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完成南美之旅多年后,洪堡臨終前曾帶著自憐和自傲的心情埋怨:“人們常說我同時對太多東西感興趣,例如植物學、天文學和比較解剖學。但你果真能夠抑制一個人的求知欲,不讓他了解和擁抱周遭的一切嗎?”
Towards the end of his life, his South American adventures long behind him, Humboldt complained, with a mixture of selfpity and pride, 'People often say that I'm curious about too many things at once: botany, astronomy, comparative anatomy. But can you really forbid a man from harbouring a desire to know and embrace everything which surrounds him?'
我們當然阻止不了他,更恰當?shù)淖龇☉撌菍λ硎局С趾途匆?。但在對他的旅程表示欽佩時,我們或許也不應該排除對那些身處醉人的城市,卻偶爾有強烈賴床的想法和想立即回家的旅人表示一些同情。
We cannot of course forbid him such a thing-a pat on the back feels more appropriate. But perhaps admiration for his journey does not preclude a degree of sympathy for those who, in fascinating cities, have occasionally been visited by a strong wish to remain in bed and take the next flight home.