(中英)現(xiàn)代散文:書的抒情 Eulogizing Books

Eulogizing Books

書的抒情①

◎ Ke Ling

◎　柯　靈

I always think of books with profound feeling, being deeply indebted to them, as I am, for the warmth they have brought me.

說到書，我很動感情。因為它給我?guī)頊嘏?，我對它滿懷感激②。

Books are my beloved teachers. In my childhood, when I was deprived of happiness and schooling by poverty, books took me to their large bosoms and nurtured me generously. It is to them that I owe what I am today. Without them, I would probably have ended up in abject misery long ago.

書是我的恩師。貧窮剝奪了我童年的幸福，把我關(guān)在學(xué)校大門的外面，是書本敞開它寬厚的胸脯，接納了我，給我以慷慨的哺育。沒有書，就沒有我的今天?！苍S我早就委身于溝壑③。

Books are my good friends. They have offered me a golden key to broadening my horizons and ridding myself of stupidity and ignorance. They spare no efforts to help me.

書是我的良友。它給我一把金鑰匙，誘導(dǎo)我打開淺短的視界，愚昧的頭腦，鄙塞的心靈。它從不吝惜對我?guī)椭?

Books are my sweethearts in my youth, my bosom friends in my middle age, and my companions in my declining years. Accompanied by books, I never feel lonely, nor fear social snobbery or fickleness of the world. They have made a rich man of me in the inner world. I cannot do without them even for a single day. When I feel tired out after finishing my work, or when I am in a bad mood, I'll try to get close to books for comfort — the best way for me to find spiritual consolation.

書是我青春期的戀人，中年的知己，暮年的伴侶。有了它，我就不再愁寂寞，不再怕人情冷暖，世態(tài)炎涼。它使我成為精神世界的富翁。我真的是“不可一日無此君”。當(dāng)我忙完了，累極了；當(dāng)我憤怒時，苦惱時，我就想親近它，因為這是一種絕妙的安撫。

Oh, if only I were a confirmed bibliomaniac or bookworm! But, unfortunately, I'm still not fully qualified for one yet!

我真愿意成為十足的“書迷”和“書癡”④，可惜還不夠條件。

I don't know who was the despicable originator of the prison. Deprivation of freedom is the most savage punishment on earth for sure, but, as I've learned from my own personal bitter experience, if prisoners are permitted the right to read they should not be regarded as totally devoid of freedom.

不知道誰是監(jiān)獄的始作俑者⑤。剝奪自由，誠然⑥是人世最酷虐的刑法，但如果允許囚人有讀書的權(quán)利，那還不算是自由的徹底喪失。我對此有慘痛的經(jīng)驗。

Burning or banning books is the height of folly and barbarity, signifying a most horrible retrogression in history.

對書的焚毀和禁錮，是最大的愚蠢，十足的野蠻⑦，可怕的歷史倒退。

Of course there is also some rubbish among books to be avoided like the plague or Death by all.

當(dāng)然書本里也有敗類，那是瘟疫之神，死亡天使，當(dāng)與世人共棄之。

It is the greatest pleasure for a writer to present to his friends gift copies of a book authored by himself or to have it offered to the reading public. And he will feel richly rewarded if his book arouses public interest and earns wide acclaim.

作家把自己寫的書，送給親友，獻(xiàn)與讀者，是最大的愉快。如果他的書引起共鳴，得到贊美，那就是對他最好的酬謝。

It is the greatest joy of life for one to spend his leisure time reading in quiet surroundings. On the eve of the fall of the "Gang of Four", I used to go to Longhua Park every day for a reading session, seeking shelter from a sea of frosty looks and hostile stares in a world of my own. That will forever remain an unforgettable experience of my life.

在寧靜的環(huán)境，悠閑的心情中靜靜地讀書，是人生中最有味的享受。在“四人幫”覆亡的前夜，我曾經(jīng)避開海洋般的冷漠與白眼，每天到龍華公園讀書⑧，擁有自己獨立蒼茫的世界。這是我一個終生難忘的經(jīng)歷。

Books are sunlight and air, rain and dew. I can't imagine what would become of the world without books.

書本是太陽、空氣、雨露。我不能設(shè)想，沒有書的世界是什么樣的世界。

柯靈（1909—2000），浙江紹興人，是我國現(xiàn)代杰出散文作家。他的散文優(yōu)美洗練，講究文字的研磨，風(fēng)格簡要明快，博識典雅。《書的抒情》是他寫于1985年的一篇短文。作者酷愛讀書，在熱情頌揚書的同時，回顧極左年代的文化摧殘，斥之為“可怕的歷史倒退”。