第33章让生命在书香与自然中升华(3)
Macaulayhadwealthandfame,rankandpower,aellsusinhisbiographythatheoiesthoursofhislifetobooks。Inaglettertoalittlegirl,hesays:"Ifanyonewouldmakemethegreatestkingthateverlived,withpaladgardensandfinedinners,andwinesandcoadbeautifulclothes,andhundredsofservants,onthatIshouldnotreadbooks,Iwouldnotbeaking。Iwouldratherbeaparretwithplentyofbooksthanakingwhodidn。"
书对于人类,就如同记忆对于个人一样。书记载了民族的历史,人类的发现,世代累积的知识和?验;书为我们描述自然界的奇迹和美丽,帮我们渡过难关,在我们伤痛时给予安慰,将疲劳的日子变为快乐的时刻;书把各种想法存储于我们的头脑,并用美好而快乐的思想充实它,从而使我们得以提升与超越。
读书时,请不要做王宫里的国王,最好让自己沉醉在山林海滨,探寻美丽奇景,而不必受疲惫、麻烦和费用巨大之苦。书籍把珍贵无价的祝福撒在身边的小径。我们以高尚的心灵,在想象中穿过瑰丽迷人的地方。
麦考利拥有财富和名声、地位和权力,然而他在自传里告诉我们,他一生中最快乐的时光就是与书为伴的日子。在一封写给一个小女孩的迷人信件中,他写道:“如果有人能让我做有史以来最伟大的国王,让我拥有宫殿、园林、美酒、佳肴、马车、华服和上百名仆从,却以不能读书为条件,我不会做这个国王。我宁愿做个穷人,住在小阁楼却能博览群书,而不愿变成不爱读书的国王。”
适合的才是最好的
SuitIsBest
[英国]威廉·黑兹利特>
Theproperforceofwordslieshemselves,butintheirappli。Awordmaybeafinesoundingword,ofanuh,andveryimposingfromitslearningay,aheinwhichitisintroducedmaybequitepointlessaisnotpomporpretensioionoftheexpressiohatchesawriter'smeaning:asitisnotthesizelossihematerials,buttheirbeioitsplace,thatgivesstrengthtothearch;orasthepegsandnailsareasothesupportofthebuildiimbers,ahanthemereshowy,unsubstantialors。Ihateanythingthatoccupiesmorespaitisworth。Ihatetoseealoadofbandboxesgoalo,aoseeaparcelofbigwordswithoutanythinginthem。Apersodeliberatelydimplesofallhisthoughtsalikeincumbrousdraperiesandflimsydisguises—maystrikeouttweiesoffamiliareverydaylanguage,eaewhathefeeliodatlastnothituponthatpartidonlyonewhichmaybesaidtobeidenticalwiththeexactimpressioninhismind。ThiswouldseemtoshowthatMr。Cobaltishardlyrightinsayingthatthefirstwordthatoccursisalwaysthebest。Itmaybeaverygoodoermaypresentitselfoionorfromtimetotime。Itmaybesuggestednaturally,hoontaneously,fromafreshandlivelyofthesubject。
词汇的严格意义不在于词汇本身,而在于词汇的应用。一个单词可能音节嘹亮,字母很多,单就它的学术价值和新奇感来说,可能是令人叹赏的,然而把它放在具体的语境中,也可能毫无意义。表达作者的写作意图不是依靠词汇的华丽和夸张,而是对作者主题的贴切适用。正如在建筑中,不必在意材料的大小和光泽,只要它们砌合得完整严实,就能牢固地支撑拱门。又或是在建筑物中,木楔和钉子的支撑作用有时竟与大件木料同等重要,它的作用远远胜过那些徒有其表、不结实的装饰部件。我讨厌那些空占地方的东西,讨厌满载一大堆空纸盒的车招摇过市,也讨厌堆砌那些大而无实际内容的词汇。一个人写文章,只要他不是故意用重重锦绣帐幔和多余伪装完全遮掩自己的写作意图,他总会从熟悉的日常用语中想出一二十种说法,这种语言更接近他所要表达的情感。最后,他就会因为不知道挑选哪一种说法能更好地表达自己而发愁!这样看来,考拜特先生所谓的“第一印象就是最好的说法”未必可靠。这样出现的字眼也许很好,可是?过一次次推敲,就会发现更好的字眼。这种字眼,也许来源于自然的暗示,但?过对主题清新活泼的推理,会自然而然地想到。
即使你拥有一把金钥匙,但不是能打开宝藏大门的钥匙,同样也无法获得更多的财富。一把钥匙只能开一把锁,合适的才是最好的。
书 友
panionshipofBooks
[英国]塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯SamuelSmiles
Amanmayusuallybeknownbythebookshereadsaswellasbythepahereisapanionshipofbooksaswellasofmen;andoneshouldalwaysliveipabeofbooksorofmen。
Agoodbookmaybeamooffriends。Itisthesametodaythatitalwayswas,anditwillneverge。Itisthemostpatientandpaniournitsbausintimesofadversityordistress。Italwaysreceivesuswiththesamekindness;amusingandinstrugusinyouth,andfandgusinage。
&eheiraffiherbythelovetheyhaveeachforabook—justastwopersoimesdiscoverafrieionwhichbothhaveforathird。Thereisanoldproverb,"Loveme,lovemydog。"Butthereismorewisdominthis:"Loveme,lovemybook。"Thebookisatruerandhigherbondofuhink,feel,andsympathizewitheachhtheirfavoriteauthor。Theyliveiher,ahem。
"Books,"saidHazlitt,"windihepoet'sverseslidesiofourblood。Wereadthemwhenyouhemwhehatithashappeoourselves。Theyaretobehadverydgood。Webreathebuttheairofbooks。"
Agoodbookisofteurnofalifeenshrihatlifekout;fortheworldofaman'slifeis,forthemostpart,buttheworldofhisthoughts。Thusthebestbooksaretreasuriesofgoldenthoughts,which,rememberedandcherished,beeourtpanionsandforters。"Theyareneveralo;saidSirPhilipSid;thatareapaniedbys。"
Theghtmayiemptationbeasanangelofmercypurifyingandguardialsoehegermsofa,foodwordsalmostaliretogoodworks。
Bookspossessanessenortality。Theyarebyfarthemostlastingproduaemplesandstatuesdecay,butbookssurvive。Timeisofnoatwithgreatthoughts,whichareasfreshtodayaswhepassedthroughtheirauthor'sminds,agesago。Whatwasthensaidandthoughtstillspeakstousasvividlyaseverfre。Theoimehasbeentosiftoutthebadproduothiuregsurvivebutwhatisreallygood。
Booksiothebestsocietytheybringusintothepresemindsthathaveeverlived。Wehearwhattheysaidahemasiftheywerereallyalive;wesympathizewiththem,enjoywiththem,grievewiththem;theirexperienesours,andwefeelasifwewereiorswiththemintheseswhichtheydescribe。