《四季隨筆》節(jié)選 - 夏 07

《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。

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I have been reading one of those prognostic articles on international politics which every now and then appear in the reviews. Why I should so waste my time it would be hard to say; I suppose the fascination of disgust and fear gets the better of me in a moment's idleness. This writer, who is horribly perspicacious and vigorous, demonstrates the certainty of a great European war, and regards it with the peculiar satisfaction excited by such things in a certain order of mind. His phrases about "dire calamity" and so on mean nothing; the whole tenor of his writing proves that he represents, and consciously, one of the forces which go to bring war about; his part in the business is a fluent irresponsibility, which casts scorn on all who reluct at the "inevitable." Persistent prophecy is a familiar way of assuring the event.

我讀了一篇偶爾會在評論上出現(xiàn)的關(guān)于國際政治的預(yù)言性文章。很難說我為什么要這樣浪費時間，我想是因為在百無聊賴中，厭惡和恐懼的情緒忽然對我充滿了吸引力。這個作者的敏銳和狂熱簡直可怖，他在文中論證了爆發(fā)一場大規(guī)模歐洲戰(zhàn)爭的必然性，不知他懷著怎樣的心態(tài)，他的觀點竟帶著一種奇特的滿足感。他的諸如“滅頂之災(zāi)”等措詞沒有任何意義。整篇文章的基調(diào)都證明了他代表著，并且是自覺地代表著一種引發(fā)戰(zhàn)爭的力量，他在其中扮演的是一個文筆流暢但不負責任的角色，對懷疑“戰(zhàn)爭不可避免論”的人們進行嘲弄。而固執(zhí)的預(yù)言正是保證事件發(fā)生的一種常見方式。

But I will read no more such writing. This resolution I make and will keep. Why set my nerves quivering with rage, and spoil the calm of a whole day, when no good of any sort can come of it? What is it to me if nations fall a-slaughtering each other? Let the fools go to it! Why should they not please themselves? Peace, after all, is the aspiration of the few; so it always; was, and ever will be. But have done with the nauseous cant about "dire calamity." The leaders and the multitude hold no such view; either they see in war a direct and tangible profit, or they are driven to it, with heads down, by the brute that is in them. Let them rend and be rent; let them paddle in blood and viscera till—if that would ever happen—their stomachs turn. Let them blast the cornfield and the orchard, fire the home. For all that, there will yet be found some silent few, who go their way amid the still meadows, who bend to the flower and watch the sunset; and these alone are worth a thought.

我不會再讀這類文章了。我下了這個決心，并會一直遵守。為什么要讓自己氣得發(fā)抖，破壞一整天的平靜，而且也得不到任何益處？就算國家間開始互相屠戮，又干我何事？讓蠢人們上戰(zhàn)場去吧！為什么他們不能讓自己開心呢？和平畢竟只是少數(shù)人的愿望，過去一直如此，將來也將如此。但是別再拋出諸如“滅頂之災(zāi)”這種令人作嘔的偽善之詞了。領(lǐng)導者們和多數(shù)人都不會持這樣的觀點，他們或者在戰(zhàn)爭中看到直接有形的利益，或者是受了體內(nèi)蠻性的驅(qū)使，低頭沖上戰(zhàn)場。讓他們殺戮和被殺吧；讓他們在血肉中跋涉吧，直到—如果真有這么一刻—他們感到惡心作嘔了。讓他們炸毀玉米田和果園，焚毀家園吧。盡管如此，還是能找到幾個沉默的人，他們從安靜的草地上走過，俯身弄花香，回眸醉夕陽；只有這些人才值得我們關(guān)注。