新浪博客

A Watering Place   温泉胜地--王佐良译Vs范守义译

2009-05-05 12:28阅读:
A Watering Place
by Hayden
The Warwickshire Avon falls into the Severn here, and on the sides of both, for many miles back, there are the finest meadows that ever were seen. In looking over them, and beholding the endless flocks and herds, one wonders what can become of all the meat! By riding on about eight or nine miles farther, however, this wonder is a little diminished; for here we come to one of the devouring WENS: namely, CHELTENHAM, which is what they call a “watering place”, that is to say, a place to which East India plunderers, West India floggers, English taxgorgers, together with gluttons, drunkards, and debauchees of all descriptions, female as well as male, resort, at the suggestion of silently laughing quacks, in the hope of getting rid of the bodily consequences of their manifold sins and iniquities. When I enter a place
like this, I always feel disposed to squeeze up my nose with my fingers. It is nonsense, to be sure; but I conceit that every two-legged creature, that I see coming near me, is about to cover me with the poisonous proceeds of its impurities. To places like this come all that is knavish and all that is foolish and all that is base; gamesters, pick-pockets, and harlots; young wife-hunters in search of rich and old women, and young husband-hunters in search of rich and wrinkled or half-rotten men, the former resolutely bent, be the means what they may, to giver the latter heirs to their lands and tenements. These things are notorious; and, Sir William Scott, in his speech of 1802, in favor of the non-residence of the Clergy, expressly said, that they and their families ought to appear at watering places, and that this was amongst the means of making them respected by their flocks! Memorandum: he was a member for Oxford when he said this!
温泉胜地
王佐良译
华立克夏的埃文河在此处流入塞纹河,两河沿岸若干英里水草丰美,前所未见。草地上牛羊成群,沿途不断。看着这景色、这牛羊,心想这些好肉可作多少用途,不禁感到神奇。但是再向前骑八九英里,这神奇之感就破灭了;原来我们已到达一个毒瘤似的害人地方,名叫却尔特能,所谓温泉胜地是也。这地方充满了东印度的劫掠者,西印度的奴隶主,英国的税吏、吃客、酒鬼、淫棍,各色各样,男女俱全。他们听了一些窃窃暗笑的江湖郎中的鬼话,以为在做了多少丑事,一身孽障,可以到此一洗而净!我每次进入这等地方,总想用手指捏住自己鼻子。当然这话没有道理,但我一看见这儿任何一个两脚畜生向我走来,实在觉得他们肮脏不堪,相是一有机会就要将他们的毒疮传染给我似的!来这地方的都是最恶劣、最愚蠢、最下流的人:赌鬼、小偷、娼妓,一心想娶有钱的丑老婆子的年轻男子,一心要嫁有钱的满脸皱纹、半身入土的老头子的年轻女人,这些少夫幼妻为了便于继承产业,不惜一切手段,坚决要为这些老夫衰翁生男育女!
这等丑事,尽人皆知。然而威廉司各特爵士在1802年演讲,明白主张牧师不必定居教区,而应携眷到温泉游览,据说这样反而能得到他们教区子民的尊敬云云。查此人作此语时,官任代表牛津城的国会议员!

滨河疗养胜地
范守义译
华立克郡境内的埃纹河于此地流入色纹河,两河沿岸数英里皆草场,其丰沃秀美之极未曾领略过。放眼望去,只见牛羊成群,连绵不绝,不由心中纳罕:这些都是肉呵,有如此之多,可如何处置为好呢?然继续骑行八九英里,心中惊讶释然少许:原来我等一行已来到一处“瘟市”,这个藏污纳垢的地方,切尔腾镇——即他们称之为滨河疗养胜地的地方。形形色色,纵情声色之饮食男女结队前往此间:有从东印度来的打家劫舍的强人,有从西印度来的专卖脏货的贩子,有从英国来的中饱私囊的税吏;还有饕餮、酒色之徒等等。这帮男女听信了江湖郎中的怂恿,蜂拥而至于此,满心希望将其因种种罪孽造成全身的沉疴在此一洗了之——而那些庸医却窃笑不已。每次来到这等地方,我总想捏住鼻子。说实在的,这是无稽之谈——然而,我脑海里浮现出这样的情景:凡我所见两条腿的东西走近我,行为不端,散发着恶毒气息,似乎就要把我笼罩住。来此地者有秉性恶劣的,还有行为下流的,全都来了:什么赌徒、小偷、窑姐儿啦;什么小伙儿一心想娶个又老又丑的富婆啦,什么妙龄少郎盘算嫁个皱纹满面,半截入土的阔老啦,管它用什么手段呢,这些少夫小妻们一门心思要把这些老朽们偌大的家产继承下来。这等龌龊之事孰人不知,孰人不晓。威廉司各特爵士在其1802年的讲话中赞同神职人员无须住在教区,他直言不讳的说道:牧师们及其眷属应到那些滨河疗养胜地走一遭,这倒不失为一个好办法,能使他们得到教民——像羊群一样的教民的尊敬。为立此存照事:此公言出此语时乃代表牛津镇议员者也!

我的更多文章

下载客户端阅读体验更佳

APP专享