伟大的作品，不朽之精神——英国文豪约翰·弥尔顿小传

伟大的作品，不朽之精神——英国文豪约翰·弥尔顿小传 伟大的作品，不朽之精神——英国文豪约 翰?弥尔顿小传 54 英语?阅读冲浓 三百多年前,当莎士比亚还在创作戏剧的时候,另一位英国文豪约翰?弥尔顿 (JohnMilton)诞生 了.这位文学天才性慧早熟,十岁便能作诗.他的英雄史诗《失乐))(ParadiseLost)气 势恢宏,被认为 是英国乃至世界文学史上最伟大的作品之一.然而天妒英才,这位文坛巨子一生历 尽坎坷:政治纷争, 双目失明,妻死子夭.但面对挫折,弥尔顿自强不息,奋斗不止,为后世留下了宝贵的 精神文化财富.下 面就让我们来了解一下这位身残志坚的文坛巨擘. 伟大的作,不朽乏精神 口唐书哲 英国文豪约翰?弥尔顿小传 AShoMBiographyofJohnMilton 0naDeeemberdavin1608,whileShakespearewasstillwritinghisgreatplays,another geatEn5山shDoetwasbominLondon.HewasJohnMilton.— Bornintoan— affluent~f Miltonreceivedafairlygoodeducation.BeforeMilton'Sformalschooling,hisfatherhireda privateteacherforhim.Scarcelymorethan10yearsold,Miltonwasabletowritegoodpoems? WhenheWasabout12yearsold,Miltonwassenttoafamousboys'schoolinLondon.From there,attheageof15,hewenttoCambridgeUniversity.Miltonwasahandsomeyouthbut somewhatproudandindependentinhisway finestscholar. ofthinking.AtCambridg— e,hewassaidtobethe Aftercompletinghisuniversityeducation,Miltonwasforatimeuncertainaboutwhathe shoulddo,butthemorehethoughtaboutitthecleareritbecametohimthathewasbonl 巳:Soforfiveyearshelivedathomeinhisfather'scountryhouse,writingpoetry andstudyinghard.inorder【0fithimselfforhiswork. ButMihongrewtiredofthisquietcountrylife.Helongedtoseemoreoftheworld, andatlast.withmoneyhisfathergavehim.hesetoutt0travelthroughFrance,Swi~edand andItaly.While...... h...... e......—— w.. a... s . inItal—— y,newscamethattroublehadsprungupinEnglandbetween thekingandthepeople,andthatawarmightbreakout.Atthisheimmediately~opped travelling,andwentbacktoEngland. OnhisreturntoLondon.Miltonopposedthemonarchicpartyandwrotepamphlets dedicatedt0thepeople'sliberties.Intheyearof1649,theking,Charles1wasbeheaded, andOliverCromwe11~becametheleaderofthegovernment.Inthisnewgovernment,Milton wasappointedSecretaryofForeignTongues.TheworkforMiltonwasveryhard.1-Iehadto writesosteadilythathiseyesightbegant0fal1.Thedoctortoldhimthathemuststopusinghis 英语?留读冲浓 evesorhew0uldbecomeblind.Heturnedadeafeartothedoctor'sadviceandcontinued readingandwriting.Asaconsequence,Mihonbecametotallyblindin1652;However,his blindnessdidnotstophimfromhiswork.Hedictatedhislettersandargumentstoothersand wasbusyfrommorningtillnight.Thenhiswifedied,leavingtohiscaretheirthreelittlegirls, theoldestofwhornwasjustsixyearsold. WhenCharles11.thesonofthefornmrking,wasplaceduponthethrone,thePuritans@ fledfortheirlives.SomewenttoAmerica,andsortiewerecaughtandputtodeath.Miltonhid formonthsinthehouseofafriend.Hispropertywasseized;hisbookswereburned,andat lasthewascaughtandputintoprison,butthekinglaterpardonedhim. Nowthathispublicworkwasatanend,Miltonreturnedtothewritingofpoetryand workedforsevenyearsuponhisgreatepicParadiseLost,whichtellshowSatanrebelledagainst GodandhowAdamandEveweredrivenoutofEden.ParadiseLostwonhimgreathonor, andfamousseholarsandstatesmencamefromfarawaytovisithim.Afterfinishingthispoem hewroteParadise尺 egained~.aworktellingthestoryofSamson,thechampionofIsrael,who, likeMiltonhimself,passedhis — Itseem—— s . 垦IlYgreat 丛i!!型—!堕—盟一exception. 1astdaysinblindness — a —. u —, th— o — r ,— s — w.,. en—— t,— t— h— r—.— o— t Duringhislife,he :塾!ilfhi—ek—s—~—— in— marriedthreetimes.In theirmarriages,and 1642,hemarrieda womannamedMaryPowell,whowas17yearsyoungerthanhiin.InMay1652,Marydied, shortly'aftergivingbirthtotheirthirddaughtei'.Miltmlremarriedin1656andhadanother daughterin1657,hutboththewifeandthedaughterdiedin1658.WhenJohnwas55years old,liemarriedElizabethMinshullwhowasthenonly24yearsoldandwassaidtobeofgreat helpinMilton'swork, Surroundedbyawdevotedfriends.JohnMilton(tiedonNovember8,l674.Hisgreatest workParadiseLosthasnladehimimmortal?.Overthepastthreehundredyears,manyonce " great"workshaveimssedintooblivion,butParadiseLoststoodthetestoftimeandisregarded asoneoftheworldclassics. (注:选文出自HistoryandAnthologyofEnglish?teramre,昊伟仁编,外语教学与研究 出版 社.根据需要,作者对原文作了改写.) 豳圈豳 ?affluent.富裕的,富足的 ?pamphletn.( 宣传 免费孕前优生健康检查孕期保健知识宣传1冬季预防流感知识宣传手足口病防知识宣传森林防火宣传内容 )小册子 ?OliverCromwell(人名)奥利佛?克伦威尔(英国政治家,军事家,宗教领袖) ?Puritann.清教徒 ?epicn.史诗.. ?Satan撒旦,Adam亚当,Eve夏娃,Eden伊甸园 ?ParadiseRegained《复乐园》 ?thinsandthicks风风雨雨,起起伏伏,相当于"upsanddowns" ?immortal.不朽的,永存的 55 56 语?阅读冲浓 圃暄固圆 1.bebornto生来就注定……,天生就是做…… 的材料.如: Mozart(莫扎特)wasborntobeapianist. 2.betiredof…对……感到厌烦,厌倦.如: Manypeoplearetiredofhightaxes. 3.1ongtodosth.渴望做某事.如: MichellelongstobeaHollywoodstar. 4.springup突然出现,涌现.如: Ifthesealevelcontinuestorise,manyproblems willspringup. 5.turnadeafearto…对……置若罔闻; turnablindeyeto…对……熟视无睹 6asaconsequence因而,相当于'aresult''.如: Tomneverwenttoworkontime,andasa consequence,hewasfired. 7.nowthat既然.如: Nowthatyou'vebeentotheUSbefore, shouldgivethechancetoanothercolleague. hard作状语. 3.AtCambridge,hewassaidtobethefinest scholar.在剑桥大学,弥尔顿被认为是最优秀的 学者. 该句用了sb.besaidto…这一句型,意思是"某 人被认为……"类似句型有sb.bethoughtto…sb. besupposedto.... 4....butthemorehethoughtaboutittim cleareritbecametohimthathewasborntobeapoet. 该句用了"the+比较级"这一句型,意为"越…… 越……". 5.WhilehewasinItaly,newscamethat troublehadsprungupinEng]Iandbetweentheking andthepeople,andthatawarmightbreakout. 当弥尔顿还在意大利度假的时候,他得知了祖国国 王和人民发生冲突的消息,战争一触即发. newscamethat…是常用的句型,也可以说words youcamethat…意思是"消息传来说……". 8.gothrough经历,体验,相当于"experience" 9.passintooblivion渐为(世人)忘却;湮没 无闻 10.standthetestoftime经受住时间的考验.如: Truefriendshipshouldbeabletostandthe testoftime. 固四盟圈 1.OnaDecemberdayin1608,whileShakespeare wasstillwritinghisgreatplays,anothergreatEnglish poetwasborninLondon.1608年的一天,当莎士比 亚还在创作戏剧的时候,英国另一位伟大的诗人在 伦敦诞生了. 本句为while~l导的时间状语从句. 2.Bornintoanaffluentfamily,Mihonreceived afairlygoodeducation.出生于富裕之家,弥尔顿接 受了极为良好的教育. 本句中bornintoanaffluentfamily是过去分词 短语作状语,表原因.分词作状语是本文的一大特 点.比如,在句子"soforfiveyearshelivedat homeinhisfather'Scountryhouse,writingpoetry andstudyinghard,inordertofithimselfforhis work"中,现在分词短语writingpoetryandstudying 6.Itseemsthatmanygreatauthorswent throughthinsandthicksintheirmarriages,and Miltonwasnotanexception.许多伟大的作家在婚 姻生活中似乎都是历经坎坷,弥尔顿也不例外. Itseemsthat…是英语中的一个常用句型,意思 是"似乎……,看起来……". 图固圉圈 (注:下面的名言均出自弥尔顿的作品,作者译.) 1.Tobeblindisnotmiserable;nottobe abletobearblindness,thatismiserable. 失明本身并不痛苦,痛苦的是不能忍受失明. 2.Bettertoreigninhellthanserveinheaven. 宁在地狱为王,不在天堂称臣.(类似于汉语里 ".) 面的"宁为鸡头,不为凤尾 3.Forwhatcanwaif,butendlessWar,still breed? 战争除了带来战争还能带来什么? 4.Themindisitsownplaceandinitself, canmakeaHeavenofHel1.aHellofHeaven. 思维遗世独立;心似天堂,地狱也天堂,心似地狱, 天堂也地狱.(类似于王阳明"心外无物"的说法.) 5.Deep.versedinbooksandshallowinhimself. 熟读诗书三百卷,做人肤浅依然.