10 查爾斯·蘭姆致S.T.柯勒律治 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge

查爾斯·蘭姆(Charles Lamb)

名人檔案

查爾斯·蘭姆(1775—1834)，英國(guó)散文家。代表作包括《蘿莎蒙德·格雷》、《約翰·伍德維爾》、《伊利亞散文集》和《莎士比亞故事集》等。這其中又以其與姐姐于1807年合寫的《莎士比亞故事集》最為著名。蘭姆姐弟情深，共同攜手度過了生命中最艱難的時(shí)刻：1796年，姐姐精神病發(fā)作，殺死母親。蘭姆終身未婚，承擔(dān)起了照顧姐姐和家庭的義務(wù)。

簡(jiǎn)介與鑒賞

在這封寫給摯友S.T.柯勒律治的信中，蘭姆記錄了這場(chǎng)家庭悲劇以及自己當(dāng)時(shí)的心境：姐姐在精神失常中失手殺死了母親，“不過感謝上帝，我可以泰然處之，為事務(wù)盡其所能”?；蛟S就是從這一刻起，蘭姆毅然地下定決心，用自己的一生來照顧父親和姐姐。他頗為平靜地向朋友坦言：“對(duì)我來說‘前事已成過眼云’，留待我去做的事還有許多，不該為悲傷所累。”

整篇文字不多，卻用簡(jiǎn)練的語言概括了家庭慘劇的來龍去脈，并以相當(dāng)克制的語言將慘劇背后的極端痛苦壓抑起來。這封信的價(jià)值雖然更多地體現(xiàn)在文獻(xiàn)方面，但我們?nèi)耘f能夠透過蘭姆哀而不傷的表達(dá)，體會(huì)他肩上的責(zé)任，更為其在這樣沉重的家庭負(fù)擔(dān)重壓下，依舊繼續(xù)自己熱愛的文學(xué)創(chuàng)作，而感到深深的敬意！

英文正文

p.m. September 27, 1796

My dearest friend,

White or some of my friends or the public papers by this time may have informed1you of the terrible calamities2that have fallen on our family. I will only give you the outlines. My poor dear dearest sister in a fit3of insanity4has been the death of her own mother. I was at hand only time enough to snatch the knife out of her grasp. She is at present in a mad house, from whence I fear she must be moved to an hospital. God has preserved5to me my senses,—I eat and drink and sleep, and have my judgment I believe very sound. My poor father was slightly wounded, and I am left to take care of him and my aunt. Mr. Norris of the Bluecoat school has been very very kind to us, and we have no other friend, but thank God I am very calm and composed6, and able to do the best that remains to do. Write,—as religious a letter as possible—but no mention of what is gone and done with.—With me “the former things are passed away,” and I have something more to do that [than] to feel—God almighty have us all in his keeping.