[人文英语]适度的虚荣心是一种向上.pdfVIP

适度的虚荣心是一种向上的动力 查斯特菲尔德勋爵 Lord Chesterfield (1694–1773) ，英国著名政治家、外交家及文学家，曾就 读于剑桥大学，并游学欧洲大陆。1726 年继承爵位，1728 年出使荷兰，曾任爱尔兰总督 及 英国国务大臣等职位。他与同时代的文学家波普、艾略特、伏尔泰、斯威夫特等过从甚密。 有《教子信札》(letters to son)传世,此书被誉为培养绅士的教科书,英国的《傅雷家书》。 下面是三年前陈漠从《教子信札》中摘译的 50 句, 曾经作为课堂练习发给了翻译课 上的学 生.查斯特菲尔德勋爵对其儿子的那种朋友般耐心引导的话语,虽然时过境迁,但今天读来也 每每让陈漠感动,为那片即使显得有些圆滑和市侩的父爱. 41 ．勤问. 向人提问，多多提问，直到彻底了解，不留空白。如此勤问决不会被看作是无教 养或找麻烦：相 反，提问恰恰是对对方有渊博知识的一种巧妙的赞扬，人们见到这个年轻 人如此勤问，也会对他产生一个好印象。Ask questions, and many questions; and leave nothing till you are thoroughly informed of it. Such pertinent questions are far from being ill-bred or troublesome to those of whom you ask them; on the contrary, they are a tacit compliment to their knowledge; and people have a better opinion of a young man, when they see him desirous to be informed. 42 ．一意孤行.熟谙世事的人知道选择适当的时间和适当的地点，他会分析他诉求的人的性 格，调整自己的举 止谈吐以便适应对方。但是．那些所谓只有普通常识的人，做事情往往 一厢情愿，一意孤行，不考虑别人的想法，往往找错时间、找错地点，莽莽撞撞，不看路标， 结果摔倒在地，满嘴啃泥。 A man who hath studied the world knows when to time, and where to place them; he hath analyzed the characters he applies to, and adapted his address and his arguments to them; but a man of what is called plain good sense, who hath only reasoned by himself, and not acted with mankind, mistimes, misplaces,runs precipitateIy and bluntly at the mark; and falls upon his nose in the way. 43 ．言简意赅.伏尔泰告诉我的，恰好正是我们需要知道的。他的表达简明扼要，并给读者 留有思考的余地。 他的观点不受宗教、哲学、政治与民族偏见的影响。他远比我所知的历 史学家更真实、更公正。该说的，他情愿少说，很显然，他通常尽可能做到言简意赅。He tells me all I want to know, and nothing more. His reflections are short, just,and produce others in his readers. Free from religious, philosophical, political and national prejudices, beyond any historian I ever met with, he relates all those matters as truly and as impartially, as certain regards, which must always be to some degree observed, will allow him; for one sees plainly that he often says much less than he would say, i