[人文英语]适度的虚荣心是一种向上

1、适度的虚荣心是一种向上的动力查斯特菲尔德勋爵 Lord Chesterfield (1694- 177英国著名政治家、外交家及文学家，曾就读于剑桥大学，并游学欧洲大陆。 1726 年继承爵位， 1728年出使荷兰，曾任爱尔兰总督 及 英国国务大臣等职位。他与同时代的文学家波普、艾略特、伏尔泰、斯威夫特等过从甚密。有教子信札(letters to son)传世,此书被誉为”培养绅士的教科书"，”英国的傅雷家书”。 下面是三年前陈漠从教子信札中摘译的 50 句,曾经作为课堂练习发给了翻译课 上的学 生.查斯特菲尔德勋爵对其儿子的那种朋友般耐心引导的话语,虽然时过境迁 ,但今天读来也每每让

2、陈漠感动 ,为那片即使显得有些圆滑和市侩的父爱 .41勤问.向人提问，多多提问，直到彻底了解，不留空白。如此勤问决不会被看作是无教 养或找麻烦：相 反，提问恰恰是对对方有渊博知识的一种巧妙的赞扬，人们见到这个年轻 人如此勤问，也会对他产生一个好印象。 Ask questions, and many questions; and leave nothing till you are thoroughly informed of it. Such pertinent questions are far from being ill-bred or troublesome to those of w

3、hom you ask them; on the contrary, they are a tacit compliment to their knowledge; and people have a better opinion of a young man, when they see him desirous to be informed.42一意孤行 .熟谙世事的人知道选择适当的时间和适当的地点，他会分析他诉求的人的性 格，调整自己的举 止谈吐以便适应对方。但是那些所谓只有普通常识的人，做事情往往 一厢情愿，一意孤行，不考虑别人的想法，往往找错时间、找错地点，莽莽撞撞，不看路标， 结果

4、摔倒在地，满嘴啃泥。 A man who hath studied the world knows when to time, and where to place them; he hath analyzed the characters he applies to, and adapted his address and his arguments to them; but a man of what is called plain good sense, who hath only reasoned by himself, and not acted with mankind, mist

5、imes, misplaces,runs precipitateIy and bluntly at the mark; and falls upon his nose in the way.43言简意赅 .伏尔泰告诉我的，恰好正是我们需要知道的。他的表达简明扼要，并给读者 留有思考的余地。 他的观点不受宗教、哲学、政治与民族偏见的影响。他远比我所知的历 史学家更真实、更公正。该说的，他情愿少说，很显然，他通常尽可能做到言简意赅。 He tells me all I want to know, and nothing more. His reflections are short, just,a

6、nd produce others in his readers. Free from religious, philosophical, political and national prejudices, beyond any historian I ever met with, he relates all those matters as truly and as impartially, as certain regards, which must always be to some degree observed, will allow him; for one sees plai

7、nly that he often says much less than he would say, if he might.44父母.有些父母在子女还小的时候百般宠爱，等子女长大成人后，又争吵不休，因为子 女己被他们自己宠 坏。 Some parents spoil them by fondling their children while they are young, and then quarrel with them when they are grown up, for having been spoiled.45年轻人 .你应显出极好教养， 礼貌有加， 但不应谨小慎微， 繁文缛

8、节。 你应该恭敬 待人， 咸表赞同，但不应卑躬屈节，讨好迎合。你必须坦诚而不轻率，掌握分寸而不吝啬小气。你 必须保持高贵尊严，而又绝无出身优越的虚骄之气：你必须在体面 和可敬人士的圈子内显 得高高兴兴，又不要故作聪明，多愁善感：二十岁的年轻人不是这个祥子.你必须保守最重要的秘密，又不能搞得神秘兮兮。你必须坚定甚至 大胆，但又须让人觉得你看起来十分谦 虚。 You must be extremely well-bred and polite, but without the troublesome forms and stiffness of ceremony.You must be respe

9、ctful and assenting, but without being servile and abject. You must be frank; but without indiscretion; and close, without being costive. You must keep up dignity of character, without the least pride of birth or rank; You must be gay within all the bounds of decency and respect; and grave without t

10、he affectation of wisdom, which does not become the age of twenty. You must be essentially secret, without being dark and mysterious. You must be firm, and even bold, but with great seeming modesty.46 老生常谈 .老生常谈是无意义的，讲话不仅要讲得正确，而且要讲得流利：不仅要讲得流禾 而且要讲得 优雅。Speak ing mere com mon sense will by no means do

11、; and you must speak not only correctly but elegantly;and not only elegantly but eloquently.47人心 .有一条十分古老却很真实的格言说：凡是统治得最轻松、宝座坐得最稳固的国王， 都是最能赢得人 心的。他们的名望比他们的军队还管用，他们在臣民心中的感情影响比恐 惧更能使臣民惟命是从。 It is a very old and very true maxim, that those kings reign the most secure and the most absolute, who reign in

12、 the hearts of their people. Their popularity is a better guard than their army, and the affections of their subjects a better pledge of their obedience than their fears.48 虚荣心 .虚荣心，或说得文雅些，称它为“接受钦羡与嘉许的愿望 ”，也许是一种人类最普遍的心理。我 不是说它是最好的原则，我承认，在某些情况下，虚荣心是犯傻甚至犯罪 的根源。但是，它又常常是做正确事情的原则，尽管应当有比它更高尚的动机，但考虑到人 的天然本

13、性， 从事情的效果来看， 虚荣心还是值得鼓励与珍视。 Vanity, or to call it by a gentler name, the desire of admiration and applause, is, perhaps, the most universal principle of human actions; I do not say that it is the best; and I will own that it is sometimes the cause of both foolish and criminal effects. But it is so mu

14、ch oftener the principle of right things, that though they ought to have a better, yet, considering human nature, that principle is to be encouraged and cherished, in consideration of its effects.49 优秀思想 .我记得早在剑桥读书的时候，一读到流利的文章，无论是古代的或现代的， 我都要把精彩的段 落抄录下来，并作翻译，尽我所能译得顺畅，译得优美。如果原文是拉 丁文或法文，便译成英文：如系英文，便译成

15、法文。就这样，锻炼了若干年，不仅改进并形 成 了我自己的风格，而且把最优秀作家的优秀思想深深地印在我的记忆之中。这样做，费 事不多，而收益极大。 I remember so long ago as when I was at Cambridge, whenever I read pieces of eloquence, whether ancient or modern, I used to write down the shining passages, and then translate them, as well and as elegantly as ever I could; if

16、 Latin or French, into English; if English, into French. This, which I practiced for some years, not only improved and formed my style, but imprinted in my mind and memory the best thoughts of the best authors. The trouble was little, but the advantage I have experienced was great.50 坚持具有惊人的效果 .所以，你

17、应及时警觉漫不经心的毛病，永不拖延，今日能完成之 事永不耽搁到明 日：永不一心二用：有了目标，无论是什么样的目标，都要坚持不懈地、 不屈不挠地去追求到底， 让任何困难 (只要是可以克服的 )激励而不是削弱你的努力。 坚持 具 有惊人的效果。 Use yourself, therefore, in time to be alert and diligent in your little concerns; never procrastinate, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today; and never do two things

18、at a time; pursue your object, be it what it will, steadily and indefatigably; and let any difficulties (if surmountable) rather animate than slacken your endeavors. Perseverance has surprising effects.人文英语-上帝创造了我，然后捣毁了模子人文英语-每天都会有一些亲切的怀念人文英语-六套理论”人文英语-真正的辉煌，来自于对自己悄悄的征服人文英语-每一个成功的男人背后都有一个惊讶的女人人文英语-政

19、治比战争更危险，因为在战争中你只能被杀死一次人文英语-民主带来的所有弊端都可以通过更大的民-主加以根除人文英语-每一种教义都承诺一个绝对不适合任何文明人居住的天堂”人文英语-天才的本质就是：为白痴提供20年后的思想人文英语-你不能根据乌合之众的数量来判断其首领的质量人文英语-所有的人都会死去，但并非每个人都真正活过人文英语-爱国主义是一颗孵化出了所有战争的蛋人文英语-每次革命都夸大了旧秩序的邪恶人文英语-训练有素的傻瓜人文英语-不能放弃的面包人文英语-躺在雨果的夜空下人文英语'让那些狗/日的们为他们的国家去死！”人文英语并不卑微的见解人文英语-一对于一双袜子，我怎么也仇恨不起来人文英语-一所有的人都是平凡的人文英语-教育使人与人之间产生了天壤之别人文英语-一怀着爱心去发现别人的缺陷人文英语-适度的虚荣心是一种向上的动力人文英语伟大的真理的对立面也是伟大的真理人文英语-一我相信：沾染在人类武器上的第一滴血就是动物的血人文英语-一他正在地里挖土豆呢！人文英语-一"所有动物中最坏的动物”人文英语-一母亲是最本能的