英语沙龙：基督山伯爵的告别信

A Farewell Letter From the Count of Monte Cristo

My Dear Maximilian，

There is a felucca1） for you at anchor2)．Jacopo will conduct you to Leghorn，where M．Noirtier waits his granddaughter，whom he wished to bless before you lead her to the altar．All that is in this grotto3)，my friend，my house in the Champs Elysées，and my chteau at Tréport，are the marriage gift bestowed¹ by Edmond Dantes upon the son of his old master，Morrel．Mademoiselle de Villefort will share them with you；for I entreat4) her to give to the poor the immense fortune reverting5) to her from her father，now a madman，and her brother，who died last September with his mother．Tell the angel who will watch over your future destiny，Morrel，to pray sometimes for a man who，like Satan，thought himself，for an instant，equal to God；but who now acknowledges，with Christian² humility，that God alone possesses supreme³ power and in finite wisdom．Perhaps those prayers may soften⁴ the remorse6) he feels in his heart．

As for you，Morrel，this is the secret of my conduct towards you．There is neither happiness nor misery⁵ in the world；there is only the comparison of one state with another，nothing more．He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness．We must have felt what it is to die，Morrel，that we may appreciate the enjoyments⁶ of life．

Live，then，and be happy，beloved children of my heart，and never forget，that until the day when God will deign⁷ to reveal the future to man，all human wisdom is contained in these two words，――“wait and hope”．

Your friend，

Edmond Dantes，

Count of Monte Cristo

基督山伯爵的告别信

亲爱的马克西米利安：

岛边为你们停泊着一艘小帆船。雅各布会把你们带到莱航（里窝那）去，诺瓦蒂埃先生正在那儿等着他的孙女儿，希望能在您领她上圣坛前先为她祝福。我的朋友，这座岩洞里的全部财宝，我在香榭丽舍林荫大道的宅邸，以及在特雷波尔的城堡，都是爱德蒙·唐泰斯送给老主人莫雷尔儿子的结婚礼物。德·维尔福小姐也将与您分享这份礼物，因为我想请她把她从已经发疯的父亲的名下，以及从已于９月份同她继母一起去世的弟弟的名下继承的财产，全部捐赠给受苦的穷人。

莫雷尔，请告诉这位将终生陪伴您的天使，让她有时为这样一个人祈祷。这个人一度曾经像撒旦那样，自以为能跟上帝匹敌，但后来终于怀着一个基督徒的谦卑心情认识到，只有上帝才拥有至高无上的权力和无穷无尽的智慧。她的祈祷，也许可以减轻一些他在心底里感到的内疚。

对于您来说，莫雷尔，我的所作所为是一个秘密。其实在这个世界上既无所谓幸福，也无所谓不幸，有的只是一种状态和另一种状态的比较而已。只有体验过极度不幸的人，才能品尝到最大的幸福。我们必须感受过死的痛苦，才可能珍视生的欢乐。

幸福地生活下去吧，我心爱的孩子们。请你们永远记住：在上帝为人们揭示未来情景之前，人类的全部智慧就包含在这几个字里：

等待和希望。

您的朋友

爱德蒙·唐泰斯

基督山伯爵

1 bestowed   

赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
• He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

5 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

6 enjoyments   

愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受

参考例句：

• He is fond of worldly enjoyments. 他喜爱世俗的享乐。
• The humanities and amenities of life had no attraction for him--its peaceful enjoyments no charm. 对他来说，生活中的人情和乐趣并没有吸引力——生活中的恬静的享受也没有魅力。

7 deign   

v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)

参考例句：

• He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
• I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。