名人认知系列 文人骚客11：English Poet: John Milton 英国诗人：约翰·弥尔顿

English Poet: John Milton

英国诗人：约翰·弥尔顿

John Milton was born in London on December 9， 1608，into a middle-class family. He was educated at St. Paul’s School, then at Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he began to write poetry in Latin, Italian, and English, and prepared to enter the clergy¹.

1608年12月9日，弥尔顿出生于伦敦的一个中产阶级家庭。他先后就读于圣保罗中学和剑桥大学基督学 院，在大学里，他开始用拉丁文、意大利文和英文创作诗歌，并为成为牧师做准备。

After university, however, he abandoned his plan to join the priesthood and spent the next years in his father’s country home following a rigorous course of independent study to prepare for a career as a poet. His extensive reading included both classical and modern works of religion, science, philosophy, history, politics, and literature. In addition, Milton was proficient² in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Spanish, and Italian, and obtained a familiarity with Old English and Dutch as well. During his period of private study, Milton composed a number of poems.

然而，大学毕业后，他却放弃了成为牧师的计划，接下来的几年里，他在父亲位于乡下的家中闭门苦读，为 成为一名诗人做准备。在此期间，他博览群书，包括宗 教、科学、哲学、历史、政治和古典及现代文学作品。此 外，弥尔顿还精通拉丁文、希腊语、希伯来语、法语、西 班牙语、意大利语，熟知古英语和荷兰语。在他自学期 间，弥尔顿创作了许多诗歌。

In May 1638, Milton began a 13-month tour of France and Italy, during which he met important intellectuals and influential³ people. The Florentine academies especially appealed to Milton, and he befriended young members of the Italian Literati, whose similar humanistic interests he found gratifying.

1638年5月，弥尔顿开始为期13个月的法国、意大利之旅，结识了许多重要的文人和有影响人士。佛罗 伦萨各学院尤其吸引着弥尔顿，他还与一些年轻的意大 利文人成为朋友，他们的人文主义思想令弥尔顿着迷。

During the English Civil War, Milton served as secretary for foreign languages in Cromwell’s government, composing official statements defending the Commonwealth⁴. During this time, he steadily⁵ last his eyesight, and was completely blind by 1651. He continued his duties with the aid of other assistants.

英国内战期间，弥尔顿在克伦威尔政府任外文秘 书，起草官方声明为联邦辩护。在这段工作中，他的视 力不断下降，1651年完全失明。然而他在其他助手的帮 助下继续履行自己的职责。

In his later years he lived the rest of his life in seclusion⁶ in the country, completing the blank-verse epic⁷ poem Paradise Lost in 1667，as well as its sequel Paradise Regained⁸ and the tragedy Samson Agonists both in 1671. Paradise Lost has had wide-reaching effect, inspiring other long poems.

晚年的弥尔顿一直在乡下独居，1667年完成了无韵 体史诗《失乐园》，1671年创作了《失乐园》的后续作 品《复乐园》和悲剧《力士参孙》。这部史诗具有深远 的影响，并启发了其他长诗的诞生。

In his entire life John Milton wrote in a wide range of genres⁹, in several languages, and on an extraordinary range of subjects. He remade the moral, political, and cultural world around him; without him, the world we live in would look different. His place in English poetry cannot be underestimated. His field.

在其一生中，约翰·弥尔顿用不同的语言创作了体裁各异、题材丰富的作品。他重新塑造了周围的道德、政 治和文化世界。如果没有他，我们生活的世界将会十分不 同，他在英语诗坛的地位不容小视。弥尔顿是他那个时代 和领域的传奇人物。
 

1 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

2 proficient   

adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家

参考例句：

• She is proficient at swimming.她精通游泳。
• I think I'm quite proficient in both written and spoken English.我认为我在英语读写方面相当熟练。

3 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

4 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

5 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

6 seclusion   

n.隐遁，隔离

参考例句：

• She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
• I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。

7 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

8 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

9 genres   

（文学、艺术等的）类型，体裁，风格( genre的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Novel and short story are different genres. 长篇小说和短篇小说是不同的类别。
• But confusions over the two genres have a long history. 但是类型的混淆，古已有之。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译