04 切斯特菲爾德伯爵致兒子(2) Lord Chesterfield to His Son (2)

切斯特菲爾德伯爵(Lord Chesterfield)

簡介與鑒賞

在信中，切斯特菲爾德伯爵表揚了兒子取得的進步，并以英國人和法國人為例，一再重申儀態(tài)和教養(yǎng)的重要性。與本書所選的另一封切斯特菲爾德伯爵寫給兒子的信稍有不同，這封信短小精悍，用生動的類比出色地完成了道理的闡述。

與前一篇相比，這封信對于當(dāng)今中國讀者的現(xiàn)實意義更為深遠(yuǎn)。在全球化的今天，跨國交往與合作的機會越來越多，國人不單需要具備基本的語言技能，更需要建立在語言基礎(chǔ)上的教養(yǎng)和儀態(tài)的全方位提升。如何展現(xiàn)出一個大方、得體、自信的中國人形象，是每個人需要學(xué)習(xí)和錘煉的。

英文正文

Dear boy,

Whatever you do, will always affect me, very sensibly, one way or another; and I am now most agreeably affected by two letters, which I have lately seen from Lausanne, upon your subject; the one was from Madame St. Germain, the other from Monsieur Pampigny: they both give so good an account of you, that I thought myself obliged1, in justice both to them and to you, to let you know it.

Those who deserve a good character ought to have the satisfaction of knowing that they have it, both as a reward and as an encouragement. They write, that you are not only décrotté, but tolerably well-bred2; and that the English crust3of awkward bashfulness4, shyness, and roughness, (of which, by the bye, you had your share) is pretty well rubbed off5.I am most heartily glad of it; for, as I have often told you, those lesser talents, of an engaging, insinuating6manner, an easy good breeding, a genteel7behaviour and address, are of infinitely more advantage than they are generally thought to be, especially here in England.

Virtue and learning, like gold, have their intrinsic8v.lue; but if they are not polished, they certainly lose a great deal of their lustre9; and even polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.

What a number of sins does the cheerful, easy good breeding of the French frequently cover! Many of them want common sense, many more common learning; but, in general, they make up so much, by their manner, for those defects10, that, frequently, they pass undiscovered.

I have often said, and do think, that a Frenchman, who, with a fund of virtue, learning, and good sense, has the manners and good breeding of his country, is the perfection of human nature. This perfection you may, if you please, and I hope you will, arrive at.

You know what virtue is: you may have it if you will; it is in every man’s power; and miserable is the man who has it not. Good sense God has given you. Learning you already possess enough of, to have, in a reasonable time, all that a man need have. With this, you are thrown out early into the world, where it will be your own fault if you do not acquire all the other accomplishments necessary to complete and adorn11your character.

You will do well to make your compliments to Madame St. Germain and Monsieur Pampigny; and tell them how sensible you are of their partiality12to you, in the advantageous testimonies13which, you are informed, they have given of you here.

Adieu ! Continue to deserve such testimonies; and then you will not only deserve, but enjoy, my truest affection.

London,

March 6, O.S.1747

經(jīng)典語句

Those who deserve a good character ought to have the satisfaction of knowing that they have it, both as a reward and as an encouragement.

Virtue and learning, like gold, have their intrinsic value; but if they are not polished, they certainly lose a great deal of their lustre; and even polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.

單詞/詞組

1 obliged⁴adj. 有責(zé)任的

2 well-bred⁴adj. 有教養(yǎng)的；受過良好教育的

3 crust⁶n. 外殼；堅硬外皮

4 bashfulness⁸n. 羞怯；靦腆

5 rub off⁴phr. 擦掉；使顯得暗淡

6 insinuating⁸adj. 暗示的；討好的

7 genteel⁴adj. 有教養(yǎng)的，文雅的

8 intrinsic⁶adj. 本質(zhì)的，固有的

9 lustre⁴n.光澤，光彩

10 defect⁴n. 缺 點，缺陷；不足之處

11 adorn⁶vt. 裝飾；使生色

12 partiality⁴n. 偏心；偏袒；偏愛

13 testimony⁶n. 證詞，證言

中文譯文

親愛的孩子：

無論你做出什么樣的舉動，都會在某種程度上對我產(chǎn)生非常明顯的影響。最近我收到兩封洛桑的來信，一封寄自圣日耳曼夫人，另一封寄自龐比尼先生，他們都對你贊賞有加，我感到十分欣慰。因此，為了不辜負(fù)他們，也為了不辜負(fù)你，我覺得有必要寫信讓你知道。

那些配得上享有美名的人，應(yīng)該讓他們了解自己享有的名聲，從而感到快慰。這不僅是一種獎賞，而且是一種激勵。他們在信中夸你不僅彬彬有禮，而且很有教養(yǎng)；他們還說，原來你所具有的拘謹(jǐn)、害羞、膽怯和粗魯?shù)挠降耐獗?在我看來，你以前的確有過這些毛病)，現(xiàn)在幾乎全都消失了。聽了這些我十分高興，因為就像我經(jīng)常對你說的那樣，那些和藹可親的風(fēng)度、落落大方的儀表、溫文爾雅的舉止等次要的修養(yǎng)，比一般人所想象的要更為重要，尤其是在英國。

品格和學(xué)識就像黃金般珍貴，它們具有永恒的價值，然而如果不加以雕琢，它們肯定會失去絕大部分的光澤，人們甚至?xí)验W閃發(fā)光的黃銅看得比粗糙的黃金更珍貴。

法國人良好的儀態(tài)和教養(yǎng)不知掩蓋了多少瑕疵??！有很多法國人缺乏常識，甚至更多的法國人非常淺薄。但是，他們總會用儀態(tài)彌補這些缺點，因此人們往往察覺不到。

我常常這樣說，也這樣想，一個品德高尚、學(xué)識淵博、理性健全的法國人，再加上他們特有的儀態(tài)和良好的教養(yǎng)，可以說具有十全十美的人格了。只要你愿意，你一樣也能(我也期望你一定會)達(dá)到這種十全十美的境界。

你應(yīng)該明白什么叫品德，只要你樂意，你就能得到它；它是人人都做得到的事情，沒有得到它的人非常不幸。上天已經(jīng)賦予你遠(yuǎn)見卓識，你的學(xué)問也足夠用了——你在不算太長的時間里學(xué)會了應(yīng)該學(xué)的東西。你在擁有這些之后，很早就被送出去增長見識。你在外面如果吸取不到其他能使你的品格變得更加完美的修養(yǎng)，那就是你自己的問題了。

你應(yīng)該再去拜訪圣日耳曼夫人和龐比尼先生，告訴他們你從我這里了解到他們對你的溢美之詞，并向他們表示感謝。

再見！繼續(xù)努力吧，孩子！你要讓自己配得上這些贊美之詞，這樣的話，你就值得并且享有我的真愛。

舊歷1747年3月6日于倫敦