以書為友

⊙ By Samuel Smiles

翻譯：王克禮

以書為友

⊙ By Samuel Smiles

翻譯：王克禮

Companionship of Books

美式發音 適合精讀

語速：150詞/分鐘

書籍是我們最親密的朋友，陪伴我們走過悲歡，看盡離合，歷經順逆。無論你身處何種境遇，總有那么一段文字，會在某時某刻撥動你的心弦……

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.

推薦背誦

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 of1)adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and2)consoling us in age.

背誦理由

本段贊美了好書對人類的重要性。作者不靠辭藻的堆砌或者繞口的長句，而是用平實的語言娓娓道來，清晰而有理，工整而富有韻律感，值得大家學習。

Men often discover their3)affinity to each other by the love they have each for a book—just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both have for a third. There is an old4)proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more5)wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and6)sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.

1) adversity [?d'vз?s?t?] n. 不幸，逆境

2) console [k?n's??i] v. 安慰，慰藉

3) affnity [?'f?n?t?] n. 親密關系，吸引力

4) proverb ['pr?vз?b] n. 格言，諺語

5) wisdom ['w?zd?m] n. 智慧，才智

6) sympathize with 同意，同感

7) wind [wa?nd] v. 蜿蜒，纏繞

8) verse [vз?s] n. 詩歌，詩節

注1：威廉·哈茲里特（William Hazlitt，1778-1830），英國散文家、評論家、畫家，在歷史、哲學、政治方面都有著述。

“Books,” said Hazlitt注1, “7)wind into the heart; the poet’s8)verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it hashappened to ourselves. They are to be had very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books.”

A good book is often the best9)urn of a life10)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 are11)treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and12)cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. “They are never alone,” said Sir Philip Sidney注2,“that are accompanied by13)noble thoughts.”

The good and true thought may in times of14)temptation be as an angel of mercy15)purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.

推薦背誦

Books possess an16)essence of17)immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues18)decay, but books survive. Time is19)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 to20)sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

背誦理由

本段講的是時光與書籍的關系，學習時可將重點放在時態上。談現在的事情要用現在時，講述過去的事情就用過去時，體現持續性的影響則用完成時——大家都學過這些規則，但你們能在寫作中像作者這樣運用自如嗎？

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,21)grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were22)in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

The great and good do not die even in this world.23)Embalmed in books, their spirits walk24)abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens.25)Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The26)imperial27)intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.

見招拆招

蘇格蘭作家塞繆爾·斯邁爾斯（1812-1904）是19世紀偉大的道德學家、社會改革家，可以說是現代成功學的開山鼻祖。這篇散文是他最有名的代表作之一，句式工整，哲理深刻，充分體現了英式散文的語言之美。同學們可以仔細品讀全文，摘抄一些印象深刻的句子——下次遇到關于讀書的作文題，這就是好素材啦！

9) urn [з?n] n. 壺，甕，壇

10) enshrine [?n'?ra?n] v. 把……放入龕內；銘記，珍藏

11) treasury ['tre??r?] n. 寶庫，金庫

12) cherish ['t?er??] v. 珍愛，愛惜

13) noble ['n??b(?)i] adj. 高尚的，崇高的

14) temptation [temp'te??(?)n] n. 誘惑，引誘

15) purify ['pj??r?fa?] v. 使純凈，凈化

16) essence ['esns] n. 精髓，要素

17) immortality [?m??'t?i?t?] n. 不朽

18) decay [d?'ke?] v. 衰微，衰敗

19) of no account 不重要的，無價值的

20) sift [s?ft] v. 篩落，濾過（常與from或out連用）

21) grieve [gri?v] v. 傷心，悲痛

22) in a measure 部分地，在某種程度上

23) embalm [?m'bɑ?m] v. （給尸體）涂藥物防腐；銘記，保存

24) abroad [?'br??d] adv. 到處，廣泛

25) hence [hens] adv. 因此，所以

26) imperial [?m'p??r??i] adj. 崇高的，特等的

27) intellect ['?nt?iekt] n. 知識分子，有才之士

注2：菲利普·西德尼（1554-1586），英國學者、詩人、作家、政治家，后受封爵士，被伊麗莎白一世所重用。

參考譯文

看一個人讀些什么書，就可知道他的為人；就像看一個人同什么人交往，就可知道他的為人一樣。因為世界上有人的伴侶，也有書的伴侶。無論是書友或是朋友，我們都應該擇其最佳者而從之。

一本好書就像是一個最好的朋友。它矢志不渝，過去如此，現在仍然如此，將來也永遠不變。它是最有耐心、最令人愉快的伴侶。在我們窮困潦倒、臨危遭難的時候，它也不會拋棄我們，對我們總是一往情深。在我們年輕時，好書陶冶我們的性情，增長我們的知識；到我們年老時，它又給我們以安慰和勉勵。

人們常常因為同愛一本書而結為知己，就像有時兩個人會因為敬慕同一個人而交為朋友一樣。古諺有云：“愛屋及烏。”但是，“愛我及書”有著更深的哲理。書是更為堅實高尚的情誼紐帶。人們可以通過共同喜愛的作家來溝通思想感情，彼此息息相通。他們的思想都在作者的著述里得到體現，而作者的思想反過來又化為他們的思想。

散文家哈茲里特曾說：“書在人們的內心潛移默化，詩歌熏陶人們的氣質品性。少小所習，老大不忘，恍如身歷其事。書籍價廉物美，構成我們呼吸的空氣。”

好書常如最精美的寶器，珍藏著人一生思想的精華。因為一個人的人生境界，主要在于他的思想境界。所以，最好的書是金玉良言的寶庫，若將其中的崇高思想銘記于心，它便將成為我們忠實的伴侶和永恒的慰藉。菲利普·西德尼爵士說得好：“有高尚思想做伴的人永不孤獨。”

當我們面臨誘惑的時候，優美純真的思想會像仁慈的天使一樣保衛我們，讓我們的靈魂保持純凈。它還孕育著行動的胚芽，因為金玉良言幾乎總會啟發善行。

書籍具有不朽的本質，是人類的勤奮努力至今最為持久的產物。神殿總會倒坍，神像總會朽爛，而書卻經久長存。對于偉大的思想來說，時間是無關重要的。多少年前初次閃現在作者腦海里的偉大思想，今天看來依然清新如故。他們當時的言論和思想刊于書頁，如今依然生動感人。時間唯一的作用就是淘汰不好的作品，因為只有真正的佳作才能經世長存。

書籍引導我們與最優秀的人物為伍，使我們置身歷代偉人巨匠之間，如聞其聲，如觀其行，如見其人；我們同他們情感交融，悲喜與共。他們的感受成為我們自己的感受，我們就像在作者描繪的人生舞臺上跟他們一起登臺獻藝。

即使在如今的人世間，偉大杰出的人物也是永生不滅的，他們的精神載入書冊，傳之四海。書是人們至今仍在聆聽的智慧之聲，永遠充滿活力。所以，我們至今仍會受到歷代偉人的影響；多少世紀以前的蓋世英才，至今仍然栩栩如生。