最优美的散文-第18部分
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法禁锢，任何贫困都阻挡不了，任何关税也无法限制，他任凭思想自由驰骋，甚至“泰晤士图书俱乐部”也只能对他的收获有节制地施加打击。只要尽力而为了，不管作品的结果是好是坏，他都会觉得很开心。我总相信在风云变幻、令人头疼的政治生涯中，有一条通向宁静富饶之地的退路，那是任何无赖都到达不了的地方，我永远不会感到失败的沮丧，也永远不会空虚无聊，哪怕没有权势。的确，在那时，我虔诚地感谢自己生来就爱好写作；在那时，我无比感激每个时代、每片疆土上的所有勇士，是他们作出的斗争确立了现在写作无可争议的自由。
英语是一种多么高尚的语言！我们每写下一页，都沉浸在母语的柔韧灵活、博大精深为我们带来的不容质疑的喜悦中。如果一位英国作家，不能用练达的英语说出他必须说的话，那么那句话或许不值得说。倘若没有深入研究英语，那是何等的憾事！我不是要攻击古典教育。凡是自信对文学有点鉴赏力的人，都不可能漠视希腊文、罗马文。但我得承认，我深深地忧虑我国目前的教育制度。我难以相信这个制度是好的，甚至是合理的，因为它把只有少数特权人物和天才才能欣赏的东西，展示在不情愿接受又大惑不解的大众面前。对大多数公学的学生来说，古典教育始终都是些冗长无用和没有什么意义的陈词滥调。如果有人告诉我，古典课程是学习英语的最好准备，那我就回答说，迄今为止，大多数学生已完成学业，然而这个准备阶段仍然未完成，也没有收获任何预期的优势。
写作的乐趣（2）
那些无缘成为大学者而又对古代作家有所了解的人，难道可以说他们已经掌握了英语吗？那些从大学和公学毕业的年轻人，有几人能把一段拉丁诗文娴熟地写下来，足以让坟墓中的古罗马人为之动情！而能够写出几行连珠妙语的人就更少了，更不用说用英语简洁练达地写出几个精彩的段落！不过，我倒是非常羡慕古希腊人——当然我得听别人讲述他们的情形——我很乐意见到我们的教育家至少能在一个方面效仿古希腊人。古希腊人如何运用自己的语言，使之成为人类迄今所知最高雅、最简练的表达方式呢？他们是否用了毕生的时间学习在此之前的语言？他们是否不知疲倦地潜心研究某个已不复存在的世界里的原始方言了？根本没有！他们只学习希腊语。他们学习自己的语言。他们热爱它，珍惜它，修饰它，拓展它，因此，它才能得以延续，其楷模和乐趣供所有后人享用。毫无疑问，对我们来说，既然英语已经为自己在现代世界里赢得了这般举世无双的地位，我们至少能从古希腊人那里吸取些训导，在多年的教育中稍微操点心，抽空去学习一种也许在人类未来发展中起到主导作用的语言。
让我们记住了，作家永远可以发挥最大的努力。他找不出任何托辞不这样做。板球明星也许会发挥失常。将军在决战之日也许会牙疼，也许他的部队很糟糕。舰队司令也可能会晕船——作为晕船者我满意地想到了那意外。卡鲁索可能会得粘膜炎，哈肯施米特也会得流感。对于一位演说家来说，仅仅是想得好和想得正确是不够的，他还得脑筋转得快。速度至关重要；随机应变越来越成为优秀演说家的标志。所有这些活动都需要行动者在一个特定的时刻全心全意地付出，而无法掌控的各种事态也许决定着这一时刻。作家的情况就不需要这样。他可以等到一切准备就绪时再出场。他永远可以把他的最大潜能发挥出来。他并不依赖于自己在某一天的最佳时刻。他可以把二十天的最佳时刻攒起来。他没有理由不尽最大的努力。等待他的机会多，赋予他的责任也很重大。有人说过这样的话——我忘了是谁说的——“言语是惟一恒久的东西”。我以为这永远是绝妙的思想。人类用石块垒起的如此坚固的大厦，是人类力量最伟大的结晶，也可能会夷为平地，而那一闪而过的言辞，那思绪飞扬时即逝的表达却延续了下来，但它不是历史的回音，不是纯粹的建筑奇迹或令人肃然起敬的遗迹，但它的力量依旧强大，生命依旧鲜活，有时候远比当初说出来的时候更加坚强有力，它穿越了三千年的时光隧道，为生活在现在的我们照亮了世界。
The Joys of Writing
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
The fortunate people in the world—the only really fortunate people in the worldin my mind—are those whose work is also their not nearly so large as it is often represented to be；and authors are perhaps one of the most important elements in its to be able to make your work your pleasure is the one class distinction in the world worth striving for；and I do not wonder that others are inclined to envy those happy human beings who find their livelihood in the gay effusions of their fancyto whom every hour of labor is an hour of enjoyment to whom repose—however necessary—is a tiresome interludeand even a holiday is almost has much to say or littleif he cares about writing at allhe will appreciate the pleasures of s table on a sunny morningwith four clear hours of uninterruptible securityplenty of nice white paperand a Squeezer pen—that is true —what more is there than to desire？ What does it matter what happens outside？ The House of mons may do what it likeand so may the House of for four hoursat any ratewe will withdraw ourselves from a monillgovernedand disorderly world；and with the key of fancy unlock that cupboard where all the good things of the infinite are put away。书 包 网 txt小说上传分享
写作的乐趣（3）
And speaking of freedom is not the author freeas few men are free？ Is he not secureas few men are secure？ The tools of his industry are so mon and so cheap that they have almost ceased to have mercial no elaborate apparatusno service of men or and nothing outside him that selfsupporting；self；no one can force him to exercise his faculty against his will；no one can prevent him exercising it as he no poverty can chokeno tariff can restrict the free play of his mindand even the “Times〃 Book Club can only exert a moderately depressing influence upon his so long as he does his best he is indeedthat I feel devoutly thankful to have been born fond of indeedthat I feel grateful to all the brave and generous spirits whoin every age and in every landhave fought to establish the now unquestioned freedom of the pen。
And what a noble medium the English language the flexibility and the profoundness of our motherand in simple Englishdepend upon it—it is probably not worth or even reasonablewhich thrusts upon reluctant and unprehending multitudes of treasures which can only be appreciated by the privileged and gifted ；meaningless I reply that by far the greater number of students finish their education while this preparatory stage is still inplete and without deriving any of the benefits which are promised as its result。书包 网 。 想看书来
写作的乐趣（4）
And even of those whowithout being great scholarsattain a certain general acquaintance with the ancient writerscan it really be said that they have also obtained the mastery of English？ How many young gentlemen there are from the universities and public schools who can turn a Latin verse with a facility which would make the old Romans squirm in their or still less a few good paragraphs of plain；correctand straightforward I am a great admirer of the Greeks；althoughof courseI have to depend upon what others tell me about them—and I would like to see our educationists imitate in one respectat leastthe Greek they cherished itthey adorned itthey expanded itand that is why it survives a model and delight to all whose mothertongue has already won for itself such an unequalled empire over the modern worldcan learn this lesson at least from the ancient Greeks and bestow a little care and some proportion of the years of education to the study of a language which is perhaps to play a predominant part in the future progress of mankind。
Let us remember the author can always do his —as a sufferer I reflect with satisfaction upon that or Hackenschmidt with it is not enough for him to be able to think well and ；great also is his responsibility。
Someone—I forget who—has said：“Words are the only things last for ever。” That is；to my mind；always a wonderful ；the mightiest monuments of his power；crumble into dust；while the words spoken with fleeting breath；the passing expression of the unstable fancies of his mind；endure not as echoes of the past；not as mere archaeological curiosities or venerable relics；but with a force and life as new and strong；and sometimes far stronger than when they were first spoken；and leaping across the gulf of three thousand years；they light the world for us today。
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论 读 书
＇英国＇弗兰西斯·培根
本文选自培根的《随笔录》，这是他在文学方面的主要著作，共收录短文58篇，内容涉及哲学、伦理、道德、治学、生活等多方面，内容短小精悍，文笔清新隽永，说理平易透彻，发人深思，其风格与我国唐宋时期的古文大师颇为相似。
读书可以陶冶情操，修养身心，可以敷彩，可以长智。读书的主要用途，就怡情而言，体现在独处幽居的时候；就敷彩而言，体现在交谈的时候；就长智而言，体现在判断处理事物的时候。专家学者能有条不紊地处理事情，辨析事物
