读点好英文:The Sorrows of Young Werther 少年维特的烦恼

The Sorrows of Young Werther 少年维特的烦恼

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Why do I not write to you? And you, a learned man, ask me this? You should be clever enough to guess that I am in a happy mood because in a word I have made an acquaintance who moves my heart in a strange way. I have... I do not know.

It is not easy for me to tell you, in chronological order just how it happened, how I met such a lovely being. I am contented and happy, and therefore not a good historian.

An angel! Nonsense! Everyone calls his loved one thus, does he not? And yet I cannot describe to you how perfect she is, or why she is so perfect; enough to say that she has captured me completely.

So much innocence combined with so much intelligence; such kindness with such firmness; such inner serenity in such an active life.

But all this is foolish talk pure abstract words which fail to describe one single feature of her real person. Another time no, not another time, right at this moment will tell you everything. If I do not do it now, it will never be done.

Because between you and me since I began this letter I have been three times on the point of laying down my pen, having my horse saddled and riding out to her. Although I swore to myself this morning not to do it, I am going every other moment to the window to see how high the sun has climbed. I could not bear it any longer; I had to see her. Here I am back, Wilhelm; I will now eat my supper and then go on writing to you. What a delight it was to see her among the dear lively children, her eight brothers and sisters!

少年维特的烦恼

［德］约翰·沃尔夫冈·冯·歌德

为什么我没有给你写信？你，凭你的学识，居然会问我这个问题？你准能猜到，我一切都很好，因为，简单说吧，我认识了一个人，她紧紧地牵动着我的心。我已经……我也不知道自己怎么啦。

我很难把这事的经过有条不紊地告诉你，我认识了一位最最可爱的人。我现在感觉既快乐又幸福，所以不能把事情很客观地写出来。

一位天使！不用说！谁谈起自己的意中人时都会这么说，不是吗？可是我却无法向你描述她是多么完美，以及她为什么会那么完美；一句话，她已经把我整个心都俘获了。

她那么淳朴，又那么聪明；那么善良，又那么坚定；那么辛苦，内心又那么充满宁静。

但所有这些全都是令人讨厌的空泛之词，丝毫反映不出她真实的样子。下次，不，不是下次，我现在就要立即告诉你。要是现在不说，那就永远不会说了。

因为，说心里话，从开始写这封信到现在，我已经有三次想搁下笔，打算让人给马备好鞍，骑马出去找她了。今天早晨我还发誓不这样做，可我还是时不时地跑到窗前，看看太阳已经爬到多高了。我无法控制自己，我还是去了她那儿。现在我回来了，威廉，我要吃着夜宵继续给你写信。看到她同一群活泼可爱的孩子，她的八个弟妹，在一起，我是多么欣喜啊！

实战提升

Practising & Exercise

导读

约翰·沃尔夫冈·冯·歌德（Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe），18世纪中叶到19世纪初德国和欧洲最重要的剧作家、诗人、思想家，他所处的那个时代正是欧洲社会大动荡大变革的年代。由于当时封建制度的日趋崩溃，革命力量的不断高涨，促使歌德不断接受先进思潮的影响，从而加深了自己对于社会的认识，创作出了当代最优秀的文艺作品。歌德除了诗歌、戏剧、小说之外，在文艺理论、哲学、历史学、造型设计等方面都取得了卓越的成就。

《少年维特的烦恼》是一部书信体小说。主人公维特向往自由、平等的生活，希望从事有益的实际工作。但是，他所处的那个社会却充满着等级的偏见和鄙陋的习气。保守腐败的官场、庸俗屈从的市民，势利傲慢的贵族使他和周围的现实格格不入。而他自己又陷入毫无希望的爱情之中，最后走上了自杀的不归路。通过维特的悲剧，小说揭露和批判了当时德国社会许多不合理的现实，表达了觉醒的德国青年一代的革命情绪。

核心单词

acquaintance [əˈkweintəns] n. 相识的人，熟人

capture [ˈkæptʃə] v. 捕获；俘虏

serenity [siˈreniti] n. 平静，沉着

abstract [ˈæbstrækt] adj. 难懂的，深奥的

swear [swɛə] v. 发誓；宣誓

翻译

Why do I not write to you? And you, a learned man, ask me this?

But all this is foolish talk pure abstract words which fail to describe one single feature of her real person.