01—作者其人
塞缪尔·佩皮斯(Samuel Pepys,1633.2.23—1703.5.26),17世纪英国作家和政治家,著有著名的《佩皮斯日记》(The Dairy of Samuel Pepys)。曾任英国皇家海军部长,是英国现代海军的缔造者,他治下的皇家海军舰队为日后英帝国统治海洋打下了坚实的基础。曾任英国皇家学会会长(一六八四至一六八六年),以会长的名义批准了牛顿巨著《自然哲学之数学原理》的初版印刷。
02—日记介绍
佩皮斯于1659至1669近十年间以日记的形式完整记录了自己生活和工作中的见闻琐事,大到1665年的大瘟疫和1666年伦敦大火灾,小至家里的浴室和Kenelme Digdby爵士制作小蛋糕的精确配方。
Samuel Pepys: Diary堪称"前无古人,后无来者"的天才之作。日记原稿六本,全部以速记符号写成。佩皮斯一生爱藏书,他的遗嘱郑重其事,将藏书及日记留赠给剑桥,由莫狄连学院Magdalene College保存。日记清楚显示在藏书目录里,但无人问津,埋没了百多年,直至1818年,由于与佩皮斯同期的历史人物John Evelyn的日记出版大获好评,当时莫狄连的院长才"发掘"出佩皮斯的日记来,把工作交给了一名穷学生John Smith。他日以继夜,花了三年时间,把佩皮斯的3102页除了极不雅部分之外全译出来,长达9325页原稿,所得的报酬只是二百镑。但最讽剌的是,其实译码索引一直都是在藏书之中!
在线阅读和kindle相关版本下载:http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4200
03—日记展示
17th. Office day. At noon came Mr. Creed to me, whom I took along
with me to the Feathers in Fish Street, where I was invited by Captain
Cuttance to dinner, a dinner made by Mr. Dawes and his brother. We had
two or three dishes of meat well done; their great design was to get me
concerned in a business of theirs about a vessel of theirs that is in
the service, hired by the King, in which I promise to do them all the
service I can. From thence home again with Mr. Crew, where I finding
Mrs. The. Turner and her aunt Duke I would not be seen but walked in the
garden till they were gone, where Mr. Spong came to me and Mr. Creed,
Mr. Spong and I went to our music to sing, and he being gone, my wife
and I went to put up my books in order in closet, and I to give her her
books. After that to bed.
18th. This morning, it being expected that Colonel Hacker and Axtell
should die, I went to Newgate, but found they were reprieved till
to-morrow. So to my aunt Fenner's, where with her and my uncle I drank
my morning draft. So to my father's, and did give orders for a pair
of black baize linings to be made me for my breeches against to-morrow
morning, which was done. So to my Lord's, where I spoke with my Lord,
and he would have had me dine with him, but I went thence to Mr.
Blackburne, where I met my wife and my Will's father and mother (the
first time that ever I saw them), where we had a very fine dinner.
Mr. Creed was also there. This day by her high discourse I found Mrs.
Blackburne to be a very high dame and a costly one. Home with my wife
by coach. This afternoon comes Mr. Chaplin and N. Osborn to my house, of
whom I made very much, and kept them with me till late, and so to bed.
At my coming home. I did find that The. Turner hath sent for a pair of
doves that my wife had promised her; and because she did not send them
in the best cage, she sent them back again with a scornful letter, with
which I was angry, but yet pretty well pleased that she was crossed.
19th. Office in the morning. This morning my dining-room was finished
with green serge hanging and gilt leather, which is very handsome. This
morning Hacker and Axtell were hanged and quartered, as the rest are.
This night I sat up late to make up my accounts ready against to-morrow
for my Lord. I found him to be above L80 in my debt, which is a good
sight, and I bless God for it.
20th. This morning one came to me to advise with me where to make me a
window into my cellar in lieu of one which Sir W. Batten had stopped
up, and going down into my cellar to look I stepped into a great heap
of----by which I found that Mr. Turner's house of office is full and
comes into my cellar, which do trouble me, but I shall have it helped.
To my Lord's by land, calling at several places about business, where I
dined with my Lord and Lady; when he was very merry, and did talk very
high how he would have a French cook, and a master of his horse, and his
lady and child to wear black patches; which methought was strange, but
he is become a perfect courtier; and, among other things, my Lady saying
that she could get a good merchant for her daughter Jem., he answered,
that he would rather see her with a pedlar's pack at her back, so she
married a gentleman, than she should marry a citizen. This afternoon,
going through London, and calling at Crowe's the upholster's, in Saint
Bartholomew's, I saw the limbs of some of our new traitors set upon
Aldersgate, which was a sad sight to see; and a bloody week this and the
last have been, there being ten hanged, drawn, and quartered. Home, and
after writing a letter to my uncle by the post, I went to bed.