精美英文欣赏:以书为伴

Part 6 Companionship of Books

第六部分 以书为伴

A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.

了解一个人，通常可以看他读什么书，结交什么人.因为有人以人为伴，有人以书为伴。无论是书友还是朋友，生活中我们都应该和最佳最善者常相伴。

A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress². It always receives us with the same kindness, amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.

好书可以是你最好的朋友。它始终不渝，过去如此，现在如此，将来也永不改变。它是最有耐心、最令人愉悦的伴侣。在我们遭受不幸，忧伤悲痛的时候，它不会抛弃我们。它总是一如既往地亲切相待。我们年少时，好书给我们带来欢笑和知识；我们年老时，好书又给我们以亲抚和慰藉。

Men often discover their affinity³ to each other by the mutual⁴ love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration⁵ which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, "Love me, love my dog." But there is more wisdom in this: "Love me, love my book." The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.

喜欢同一本书的人，常常发现彼此间习性也相近，就像有一时两个人因为敬慕同一个人而成为朋友一样。古时有句谚语："爱屋及乌。" 其实，"爱我及书"这句活蕴涵更多的哲理。书是更为真诚而高尚的情谊纽带。人们可以通过共同喜爱的作家沟通思想，交流感情，产生共鸣。他们和作家情感相通，作家和他们思想相融。

"Books," said Hazlitt, "wind into the heart; the poet's verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it has happened to ourselves.They are to be very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books."

哈兹利特曾经说过："书潜移默化人们的内心，诗歌熏陶人们的气质品性。少小所习，老大不忘，恍如身历其事。书籍价廉物美，不啻我们呼吸的空气。"

A good book is often the best urn¹ of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man's life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries⁶ of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. "They are never alone," said Sir Philip Sidney, "that are accompanied by noble thoughts." The good and true thought may in times of temptation be as an angel of mercy purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.

好书常如最精美的宝器，珍藏着人生思想的精华，因为人生命的境界主要在于其思想的境界。因此，最好的书是金玉良言，是崇高思想的宝库，这些良言和思想若铭记于心并多加珍视，就会成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰藉。菲利普?锡德尼爵士说得好:"有高尚思想做伴的人永不孤独。"当我们面临诱惑的时候，优美纯真的思想会像仁慈的天使一样，纯洁并保卫我们的灵魂。优美纯真的思想也孕育着行动的胚芽，因为金玉良言几乎总会启发善行。

Books possess an essence of immortality⁷. They are by far the most lasting⁸ products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author's minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly⁹ as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to sift¹⁰ out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

书籍具有不朽的本质，是人类努力创造的最为持久的成果。寺庙会倒塌，神像会朽烂，而书却经久长存。对于伟大思想来说，时间是无关紧要的。多年前初次闪现于作者脑海的伟大思想今天依然清新如故。他们昨日的言论和思想刊载于纸张之上，如今依然生动如初，向我们娓娓道来。时间唯一的作用是淘汰不好的作品，因为只有真正的佳作才能经世长存。

Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

书籍介绍我们与最优秀的人为伍，使我们置身于历代伟人巨匠之间，如闻其声，如观其行，如见其人，同他们情感交融，悲喜与共.感同身受。一定程度上，我们觉得自己仿佛在作者所描绘的舞台上和他们一起粉墨登场。

The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed¹¹ in books, their spirits walk abroad.The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The imperial intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.

即使在人世间，伟大杰出的人物也永生不朽。他们的精神被载人书册，传于四海。书是有生命力的声音，是人类至今仍在聆听的智慧之声。所以，我们永远都受历代伟人的影响。多少世纪以前的盖世英才，如今仍同当年一样，显示着强大的生命力。

1 urn   

n.（有座脚的）瓮；坟墓；骨灰瓮

参考例句：

• The urn was unearthed entire.这只瓮出土完整无缺。
• She put the big hot coffee urn on the table and plugged it in.她将大咖啡壶放在桌子上,接上电源。

2 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

3 affinity   

n.亲和力，密切关系

参考例句：

• I felt a great affinity with the people of the Highlands.我被苏格兰高地人民深深地吸引。
• It's important that you share an affinity with your husband.和丈夫有共同的爱好是十分重要的。

4 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

5 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

6 treasuries   

n.（政府的）财政部( treasury的名词复数 )；国库，金库

参考例句：

• Yields on Treasuries, Bunds and gilts can remain at historically low levels. 美国国债、德国国债和英国国债的收益率仍然可以维持在历史低位。 来自互联网
• Treasuries and gold rose in response but the dollar fell sharply. 接着，国债和黄金的价格上涨，而美元价格则猛跌。 来自互联网

7 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 vividly   

adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地

参考例句：

• The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
• The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。

10 sift   

v.筛撒，纷落，详察

参考例句：

• Sift out the wheat from the chaff.把小麦的壳筛出来。
• Sift sugar on top of the cake.在蛋糕上面撒上糖。

11 embalmed   

adj.用防腐药物保存（尸体）的v.保存（尸体）不腐( embalm的过去式和过去分词 )；使不被遗忘；使充满香气

参考例句：

• Many fine sentiments are embalmed in poetry. 许多微妙的情感保存于诗歌中。 来自辞典例句
• In books, are embalmed the greatest thoughts of all ages. 伟大思想古今有，载入书中成不朽。 来自互联网