《四季随笔》节选 - 春 07

《四季随笔》是吉辛的散文代表作。其中对隐士赖克罗夫特醉心于书籍、自然景色与回忆过去生活的描述，其实是吉辛的自述，作者以此来抒发自己的情感，因而本书是一部富有自传色彩的小品文集。

吉辛穷困的一生，对文学名著的爱好与追求，以及对大自然恬静生活的向往，在书中均有充分的反映。本书分为春、夏、秋、冬四个部分，文笔优美，行文流畅，是英国文学中小品文的珍品之一。

以下是由网友分享的《四季随笔》节选 - 春 07的内容，让我们一起来感受吉辛的四季吧!

Homo animal querulum cupide suis incumbens miseriis. I wonder where that comes from. I found it once in Charron2, quoted without reference, and it has often been in my mind—a dreary truth, well worded. At least, it was a truth for me during many a long year. Life, I fancy, would very often be insupportable, but for the luxury of self compassion; in cases numberless, this it must be that saves from suicide. For some there is great relief in talking about their miseries, but such gossips lack the profound solace of misery nursed in silent brooding. Happily, the trick with me has never been retrospective; indeed, it was never, even with regard to instant suffering, a habit so deeply rooted as to become a mastering vice. I knew my own weakness when I yielded to it; I despised myself when it brought me comfort; I could laugh scornfully, even "cupide meis incumbens miseriis." And now, thanks be to the unknown power which rules us, my past has buried its dead. More than that; I can accept with sober cheerfulness the necessity of all I lived through. So it was to be; so it was. For this did Nature shape me; with what purpose, I shall never know; but, in the sequence of things eternal, this was my place.

“人是爱抱怨的动物，总爱想着自己的烦恼，”不知道这句话出自何处。我曾在沙朗的著作中看见过，但出处没有标明，从此它便萦绕在我的脑海—道出一个令人不快的事实，措词精当。至少，很多年里，它对我都是一个事实。如果没有对自我的同情，我想生活常常会难以承受，它也一定让许多人打消了自杀的念头。对一些人来说，谈论自己的痛苦是很大的解脱，但这种闲聊缺少在冥思中才能获得的深沉慰藉。可喜的是，回顾既往从来不是我的癖好。事实上，即便对于眼下的痛苦，回顾也绝不是我根深蒂固的习惯，以至于变成主宰我的一大恶习。当我沉湎于这种回顾时，我知道自身有弱点；而当这种回顾给我带来安慰时，我会鄙视自己，甚至连“于逆流之来，处之泰然”，我都可以轻蔑地嘲笑。感谢掌控我们的未知力量，我已经埋葬自己的过去。更重要的是，我现在可以清醒愉快地接受过去一切经历的必要性了。注定要发生的已经发生。“自然”为这些而塑造了我，至于有何目的，我永远不会知道。但是在永恒事物的秩序中，这是我的位置。

Could I have achieved so much philosophy if, as I ever feared, the closing years of my life had passed in helpless indigence? Should I not have sunk into lowest depths of querulous self-pity, groveling there with eyes obstinately averted from the light above?

如果像我一直恐惧的那样，晚年在无助的贫穷中度过，我还能悟出这许多人生哲学来吗？我难道不会陷入牢骚满腹的自哀自怜中不能自拔，匍匐爬行，眼睛固执地躲避着阳光吗？