第11章 快乐的期待 (2/2)

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br />     所有其他的快乐也同样是无法确定的。变换环境通常可以补救不佳的心境；几乎每个人都经历过心灵上的快乐之旅，这种快乐使他的期待得到满足。从理论上来说，旅行者做到这一点是没什么困难的；阴影和阳光任其选择，无论停留于何处，他都会遇到丰盛的餐桌和快乐的表情。这些想法一直徘徊在他的脑海里，直到出发的日子终于到来，他雇了一辆轻便马车，然后开始了他的快乐之旅。

    A few miles teach him the fallacies of imagination.The road is dusty，the air is sultry，the horses are sluggish，and the postillion brutal.He longs for the time of dinner，that he may eat and rest.The inn is crowded，his orders are neglected，and nothing remains but that he devour in haste what the cook has spoiled，and drive on in quest of better entertainment.He finds at night a more commodious house，but the best is always worse than he expected.

    才走了几英里，他就得到教训，知道了想像与现实是有差距的。一路烟尘滚滚，天气闷热，马跑得慢，赶车的又非常粗暴。他渴望着午餐时刻的到来，以便吃饱后可以休息一下；但旅店人满为患，他的要求也无人理睬，于是除了无奈地匆忙吃完令人倒胃口的饭菜之外，他别无选择。然后他又继续上路，另寻快乐。到了晚上，他找到了一间很宽敞的住所，但一切总比他预想的要坏。

    He at last enters his native province，and resolves to feast his mind with the conversation of his old friends，and the recollection of juvenile frolicks.He stops at the house of his friend，whom he designs to overpower with pleasure by the unexpected interview.He is not known till he tells his name，and revives the memory of himself by a gradual explanation.He is then coldly received，and ceremoniously feasted.He hastes away to another，whom his affairs have called to a distant place，and，having seen the empty house，goes away disgusted by a disappointment which could not be intended，because it could not be foreseen.At the next house he finds everyface clouded with misfortune，and is regarded with malevolence as an unreasonable intruder，who comes not to visit but to insult them.

    最后他踏上了故乡的土地，决定找故旧谈心，或回忆青梅竹马的情景来放松心情。他在一个朋友家的门口停了下来，想以意外到访给对方一个惊喜。不料，直到自我介绍之后他才被认出，而且是经过一番解释之后，主人才记起他来。他自然只能得到冷淡的接待和礼节上的宴请。匆匆告辞之后，他又去拜访另一位友人，但这个朋友又因事远走他方；看到人去楼空，他只好带着意外的失望怅然离去，因为这种失望总是让人无法预见。在走访的下一家．每个人都因不幸的事而愁容满面，他被视为讨厌的不速之客，好像他不是来拜访。而是来羞辱他们的。

    It is seldom that we find either men or places such as we expect them.He that has pictured a prospect upon his fancy，will receive little pleasure from his eyes；he that has anticipated the conversation of a wit，will wonder to what prejudice he owes his reputation.Yet it is necessary to hope，though hope should always be deluded；for hope itself is happiness，and its frustrations，however frequent，are less dreadful than its extinction.

    我们很难找到期望中的人或地方。凭借幻想绘出希望前景的人，都不会得到快乐；期望进行机智谈话的人，总想知道是什么样的私见成就了他的名声。然而，尽管希望常常被欺骗，却是必不可少的，因为希望本身就是幸福：尽管它常常遭受挫折，但比起希望破灭，这种挫折毕竟没有那样可怕。（未完待续）