英语名篇诵读 真正的书（在线收听）

A Genuine Book

真正的书

John Ruskin(约翰·罗斯金)

A book is essentially not a talked thing, but a written thing; and written, not with the view of

mere communication, but of permanence . The book of talk is printed only because its author

cannot speak to thousands of people at once; if he could, he would — the volume is mere

multiplication of his voice. You cannot talk to your friend in India; if you could, you would;

you write instead: that is mere conveyance of voice. But a book is written, not to multiply the

voice merely, not to carry it merely, but to perpetuate it. The author has something to say

which he perceives to be true and useful, or helpfully beautiful. So far as he knows, no one has yet

said it; so far as he knows, no one else can say it. He is bound to say it, clearly and melodiously

if he may; clearly at all events. In the sum of his life he finds this to be the thing, or group of

things, manifest to him;  — this the piece of true knowledge, or sight, which his share of

sunshine and earth has permitted him to seize. He would fain set it down for ever; engrave it

on rock, if he could; saying, “This is the best of me; for the rest, I ate, and drank, and slept, loved,

and hated, like another; my life was as the vapour, and is not; but this I saw and knew: this, if

anything of mine, is worth your memory.” That is his “writing”; it is, in his small human way, and

with whatever degree of true inspiration is in him, his inscription , or scripture . That is a

“Book”.

书本质上不是谈话的资料汇编，而是用心写成的作品；而作为书写的成品，其目的不

仅仅是为了交际，而是为了使之亘古长存。谈话性质的书付印成册，只是因为其作者不能

同时向千万人讲话；如果能够，他会那么做的——那卷资料只是为了扩音而已。你不能同

远在印度的朋友交谈；如果可以，你会那么做的；所以你就写信：那只是传递你的声音罢

了。但是写成一本书，不只是为了扩音，不只是为了传递声音，而是为了让声音永存。作

者发现某种东西真实而有用，优美而有益，觉得有话要说。他所知道的，尚无人道出；他

所知道的，他人亦无法道出。他决心说出来，说得清楚，尽可能说得优美，但无论如何要

说得清楚。作者终其一生，发现某个东西，或一些东西，对他显而易见——点滴真知或见

识，为他的人生所领悟。他因此乐意将此写下来，如有可能，把它铭刻在岩石上，说：“这

是我最好的东西，至于余下的，我同别人一样，就是吃吃喝喝，睡睡觉，爱恨情仇；我的

人生曾如雾霭，很快就消失不再，但现在不同了；这就是我的所见所知：如果我有什么东

西值得你记住的话，就是这个。”这就是他的“著作”，以其微不足道的人生，凭其或多或少

的真实灵感，写就的他的铭文或经书。这才是真正的“书”。