《四季随笔》节选 - 秋 02

《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 - 秋 02的内容，让我们一起来感受吉辛的四季吧!

How the mood for a book sometimes rushes upon one, either one knows not why, or in consequence, perhaps, of some most trifling suggestion. Yesterday I was walking at dusk. I came to an old farmhouse; at the garden gate a vehicle stood waiting, and I saw it was our doctor's gig. Having passed, I turned to look back. There was a faint afterglow in the sky beyond the chimneys; a light twinkled at one of the upper windows. I said to myself, "Tristram Shandy," 1 and hurried home to plunge into a book which I have not opened for I dare say twenty years.

有时，阅读一本书的冲动会突然袭上心头，要么你根本不知所以然，要么可能是因为很不足道的缘由。昨天，我在暮色中散步，来到一间旧农舍前。花园门口等候着一辆车，我认出那是我们医生的马车。路过之后，我转身回望。晚霞还在烟囱后的天空留连，房屋高处的一扇窗子上，有一缕光在闪烁。我自言自语地说了声“《项狄传》”，便匆匆忙忙赶回家，一头扎进了那本我敢说已经二十年没翻开的书中。

Not long ago, I awoke one morning and suddenly thought of the Correspondence between Goethe2 and Schiller3; and so impatient did I become to open the book that I got up an hour earlier than usual. A book worth rising for; much better worth than old Burton4, who pulled Johnson out of bed. A book which helps one to forget the idle or venomous chatter going on everywhere about us, and bids us cherish hope for a world "which has such people in't."

不久前的一个早晨，我醒来后突然想起《歌德席勒通信集》；因为急不可耐地要翻开那本书，我竟然比平常早起了一个小时。这是一本值得为之早起的书，比起将约翰逊从被窝里拽起来的老伯顿要好得多。这本书让人忘却了我们周围无处不在的无聊或恶意的闲聊，让我们对一个“有这样的人生活其中”的世界还抱有希望。

These volumes I had at hand; I could reach them down from my shelves at the moment when I hungered for them. But it often happens that the book which comes into my mind could only be procured with trouble and delay; I breathe regretfully and put aside the thought. Ah! the books that one will never read again. They gave delight, perchance something more; they left a perfume in the memory; but life has passed them by for ever. I have but to muse, and one after another they rise before me. Books gentle and quieting; books noble and inspiring; books that well merit to be pored over, not once but many a time. Yet never again shall I hold them in my hand; the years fl y too quickly, and are too few. Perhaps when I lie waiting for the end, some of those lost books will come into my wandering thoughts, and I shall remember them as friends to whom I owed a kindness — friends passed upon the way. What regret in that last farewell!

这些都是我手头有的书，我在渴望阅读它们的时候可以随手从书架上取下来。但很多时候，我想起的某本书总是要费劲周折苦等几日才能得到，我只好懊恼地长出一口气，将这个思绪抛在一边。哦！那些我再也不会读的书。它们给人带来欢乐，也许还有其他；它们在记忆中留下芬芳；但是生活已经永远地将它们抛下了。只有在冥想中，它们才会一一浮现在我的脑海中。那些温和让人平静的书，那些高贵给人灵感的书，那些值得一遍遍潜心细读的书。然而，我再也不会将它们捧在手中了。时间飞逝太快，又有限得可怜。也许，当我躺下等着生命终结时，一些已然忘却的书会来到我游移不定的思绪中，我会记起它们，就像记起那些在人生路上我受惠未报但失去联系的老朋友一样。在那最后的告别中该有多大的遗憾啊！