英语美文欣赏带翻译大全
现代社会随着经济全球化的发展,在我们的生活中交际变得越来越重要了,英语在日常的交际中担当着更加重要的角色。下面是小编带来的英语美文欣赏带翻译,欢迎阅读!
英语美文欣赏带翻译篇一
伯•罗素:论老之将至
In spite of the title,this article will really be on how not to grow old,which,at my time of life,is a much more important subject. My first advice would be to choose your ancestors carefully. Although both my parents died young,I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors. My maternal grandfather,it is true,was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of sixty-seven,but my other three grandparents all lived to be over eighty. Of remote ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age,and he died of a disease which is now rare,namely,having his head cut off. A great-grandmother of mine,who was a friend of Gibbon,lived to the age of ninety-two,and to her last day remained a terror to all her descendants. My maternal grandmother,after having nine children who survived,one who died in infancy,and many miscarriages,as soon as she became a widow devoted herself to women‘s higher education. She was one of the founders of Girton College,and worked hard at opening the medical profession to women. She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad. She inquired the cause of his melancholy and he said that he had just parted from his two grandchildren.“Good gracious,”she exclaimed,“I have seventy-two grandchildren,and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them,I should have a dismal existence!”“Madre snaturale,”he replied. But speaking as one of the seventy-two,I prefer her recipe. After the age of eighty she found she had some difficulty in getting to sleep,so she habitually spent the hours from midnight to 3 a.m. in reading popular science. I do not believe that she ever had time to notice that she was growing old. This,I think,is the proper recipe for remaining young. If you have wide and keen interests and activities in which you can still be effective,you will have no reason to think about the merely statistical fact of the number of years you have already lived,still less of the probable brevity of your future.
As regards health,I have nothing useful to say since I have little experience of illness. I eat and drink whatever I like,and sleep when I cannot keep awake. I never do anything whatever on the ground that it is good for health,though in actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.
Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories,in regrets for the good old days,or in sadness about friends who are dead. One‘s thoughts must be directed to the future,and to things about which there is something to be done. This is not always easy;one’s own past is a gradually increasing weight. It is easy to think to oneself that one‘s emotions used to be more vivid than they are,and one’s mind more keen. If this is true it should be forgotten,and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.
The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives,and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young,you are likely to become a burden to them,unless they are unusually callous. I do not mean that one should be without interest in them,but one‘s interest should be contemplative and,if possible,philanthropic,but not unduly emotional. Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves,but human beings,owing to the length of infancy,find this difficult.
I think that a successful old age is easier for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful,and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes,both because they will not believe you,and because mistakes are an essential part of education. But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests,you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren. In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services,such as making them an allowance or knotting them jumpers,you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.
Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in a battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows,and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do,the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it——so at least it seems to me——is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal,until bit by bit the walls of the the ego recede,and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river——small at first,narrowly contained within its banks,and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider,the banks recede,the waters flow more quietly,and in the end,without any visible break,they become merged in the sea,and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who,in old age,can see his life in this way,will not suffer form the fear of death,since the things he cares for will continue. And if,with the decay of vitality,weariness increases,the thought of rest will not be unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work,knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do,and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.
论老之将至
虽然有这样一个标题,这篇文章真正要谈的却是怎样才能不老。在我这个年纪,这实在是一个至关重要的问题。我的第一个忠告是,要仔细选择你的祖先。尽管我的双亲皆属早逝,但是考虑到我的其他祖先,我的选择还是很不错的。是的,我的外祖父六十七岁时去世,正值盛年,可是另外三位祖父辈的亲人都活到八十岁以上。至于稍远些的亲戚,我只发现一位没能长寿的,他死于一种现已罕见的病症:被杀头。我的一位曾祖母是吉本的朋友,她活到九十二岁高龄,一直到死,她始终是让子孙们全都感到敬畏的人。我的外祖母,一辈子生了十个孩子,活了九个,还有一个早年夭折,此外还有过多次流产。可是守寡以后,她马上就致力于妇女的高等教育事业。她是格顿学院的创办人之一,力图使妇女进入医疗行业。她总好讲起她在意大利遇到过的一位面容悲哀的老年绅士。她询问他忧郁的缘故,他说他刚刚同两个孙儿女分手。“天哪!”她叫道,“我有七十二个孙儿孙女,如果我每次分手就要悲伤不已,那我早就没法活了!”“奇怪的母亲。”他回答说。但是,作为她的七十二个孙儿孙女的一员,我却要说我更喜欢她的见地。上了八十岁,她开始感到有些难以入睡,她便经常在午夜时分至凌晨三时这段时间里阅读科普方面的书籍。我想她根本就没有功夫去留意她在衰老。我认为,这就是保持年轻的最佳方法。如果你的兴趣和活动既广泛又浓烈,而且你又能从中感到自己仍然精力旺盛,那么你就不必去考虑你已经活了多少年这种纯粹的统计学情况,更不必去考虑你那也许不很长久的未来。
至于健康,由于我这一生几乎从未患过病,也就没有什么有益的忠告。我吃喝均随心所欲,醒不了的时候就睡觉。我做事情从不以它是否有益健康为依据,尽管实际上我喜欢做的事情通常都是有益健康的。
从心理角度讲,老年需防止两种危险。一是过分沉湎于往事。人不能生活在回忆当中,不能生活在对美好往昔的怀念或对去世的友人的哀念之中。一个人应当把心思放在未来,放到需要自己去做点什么的事情上。要做到这一点并非轻而易举,往事的影响总是在不断增加。人们总好认为自己过去的情感要比现在强烈得多,头脑也比现在敏锐。假如真的如此,就该忘掉它;而如果可以忘掉它,那你自以为是的情况就可能并不是真的。
另一件应当避免的事是依恋年轻人,期望从他们的勃勃生气中获取力量。子女们长大成人以后,都想按照自己的意愿生活。如果你还想象她们年幼时那样关心他们,你就会成为他们的包袱,除非她们是异常迟钝的人。我不是说不应该关心子女,而是说这种关心应该是含蓄的,假如可能的话,还应是宽厚的,而不应该过分地感情用事。动物的幼子一旦自立,大动物就不再关心它们了。人类则因其幼年时期较长而难于做到这一点。
我认为,对于那些具有强烈的爱好,其活动又都恰当适宜、并且不受个人情感影响的人们,成功地度过老年决非难事。只有在这个范围里,长寿才真正有益;只有在这个范围里,源于经验的智慧才能得到运用而不令人感到压抑。告诫已经成人的孩子别犯错误是没有用处的,因为一来他们不会相信你,二来错误原本就是教育所必不可少的要素之一。但是,如果你是那种受个人情感支配的人,你就会感到,不把心思都放在子女和孙儿女身上,你就会觉得生活很空虚。假如事实确是如此,那么你必须明白,虽然你还能为他们提供物质上的帮助,比如支援他们一笔钱或者为他们编织毛线外套的时候,决不要期望他们会因为你的陪伴而感到快乐。
有些老人因害怕死亡而苦恼。年轻人害怕死亡是可以理解的。有些年轻人担心他们会在战斗中丧身。一想到会失去生活能够给予他们的种种美好事务,他们就感到痛苦。这种担心并不是无缘无故的,也是情有可原的。但是,对于一位经历了人世的悲欢、履行了个人职责的老人,害怕死亡就有些可怜且可耻了。克服这种恐惧的最好办法是——至少我是这样看的——逐渐扩大你的兴趣范围并使其不受个人情感的影响,直至包围自我的围墙一点一点地离开你,而你的生活则越来越融合于大家的生活之中。每一个人的生活都应该象河水一样——开始是细小的,被限制在狭窄的两岸之间,然后热烈地冲过巨石,滑下瀑布。渐渐地,河道变宽了,河岸扩展了,河水流得更平稳了。最后,河水流入了海洋,不再有明显的间断和停顿,而后便毫无痛苦地摆脱了自身的存在。能够这样理解自己一生的老人,将不会因害怕死亡而痛苦,因为他所珍爱的一切都将继续存在下去。而且,如果随着精力的衰退,疲倦之感日渐增加,长眠并非是不受欢迎的念头。我渴望死于尚能劳作之时,同时知道他人将继续我所未竟的事业,我大可因为已经尽了自己之所能而感到安慰。
Bertrand Russell
英语美文欣赏带翻译篇二
垂钓者(The Fishermen )
There was a group called“The Fisherman‘s Fellowship”。They were surrounded by streams and lakes full of hungry fish. They met regularly to discuss the call to fish,and the thrill of catching fish. They got excited about fishing!!
在一个河湖密布鱼虾成群的地方成立了一个“钓鱼者协会”,协会的每个成员都是钓鱼的热衷者,他们时常聚在一起畅谈钓鱼的心得和钓鱼所带来的种种欢乐。
Someone suggested that they needed a philosophy of fishing,so they carefully defined and redefined fishing,and the purpose of fishing. They developed fishing strategies and tactics. Then they realized that they had been going at it backwards. They had approached fishing from the point of view of the fisherman,and not from the point of view of the fish. How do fish view the world?How does the fisherman appear to the fish?What do fish eat,and when?These are all good things to know. So they began research studies,and attended conferences on fishing. Some traveled to far away places to study different kinds of fish,with different habits. Some got PhD‘s in fishology. But no one had yet gone fishing.
其中还有人提出应该对钓鱼形成一套理论,因此,他们谨慎地对钓鱼和钓鱼的目的进行了反复的定义,甚至还得出了关于钓鱼的战略和战术。但很快他们又意识到这样去研究钓鱼其实是一个倒退,因为他们仍然是从渔夫的角度而不是从鱼本身的角度来探讨钓鱼这一行为的。世界在鱼的眼里究竟是怎么样的?渔夫的出现对鱼又意味着什么?鱼吃什么,何时进食?这些才是需要弄懂的问题,于是他们又开始了新的调查研究,参加各种各样的关于钓鱼的讨论会,有些人还不辞千里到各地研究不同种类、不同习性的鱼,甚至有些还成为了研究鱼类的理论博士,但是他们当中没有一个真正去钓过鱼。
So a committee was formed to send out fishermen. As prospective fishing places outnumbered fishermen,the committee needed to determine priorities.
考虑到可供钓鱼的地方多而钓鱼者少,协会为此还专门成立了一个委员会来评估各种钓鱼场所,并给这些场所先后排名。
A priority list of fishing places was posted on bulletin boards in all of the fellowship halls. But still,no one was fishing. A survey was launched,to find out why…Most did not answer the survey,but from those that did,it was discovered that some felt called to study fish,a few to furnish fishing equipment,and several to go around encouraging the fisherman.
于是,协会各个大厅的公告栏上都贴了一份名册表注明哪些地方可以优先钓鱼,但结果还是没有谁去钓。为什么会出现这样的现象呢?协会又发起了问卷调查,大部分人没有反应,但从那些填写了问卷的人可以得知,有些人是在忙着研究鱼类,有些是在忙着完善钓鱼的装备,还有一些正在忙着到处发动人们去钓鱼。
What with meetings,conferences,and seminars,they just simply didn‘t have time to fish.
太多的聚会,太多的研讨会要开,使得他们根本就没有时间去钓鱼。
Now,Jake was a newcomer to the Fisherman‘s Fellowship. After one stirring meeting of the Fellowship,Jake went fishing. He tried a few things,got the hang of it,and caught a choice fish. At the next meeting,he told his story,and he was honored for his catch,and then scheduled to speak at all the Fellowship chapters and tell how he did it. Now,because of all the speaking invitations and his election to the board of directors of the Fisherman’s Fellowship,Jake no longer has time to go fishing.
杰克是协会里的一名新人,在开完一次激动人心的会议后,他就跑去钓鱼了。在试过好多方法之后,他掌握了其中的窍门,钓上了一条上等大鱼。在接下来的一次会议上,杰克的钓鱼经验引起了大家的兴趣,跟着在协会的所有会议上,都要邀请杰克谈一番他是如何钓上那条鱼的。如今,因为要忙着去应付演讲,已成为协会董事的杰克再抽不出时间可以去钓鱼了。
But soon he began to feel restless and empty. He longed to feel the tug on the line once again. So he cut the speaking,he resigned from the board,and he said to a friend,“Let‘s go fishing.”They did,just the two of them,and they caught fish.
很快的杰克开始觉得不安和空虚了,他渴望能再次体会到鱼上钩收线时的那种感觉,所以他决定不再演讲了并辞去了董事一职,他对一个朋友说:“我们钓鱼去吧!”于是他们两个人就去钓鱼去了,而且还钓到了鱼。
The members of the Fisherman‘s Fellowship were many,the fish were plentiful,but the fishers were few.
钓鱼者协会的会员很多,水里的鱼也很多,但真正的钓鱼者却没有几个。
英语美文欣赏带翻译篇三
希•白洛克:对猫一席话
he other day I went into the bar of a railway station and,taking a glass of bear,I sat down at a little table by myself to meditate upon the necessary but tragic isolation of the human soul. I began my meditation by consoling myself with the truth that something in common runs through all nature,but I went on to consider that this cut no ice,and that the heart needed something more. I might by long research have discovered some third term a little less hackneyed than these two,when fate,or some fostering star,sent me a tawny silky,long-haired cat.
If it be true that nations have the cats they deserve,then the English people deserve well in cats,for there are none so prosperous or so friendly in the world. But even for an English cat this cat was exceptionally friendly and fine——especially friendly. It leapt at one graceful bound into my lap,nestled there,put out an engaging right front paw to touch my arm with a pretty timidity by way of introduction,rolled up at me an eye of bright but innocent affection,and then smiled a secret smile of approval.
No man could be timid after such an approach as not to make some manner of response. So did I. I even took the liberty of stroking Amathea(for by that name did I receive this vision),and thought I began this gesture in a respectful fashion,after the best models of polite deportment with strangers,I was soon lending it some warmth,for I was touched to find that I had a friend;yes,even here,at the ends of the tubes in S.W. 99. I proceeded(as is right)from caress to speech,and said,“Amathea,most beautiful of cats,why have you deigned to single me out for so much favor?Did you recognize in me a friend to all that breathes,or were you yourself suffering form loneliness(though I take it you are near your own dear home),or is there pity in the hearts of animals as there is in the hearts of some humans?What,then,was your motive?Or am I,indeed,foolish to ask,and not rather to take whatever good comes to me in whatever way form the gods?”
To these questions Amathea answered with a loud purring noise,expressing with closed eyes of ecstasy her delight in the encounter.
“I am more than flattered,Amathea,”said I,by way of answer:“I am consoled. I did not know that there was in the world anything breathing and moving,let alone so tawny-perfect,who would give companionship for its own sake and seek out,through deep feeling,some one companion out of all living kind. If you do not address me in words I know the reason and I commend it;for in words lie the seeds of all dissension,and love at its most profound is silent. At least,I read that in a book,Amathea;yes,only the other day. But I confess that the book told me nothing of those gestures which are better than words,or of that caress which I continue to bestow upon you with all the gratitude of my poor heart.”
To this Amathea made a slight gesture of acknowledgement——not disdainful——wagging her head a little,and then settling it down in deep content.
“Oh,beautiful-haired Amathea,many have praised you before you found me to praise you,and many will praise you,some in your own tongue,when I am no longer held in the bonds of your presence. But none will praise you more sincerely. For there is not a man living who knows better than I that the four charms of a cat lie in its closed eyes,its long and lovely hair,its silence,and even its affected love.”
But at the word affected Amathea raised her head,looked up at me tenderly,once more put forth her paw to touch my arm,and then settled down again to a purring beatitude.
“You are secure,”said I sadly:“mortality is not before you. There is in your complacency no foreknowledge of death nor even of separation. And for that reason,Cat,I welcome you the more. For if there has been given to your kind this repose in common living,why,then,we men also may find it by following your example and not considering too much what may be to come and not remembering too much what has been and will never return. Also,I thank you,for this,Amathea,my sweet Euplokamos”(for I was becoming a little familiar through an acquaintance of a full five minutes and from the absence of all recalcitrance),“that you have reminded me of my youth,and in a sort of shadowy way,a momentary way,have restored it to me. For there is an age,a blessed youthful age(O my Cat)even with the miserable race of men,when all things are consonant with the life of the body,when sleep is regular and long and deep,when enmities are either unknown or a subject for rejoicing and when the whole of being is lapped in hope as you are now lapped on my lap,Amathea. Yes,we also,we of the doomed race,know peace. But whereas you possess it from blind kittenhood to that last dark day so mercifully short with you,we grasp it only for a very little while. But I would not sadden you by the mortal plaint. That would be treason indeed,and a vile return for your goodness. What!When you have chosen me out of seven London millions upon whom to confer the tender solace of heart,when you have proclaimed yourself so suddenly to be my dear,shall I introduce you to the sufferings of those of whom you know nothing save that they feed you,house you and pass you by?At least you do not take us for gods,as do the dogs,and the more am I humbly beholden to you for this little service of recognition——and something more.”
Amathea slowly raised herself upon her four feet,arched her back,yawned,looked up at me with a smile sweeter than ever and then went round and round,preparing for herself a new couch upon my coat,where on she settled and began once more to purr in settled ecstasy.
Already had I made sure that a rooted and anchored affection had come to me from out the emptiness and nothingness of the world and was to feed my soul henceforward;already had I changed the mood of long years and felt a conversion towards the life of things,an appreciation,a cousinship with the created light——and all that through one new link of loving kindness——when whatever it is that dashes the cup of bliss from the lips of mortal man(Tupper)up and dashed it good and hard. It was the Ancient Enemy who put the fatal sentence into my heart,for we are the playthings of the greater powers,and surely some of them are evil.
“You will never leave me. Amathea,”I said:“I will respect your sleep and we will sit here together through all uncounted time,I holding you in my arms and you dreaming of the fields of Paradise. Nor shall anything part us. Amathea;you are my cat and I am your human. Now and onwards into the fullness of peace.”
Then it was that Amathea lifted herself once more,and with delicate,discreet,unweighted movement of perfect limbs leapt lightly to the floor as lovely as a wave. She walked slowly away form me without so much as looking back over her shoulder;she had another purpose in her mind;and as she so gracefully and so majestically neared the door which she was seeking,a short,unpleasant man standing at the bar said“Puss,Puss,Puss!”and stooped to scratch her gently behind the ear. With what a wealth of singular affection,pure and profound,did she not gaze up at him,and then rub herself against his leg in token and external expression of a sacramental friendship that should never die.
前些日子,我走进火车站一家酒吧,买了一杯啤酒便独自在一张小桌旁坐下,默想孤独的灵魂虽属必然却也可悲。开始想时还以为万物总有某种相同之处,尚可聊以自慰,不过继而一想,这不解决问题,人心还需要更多的东西。正当我可能通过长期研究发现不象灵魂、人心二词那么陈腐的第三个术语时,忽然,命运或福星给我送来一只毛光如丝的茶色长毛猫。
各国的人都有值得他们称道的猫,如果此话不假,那么英国人则应当好好称道他们的猫,因为世上没有如此顺遂如此友善的猫。但即便就英国猫而言,我这只猫格外友善聪明——尤其是友善。它轻轻一跳,跳到我的怀里,舒舒服服安顿下来,伸出可爱的右前爪,非常小心地碰碰我的胳膊,算是做了介绍,那眼光里充满乖巧然而天真的友爱,打量我,然后暗暗一笑,表示认可了。
经过这般亲近之后,谁也不会胆小得不作某种回答。我作了回答。我甚至冒昧地抚摩阿玛西亚(我正因这名字才有这番幻想);虽然我以尊重的方式开始作此表示,完全以最佳的对待陌生者的有礼态度为典范,但很快就增加了几分亲热,因为我发现我有了一个朋友而感动不已;是的,即便在这里,西南99路的地铁终点站。我继而(作法是得当的)由抚摩转入说话,说道:“阿玛西亚,美丽之极的猫,你为了得到宠爱为何偏偏挑中了我呢?是你看出我是一切有生命之物的朋友,还是你自己也因孤独而痛苦(尽管我相信你离你自己心爱的家很近),还是因为动物之心如同某些人的心一样有怜悯之情?那么,你的动机是什么?我这样问实在是蠢,天神以任何方式赐给我的任何幸福难道我反而不愿接受了?”
对这些问题,阿玛西亚都已很响的咕噜声作了回答,以欣喜的紧闭的眼睛表示它对这次邂逅相逢感到高兴。
“我无比荣幸,阿玛西亚,”我说,算是回答:“我得到了安慰。我原先不知道世上有生命能活动的东西,当然更不用说有如此完美的茶色猫了,会为了自身起见愿意献出友谊,而且以奥妙的感情从各种有生之物当中寻求某一个同伴。如果你不用言语跟我交谈,我知道是何原因并且表示称赞;因为一切分歧的根源就在于言语,而最意味深长的友爱总是无言的。至少,这是我从一本书上读到的,阿玛西亚;是啊,就在前些日子。但是我承认,我这胜过言词的表示不是这本书告诉我的,我以我脆弱的心灵的感激之情继续向你表示的爱抚也不是这本书告诉我的。”
阿玛西亚对此略表谢意——并无轻蔑之意——微微地摇摇头,然后称心如意地安顿下来。
“啊,美丽的阿玛西亚,你发现我赞美你之前已有许多人赞美过你了,当我不再隶属于你时,将要赞美你的还会多得很,有的会用你的语言赞美你。但是不会有人比我更真诚地赞美你。因为,世上没有一个活着的人比我更了解猫的四大魅力就在于它那紧闭的眼睛,漂亮的长毛,无言,甚至还在于它那种假情假意的友爱。”
阿玛西亚听到“假”这个字时,抬起头,敏感地仰望着我,又伸出右前爪碰碰我的胳膊,然后又安顿下来,咕噜咕噜,好不幸福。
“你是安全的啊,”我哀伤地说,“你面前不存在人终有一死的问题。你自得其乐,对生离死别都无先见之明。唯其如此,猫啊,我才越发欢迎你。因为,如果你们猫类乐于在尘世悠然自得,那么,我们人类也许能通过效法你们,不过多考虑将来,也不过多回忆以往那早已逝去而且永不再回来的一切,从而悠然自得。还有我还要感谢你,阿玛西亚,我可爱的尤普洛卡谟(相识已有整整五分钟,也未见有何不顺从的表示,所以我变得亲热些了)。”你使我想起了我的青年时代,你梦幻般地、瞬息间地把我的青年时代归还给了我。因为,(哦,我的猫啊!)就连不幸的人类也有过一个时代,一个幸福的青年时代。那时候,万物皆与肉体生活协调一致,睡眠有规律而且睡得久,睡得熟;仇恨或是无从知晓或是成了寻乐的话题;整个生命躺在希望的怀抱中,就象你现在安睡在我膝上一样,阿玛西亚。是的,我们,我们这受诅咒的人类也懂得安宁平和。不过,你们从懵懵懂懂、活蹦乱跳的幼年到幸好极其短暂的那个倒霉的末日,都保持着安宁而不变,而我们把握住安宁而不变,而我们把握住安宁的时间却极其短暂。但我不愿以生命必有终结的哀叹使你悲伤。那样做实在是不忠,是以恶行回报你的善意。什么!既然你从伦敦七百万大众中挑中我是为了给我以好心的安慰,既然你如此突然的表示要做我的爱畜,那么我能不能把一些人——你只知道他们给你吃让你住或从不过问你,此外你对他们一无所知——的苦难对你讲一讲,行不行?狗是把我们看作偶像的,至少你不把我们看作偶像,因而我越发感激你的这般赏识——以及其他种种。“
阿玛西亚慢慢地站起来,弓弓背,打个哈欠,带着比刚才更美妙的微笑望着我,然后走来走去,已想好把我的上衣当作它的新床榻,在上衣上安顿下来,又开始咕噜咕噜,好不惬意。
我早就确信,从那空虚无聊的人世,我已得到根深蒂固的爱心,并将从此安慰我的心;我已改变了长年的心绪,对万物的生命的看法有了转变,开始有了一种鉴赏,有一种跟福祉很亲密的关系——这一切都通过新的慈爱之环而来——忽然,不是什么东西这时撞翻凡人嘴边的至福之杯,并把它撞得粉碎。那时恶魔撒旦把致命的判决进了我心里,因为我们是权力更大者的玩物,而有些权力更大者当然是邪恶的。
“你永远不离开我,阿玛西亚,”我说,“我要关怀你的安睡,我们要永无尽期地一起坐在这里,我抱着你,你梦到乐园的田野。也不会有什么把我们分开,阿玛西亚;你是我的猫,我是你的人。我们永不分离,从现在起一直到彼此都沉浸在无限的安宁之中。”
就在此时,阿玛西亚又站了起来,轻轻一跳,跳到地上,那四脚熟练,动作优雅、谨慎、轻飘,美如波浪。它慢慢离我而去,甚至不回头看看我;它心里另有打算;当它风度优雅、大摇大摆的快到它找的门时,站在酒吧柜台旁的一个令人讨厌的矮个子说:“小猫咪,小猫咪,小猫咪!”接着弯下腰轻轻地搔它的后颈。它抬头注视他,那种神情充满无比的爱,即纯朴又奥妙,然后在那人的腿上擦一擦,算是象征了并从外表上表示了神圣的友谊是永存的。
H.Belloc