《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 冬 08

《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(xué)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(xué)中小品文的珍品之一。

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As so often when my thought has gone forth in praise of things English, I find myself tormented by an after-thought—the reflection that I have praised a time gone by. Now, in this matter of English meat. A newspaper tells me that English beef is non-existent; that the best meat bearing that name has merely been fed up in England for a short time before killing. Well, well; we can only be thankful that the quality is still so good. Real English mutton still exists, I suppose. It would surprise me if any other country could produce the shoulder I had yesterday.

在我的思想為種種英國事物大唱贊歌時，我經(jīng)常會為一種事后的想法所折磨，那就是考慮到自己歌頌的是一個逝去的時代。現(xiàn)在來談?wù)動娜馐嘲?。報紙上寫道，所謂的英國牛肉已經(jīng)不存在，冠以其名的最好的肉，不過是宰殺之前在英國短暫地飼養(yǎng)過一段時間而已。好吧，好吧，我們只能慶幸它的質(zhì)量仍然這么好。真正的英國羊肉還存在吧，我想。如果其他國家能生產(chǎn)出我昨天吃的那塊羊肩肉，那我真會大吃一驚呢。

Who knows? Perhaps even our own cookery has seen its best days. It is a lamentable fact that the multitude of English people nowadays never taste roasted meat; what they call by that name is baked in the oven—a totally different thing, though it may, I admit, be inferior only to the right roast. Oh, the sirloin of old times, the sirloin which I can remember, thirty or forty years ago! That was English, and no mistake, and all the history of civilization could show nothing on the table of mankind to equal it. To clap that joint into a steamy oven would have been a crime unpardonable by gods and man. Have I not with my own eyes seen it turning, turning on the spit? The scent it diffused was in itself a cure for dyspepsia.

誰知道呢？也許連我們自己的烹飪都在走下坡路了。如今大多數(shù)英國人都從沒有吃過烤肉，真是可悲；他們稱之為烤肉的食物都是從烤箱中出來的——那是完全不同的東西，盡管我承認(rèn)它的味道可能只是比不上正宗的烤肉而已。噢，以前的牛腰肉，我能記得的牛腰肉，已經(jīng)是三四十年以前！那是純正的英國風(fēng)味，沒錯，在人類的餐桌上，文明的全部歷史都拿不出什么與它相比。將一塊帶骨腿肉放到蒸汽騰騰的烤箱里簡直是一樁人神共憤的罪行。我不是曾親眼看見它在烤肉鐵釬上轉(zhuǎn)來轉(zhuǎn)去嗎？它散發(fā)出的氣味本身就能治療消化不良了。

It is very long since I tasted a slice of boiled beef; I have a suspicion that the thing is becoming rare. In a household such as mine, the "round" is impracticable; of necessity it must be large, altogether too large for our requirements. But what exquisite memories does my mind preserve! The very colouring of a round, how rich it is, yet how delicate, and how subtly varied! The odour is totally distinct from that of roast beef, and yet it is beef incontestable. Hot, of course with carrots, it is a dish for a king; but cold it is nobler. Oh, the thin broad slice, with just its fringe of consistent fat!

我很久沒有吃上一塊煮牛肉了，我懷疑這種東西越來越少了。在我這樣的家庭里，牛股肉是行不通的；因為它一定是大的，大到超出我們的需要。然而我的腦海中保存了怎樣美好的記憶！牛股肉的色澤，多么濃郁，多么嬌嫩，多么微妙多姿！它的味道和烤牛肉截然不同，但卻無可置疑是牛肉。熱騰騰的端上桌，當(dāng)然要佐以胡蘿卜，它可以成為國王的美食；但如果是冷的，那它會更加尊貴。噢，那薄薄的一大片，只在邊沿上有一圈肥肉！

We are sparing of condiments, but such as we use are the best that man has invented. And we know HOW to use them. I have heard an impatient innovator scoff at the English law on the subject of mustard, and demand why, in the nature of things, mustard should not be eaten with mutton. The answer is very simple; this law has been made by the English palate—which is impeccable. I maintain it is impeccable! Your educated Englishman is an infallible guide in all that relates to the table. "The man of superior intellect," said Tennyson—justifying his love of boiled beef and new potatoes—”knows what is good to eat”; and I would extend it to all civilized natives of our country. We are content with nothing but the finest savours, the truest combinations; our wealth, and happy natural circumstances, have allowed us an education of the palate of which our natural aptitude was worthy. Think, by the bye, of those new potatoes, just mentioned. Our cook, when dressing them, puts into the saucepan a sprig of mint. This is genius. No otherwise could the flavour of the vegetable be so perfectly, yet so delicately, emphasized. The mint is there, and we know it; yet our palate knows only the young potato.

我們很少用調(diào)味品，但凡是我們用的，都是人類發(fā)明的最好的，我們知道怎樣來使用它們。我曾聽到一個缺乏耐心的改革者借芥末的話題嘲弄英國的法律，他問道，究竟為何芥末一定不能和羊肉一起食用呢？答案非常簡單；這條法律是由英國人的味覺制定的——它是無可挑剔的。我強(qiáng)調(diào)一遍，它是無可挑剔的！受過教育的英國人，在所有與餐桌有關(guān)的事情上，都是絕對可靠的向?qū)??！坝凶慨愔腔鄣娜酥朗裁春贸浴?，丁尼生說——為自己愛吃煮牛肉和新土豆這樣辯護(hù)，我則將它擴(kuò)展至所有文明的國人。我們只滿足于最好的味道和最合理的搭配；我們的財富和幸福的自然環(huán)境，都讓我們的味覺受到很好的教育，與我們的天生才智相輔相成。順便想一想剛才提到的新土豆，我們的廚子在烹調(diào)時會在菜鍋里放上一點薄荷，這就是天才。如果不這樣，土豆的味道不會如此完美精致地得到提升。我們知道薄荷在菜里，但是我們的味覺只知道這就是小土豆。