Companionship of Books

以書(shū)為伴

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.

了解一個(gè)人，通常可以看他讀什么書(shū)，結(jié)交什么人.因?yàn)橛腥艘匀藶榘椋腥艘詴?shū)為伴。無(wú)論是書(shū)友還是朋友，生活中我們都應(yīng)該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 chance. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness, amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.

好書(shū)可以是你最好的朋友。它始終不渝，過(guò)去如此，現(xiàn)在如此，將來(lái)也永不改變。它是最有耐心、最令人愉悅的伴侶。在我們?cè)馐懿恍遥瑧n傷悲痛的時(shí)候，它不會(huì)拋棄我們。它總是一如既往地親切相待。我們年少時(shí)，好書(shū)給我們帶來(lái)歡笑和知識(shí)；我們年老時(shí)，好書(shū)又給我們以親撫和慰藉。

Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration 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.

喜歡同一本書(shū)的人，常常發(fā)現(xiàn)彼此間習(xí)性也相近，就像有一時(shí)兩個(gè)人因?yàn)榫茨酵粋€(gè)人而成為朋友一樣。古時(shí)有句諺語(yǔ)：“愛(ài)屋及鳥(niǎo)。”其實(shí)，“愛(ài)我及書(shū)”這句活蘊(yùn)涵更多的哲理。書(shū)是更為真誠(chéng)而高尚的情誼紐帶。人們可以通過(guò)共同喜愛(ài)的作家溝通思想，交流感情，產(chǎn)生共鳴。他們和作家情感相通，作家和他們思想相融。

"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."

哈茲利特曾經(jīng)說(shuō)過(guò)：“書(shū)潛移轉(zhuǎn)化人們的內(nèi)心，詩(shī)歌熏陶人們的氣質(zhì)品性。少小所習(xí)，老大不忘，恍如身歷其事。書(shū)籍價(jià)廉物美，不啻我們呼吸的空氣。”

A good book is often the best urn 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 treasuries 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.

好書(shū)常如最精美的寶器，珍藏著人生思想的精華，因?yàn)槿松木辰缰饕谟谄渌枷氲木辰纭Ｒ虼耍詈玫臅?shū)是金玉良言，是崇高思想的寶庫(kù)，這些良言和思想若銘記于心并多加珍視，就會(huì)成為我們忠實(shí)的伴侶和永恒的慰藉。菲利普·錫德尼爵士說(shuō)得好:“有高尚思想做伴的人永不孤獨(dú)。”當(dāng)我們面臨誘惑的時(shí)候，優(yōu)美純真的思想會(huì)像仁慈的天使一樣，純潔并保衛(wèi)我們的靈魂。優(yōu)美純真的思想也孕育著行動(dòng)的胚芽，因?yàn)榻鹩窳佳詭缀蹩倳?huì)啟發(fā)善行。

Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting 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 vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

書(shū)籍具有不朽的本質(zhì)，是人類努力創(chuàng)造的最為持久的成果。寺廟會(huì)倒塌，神像會(huì)朽爛，而書(shū)卻經(jīng)久長(zhǎng)存。對(duì)于偉大思想來(lái)說(shuō)，時(shí)間是無(wú)關(guān)緊要的。多年前初次閃現(xiàn)于作者腦海的偉大思想今天依然清新如故。他們昨日的言論和思想刊載于紙張之上，如今依然生動(dòng)如初，向我們娓娓道來(lái)。時(shí)間唯一的作用是淘汰不好的作品，因?yàn)橹挥姓嬲募炎鞑拍芙?jīng)世長(zhǎng)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.

書(shū)籍介紹我們與最優(yōu)秀的人為伍，使我們置身于歷代偉人巨匠之間，如聞其聲，如觀其行，如見(jiàn)其人，同他們情感交融，悲喜與共.感同身受。一定程度上，我們覺(jué)得自己仿佛在作者所描繪的舞臺(tái)上和他們一起粉墨登場(chǎng)。

The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed 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.

即使在人世間，偉大杰出的人物也永生不朽。他們的精神被載人書(shū)冊(cè)，傳于四海。書(shū)是有生命力的聲音，是人類至今仍在聆聽(tīng)的智慧之聲。所以，我們永遠(yuǎn)都受歷代偉人的影響。多少世紀(jì)以前的蓋世英才，如今仍同當(dāng)年一樣，顯示著強(qiáng)大的生命力。

課堂筆記：
1.此處的“as well as”相當(dāng)于連詞"and"、連接兩個(gè)介詞短語(yǔ)。
2.虛擬語(yǔ)氣在由“whether”引導(dǎo)的讓步狀語(yǔ)從句中，從句謂語(yǔ)用動(dòng)詞原形，表示“不論是……還是……”同時(shí)，"whether"一詞可以省去，而將“be”動(dòng)詞放在主語(yǔ)前.此從句可以變?yōu)?ldquo;be it of books or of men”.
3."the same as"和"the same that"都指“和…相同”的含義，但前者強(qiáng)調(diào)的是類型的相同，而后者強(qiáng)調(diào)的是事物本身的相同。此處指的是好書(shū)本身，故而用的是"the same that".
4.句中的兩個(gè)介詞“by"均表示方式，表“通過(guò)”之意。省略"that”的定語(yǔ)從句從句"they have for a book”用于修飾“love"。連詞“as”表示“正如……一樣”，后接從句，用于比較。關(guān)系代詞“which”引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句“which both entertain for a third”用于修飾“admiration"。
5."Love me, love my dog.”常被譯為“愛(ài)屋及烏”英語(yǔ)中有關(guān)“dog”的諺語(yǔ)很多，比如:a lucky dog(幸運(yùn)兒);Every dog has his day.(人人皆有得意日。);It rains cats and dogs.(下傾盆大雨。);a cat-and-dog life(爭(zhēng)爭(zhēng)吵吵的日子)等等。
6.威廉·哈茲利特(William Hazlitt,1778-1830)，英國(guó)散文家、評(píng)論家、畫(huà)家.
7.這是由關(guān)系代詞which引導(dǎo)的非限制性定語(yǔ)從句，修飾先行詞treasuries，從句中的過(guò)去分詞結(jié)構(gòu)“remembered and cherished(銘記于心并多加珍視)”用作狀語(yǔ)，表示條件.
8.菲利普·錫德尼爵士(Sir Philip Sidney,  1554- 1586 )，英國(guó)文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期的著名的散文家、政治家，有很高的藝術(shù)修養(yǎng).科學(xué)知識(shí)豐富.
9.此處的but為介詞，表示“除……以外”的含義，what引導(dǎo)的從句作but的賓語(yǔ)。

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