與書為友

Companionship of Books

與書為友

Samuel Smiles

塞繆爾.斯邁爾斯

作者簡介

塞繆爾.斯邁爾斯（Samuel Smiles，1812—1904），英國19世紀道德學家，社會改革家，散文隨筆作家。他一生閱歷極其豐富，先后當過醫(yī)生、商人、攝影師、記者、編輯、鐵路大臣等，亦為“成功學”的鼻祖。

斯邁爾斯著有眾多膾炙人口的雜文隨筆，包括《自助》（Self-Help）、《品格的力量》（Character）、《節(jié)儉》（Thrift）、《職責》（Duty）等。他關(guān)于成功、幸福、良知、信仰、道德、自由等題材的隨筆尤其受到讀者歡迎。其作品全球暢銷百年不衰，被譽為“個人奮斗的精神標本、高貴情操的精神堡壘”。

本文是中國讀者耳熟能詳?shù)慕?jīng)典之作，最早見于1871年出版的《品格的力量》第十章“與書為友”，本文為節(jié)選。在作者眼中，好書在手，猶如好友相伴，可終身相隨，不離不棄。

A man may usually be known by the books he reads, as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.

A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.

Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book—just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathise with each other through their favourite author. They live in him together, and he in them.

我們既可與人為伴，也可與書為友。觀其書，即可知其人；正如觀其友，便可識其人。無論以人為伴或與書為友，我們都應(yīng)擇善而從。

好書猶如至交。無論過去、現(xiàn)在還是將來，它永不改變。它是最耐心、最令人愉快的伴侶。當不幸或痛苦來臨，它不離不棄。書始終以善意相待，為青年人帶來愉悅與教益，為老年人帶來安撫與慰藉。

人們會因共同喜愛一本書而惺惺相惜，正如兩人會因共同仰慕一個人而結(jié)下友誼。古諺云“愛屋及烏”，但“愛吾及書”更不失為智語。書是更真切、更崇高的紐帶。通過共同喜愛的作家，人們能共同思考、交流感受、產(chǎn)生共鳴。讀者活在作家的思想中，作家活在讀者的腦海里。

“Books,” said Hazlitt, “wind into the heart; the poet’s verse slides into the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We read there of what has happened to others; we feel that it has happened to ourselves. They are to be had everywhere cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books. We owe everything to their authors, on this side barbarism.”

A good book is often the best urn of a life, enshrining the best thoughts of which that life was capable; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our abiding companions and comforters. “They are never alone,” said Sir Philip Sidney, “that are accompanied by noble thoughts.”

The good and true thought may in time of temptation be as an angel of mercy purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost invariably inspire to good works.

...

哈茲利特[1]說過：“書籍潛入心靈，詩篇溶入血液。年少時所讀之書，年邁時仍未忘懷。在書中讀到他人的經(jīng)歷，我們感同身受。書籍價廉物美，我們隨處皆可聞到書香。在此蠻荒之地，我們感激作者提供的一切?！?

好書常為生命的最佳歸宿，珍藏一生的思想精華。人生的境界，主要在于思想的境界。故好書猶如寶藏，既包含優(yōu)美的語言，也蘊藏深邃的思想；倘若能銘記于心，將成為我們忠實的伴侶和永恒的慰藉。如菲利普?西德尼爵士1所說：“以高尚思想為伴者永不孤獨。”

當誘惑襲來，高尚真誠的思想猶如仁慈的天使，凈化并護衛(wèi)靈魂。書籍中還珍藏著行動的萌芽，因為良言往往促成善行。

……

Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples crumble into ruin; pictures and statues decay; but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to sift and winnow out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we are participators in their thoughts; we sympathise with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The imperial intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.

書籍具有不朽的本質(zhì)。它們是人類最持久的造物。廟宇會倒塌，繪畫與雕塑會朽爛，書籍卻經(jīng)久長存。偉大的思想不受時光的影響。千百年前首次浮現(xiàn)于作者腦海的思想，時至今日依舊鮮活。往昔的話語與思想，至今仍通過書卷向我們娓娓道來。時間唯一的作用是淘汰糟粕，只有真正的佳作才能長存。

書籍引導我們與最優(yōu)秀的人為伍，走近歷代思想巨匠，如聞其聲、如觀其行、如見其人。我們與他們一同思考，感同身受，悲喜與共。我們分享作者的經(jīng)歷，仿佛置身于他們描繪的舞臺，與他們同臺演出。

偉人永不消逝，現(xiàn)世同樣如此。他們的精神載入書卷，傳遍四海。書籍是鮮活的聲音，是一位智者，我們?nèi)缃袢匀获雎犉浣陶d。因此，我們始終深受古時偉人的影響。至今，世間偉大的智慧仍生機勃勃，不減當年。

書籍引導我們與最優(yōu)秀的人為伍，走近歷代思想巨匠，如聞其聲、如觀其行、如見其人。

Samuel Smiles 塞繆爾?斯邁爾斯

[1] 威廉.哈茲利特（William Hazlitt，1778—1830），英語隨筆首屈一指的大家，英語文學批評的大家。