以书为友

⊙ By Samuel Smiles

翻译：王克礼

以书为友

⊙ By Samuel Smiles

翻译：王克礼

Companionship of Books

美式发音 适合精读

语速：150词/分钟

书籍是我们最亲密的朋友，陪伴我们走过悲欢，看尽离合，历经顺逆。无论你身处何种境遇，总有那么一段文字，会在某时某刻拨动你的心弦……

A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.

推荐背诵

A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of1)adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and2)consoling us in age.

背诵理由

本段赞美了好书对人类的重要性。作者不靠辞藻的堆砌或者绕口的长句，而是用平实的语言娓娓道来，清晰而有理，工整而富有韵律感，值得大家学习。

Men often discover their3)affinity to each other by the love they have each for a book—just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both have for a third. There is an old4)proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more5)wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and6)sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.

1) adversity [əd'vзːsɪtɪ] n. 不幸，逆境

2) console [kən'səʊi] v. 安慰，慰藉

3) affnity [ə'fɪnɪtɪ] n. 亲密关系，吸引力

4) proverb ['prɒvзːb] n. 格言，谚语

5) wisdom ['wɪzdəm] n. 智慧，才智

6) sympathize with 同意，同感

7) wind [waɪnd] v. 蜿蜒，缠绕

8) verse [vзːs] n. 诗歌，诗节

注1：威廉·哈兹里特（William Hazlitt，1778-1830），英国散文家、评论家、画家，在历史、哲学、政治方面都有著述。

“Books,” said Hazlitt注1, “7)wind into the heart; the poet’s8)verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it hashappened to ourselves. They are to be had very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books.”

A good book is often the best9)urn of a life10)enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are11)treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and12)cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. “They are never alone,” said Sir Philip Sidney注2,“that are accompanied by13)noble thoughts.”

The good and true thought may in times of14)temptation be as an angel of mercy15)purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.

推荐背诵

Books possess an16)essence of17)immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues18)decay, but books survive. Time is19)of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to20)sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

背诵理由

本段讲的是时光与书籍的关系，学习时可将重点放在时态上。谈现在的事情要用现在时，讲述过去的事情就用过去时，体现持续性的影响则用完成时——大家都学过这些规则，但你们能在写作中像作者这样运用自如吗？

Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them,21)grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were22)in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

The great and good do not die even in this world.23)Embalmed in books, their spirits walk24)abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens.25)Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The26)imperial27)intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.

见招拆招

苏格兰作家塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯（1812-1904）是19世纪伟大的道德学家、社会改革家，可以说是现代成功学的开山鼻祖。这篇散文是他最有名的代表作之一，句式工整，哲理深刻，充分体现了英式散文的语言之美。同学们可以仔细品读全文，摘抄一些印象深刻的句子——下次遇到关于读书的作文题，这就是好素材啦！

9) urn [зːn] n. 壶，瓮，坛

10) enshrine [ɪn'ʃraɪn] v. 把……放入龛内；铭记，珍藏

11) treasury ['treʒərɪ] n. 宝库，金库

12) cherish ['tʃerɪʃ] v. 珍爱，爱惜

13) noble ['nəʊb(ə)i] adj. 高尚的，崇高的

14) temptation [temp'teɪʃ(ə)n] n. 诱惑，引诱

15) purify ['pjʊərɪfaɪ] v. 使纯净，净化

16) essence ['esns] n. 精髓，要素

17) immortality [ɪmɔː'tæiətɪ] n. 不朽

18) decay [dɪ'keɪ] v. 衰微，衰败

19) of no account 不重要的，无价值的

20) sift [sɪft] v. 筛落，滤过（常与from或out连用）

21) grieve [griːv] v. 伤心，悲痛

22) in a measure 部分地，在某种程度上

23) embalm [ɪm'bɑːm] v. （给尸体）涂药物防腐；铭记，保存

24) abroad [ə'brɔːd] adv. 到处，广泛

25) hence [hens] adv. 因此，所以

26) imperial [ɪm'pɪərɪəi] adj. 崇高的，特等的

27) intellect ['ɪntɪiekt] n. 知识分子，有才之士

注2：菲利普·西德尼（1554-1586），英国学者、诗人、作家、政治家，后受封爵士，被伊丽莎白一世所重用。

参考译文

看一个人读些什么书，就可知道他的为人；就像看一个人同什么人交往，就可知道他的为人一样。因为世界上有人的伴侣，也有书的伴侣。无论是书友或是朋友，我们都应该择其最佳者而从之。

一本好书就像是一个最好的朋友。它矢志不渝，过去如此，现在仍然如此，将来也永远不变。它是最有耐心、最令人愉快的伴侣。在我们穷困潦倒、临危遭难的时候，它也不会抛弃我们，对我们总是一往情深。在我们年轻时，好书陶冶我们的性情，增长我们的知识；到我们年老时，它又给我们以安慰和勉励。

人们常常因为同爱一本书而结为知己，就像有时两个人会因为敬慕同一个人而交为朋友一样。古谚有云：“爱屋及乌。”但是，“爱我及书”有着更深的哲理。书是更为坚实高尚的情谊纽带。人们可以通过共同喜爱的作家来沟通思想感情，彼此息息相通。他们的思想都在作者的著述里得到体现，而作者的思想反过来又化为他们的思想。

散文家哈兹里特曾说：“书在人们的内心潜移默化，诗歌熏陶人们的气质品性。少小所习，老大不忘，恍如身历其事。书籍价廉物美，构成我们呼吸的空气。”

好书常如最精美的宝器，珍藏着人一生思想的精华。因为一个人的人生境界，主要在于他的思想境界。所以，最好的书是金玉良言的宝库，若将其中的崇高思想铭记于心，它便将成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰藉。菲利普·西德尼爵士说得好：“有高尚思想做伴的人永不孤独。”

当我们面临诱惑的时候，优美纯真的思想会像仁慈的天使一样保卫我们，让我们的灵魂保持纯净。它还孕育着行动的胚芽，因为金玉良言几乎总会启发善行。

书籍具有不朽的本质，是人类的勤奋努力至今最为持久的产物。神殿总会倒坍，神像总会朽烂，而书却经久长存。对于伟大的思想来说，时间是无关重要的。多少年前初次闪现在作者脑海里的伟大思想，今天看来依然清新如故。他们当时的言论和思想刊于书页，如今依然生动感人。时间唯一的作用就是淘汰不好的作品，因为只有真正的佳作才能经世长存。

书籍引导我们与最优秀的人物为伍，使我们置身历代伟人巨匠之间，如闻其声，如观其行，如见其人；我们同他们情感交融，悲喜与共。他们的感受成为我们自己的感受，我们就像在作者描绘的人生舞台上跟他们一起登台献艺。

即使在如今的人世间，伟大杰出的人物也是永生不灭的，他们的精神载入书册，传之四海。书是人们至今仍在聆听的智慧之声，永远充满活力。所以，我们至今仍会受到历代伟人的影响；多少世纪以前的盖世英才，至今仍然栩栩如生。