《四季随笔》节选 - 冬 01

《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 - 冬 01的内容，让我们一起来感受吉辛的四季吧!

Blasts from the Channel, with raining scud, and spume of mist breaking upon the hills, have kept me indoors all day. Yet not for a moment have I been dull or idle, and now, by the latter end of a seacoal fire, I feel such enjoyment of my ease and tranquility that I must needs word it before going up to bed.

从海峡吹来寒风，夹杂着冰冷的雨点，群山上大雾弥漫，这种天气让我整整一天都呆在家里。但是我没有感到片刻的空虚和无聊，现在，炉膛里的煤将要燃尽，我感觉舒适平静，心情愉快，在睡觉之前，必须要将此时的感受记下来。

Of course one ought to be able to breast weather such as this of today, and to find one's pleasure in the strife with it. For the man sound in body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every sky has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously. I remember the time when I would have set out with gusto for a tramp along the wind-swept and rain-beaten roads; nowadays, I should perhaps pay for the experiment with my life. All the more do I prize the shelter of these good walls, the honest workmanship which makes my doors and windows proof against the assailing blast. In all England, the land of comfort, there is no room more comfortable than this in which I sit. Comfortable in the good old sense of the word, giving solace to the mind no less than ease to the body. And never does it look more homely, more a refuge and a sanctuary, than on winter nights.

当然，人应该能够勇敢面对今天这样的天气，并在与它的斗争中找到快乐。对于身体健康思想平静的人，坏天气是不存在的；每种天气自有它的美丽之处，鞭笞血脉的暴风雨只是让它搏动得更加有力而已。还记得当初，我会满怀兴致地顶风冒雨出门走走；而如今，这样做可能会要了我的老命。我因此也更加珍惜这个坚实墙壁围成的庇护所，我的门窗制作得非常牢固，能够抵御狂风暴雨的袭击。在英格兰这块舒适的土地上，没有哪间屋子比现在我住的这间更加舒服了。我所谓的舒服是就标准的古老含义而言，既给心灵以慰藉，又让身体感觉安逸。而在冬夜，是它看起来最像安乐之家，也最像一个庇护所或避难所。

In my first winter here, I tried fires of wood, having had my hearth arranged for the purpose; but that was a mistake. One cannot burn logs successfully in a small room; either the fire, being kept moderate, needs constant attention, or its triumphant blaze makes the room too hot. A fire is a delightful thing, a companion and an inspiration. If my room were kept warm by some wretched modern contrivance of water-pipes or heated air, would it be the same to me as that beautiful core of glowing fuel, which, if I sit and gaze into it, becomes a world of wonders? Let science warm the heaven-forsaken inhabitants of flats and hotels as effectually and economically as it may; if the choice were forced upon me, I had rather sit, like an Italian, wrapped in my mantle, softly stirring with a key the silver-grey surface of the brasier's charcoal. They tell me we are burning all our coal, and with wicked wastefulness. I am sorry for it, but I cannot on that account make cheerless perhaps the last winter of my life. There may be waste on domestic hearths, but the wickedness is elsewhere—too blatant to call for indication. Use common sense, by all means, in the construction of grates; that more than half the heat of the kindly coal should be blown up the chimney is desired by no one; but hold by the open fire as you hold by whatever else is best in England. Because, in the course of nature, it will be some day a thing of the past (like most other things that are worth living for), is that a reason why it should not be enjoyed as long as possible? Human beings may ere long take their nourishment in the form of pills; the prevision of that happy economy causes me no reproach when I sit down to a joint of meat.

在这里的第一个冬天，我尝试燃烧木头取暖，还为此修整了壁炉，但这是一个错误。在一个小房间里，木头是无法成功燃烧的；要么火势太小，需要一直照看，要么火势太旺，使房间温度过高。火是让人愉快的事物，是伴侣和灵感。如果我的房间依靠暖气管或空调这种讨厌的现代设施保持温暖，那和跳动着熊熊燃烧的美丽火苗会是一样的吗？如果我坐下来凝视着那火苗，它会变成一个奇异的世界。住在公寓和旅馆里的上帝的弃儿们，就让科学来有效而经济地温暖他们吧。如果必须作出选择，我宁愿像意大利人那样坐下来，裹着外套，用棍子轻轻拨动火盆里银灰色的木炭。人们说，我们将所有的煤拿来燃烧，是一种罪恶的浪费。我对此感到遗憾，但是我不能因此就让我生命中可能是最后的一个冬天过得不开心。家庭壁炉也许会造成浪费，但更大更无耻的罪恶还在别处，到处可见。在壁炉的建造上，一定要运用节能常识；没人愿意看到煤燃烧产生的一大半热量由烟囱向外散发；但是请坚守在炉火旁吧，就像坚守英国最好的那些事物一样。因为，按照自然的发展规律，它终有一天会成为过去的事物（像生活中值得珍惜的大多数事物一样），这难道能成为妨碍我们尽量长时间享受它的一个理由吗？人类也许不久以后会吞食药丸来摄取营养，即使能预见这种幸福的经济，在我坐下来大块吃肉时，也不会让我感到任何自责。

See how friendly together are the fire and the shaded lamp; both have their part alike in the illumining and warming of the room. As the fire purrs and softly crackles, so does my lamp at intervals utter a little gurgling sound when the oil flows to the wick, and custom has made this a pleasure to me. Another sound, blending with both, is the gentle ticking of the clock. I could not endure one of those bustling little clocks which tick like a fever pulse, and are only fit for a stockbroker's office; mine hums very slowly, as though it savoured the minutes no less than I do; and when it strikes, the little voice is silver-sweet, telling me without sadness that another hour of life is reckoned, another of the priceless hours—

看炉火和油灯在一起多么相益得彰，它们都有相似的照明和温暖房间的作用。呜呜的炉火发出温柔的噼啪声，油流向灯芯时，油灯不时也会发出轻微的滋滋声，我习惯了这些声音，并视之为一件乐事。另外一个和它们汇合在一起的声音，是钟表轻轻地滴答声。我无法忍受那些走得急匆匆像发烧的脉博的小钟表，它们只适合挂在股票经纪人的办公室里；我的钟表响起来不慌不忙，似乎和我一样在用心品味着分分秒秒；报点时，它会发出银铃般清脆的声音，不带一丝悲伤地告知我，生命中又一个小时的到来，又一个无价的小时——

Quae nobis pereunt et imputantur.1

“它永远不属于我们了，却还视为我们所有。”

After extinguishing the lamp, and when I have reached the door, I always turn to look back; my room is so cosily alluring in the light of the last gleeds, that I do not easily move away. The warm glow is reflected on shining wood, on my chair, my writing-table, on the bookcases, and from the gilt title of some stately volume; it illumes this picture, it half disperses the gloom on that. I could imagine that, as in a fairy tale, the books do but await my departure to begin talking among themselves. A little tongue of flame shoots up from a dying ember; shadows shift upon the ceiling and the walls. With a sigh of utter contentment, I go forth, and shut the door softly.

熄灯后走向门口时，我总是会回头看看；在壁炉最后的微光中，我的房间是那样舒适诱人，让我舍不得离开。一种温暖的光芒从大部头烫金的书籍折射回来，映在闪亮的木头、座椅、书桌和书架上；它照亮了这幅画，驱散了笼罩其上的阴暗。我可以想象，就像在童话中一样，这些书等我一离开就会开始交谈了。从余烬中忽然跳出一簇小火苗，天花板和墙上的阴影跟着跳动了一下。我十分满足地叹了一口气，往前走去，并轻轻地带上了房间的门。