WILLIAM HALE WHITE (1831-1913)
【简介】
威廉·黑尔·怀特，小说家、评论家。长期用"马克·拉瑟福德"的笔名发表作品。出身于书商家庭。曾攻读神学，因在宗教方面持怀疑态度和对教师的不满，放弃学业后在海军部文职部门工作。1881年发表《马克·拉瑟福德自传》，讲述身为不信国教者的精神演变过程。小说《坦纳巷的革命》以同情的笔触刻画不信国教者和普通工人的生活状况。另有散文及短篇小说多种。
【原文】
An Afternoon Walk in October
It was a day by itself , coming after a fortnight ' s storm and rain . The sun did not shine clearly , but it spread through the clouds a tender , diffused light , crossed by level cloud - bars , which stretched to a great length , quite parallel . The tints in the sky were wonderful , every conceivable shade of blue - grey , which contrived to modulate into the golden brilliance in which the sun was veiled . I went out in the afternoon . It was too early in the year for a heavy fall of leaves , but nevertheless the garden was covered . They were washed to the sides of the roads , and lay heaped up over the road - gratings , masses of gorgeous harmonies in red , brown , and yellow . The chestnuts and acorns dropped in showers , and the patter on the gravel was a little weird . The chestnut husks split wide open when they came to the ground , revealing the polished brown of the shy fruit .
The lavish , drenching , downpour in extravagant excess had been glorious . I went down to the bridge to look at the floods . The valley was a great lake , reaching to the big trees in the fields which had not yet lost the fire in their branches . The river - channel could be discerned only by the boiling of the current . It has risen above the crown of the main stone arch , and swirled and plunged underneath it . A furious backwater , repulsed from the smaller arch , aided the tumult . The wind had gone and there was perfect silence , save for the agitation of the stream , but a few steps upwards the gentle tinkle of the little runnels could be heard in their deeply - cut , dark , and narrow channels . In a few minutes they were caught up , rejoicing , in the embrace of the deep river which would carry them with it to the sea . They were safe now from being lost in the earth .
I went a little further up the hill : a flock of about fifty sheep were crossing from a field on one side of the road to another directly opposite . They were packed close together , and their backs were an undulating continuous surface . The shep - herd was pursuing a stray sheep , and they stood still for a minute in the middle of the road . A farmer came up in his gig and was held back . He used impatient language . O farmer ! which is of more importance to the heavenly powers - that you should not be stopped , or that the sheep should loiter and go into that field at their own pace ? All sheep , by the way , look sad . Perhaps they are dimly aware of their destiny .
It was now about four o'clock. Two teams of plough - horses were coming out of a field on the way home . The owner takes great care of them . More magnificent horse never were seen ; glossy coats , tremendous haunches , strong enough to shake a house if it came to an earnest pull , immense feet , slow - stepping : very gentle the huge creatures seemed . The first team was led by a hale , ruddy - faced old man , between seventy and eighty , whom I have known for years . Always he has a cheery word for me . I told him he ought to be proud of such animals , and I am sure he is . He is happy on his eighteen shillings a week , looking neither before nor after , and knowing next to nothing of the world outside his village . Happy ? Yes , and reasonably happy .
By the side of the second team marched a boy of about fifteen , with whip almost erect over his shoulder . Put that boy back among his former comrades , the idlers in the village street , and he would be as unpleasant as any of them ; but , en - trusted with responsibility , he will pass through the middle of them , not knowing one .
I watched the procession through the farmyardgate , which slammed behind them , and , after leaning over it for a while , wandered homewards by the skirts of Hazel Wood just as the sun was setting . The footpath goes along the edge of a field , two sides of which are bounded by trees , for the most part not very tall , but some of them are elms and rise to a considerable height .
There is enough in a very common object to satisfy all our hunger - more than enough . I never leave the curve which limits the tops of the trees round that field without feeling that there is in it something which I cannot exhaust . The attraction is not the same as that of the view ' seen in passing . The ' view ' of a mountain peak or a waterfall is a surprise . I stay alone with my field for an hour or two and it begets , in addition to a growing sense of loveliness , a religious peace , victorious over trouble and doubt .
In 1814, before they were altered , the lines towards the end of the first book of the Excursion stood thus:
' those very plumes ,
Those weeds , and the high spear - grass on that wall ,
By mist and silent rain - drops silver ' d o ' er ,
As once I passed , did to my heart convey
So still an image of tranquility ,
So calm and still , and looked so beautiful
Amid the uneasy thoughts which filled my mind ,
That what we feel of sorrow and despair
From ruin and from change , and all the grief
The passing shows of Being leave behind ,
Appeared an idle dream , that could not live
Where meditation was . ‘
【译文】
十月午后散步
汪梅琼译
连续两个星期，一直雷雨交加，这个晴天也就分外难得。太阳并不灿烂，但是柔和的光线穿过条状云彩，向四处弥漫；条状云彩横贯长空，仿佛一条条平行线。天空的色彩美得令人惊叹，各种深浅不一的青灰色云彩，仿佛都在竭力化作一片灿烂金光，把太阳遮住。这天午后，我信步出门。这个时候还不到败叶萧萧落的季节，但是花园已被落叶覆盖。落叶被雨水冲到路边，堆积在排水栅格上面，红色的、褐色的、黄色的叶子，一堆堆，一丛丛，既绚丽多彩，又和谐悦目。栗子和像果雨点般纷纷坠下，吧嗒吧嗒打在砾石地上，那声音给人一种有点神秘的感觉。栗子落到地上，外壳绽裂开来，露出羞涩地躲在里面的油光光的褐色栗肉。
倾天而下的滂沱大雨留下一幅非常壮观的景象。我走到桥边，观赏那泛滥的河水。河谷此时已成一片浩瀚湖泽，河水漫溢到了田野里的大树，树枝上仍有天火留下的余烬。河道只能从沸腾的流水看出一个大致轮廓。河水已经涨到石桥主拱洞的顶部，在桥下回旋翻滚。稍小的那个拱洞档住可水去路，河水汹涌倒流，形成一幅更加惊心动魄的景象。风已经平息，除了河水的躁动声，四周一片静谧，但是向前再走几步，就可以听到几条小溪沿着幽深狭窄的河槽潺潺流动的声音，只需要几分钟的时间，这些小溪就会欢快地投入那条深河的怀抱，由那条深河把它们汇入大海。那时候，它们就到了安全的地方，不会再流失在土壤之中。
我继续朝着山上走了一段路：只见一群绵羊，大约五十头，正从路边一块田野穿过大路，走向正对面的另一块田野。它们紧紧挤在一起，背部构成一片绵延起伏的平面。牧羊人去追赶一头离群的羊，羊群一时停在了大路中间。一个农夫这时驾着一辆双轮马车走过来，被挡住了去路。他不耐烦地使用了粗暴的语言。啊，农夫！对于万能的上帝，哪件事情更加重要呢﹣﹣你不应该被挡住去路，还是羊群应该以它们自己的速度慢悠悠地走向对面那块田野？顺便说一句，羊群里的每一头羊，都是满脸悲哀神色。也许，它们已经隐约知道自己的命运。
现在大约是4点钟左右。两组耕田的马正离开一块农田，踏上回家的路。马的主人对它们照料得非常好。我从未见过比它们更加健美的马，它们的毛皮光滑闪亮；双胯肥硕健壮，只要真正用力一拉，足以动摇整幢房子；它们的四蹄虽大，步履却十分轻缓；看得出，它们虽然高大健壮，性情却是十分驯顺。第一组耕马由一个精神矍铄、面色红润的老汉牵引，老汉年纪在七十至八十之间，我认识他已有许多年了。每次见到我，他总要乐呵呵地跟我聊上几句。我对他说，他应该为这些马感到骄傲，其实我也知道，他确实感到骄傲。他每个星期只挣十八个先令，既不回顾过去，也不展望未来，除了自己那个小村庄，对于外部世界几乎一无所知，但是他感到幸福。幸福？是的，至少是相当幸福。
走在第二组耕马旁边的是个十五岁左右的少年，手里一根马鞭几乎是笔直地举在肩上。如果把这个少年放回到他以前那些同伴，那些在村头街上闲荡的青少年中间，他会和他们一样令人讨厌，但是现在身上担负起了责任，他即使从他们中间走过，也会形同陌路人一样，一个都不理睬。
我看着这马群走进农场大院的大门，大门在它们身后砰然关上。我倚在门上看了一会儿，然后在日落时分绕着赫兹尽收眼底。天上云彩绚丽，地上落英缤纷，绵羊成群，农夫赶车，一景一物，浓墨淡抹无不相宜，在作者的笔端化作壮美和秀美浑然一体的风景画。
久雨新霁，天色放晴，飒飒始有秋意，作者情不自禁出门领略这好光景。开头下笔便一洗俗套，败叶落地在他看来多姿多态，怡悦心目，毫无萧瑟凄凉的气象。继而承接上文，写风息雨止后沸腾的河水和潺潺的溪流。第三段换了一番景象，多了几分烟火味。悠悠哉哉的羊群听到农夫的怒骂，一时间神色黯然，其实这也是作者内心情感的流露，或许是有感于牲口都不得安生。接下来连着三节写耕马和农夫，有作者相识的七八十岁的老汉，也有十几岁已经肩负责任的少年。随着耕马的离去，夕阳西下时作者也绕道森林回家了。这里读者看到了普通人的骄傲和幸福以及作者的意在言外的感触和体悟。
文章的结尾是怀特精神追求的写照，其中蕴含着哲理的意味。作者并不单单是留恋光景，而是在与大自然的交流中汲取了养分，从而达到宁静的境界。天地间的山巅流泉不只是景物，而是帮助他"战胜一切烦恼和怀疑"的取之不尽的力量。在《不朽的征兆》中，华兹华斯有句名诗："不起眼的小花绽开时／能够表达深藏得泪水莫及的思想。"想必怀特也有同感，他和这位回归自然的诗人产生了深深的共鸣，于是援引《漫游》第一卷的尾声结束本文。
