世界上最动人的书信(常春藤英语书系)(全新中英文对照版)-第8部分
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hope and life。 If you knew how your letters revived me here in the fortress! These last two months and a half; when it was forbidden to write or receive a letter; have been very hard on me …
If anyone has bad memories of me; if I have quarreled with anyone; if I have created in anyone an unpleasant impression— tell them they should forget it; if you manage to meet them。 There is no gall or spite in my soul; I should dearly love to embrace any one of my former friends at this moment。 It is a fort; I experienced it today when saying goodby to my dear ones before death …
…
When I look back at the past and think how much time has been wasted in vain; how much time was lost in delusions; in errors; in idleness; in ignorance of how to live; how I did not value time; how often I sinned against my heart and spirit—my heart bleeds。 Life is a gift; life is happiness; each minute might have been an age of happiness。 Si jeunesse svait! Now; changing my life; I am being reborn into a new form。 Brother! I swear to you that I shall not lose hope and shall preserve my spirit and heart in purity。 I shall be reborn to a better thing。 That is my whole hope; my whole fort!
The life in prison has already sufficiently killed in me the demands of the flesh which were not wholly pure; I took little heed of myself before。 Now privations are nothing to me; and; therefore; do not fear that any material hardship will kill me。 This cannot be! Ah! To have health!
Well; goodby; goodby; brother! I embrace you closely; I kiss you closely。 Remember me without pain in your heart。 Do not grieve; I pray you; do not grieve for me! In the next letter I shall tell you of how I go on。 Remember then what I have told you: plan out your life; do not waste it; arrange your destiny; think of your children。 Oh; to see you; to see you! Goodby! Now I tear myself away from everything that was dear; it is painful to leave it! It is painful to break oneself in two; to cat the heart in two。 Goodby! Goodby! But I shall see you; I am convinced—I hope; do not change; love me; do not let your memory grow cold; and the thought of your love will be the best part of my life。 Goodby; goodby; once more! Goodby to all!
Your brother
Fyodor Dostoevaky
。。
狄更斯致妻子
查尔斯·狄更斯(1812-1870),19世纪英国著名的小说家;出生于英国朴茨茅斯特地区的一个小职员家庭。12岁时;父亲负债入狱,他被迫辍学做工,后来经济条件有所改善,才得以复学。狄更斯16岁便到一家律师事务所当缮写员,后又担任报社采访记者,广泛接触社会,因此他了解底层生活,也了解上层社会的种种罪恶,熟悉司法界和议会政治中的诸多弊端;并为他后来的批判现实主义文学创作奠定了思想基础。1837年,他发表第一部长篇小说《匹克威克外传》,获得巨大成功。从此,他专门从事文学创作,在此30年间,他一共写了14部长篇小说(其中有一部未完成)及许多中短篇小说、戏剧、杂文和游记等。他的作品以人道主义精神为本源,描写下层劳动人民的悲惨遭遇,揭露封建贵族和资产阶级贪婪、伪善、狡诈、腐朽的生活习性。其代表作主要有《奥列佛·特维斯特》和《大卫·科波菲尔》等。
狄更斯39岁那年,他的小女儿朵拉(Dora)不幸病逝。他写此信,将这个不幸的消息告知妻子。
我最亲爱的凯特——现在你要留心,你必须慢慢地、非常仔细地读这封信。如果你是匆忙之中读到这里,尚不十分明白(还没有领悟出有什么坏消息)的话,我希望你从头再读一遍。
小朵拉没有感觉到一点痛苦就突然病倒了。她的脸色非常平静——如果你看见她安详的表情,你会误以为她正在平静地睡觉呢。但我知道她病得不轻,而且我也不敢对她的康复抱太大的希望。我不相信(亲爱的,我为什么要对你说假话呢?),我根本不相信她甚至还有复原的可能。
我不想离家外出,虽然我留在这里也帮不了什么忙,但我还是觉得留在这儿的选择是正确的。我知道你也不愿意离家在外,你不在家的时候我总是心怀不安。福斯特还是像往常一样那么关心我们,他现在给你送去这封信并接你回家。然而,我在结束这封信之前还必须坚决地要求和严厉地命令你,回家时一定要保持镇静沉着——
要记住我平时对你说过的话:我们的孩子多,别的父母所遭受到的不幸,我们根本不能指望得到幸免。如果——如果你回来的时候,我不得不忍住悲痛对你说“我们的小宝宝死了”,你仍然要对其他孩子尽到做母亲的责任,要向他们证明你值得他们对你充分地信赖。
如果你看完这封信的时候能保持冷静,我就会完全相信你能正确处理好这件事情。
永远爱你的,
查尔斯·狄更斯
1851年4月15日星期二晨于
德文郡泰拉斯街
Charles Dickens
To
Devonshireterrace
Tuesday morning; 15th April; 1851
My dearest Kate;—Now observe; you must read this letter very slowly and carefully。 If you have hurried on thus far without quite understanding (apprehending some bad news) I rely on your turning back and reading again。
Little Dora; without being in the least pain; is suddenly stricken ill。 There is nothing in her appearance but perfect rest—you would suppose her quietly asleep; but I am sure she is very ill; and I cannot encourage myself with much hope of her recovery。 I do not (and why should I say I do to you; my dear?) I do not think her recovery at all likely。
I do not like to leave home; I can do no good here; but I think it right to stay。 You will not like to be away; I know; and I cannot reconcile it to myself to keep you away。 Forster; with his usual affection for us; es down to bring you this letter and to bring you home; but I cannot close it without putting the strongest entreaty and injunction upon you to e with perfect posure—to remember what I have often told you; that we never can expect to be exempt; as to our many children; from the afflictions of other parents; mad that if—if when you e。 I should even have to say to you,“Our little baby is dead;” you are to do your duty to the rest; and to show yourself worthy of the great trust you hold in them。
If you will only read this steadily I have a perfect confidence in your doing what is right。
Ever affectionately;
Charles Dickens
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林肯致江斯顿(1)
亚伯拉罕·林肯(1809—1865),美国历史上最富人格魅力与传奇色彩的总统。他出生于农民家庭,青年时代当过工人、石匠和店员,艰苦的环境磨炼了他的意志,他刻苦自学,又先后担任过州议员、律师、众议员。1860年,林肯当选为美国总统,着手废除奴隶制,在任期间发表了《解放宣言》,提出了“民有、民治、民享”的口号。在南方诸州提出分裂以后,他领导人民进行了南北战争,重新统一了美国。1864年,林肯获得连任,1865年4月14日,他被一个戏剧演员暗杀。
江斯顿是林肯继母的儿子,他来信向林肯借钱,林肯以此信回复了他。
亲爱的江斯顿:
你向我借八十块钱,我觉得目前最好不要借给你。好几次我帮助你之后,你都说“现在我们的生活可以好过了”,但是时隔不久,你又面临了同样的困境。现在,只能说明你自己有问题。是什么问题呢?我想我知道。你不是个懒汉,但多少有点游手好闲。自从我上次看见你,就怀疑你没有认真工作过一天。你不太讨厌工作,但却不卖劲干活,惟一的原因是你觉得你并不能从中获益多少。
所有的问题都缘于你那浪费时间的恶习。改掉这种习惯对你来说很重要,而对你的儿女则更加重要。这是因为他们的人生之路还很长,在没有养成闲散的习惯之前,尚可加以制止。这比养成之后再纠正要容易得多。
现在你需要些现钱;我建议你去工作,去找个出薪雇人的老板,为他“卖力地”工作。
让你爸爸和你的几个儿子去应付家里春播和秋收的事吧,你自己去做些最挣钱的工作,再用你的工资抵债。为了使你的劳动获得好的酬金,我现在答应你,从今天到五月一号,只要你工作挣到一块钱或是偿还了一块钱的债,我就再给你一块钱。
这样的话,如果你每月挣十块钱,你可以从我这儿再得到十块钱,那么你一个月就能挣二十块钱。我不是说让你到圣路易或加利福尼亚州的铅矿、金矿去,而是让你在离家近的地方找个最挣钱的工作——就在柯尔斯县境内。
如果你现在愿意这样做,很快就能还清债务。更好的是,你会养成不再欠债的好习惯。但是,如果我现在帮你还了债,明年你又会负债累累。你说,你愿意用你在天堂的席位换来七八十块钱。这么说,你把你在天堂的席位看得太廉价了。其实,照我说的去做,保证你工作四五个月就能挣到那七八十块钱。你又说,如果我借给你钱,你愿意把田产抵押给我;若是将来你还不清钱,那田地就归我所有——
胡说八道!假如现在你有田地都无法生存,将来没有田地又怎么存活呢?你一向对我很好,我现在也没有对你无情无义,相反,如果你肯采纳我的建议,你会发现,对你来说,这比八个八十块钱还值!
挚爱你的哥哥
亚·林肯
(1848年12月24日)
Abraham Lincoln
To
(Dec。 24; 1848)
Dear Johnston:
Your request for eighty dollars; I do not think it best to ply with now。 At the various times when I have helped you a little; you have said to me; “We can get along very well now;” but in a very short