評論
打印
1.Booksaretomankindwhatmemory istotheindividual. Theycontainthehistory of our race, the discoverieswehave made, theaccumulatedknowledge and experienceof ages; theypicturefor usthe marvels and beauties of nature,help usin our difficulties, comfort usin sorrow and in suffering,changehoursofweariness into moments ofdelight, store our mindswithideas, fill themwithgood and happy thoughts, andlift usout ofand above ourselves.
1、書籍之于全人類，猶如記憶力之于個人。書籍記錄了我們人類的歷史，記錄了我們的新發現，也記錄了我們世世代代積累的（accumulated）知識和經驗；書籍為我們描繪了自然界的奇觀和美景；書籍幫助我們擺脫困境，在我們悲哀困苦的時候，給我們以安慰，在我們煩悶的時刻帶來歡樂，給我們的頭腦裝進各種觀念，使我們的腦海充滿了美妙高尚的思想，從而使我們超越自我，高于自我。
2. There is an oriental story of twomen: one was a king,whoevery night dreamt he wasa beggar;the otherwas abeggar,whoevery night dreamt he was a princeandlived in a palace.I am not sure thatthe kinghadvery muchthe best of it.Imagination is sometimesmorevivid than reality. But, howeverthis may be,whenwe readwe maynot only(if wewish it) be kings and live in palaces,but,whatis far better,we maytransportourselvestothe mountains or the seashore, and visit the most beautifulparts of the earth,without fatigue, inconvenience, or expense.
2、有一個東方的故事，談到了兩個人：其中一個是國王，他每晚夢見(dream-dreamt-dreamt)自己成為一個乞丐；另一個是乞丐，他每晚夢見自己成了一個王子，住進了王宮。我不知道國王是否真正成了乞丐(have the best of it獲得成功)。想象有時比現實更加生動。然而，不管怎么樣（however this may be），我們讀書時，不僅可以成為國王，住在王宮里，假如我們想成為國王的話，而且更妙的是(what is far better)，我們可以神馳群山，或暢游海濱，我們也可遍訪世界上最美麗的地方，而無須經受任何勞頓，也沒有什么不方便，更無須花費分文。
3. Many of thosewho have had,aswe say,allthatthis world can give,haveyettoldus they owed much of their purest happiness to books. Ascham, in "TheSchoolmaster", tellsatouching story of hislastvisit to Lady Jane Grey. Hefoundhersittinginan oriel windowreadingPlato'sbeautifulaccount of the deathof Socrates. Her father and motherwerehunting in the park, thehoundswere in full cry and theirvoices came in through the open window. He expressed his surprisethatshehadnot joined them. But, said she, "I wist that all theirpleasure in the park is buta shadowtothepleasure I find in Plato."
3、我們說（as we say），許多人擁有這個世界能給予的(all that this world can give)一切，然而（yet）他們卻告訴我們，他們真正的幸福在很大程度上(much of their purest happiness)還是得之于書籍（owe…to books）。阿斯克姆在《教師》(the schoolmaster)一書中生動地(touching)敘述了他最后一次去拜訪簡·格雷小姐的經過。他看到她坐在一個飄窗下，閱讀柏拉圖關于蘇格拉底之死的有趣描述(beautiful account (描述) of the death of Socrates)。她的父母正在獵苑打獵，獵狗正引吭狂吠，狺狺之聲通過開著的窗子傳進了屋內。他感到奇怪，問她為什么沒有跟父母一起去打獵。她卻回答說：“我覺得(wist; (古)知道; 感覺)他們在獵苑狩獵所得到的樂趣與我讀柏拉圖所得到的樂趣相比乃是微不足道的（a shadow;shadown.少許；微量）。”
4. Macaulay hadwealth and fame, rank and power(一堆名詞),and yethe tells usin hisbiography that heowedthe happiest hours ofhis lifetobooks.In acharming letter to alittle girl, he says, "Thank you foryourvery pretty letter, I am always glad to make my little girl happy, andnothingpleasesmeso muchastosee that she likes books,forwhen she isas old asI am, shewill findthatthey（books） are better than allthe tarts and cakes(餡餅和蛋糕), toys and plays(玩具和游戲), and sights in the world (世界上所有的名勝).Ifany onewould make methe greatest kingthatever lived,withpalaces and gardens and fine dinners, and wines andcoaches, and beautiful clothes, and hundreds of servants, on condition that I should notread books, I would not be a king (好像是虛擬語氣);Iwould ratherbe a poor manin agarretwith plenty of books thana kingwhodid not lovereading."
4、麥考利既有財富又有聲望，既有地位又有權勢，然而(and yet)他在傳記(biography)中告訴我們，他生活中最幸福的時刻(the happiest hours of his life)還是讀書（owe to books）。他在給一個小女孩的一封信中風趣地（charming）寫道：“謝謝你給我寫了一封有趣的信。能叫我的小女孩愉快，我總是感到非常欣慰，沒有什么能比看到她喜歡書籍更叫我高興的了。因為(for)當她到了像我現在這樣年齡的時候，她會發現，書籍比所有餡餅和糕點、玩具和游戲以及世界上所有的名勝（sights in the world）更吸引人。真要是有人擁戴我為世上最顯赫的國王(the greatest king that ever lived)，擁有宮殿花園、珍肴美味、佳釀華輦、龍袍華袞，以及成群成群的奴仆，但若(oncondition that)不讓我讀書，我則決不愿為國王，我寧愿做一個窮人，與眾多書籍為伴，蝸居閣樓斗室，也不愿成為一個不愛讀書的國王。”(wouldrather … than寧愿...而不愿；與其…不如)
5. Books, indeed, endow us with a wholeenchanted palace of thoughts,there isawider prospect, says Jean Paul Richter,fromParnassusthanfroma throne.In one waythey giveusan even more vivid ideathanthe actual reality,justas reflections are oftenmore beautifulthanreal nature. "All mirrors," says George Macdonald, "Thecommonestroomis a roomin a poemwhenIlook in the glass."
5、事實上(indeed)，書籍賦予(endow with)我們一個思想魔宮(enchanted palace)。吉恩·保爾·里希特爾曾說，從帕納薩斯(希臘中部的山)看景色，比坐在寶座上看，有更開闊的視野(there is a wider prospect)。從某種意義上說(in one way)，書籍給我們的形象比現實的東西更生動，正如影像（reflections）往往比真實的風景更美麗。“書是反映現實的鏡子(mirror vt. 反映, 反射, 映照)，”喬治·麥克唐納這么說過，“從鏡子中看時(when I look in the glass)，最普通的(the commonest)房間也是詩一樣美的房間了。”
6. Precious and priceless arethe blessingswhichthe booksscatter around our daily paths. We walk,inimagination, with the noblest spirits, through the most sublime and enchanting regions.
6、在我們日常生活的旅途中，書籍所賜予的恩惠（the blessings which the books scatter）是最寶貴的和無價的（preciousand priceless）。在無限的遐思中，懷著（with）最崇高的精神，我們漫步(walk through)在最高尚、最炫麗的境界。
7.Withoutstirring from our firesides we may roam tothemostremote regions of the earth, or soar into realms (1) where Spenser'sshapes of unearthly beauty flock to meet us, (2)whereMilton's angels peal in ourears the choral hymns of Paradise.Science, art, literature, philosophy, -allthatman has thought, allthatman has done,-the experiencethathas been bought with thesufferings of a hundred generations,-all are garnered up for usin the world of books.
7、無須離開(stir from 離開)家門(our firesides)，我們便可遨游(roam)世界上最遙遠的地方，可以飛到(soar)斯賓塞筆下的夢境般的王國(realms)，那里會有成群的仙女結隊歡迎我們；也可飛到彌爾頓描繪的天國，那里天使們合唱的天國贊美詩(the choral hymns of Paradise)如雷貫耳(peal in our ears)。科學、藝術、文學及哲學(philosophy)，所有這一切人類思想和行為的結晶，還有我們祖祖輩輩經受了無數磨難而獲得(bring with v. 帶來；拿來；取來)的經驗，都為我們貯藏（garner up = garner in）在書籍的世界里了。
