[人文英語]適度的虛榮心是一種向上

1、適度的虛榮心是一種向上的動(dòng)力查斯特菲爾德勛爵 Lord Chesterfield (1694- 177英國著名政治家、外交家及文學(xué)家，曾就讀于劍橋大學(xué)，并游學(xué)歐洲大陸。 1726 年繼承爵位， 1728年出使荷蘭，曾任愛爾蘭總督 及 英國國務(wù)大臣等職位。他與同時(shí)代的文學(xué)家波普、艾略特、伏爾泰、斯威夫特等過從甚密。有教子信札(letters to son)傳世,此書被譽(yù)為”培養(yǎng)紳士的教科書"，”英國的傅雷家書”。 下面是三年前陳漠從教子信札中摘譯的 50 句,曾經(jīng)作為課堂練習(xí)發(fā)給了翻譯課 上的學(xué) 生.查斯特菲爾德勛爵對其兒子的那種朋友般耐心引導(dǎo)的話語,雖然時(shí)過境遷 ,但今天讀來也每每讓

2、陳漠感動(dòng) ,為那片即使顯得有些圓滑和市儈的父愛 .41勤問.向人提問，多多提問，直到徹底了解，不留空白。如此勤問決不會(huì)被看作是無教 養(yǎng)或找麻煩：相 反，提問恰恰是對對方有淵博知識的一種巧妙的贊揚(yáng)，人們見到這個(gè)年輕 人如此勤問，也會(huì)對他產(chǎn)生一個(gè)好印象。 Ask questions, and many questions; and leave nothing till you are thoroughly informed of it. Such pertinent questions are far from being ill-bred or troublesome to those of w

3、hom you ask them; on the contrary, they are a tacit compliment to their knowledge; and people have a better opinion of a young man, when they see him desirous to be informed.42一意孤行 .熟諳世事的人知道選擇適當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)間和適當(dāng)?shù)牡攸c(diǎn)，他會(huì)分析他訴求的人的性 格，調(diào)整自己的舉 止談吐以便適應(yīng)對方。但是那些所謂只有普通常識的人，做事情往往 一廂情愿，一意孤行，不考慮別人的想法，往往找錯(cuò)時(shí)間、找錯(cuò)地點(diǎn)，莽莽撞撞，不看路標(biāo)， 結(jié)果

4、摔倒在地，滿嘴啃泥。 A man who hath studied the world knows when to time, and where to place them; he hath analyzed the characters he applies to, and adapted his address and his arguments to them; but a man of what is called plain good sense, who hath only reasoned by himself, and not acted with mankind, mist

5、imes, misplaces,runs precipitateIy and bluntly at the mark; and falls upon his nose in the way.43言簡意賅 .伏爾泰告訴我的，恰好正是我們需要知道的。他的表達(dá)簡明扼要，并給讀者 留有思考的余地。 他的觀點(diǎn)不受宗教、哲學(xué)、政治與民族偏見的影響。他遠(yuǎn)比我所知的歷 史學(xué)家更真實(shí)、更公正。該說的，他情愿少說，很顯然，他通常盡可能做到言簡意賅。 He tells me all I want to know, and nothing more. His reflections are short, just,a

6、nd produce others in his readers. Free from religious, philosophical, political and national prejudices, beyond any historian I ever met with, he relates all those matters as truly and as impartially, as certain regards, which must always be to some degree observed, will allow him; for one sees plai

7、nly that he often says much less than he would say, if he might.44父母.有些父母在子女還小的時(shí)候百般寵愛，等子女長大成人后，又爭吵不休，因?yàn)樽?女己被他們自己寵 壞。 Some parents spoil them by fondling their children while they are young, and then quarrel with them when they are grown up, for having been spoiled.45年輕人 .你應(yīng)顯出極好教養(yǎng)， 禮貌有加， 但不應(yīng)謹(jǐn)小慎微， 繁文縟

8、節(jié)。 你應(yīng)該恭敬 待人， 咸表贊同，但不應(yīng)卑躬屈節(jié)，討好迎合。你必須坦誠而不輕率，掌握分寸而不吝嗇小氣。你 必須保持高貴尊嚴(yán)，而又絕無出身優(yōu)越的虛驕之氣：你必須在體面 和可敬人士的圈子內(nèi)顯 得高高興興，又不要故作聰明，多愁善感：二十歲的年輕人不是這個(gè)祥子.你必須保守最重要的秘密，又不能搞得神秘兮兮。你必須堅(jiān)定甚至 大膽，但又須讓人覺得你看起來十分謙 虛。 You must be extremely well-bred and polite, but without the troublesome forms and stiffness of ceremony.You must be respe

9、ctful and assenting, but without being servile and abject. You must be frank; but without indiscretion; and close, without being costive. You must keep up dignity of character, without the least pride of birth or rank; You must be gay within all the bounds of decency and respect; and grave without t

10、he affectation of wisdom, which does not become the age of twenty. You must be essentially secret, without being dark and mysterious. You must be firm, and even bold, but with great seeming modesty.46 老生常談 .老生常談是無意義的，講話不僅要講得正確，而且要講得流利：不僅要講得流禾 而且要講得 優(yōu)雅。Speak ing mere com mon sense will by no means do

11、; and you must speak not only correctly but elegantly;and not only elegantly but eloquently.47人心 .有一條十分古老卻很真實(shí)的格言說：凡是統(tǒng)治得最輕松、寶座坐得最穩(wěn)固的國王， 都是最能贏得人 心的。他們的名望比他們的軍隊(duì)還管用，他們在臣民心中的感情影響比恐 懼更能使臣民惟命是從。 It is a very old and very true maxim, that those kings reign the most secure and the most absolute, who reign in

12、 the hearts of their people. Their popularity is a better guard than their army, and the affections of their subjects a better pledge of their obedience than their fears.48 虛榮心 .虛榮心，或說得文雅些，稱它為“接受欽羨與嘉許的愿望 ”，也許是一種人類最普遍的心理。我 不是說它是最好的原則，我承認(rèn)，在某些情況下，虛榮心是犯傻甚至犯罪 的根源。但是，它又常常是做正確事情的原則，盡管應(yīng)當(dāng)有比它更高尚的動(dòng)機(jī)，但考慮到人 的天然本

13、性， 從事情的效果來看， 虛榮心還是值得鼓勵(lì)與珍視。 Vanity, or to call it by a gentler name, the desire of admiration and applause, is, perhaps, the most universal principle of human actions; I do not say that it is the best; and I will own that it is sometimes the cause of both foolish and criminal effects. But it is so mu

14、ch oftener the principle of right things, that though they ought to have a better, yet, considering human nature, that principle is to be encouraged and cherished, in consideration of its effects.49 優(yōu)秀思想 .我記得早在劍橋讀書的時(shí)候，一讀到流利的文章，無論是古代的或現(xiàn)代的， 我都要把精彩的段 落抄錄下來，并作翻譯，盡我所能譯得順暢，譯得優(yōu)美。如果原文是拉 丁文或法文，便譯成英文：如系英文，便譯成

15、法文。就這樣，鍛煉了若干年，不僅改進(jìn)并形 成 了我自己的風(fēng)格，而且把最優(yōu)秀作家的優(yōu)秀思想深深地印在我的記憶之中。這樣做，費(fèi) 事不多，而收益極大。 I remember so long ago as when I was at Cambridge, whenever I read pieces of eloquence, whether ancient or modern, I used to write down the shining passages, and then translate them, as well and as elegantly as ever I could; if

16、 Latin or French, into English; if English, into French. This, which I practiced for some years, not only improved and formed my style, but imprinted in my mind and memory the best thoughts of the best authors. The trouble was little, but the advantage I have experienced was great.50 堅(jiān)持具有驚人的效果 .所以，你

17、應(yīng)及時(shí)警覺漫不經(jīng)心的毛病，永不拖延，今日能完成之 事永不耽擱到明 日：永不一心二用：有了目標(biāo)，無論是什么樣的目標(biāo)，都要堅(jiān)持不懈地、 不屈不撓地去追求到底， 讓任何困難 (只要是可以克服的 )激勵(lì)而不是削弱你的努力。 堅(jiān)持 具 有驚人的效果。 Use yourself, therefore, in time to be alert and diligent in your little concerns; never procrastinate, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today; and never do two things

18、at a time; pursue your object, be it what it will, steadily and indefatigably; and let any difficulties (if surmountable) rather animate than slacken your endeavors. Perseverance has surprising effects.人文英語-上帝創(chuàng)造了我，然后搗毀了模子人文英語-每天都會(huì)有一些親切的懷念人文英語-六套理論”人文英語-真正的輝煌，來自于對自己悄悄的征服人文英語-每一個(gè)成功的男人背后都有一個(gè)驚訝的女人人文英語-政

19、治比戰(zhàn)爭更危險(xiǎn)，因?yàn)樵趹?zhàn)爭中你只能被殺死一次人文英語-民主帶來的所有弊端都可以通過更大的民-主加以根除人文英語-每一種教義都承諾一個(gè)絕對不適合任何文明人居住的天堂”人文英語-天才的本質(zhì)就是：為白癡提供20年后的思想人文英語-你不能根據(jù)烏合之眾的數(shù)量來判斷其首領(lǐng)的質(zhì)量人文英語-所有的人都會(huì)死去，但并非每個(gè)人都真正活過人文英語-愛國主義是一顆孵化出了所有戰(zhàn)爭的蛋人文英語-每次革命都夸大了舊秩序的邪惡人文英語-訓(xùn)練有素的傻瓜人文英語-不能放棄的面包人文英語-躺在雨果的夜空下人文英語'讓那些狗/日的們?yōu)樗麄兊膰胰ニ?！”人文英語并不卑微的見解人文英語-一對于一雙襪子，我怎么也仇恨不起來人文英語-一所有的人都是平凡的人文英語-教育使人與人之間產(chǎn)生了天壤之別人文英語-一懷著愛心去發(fā)現(xiàn)別人的缺陷人文英語-適度的虛榮心是一種向上的動(dòng)力人文英語偉大的真理的對立面也是偉大的真理人文英語-一我相信：沾染在人類武器上的第一滴血就是動(dòng)物的血人文英語-一他正在地里挖土豆呢！人文英語-一"所有動(dòng)物中最壞的動(dòng)物”人文英語-一母親是最本能的