experience. My senses are so much duller; they do not show me what once they did.

旅行時，偶爾觀看日出，心里總會有一種別樣的歡欣，不同于自然帶給我的任何一種感覺。我還記得地中海上的破曉，隱約的島嶼在最柔和的晨光中染上一層又一層色彩，直到它們在一片金光燦爛的海洋中漂浮起來。在群山中—那巍峨的高山，這一刻還是冰冷的蒼白，下一刻便在女神玫瑰色手指的觸碰下閃耀著柔和的晨曦。這些景象我再也見不到了，它們在回憶中那么完美，我害怕再次親歷其境會污損原有的印象。我的感官已經(jīng)麻木了很多，它們不像以前那樣敏銳了。

How far away is that school-boy time, when I found a pleasure in getting up and escaping from the dormitory whilst all the others were still asleep. My purpose was innocent enough; I got up early only to do my lessons. I can see the long school-room, lighted by the early sun; I can smell the school-room odour—a blend of books and slates and wall-maps and I know not what. It was a mental peculiarity of mine that at five o'clock in the morning I could apply myself with gusto to mathematics, a subject loathsome to me at any other time of the day. Opening the book at some section which was wont to scare me, I used to say to myself: "Come now, I'm going to tackle this this morning! If other boys can understand it, why shouldn't I?" And in a measure I succeeded. In a measure only; there was always a limit at which my powers failed me, strive as I would.

還記得在遙遠的學生時代，常常在別人睡夢正酣時，我便起床離開宿舍，這在我是一樁樂事！我的目的非常單純，早起就是為了做功課。我能看到清晨陽光下長長的教室，我能聞到教室的味道—是書本、石板、墻上的地圖和其他東西混合在一起的味道。我有一個怪癖，只有在早晨五點鐘，才能專心致志地學習數(shù)學，而在一天的其他時間，這個科目都是討厭的。打開書里平常讓我望而生畏的一章，我常常對自己說：“來吧，今天早晨我要搞定這一部分！如果其他人能理解，我為什么不能？”在一定程度上我成功了。但只是在一定程度上，不管怎樣努力，我的能力總有一個限度。

In my garret-days it was seldom that I rose early: with the exception of one year—or the greater part of a twelvemonth—during which I was regularly up at half-past five for a special reason. I had undertaken to "coach" a man for the London matriculation; he was in business, and the only time he could conveniently give to his studies was before breakfast. I, just then, had my lodgings near Hampstead Road; my pupil lived at Knightsbridge; I engaged to be with him every morning at half-past six, and the walk, at a brisk pace, took me just about an hour. At that time I saw no severity in the arrangement, and I was delighted to earn the modest fee which enabled me to write all day long without fear of hunger; but one inconvenience attached to it. I had no watch, and my only means of knowing the time was to hear the striking of a clock in the neighbourhood. As a rule, I awoke just when I should have done; the clock struck five, and up I sprang. But occasionally—and this when the mornings had grown dark—my punctual habit failed me; I would hear the clock chime some fraction of the hour, and could not know whether I had awoke too soon or slept too long. The horror of unpunctuality, which has always been a craze with me, made it impossible to lie waiting; more than once I dressed and went out into the street to discover as best I could what time it was, and one such expedition, I well remember, took place between two and three o'clock on a morning of foggy rain.

住閣樓的那些年月，我很少早起，除了有一年—或者說大半年—那段時間，出于特殊的原因，我常常在五點半起床。我給一個準備通過倫敦大學考試的人“做家教”；他是個生意人，他唯一方便用來學習的時間是早飯前。當時我住在漢普斯特路，我的學生住在騎士橋；我答應每天早晨六點半開始給他輔導，而從我的住處到他家，步行速度快的話，需要大約一個小時。那時候，這樣的安排對我根本不困難，我很樂意掙那點微薄的酬勞，起碼可以讓我一整天安心寫作，而不必擔心挨餓；但這也順帶有一種不便之處。我沒有表，唯一知道時間的方法是聽附近的鐘聲報時。通常，我會在應該起床的鐘點醒來；鐘敲了五下，我便一骨碌爬起來。但是偶爾—當早晨天光變暗的時候—我準時的習慣便不起作用了；聽到鐘敲一刻或半點鐘，我不知道是自己醒得太早還是睡得太久。害怕遲到一向是我的怪癖，我不可能躺在床上等待起床時間，好幾次我都穿上衣服跑到街上去盡力弄清到底幾點。有一次，我記得很清楚，凌晨兩三點鐘我跑到了街上，那天大霧彌漫，還下著雨。

It happened now and then that, on reaching the house at Knightsbridge, I was informed that Mr.—felt too tired to rise. This concerned me little, for it meant no deduction of fee; I had the two hours' walk, and was all the better for it. Then the appetite with which I sat down to breakfast, whether I had done my coaching or not! Bread and butter and coffee—such coffee!—made the meal, and I ate like a navvy. I was in magnificent spirits. All the way home I had been thinking of my day's work, and the morning brain, clarified and whipped to vigour by that brisk exercise, by that wholesome hunger, wrought its best. The last mouthful swallowed, I was seated at my

有幾次，我到了騎士橋的學生家里，卻被告知某某先生感覺太累起不來床。這讓我一點也不擔憂，因為他不會扣減我的酬勞；我一來一回步行了兩個小時，反而感覺很好。不管我是不是做了家教，我坐下來享用早餐時，胃口大開！面包、黃油和咖啡—多美味的咖啡！—這就是我的早餐，我像一個苦工一樣狼吞虎咽。我感覺神清氣爽，精神煥發(fā)。回家的一路上，我都在想著當天的工作。早晨健步的鍛煉加上健康的饑餓感，讓我的頭腦異常清醒，思維活躍，處于最佳工作狀態(tài)。吃完最后一口早餐，我便坐在書桌前。啊，我能在那里坐上七八個小時，除了

writing-table; aye, and there I sat for seven or eight hours, with a short munching interval, working as only few men worked in all London, with pleasure, zeal, hope. ...

短暫的午飯時間，整個倫敦像我這樣帶著樂趣、熱情、希望等工作的人沒有幾個。

Yes, yes, those were the good days. They did not last long; before and after them were cares, miseries, endurance multiform. I have always felt grateful to Mr.—of Knightsbridge; he gave me a year of health, and almost of peace.

是的，是的，那真是美好的日子。這樣的日子沒有持續(xù)多久，在那之前和之后盡是各種各樣的憂慮、痛苦和磨難。我總是對騎士橋的某某先生心懷感激，是他給了我健康的一年，幾乎也是安寧的一年。