THE AUTHOR'S ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF 欧文自述

admin管理员组

文章数量:1565292

2024年4月26日发(作者：)

IWASalwaysfondofvisitingnewscenes,andobservingstrange

enamerechildIbeganmytravels,and

mademanytoursofdiscoveryintoforeignpartsandunknownregionsof

mynativecity,tothefrequentalarmofmyparents,andtheemolument

wintoboyhood,Iextendedtherangeofmy

dayafternoonswerespentinramblesaboutthe

yselffamiliarwithallitsplacesfamous

veryspotwhereamurderorrobberyhad

beencommitted,edtheneighboringvillages,

andaddedgreatlytomystockofknowledge,bynotingtheirhabitsand

customs,ourneyed

onelongsummer'sdaytothesummitofthemostdistanthill,whenceI

stretchedmyeyeovermanyamileofterraincognita,andwasastonished

tofindhowvastaglobeIinhabited.

fvoyages

andtravelsbecamemypassion,andindevouringtheircontents,I

tfullywouldI

wanderaboutthepier-headsinfineweather,andwatchthepartingships,

boundtodistantclimes-withwhatlongingeyeswouldIgazeaftertheir

lesseningsails,andwaftmyselfinimaginationtotheendsoftheearth!

Furtherreadingandthinking,thoughtheybroughtthisvague

inclinationintomorereasonablebounds,onlyservedtomakeitmore

edvariouspartsofmyowncountry;andhadIbeenmerely

aloveroffinescenery,Ishouldhavefeltlittledesiretoseek

elsewhereitsgratification,foronnocountryhavethecharmsofnature

htylakes,likeoceansofliquid

silver;hermountains,withtheirbrightaerialtints;hervalleys,

teemingwithwildfertility;hertremendouscataracts,thunderingin

theirsolitudes;herboundlessplains,wavingwithspontaneousverdure;

herbroaddeeprivers,rollinginsolemnsilencetotheocean;her

tracklessforests,wherevegetationputsforthallitsmagnificence;her

skies,kindlingwiththemagicofsummercloudsandglorioussunshine;-

no,neverneedanAmericanlookbeyondhisowncountryforthesublime

andbeautifulofnaturalscenery.

ButEuropeheldforththecharmsofstoriedandpoeticalassociation.

Thereweretobeseenthemasterpiecesofart,therefinementsof

highly-cultivatedsociety,thequaintpeculiaritiesofancientand

vecountrywasfullofyouthfulpromise:Europewas

yruinstoldthehistory

oftimesgoneby,d

towanderoverthescenesofrenownedachievement-totread,asitwere,

inthefootstepsofantiquity-toloiterabouttheruinedcastle-to

meditateonthefallingtower-toescape,inshort,fromthecommonplace

realitiesofthepresent,andlosemyselfamongtheshadowygrandeurs

ofthepast.

Ihad,besideallthis,anearnestdesiretoseethegreatmenofthe

,itistrue,ourgreatmeninAmerica:notacitybuthas

ingledamongtheminmytime,andbeen

almostwitheredbytheshadeintowhichtheycastme;forthereisnothing

sobalefultoasmallmanastheshadeofagreatone,particularlythe

sanxioustoseethegreatmenofEurope;

forIhadreadintheworksofvariousphilosophers,thatallanimals

degeneratedinAmerica,manofEurope,

thoughtI,mustthereforebeassuperiortoagreatmanofAmerica,as

apeakoftheAlpstoahighlandoftheHudson;andinthisideaIwas

confirmed,byobservingthecomparativeimportanceandswelling

magnitudeofmanyEnglishtravellersamongus,who,Iwasassured,were

isitthislandofwonders,

thoughtI,andseethegiganticracefromwhichIamdegenerated.

Ithasbeeneithermygoodorevillottohavemyrovingpassion

anderedthroughdifferentcountries,andwitnessed

tsaythatIhavestudied

themwiththeeyeofaphilosopher;butratherwiththesaunteringgaze

withwhichhumbleloversofthepicturesquestrollfromthewindowof

oneprint-shoptoanother;caughtsometimesbythedelineationsof

beauty,sometimesbythedistortionsofcaricature,andsometimesbythe

thefashionformoderntouriststo

travelpencilinhand,andbringhometheirportfoliosfilledwith

sketches,Iamdisposedtogetupafewfortheentertainmentofmy

,however,IlookoverthehintsandmemorandumsIhave

takendownforthepurpose,myheartalmostfailsmeatfindinghowmy

idlehumorhasledmeasidefromthegreatobjectsstudiedbyevery

shallgiveequal

disappointmentwithanunluckylandscapepainter,whohadtravelledon

thecontinent,but,followingthebentofhisvagrantinclination,had

sketchedinnooks,andcorners,tchbookwas

accordinglycrowdedwithcottages,andlandscapes,andobscureruins;

's,ortheColiseum;thecascade

ofTerni,orthebayofNaples;andhadnotasingleglacierorvolcano

inhiswholecollection.

参考译文：

作者自述

本文标签： 译文自述参考作者