評論
打印
St. John said these words as he pronounced his sermons, with a quiet, deep voice;
圣·約翰像布道一樣說著這些話，語調平靜而深沉，
with an unflushed cheek, and a coruscating radiance of glance.
臉不發紅，目光炯炯。
He resumed: --
他繼續說：
"And since I am myself poor and obscure, I can offer you but a service of poverty and obscurity.
“既然我自己也貧窮卑微，我只能向你提供貧窮卑微的工作，
You may even think it degrading -- for I see now your habits have been what the world calls refined:
你甚至可能認為這很低俗——因為我現在知道你的舉止屬于世人所說的高雅；
your tastes lean to the ideal, and your society has at least been amongst the educated;
你的情趣傾向于理想化；你所交往的至少是受過教育的人，
but I consider that no service degrades which can better our race.
但我認為凡是有益于人類進步的工作都不能說低俗。
I hold that the more arid and unreclaimed the soil where the Christian labourer's task of tillage is appointed him --
越是貧瘠和沒有開墾的土地，基督教徒越是要承擔去那兒開墾的使命一一
the scantier the meed his toil brings -- the higher the honour.
他的勞動所掙得的報酬越少，他的榮譽就越高。
His, under such circumstances, is the destiny of the pioneer;
在這種情況下，他的命運就是先驅者的命運，
and the first pioneers of the Gospel were the Apostles --
傳播福音的第一批先驅者就是使徒們——
their captain was Jesus, the Redeemer, Himself."
他們的首領就是耶穌，他本人就是救世主。”
"Well?" I said, as he again paused -- "proceed."
“嗯？”他再次停下時我說一—“說下去。”
He looked at me before he proceeded:
他還沒有說下去便又瞧了瞧我，
indeed, he seemed leisurely to read my face, as if its features and lines were characters on a page.
似乎悠閑地讀著我的面孔，仿佛它的五官和線條是一頁書上的人物。
The conclusions drawn from this scrutiny he partially expressed in his succeeding observations.
他仔細打量后所得出的結論，部份地表露在后來的談話中。
"I believe you will accept the post I offer you," said he,
“我相信你會接受我提供的職位，”他說，
"and hold it for a while: not permanently,
“而且會干一會兒，盡管不會永久干下去，
though: any more than I could permanently keep the narrow and narrowing --
就像我不會永久擔任英國鄉村牧師這狹隘，
the tranquil, hidden office of English country incumbent;
使人越來越狹隘——平靜而神秘的職位。
for in your nature is an alloy as detrimental to repose as that in mine, though of a different kind."
因為你的性格也像我的一樣，有一種不安分的東西，盡管本質上有所區別。”
"Do explain," I urged, when he halted once more.
“請務必解釋一下，”他再次停下來時我催促道。
"I will; and you shall hear how poor the proposal is, -- how trivial -- how cramping.
“一定。你會聽到這工作多么可憐——多么瑣碎——多么束縛人。
