塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯/SauelSiles
塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯(1812—1904),英国19世纪伟大的道德学家、著名的社会改革家和脍炙人口的散文随笔作家。赛缪尔一生写过二十多部著作,其中最受人喜爱的是有关人生成功与幸福,有关良知、信仰、道德、自由与责任等领域的随笔作品,这方面最著名的有《自己拯救自己》《品格的力量》《金钱与人生》和《人生的职责》。
AcetheHole
Uandthesenewwordsbeforeyoulistentothisarticle.
1.affity[?f?ti]n.吸引力
2.verse[v?:s]n.诗
3.enshre[?ra]v.铭记,珍藏
4.ebal[ibɑ:]v.铭记于心
5.iperial[ipi?ri?l]adj.至高无上的
Aanayuallybeknownbythebookshereadsaswellasbythepanyhekeeps;forthereisapanionshipofbooksaswellasofn;andoneshouldalwayslivethebestpany,whetheritbeofbooksorofn.
Agoodbookaybeaongthebestoffriends.Itisthesatodaythatitalwayswas,anditwillneverge.Itistheostpatientandcheerfulofpanions.Itdoesnotturnitsbackupontisofadversityordistress.Italwaysreceiveswiththesakdness;agandstructgyouth,andfandnsolgage.
Menoftendisvertheiraffitytoeachotherbythelovetheyhaveeachforabook—jtasopersonssotisdisverafriendbytheadirationwhichbothhaveforathird.Thereisanoldproverb,“Love,loveydog.”Butthereisorewisdothis:“Love,loveybook.”Thebookisatruerandhigherbondofuniohk,feel,andsypathizewitheachotherthroughtheirfavoriteauthor.Theylivehitogether,ahe.
“Books,”saidHazlitt,“dtotheheart;thepoet’sverseslidesthecurrentofourblood.Wereadthewhenyoung,wereberthewhenold.Wefeelthatithashappeoourselves.Theyaretobehadverycheapandgood.Webreathebuttheairofbooks.”
Agoodbookisoftenthebesturnofalifeenshrgthebestthatlifeuldthkout;fortheworldofaan’slifeis,fortheostpart,buttheworldofhisthoughts.Ththebestbooksaretreasuriesofgoodwords,thegoldenthoughts,which,reberedandcherished,beeournstantpanionsandforters.“Theyareneveralone,”saidSirPhilipSidhatareaopaniedbyhoughts.”
Thegoodandtruethoughtaytisofteptationbeasanangelofrcypurifygandguardgthesoul.Italsoehegersofa,foodwordsalostalwaysspiretogoodworks.
Bookspossessanessenceofiortality.Theyarebyfartheoststgproductsofhuaneffort.Teplesandstatuesdecay,butbookssurvive.Tiisofnoaountwithgreatthoughts,whichareasfreshtodayaswhentheyfirstpassedthroughtheirauthor’sds,agesago.Whatwasthensaidandthoughtstillspeakstoasvividlyaseverfrotheprtedpage.Theonlyeffectoftihasbeentosiftoutthebadproducts;fornothgliteraturelongsurvivebutwhatisreallygood.
Bookstroducetothebestsocietytheybrgtothepresenebeesours,andwefeelasifwewereaasureactorswiththetheseswhichtheydescribe.
Thegreatandgooddonotdieeventhisworld.Ebaldbooks,theirspiritswalkabroad.Thebookisalivgvoice.Itisantellecttowhiestilllistens.Henceweeverreauhefenceofthegreatnofold.Theiperialtellectsoftheworldareasuchalivenowastheywereagesago.
参考译文
读其书,如同读其人;同样,观其朋友,也如同观其人。书如同人,皆可成为伴侣。无论是以书为伴或以人为友,我们都应慎重选择,与佳者为伴。
好书犹如知己。不管过去、现在,还是将来,它都始终如一。它是最有耐心、最令人愉悦的伴侣。困难之际,它也不离不弃。它总是以善意接纳我们,在我们年轻时,好书能陶冶性情,增长知识;我们年老时,它又会给我们以慰藉。
好书可以使人们结为朋友,就像两个人会因为敬慕同一个人而成为朋友一样。古谚说“爱屋及乌”,但是,“爱我及书”这句话有更深的哲理。书是更为牢固和真实的情感纽带。假如拥有共同喜爱的作家,人们可以借此沟通思想感情。他们可以由此和作者产生共鸣。
黑兹利特曾经说过,“书潜移默化人们的内心,诗歌熏陶人们的气质品性。少小所习,老大不忘,恍如身历其事。书籍价廉物美,不啻我们呼吸的空气。”
好书犹如珍藏人一生思想精华的容器。人生的境界,主要就在于他思想的境界。所以,好书蕴藏着优美的语言、深邃的思想,倘若能铭记于心,就将成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰藉。菲利普·西德尼爵士说得好:“以高尚思想为伴的人永不孤独。”
当我们面临**的时候,美好而纯真的思想就像仁慈的天使,保卫我们的灵魂,使她依旧纯洁。美好纯真的思想还珍藏着行动的胚芽,因为,金玉良言总能激发善行。