02 托马斯·格雷致母亲 Thomas Gray to His Mother
托马斯·格雷(Thomas Gray)
名人档案
托马斯·格雷(1716—1771)，英国著名诗人，受感伤主义和浪漫主义的影响，其诗歌作品以失落和死亡为通常主题。1750年，格雷发表长诗《墓畔哀歌》，声名鹊起，成为“墓园派”的代表诗人。其作品还包括《诗的历程》和《吟游诗人》等。
简介与鉴赏
格雷尽管出生于一个相对富庶的家庭，但童年时代孱弱的体质与父亲的粗暴给他留下了阴影，使其一生都在忧郁中度过，其作品也难免沾染上伤感的色彩。幸运的是，格雷有一位爱他、呵护他的母亲。他与母亲的关系很好，这封信就是他在意大利旅行期间写给母亲的。在信中他详细、生动地给母亲介绍了意大利的风土人情。
这封信近似于游记，以描写为主，这也是作为墓畔诗人的格雷最擅长的。信中对意大利植被的准确描述，对自然风光和城市景象的生动再现，都给人以身临其境之感。
通过对这封信的学习，读者可以初步体会到，在描写性文章中，敏锐的洞察力、对形容词和动词的大量掌握以及独特的视角，都是必不可少的。
英文正文
Naples,
June 17, 1740.
Our journey hither was through the most beautiful part of the finest country in the world; and every spot of it on some account or other, famous for these three thousand years past. The season has hitherto1been just as warm as one would wish it; no unwholesome airs, or violent heats, yet heard of: The people call it a backward year, and are in pain about their corn, wine, and oil; but we, who are neither corn, wine, nor oil, find it very agreeable. Our road was through Velletri, Cisterna, Terracina, Capua, and Aversa, and so to Naples. The minute one leaves his Holiness’s dominions, the face of things begins to change from wide uncultivated2plains to olive groves and well tilled3fields of corn, intermixed4with ranks of elms, every one of which has its vine twining about it, and hanging in festoons5between the rows from one tree to another. The great old fig trees, the oranges in full bloom6, and myrtles in every hedge, make one of the delightfullest scenes you can conceive7; besides that, the roads are wide, well kept, and full of passengers, a sight I have not beheld8this long time. My wonder still increased upon entering the city, which I think for number of people, outdoes9both Paris and London. The streets are one continued market, and thronged with populace10so much that a coach can hardly pass. The common sort are a jolly lively kind of animals, more industrious11than Italians usually are; they work till evening; then take their lute12or guitar (for they all play) and walk about the city, or upon the sea shore with it, to enjoy the fresco13. One sees their little brown children jumping about stark naked, and the bigger ones dancing with castanets, while others play on the cymbal to them. Your maps will show you the situation of Naples; it is on the most lovely bay in the world, and one of the calmest seas: it has many other beauties besides those of nature. We have spent two days in visiting the remarkable places in the country round it, such as the bay of Baiae, and its remains of antiquity14; the lake Avernus, and the Solfatara, Charon’s grotto, etc. We have been in the Sybil’s cave and many other strange holes underground (I only name them because you may consult Sandy’s travels); but the strangest hole I ever was in, has been today at a place called Portici, where his Sicilian Majesty has a country seat. About a year ago, as they were digging, they discovered some parts of ancient buildings above thirty feet deep in the ground: curiosity led them on, and they have been digging ever since; the passage they have made, with all its turnings and windings15, is now more than a mile long. As you walk you see parts of an amphitheatre16, many houses adorned with marble17columns, and incrusted with the same, the front of a temple, several arched vaults of rooms painted in fresco. Some pieces of painting have been taken out from hence finer than anything of the kind before discovered, and with these the king has adorned his palace; also a number of statues, medals, and gems; and more are dug out every day. This is known to be a Roman town, that in the emperor Titus’s time was overwhelmed18by a furious19eruption20of Mount Vesuvius21, which is hard by. The wood and beams remain so perfect that you may see the grain; but burnt to a coal, and dropping into dust upon the least touch. We were today at the foot of that mountain, which at present smokes only a little, where we saw the materials that fed the stream of fire, which about four years since ran down its side. We have but a few days longer to stay here; too little in conscience for such a place.
单词/词组
1 hitherto6adv. 迄今；至今
2 uncultivated6adj. [农] 未经耕作的
3 till6vt. 耕种；犁
4 intermix6vt. 使混杂；使混合
5 festoon8n.花彩；[建]花彩装饰物
6 in full bloom4phr. 盛开
7 conceive4vi. 设想；想象
8 behold4vt. 看；注视
9 outdo4vt. 超过；胜过
10 populace4n. 大众；人口
11 industrious4adj. 勤勉的
12 lute4n.鲁特琴
13 fresco8n. 壁画
14 antiquity4n. 古物；古代的遗物
15 winding4n. 绕，缠；弯曲
16 amphitheatre8n. 圆形剧场；阶梯教室(等于amphitheater)
17 marble4adj. 大理石的
18 overwhelm4vt. 压倒；淹没
19 furious4adj. 激烈的；狂怒的
20 eruption4n. 爆发，喷发
21 Mount Vesuvius4n.维苏威火山
经典语句
The great old fig trees, the oranges in full bloom, and myrtles in every hedge, make one of the delightfullest scenes you can conceive; besides that, the roads are wide, well kept, and full of passengers, a sight I have not beheld this long time.
中文译文
我们抵达这里，欣赏了世界上最美丽国家的最迷人的风景。在已逝的三千年里，它的每一个景点都举世闻名。这个季节至今都像春天般温暖，令人心旷神怡，不像传闻说的那样空气污浊、热浪滚滚。人们都说今年四季延迟，因此对庄稼、酒和油的生产很不利；但我们却没有这些忧虑，所以感到很愉快。我们途经维勒特里、西斯特那、泰拉奇纳、卡普阿、阿韦尔萨，然后来到那不勒斯。离开教皇圣地没多久，地貌便从空旷荒芜的平原变成郁郁葱葱的橄榄树林和精耕细作的玉米地。其间穿插着几排榆树，一排排枝叶交错像悬挂在树间的花彩。高大的老无花果树、花朵绽放的橘子树和篱笆丛中的桃金娘交相辉映，构筑了一道你所能想象到的最赏心悦目的风景。另外，道路宽阔通畅，行人络绎不绝，我很久没有见过这样的景象了。城中景象更令人惊叹：这座城里的人比巴黎和伦敦多多了；邻街的街道相连，形成了一个大市场，摩肩接踵的人流让车马都难以行走。普通市民异常活跃，比一般意大利人要勤劳得多。他们能披星戴月地工作，然后操起鲁特琴或吉他(他们都善于奏乐)，或漫步在城中，或徜徉于海滩，并且陶醉在画壁画的快乐中。还会看见他们的小孩有着棕色的皮肤，赤裸身体跳来跳去，稍大点的孩子则击板起舞，由别人为他们击钹伴奏。你手上的地图会标出那不勒斯的位置，它位于世界上最可爱的海湾，与最宁静的海域之一毗邻。除了自然美景，它还有许多其他美丽的地方。我们花了两天时间参观那不勒斯周边的名胜，如贝亚湾、古城遗迹、埃弗诺斯湖、硫黄温泉、卡隆的避暑洞穴等。我们去过西比尔的岩洞和许多地下奇怪的洞穴(我只说出它们的名字，因为你可以在桑迪的游记中查到)。今天，我进了最奇异的一个岩洞，也就是波尔蒂奇岩洞，这里有着西西里国王建造的乡村别墅。一年前，人们在挖掘时，发现了地底下三十多英尺深处的一些古老建筑。在好奇心的驱使下，他们继续挖掘，自那时起他们就一直挖个不停。他们挖出的通道蜿蜒曲折，现在已经有一英里多长。你边走边看，可以见到一座圆形剧场的遗址，很多房子都装饰着大理石圆柱，其装潢都是一个模样；在一座寺庙的正面，好几个拱顶房间里都装饰着壁画。从这里拿走的一些画是目前为止所发现的最好作品，国王用它们来装饰他的宫殿。这里还有一定数量的雕像、勋章和珍宝；每天都能挖掘出好多。人们认为这是座提图斯皇帝统治时期的罗马古城，附近的维苏威火山爆发，淹没了整座城市。屋木横梁保存完好，能清晰地看见木纹，但它已完全炭化，轻轻一碰就化为粉末。今天，我们去了那座火山脚下，看到火山熔岩流的物质，大概是四年前冲下山的；现在山口只冒一点儿烟。我们只能在这里逗留几天，说实在的，目睹这样胜地美景的时间真是太短了。
1740年6月17日于那不勒斯
