月亮和六便士 第2章(1)

 　　Chapter 2 第二章

　　When so much has been written about Charles Strickland, it may seem unnecessary that I should write more.  关于查理斯·思特里克兰德的文章既已写了这么多，看来我似乎没有必要再多费笔墨了。

　　A painter's monument is his work.  为画家树碑立传归根结底还是他的作品。

　　It is true I knew him more intimately than most:  当然，我比大多数人对他更为熟悉；

　　I met him first before ever he became a painter, and I saw him not infrequently during the difficult years he spent in Paris;  我第一次和他会面远在他改行学画以前。在他落魄巴黎的一段坎坷困顿的日子里，我经常和他见面。

　　but I do not suppose I should ever have set down my recollections if the hazards of the war had not taken me to Tahiti.  但如果不是战争的动乱使我有机会踏上塔希提岛的话，我是不会把我的一些回忆写在纸上的。

　　There, as is notorious, he spent the last years of his life; and there I came across persons who were familiar with him.  众所周知，他正是在塔希提度过生命中最后几年；我在那里遇见不少熟悉他的人。

　　I find myself in a position to throw light on just that part of his tragic¹ career which has remained most obscure.  我发现对他悲剧的一生中人们最不清晰的一段日子，我恰好可以投掷一道亮光。

　　If they who believe in Strickland's greatness are right, the personal narratives² of such as knew him in the flesh can hardly be superfluous³.  如果那些相信思特里克兰德伟大的人看法正确的话，与他有过亲身接触的人对他的追述便很难说是多余的了。

　　What would we not give for the reminiscences of someone who had been as intimately acquainted with El Greco as I was with Strickland? 如果有人同埃尔·格列柯象我同思特里克兰德那样熟稔，为了读到他写的格列柯回忆录，有什么代价我们不肯付呢？

　　But I seek refuge in no such excuses.  但是我并不想以这些事为自己辩解。

　　I forget who it was that recommended men for their soul's good to do each day two things they disliked:  我不记得是谁曾经建议过，为了使灵魂宁静，一个人每天要做两件他不喜欢的事。

　　it was a wise man, and it is a precept⁴ that I have followed scrupulously⁵; for every day I have got up and I have gone to bed.  说这句话的人是个聪明人，我也一直在一丝不苟地按照这条格言行事：因为我每天早上都起床，每天也都上床睡觉。

　　But there is in my nature a strain of asceticism⁶, and I have subjected my flesh each week to a more severe mortification⁷.  但是我这个人生来还有苦行主义的性格，我还一直叫我的肉体每个星期经受一次更大的磨难。

　　I have never failed to read the Literary Supplement of The Times.  《泰晤士报》的文学增刊我一期也没有漏掉。

　　It is a salutary discipline to consider the vast number of books that are written,  这真是一种有益身心的修养，想到有那么多书被辛勤地写出来，

　　the fair hopes with which their authors see them published, and the fate which awaits them.  作者看著书籍出版，抱着那么殷切的希望，等待着这些书又是什么样的命运。

　　What chance is there that any book will make its way among that multitude?  一本书要能从这汪洋大海中挣扎出来希望是多么渺茫啊！

　　And the successful books are but the successes of a season.  即使获得成功，那成功又是多么瞬息即逝的事啊！

　　Heaven knows what pains the author has been at, what bitter experiences he has endured and what heartache suffered,  天晓得，作者为他一本书花费了多少心血，经受多少磨折，尝尽了多少辛酸，

　　to give some chance reader a few hours' relaxation⁸ or to while away the tedium⁹ of a journey. 只为了给偶然读到这本书的人几小时的休憩，帮助他驱除一下旅途中的疲劳。

1 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

2 narratives   

记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分

参考例句：

• Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。
• This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

3 superfluous   

adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的

参考例句：

• She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。
• That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。

4 precept   

n.戒律；格言

参考例句：

• It occurs to me that example is always more efficacious than precept.我想到身教重于言教。
• The son had well profited by the precept and example of the father.老太爷的言传身教早已使他儿子获益无穷。

5 scrupulously   

adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地

参考例句：

• She toed scrupulously into the room. 她小心翼翼地踮着脚走进房间。 来自辞典例句
• To others he would be scrupulously fair. 对待别人，他力求公正。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史

6 asceticism   

n.禁欲主义

参考例句：

• I am not speaking here about asceticism or abstinence.我说的并不是苦行主义或禁欲主义。
• Chaucer affirmed man's rights to pursue earthly happiness and epposed asceticism.乔叟强调人权，尤其是追求今生今世幸福快乐的权力，反对神权与禁欲主义。

7 mortification   

n.耻辱，屈辱

参考例句：

• To my mortification, my manuscript was rejected. 使我感到失面子的是：我的稿件被退了回来。
• The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。

8 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

9 tedium   

n.单调；烦闷

参考例句：

• We played games to relieve the tedium of the journey.我们玩游戏，来解除旅行的沉闷。
• In myself I could observe the following sources of tedium. 从我自己身上，我所观察到的烦闷的根源有下列一些。