1、 第第 28 卷卷 英国与美国名家随笔英国与美国名家随笔 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 2/507 总目录总目录 第第 1 卷卷 富兰克林自传富兰克林自传 第第 2 卷卷 柏拉图对话录：辩解篇、菲多柏拉图对话录：辩解篇、菲多篇、克利多篇篇、克利多篇 第第 3 卷卷 培根论说文集及新阿特兰蒂斯培根论说文集及新阿特兰蒂斯 第第 4 卷卷 约翰米尔顿英文诗全集约翰米尔顿英文诗全集 第第 5 卷卷 爱默生文集爱默生文集 第第 6 卷卷 伯恩斯诗歌集伯恩斯诗歌集 第第 7 卷卷 圣奥古斯丁忏悔录圣奥古斯丁忏悔录 第第 8 卷卷 希腊戏
2、剧希腊戏剧 第第 9 卷卷 论友谊、论老年及书信集论友谊、论老年及书信集 第第 10 卷卷 国富论国富论 第第 11 卷卷 物种起源论物种起源论 第第 12 卷卷 普卢塔克比较列传普卢塔克比较列传 第第 13 卷卷 伊尼亚德伊尼亚德 第第 14 卷卷 唐吉坷德唐吉坷德 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 3/507 第第 15 卷卷 天路历程天路历程 第第 16 卷卷 天方夜谭天方夜谭 第第 17 卷卷 民间传说与预言民间传说与预言 第第 18 卷卷 英国现代戏剧英国现代戏剧 第第 19 卷卷 浮士德浮士德 第第 20 卷卷 神曲
3、神曲 第第 21 卷卷 许婚的爱人许婚的爱人 第第 22 卷卷 奥德赛奥德赛 第第 23 卷卷 两年水手生涯两年水手生涯 第第 24 卷卷 伯克文集伯克文集 第第 25 卷卷 穆勒文集穆勒文集 第第 26 卷卷 欧洲大陆戏剧欧洲大陆戏剧 第第 27 卷卷 英国名家随笔英国名家随笔 第第 28 卷卷 英国与美国名家随笔英国与美国名家随笔 第第 29 卷卷 比格尔号上的旅行比格尔号上的旅行 第第 30 卷卷 科学论文集：物理学、化学、科学论文集：物理学、化学、天文学、地质学天文学、地质学 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 4/507
4、 第第 31 卷卷 切利尼自传切利尼自传 第第 32 卷卷 文学和哲学名家随笔文学和哲学名家随笔 第第33卷卷 古代与现代著名航海与旅行记古代与现代著名航海与旅行记 第第 34 卷卷 法国和英国著名哲学家法国和英国著名哲学家 第第 35 卷卷 见闻与传奇见闻与传奇 第第 36 卷卷 君王论君王论 第第 37 卷卷 17、18 世纪英国著名哲学家世纪英国著名哲学家 第第 38 卷卷 物理学、医学、外科学和地质物理学、医学、外科学和地质学学 第第 39 卷卷 著名之前言和序言著名之前言和序言 第第 40 卷卷 英文诗集（卷）从乔叟到格英文诗集（卷）从乔叟到格雷雷 第第 41 卷卷 英文诗集（卷）从
5、科林斯到英文诗集（卷）从科林斯到费兹杰拉德费兹杰拉德 第第 42 卷卷 英文诗集（卷）从丁尼生到英文诗集（卷）从丁尼生到惠特曼惠特曼 第第 43 卷卷 10001904 第第 44 卷卷 圣书圣书(卷一卷一):孔子孔子 希伯来书希伯来书 基基百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 5/507 督圣经督圣经()第第 45 卷卷 圣书圣书(卷二卷二)基督圣经基督圣经()第第 46 卷卷 伊丽莎白时期戏剧（卷）伊丽莎白时期戏剧（卷）第第 47 卷卷 伊丽莎白时期戏剧（卷）伊丽莎白时期戏剧（卷）第第 48 卷卷 帕斯卡文集帕斯卡文集 第第 4
6、9 卷卷 史诗与传说史诗与传说 第第 50 卷卷 哈佛经典讲座哈佛经典讲座 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 6/507 第第 28 卷卷 英国与美国名家随笔英国与美国名家随笔 JONATHAN SWIFT BY WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY 注 1INTRODUCTORY NOTE WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY,one of the greatest of English novelists,was born at Calcutta,India,on July 18,1811
7、,where his father held an administrative position.He was sent to England at six for his education,which he received at the Charterhouse and Cambridge,after which he began,but did not prosecute,the study oflaw.Having lost his means,in part by gambling,he made up his mindto earn his living as an artis
8、t,and went to Paris to study.He had some natural gift for drawing,which he had already employed in caricature,but,though he made interesting and amusing illustrations for his books,he never acquired any marked technical skill.He now turned to literature,and,on the strength of an appointment as Paris
9、 correspondent of a short-lived radical newspaper,he married.On the failure of the newspaper he took to miscellaneous journalism and the reviewing of books and pictures,his most important work appearing in Frasers Magazine and Punch.In 1840 his wifes mind became clouded,and,though she never recovere
10、d,she lived on till 1894.Success came to Thackeray very slowly.“Catherine,”“The Great Hoggarty Diamond,”“Barry Lyndon,”and several volumes of travel had failed to gain much attention before the“Snob Papers,”issued in Punch in 1846,brought him fame.In the January of the next year“Vanity Fair”began to
11、 appear in monthly numbers,and by the time it was finished Thackeray had taken his place in the front rank of his profession.“Pendennis”followed in 1850,and sustained the prestige he had won.The next year he began lecturing,and delivered in London the lectures on“The English Humourists,”which he rep
12、eated the following 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 7/507 winter in America with much success.“Esmond”had appeared on the eve of his setting sail,and revealed his style at its highest point of perfection,and a tenderer if less powerful touch than“Vanity Fair”had displayed.In 1855“T
13、he Newcomes”appeared,and was followed by a second trip to America,when he lectured on“The Four Georges.”After an unsuccessful attempt to enter Parliament,the novelist resumed his writing with“The Virginians”(1857-59),in which he availed himself of his American experiences.In January of 1860 the Corn
14、hill Magazine was founded,with Thackeray as first editor,and launched on a distinguished career.Most of his later work was published in its pages,but“Lovel the Widower”and the“Adventures of Philip”have not taken a place beside his greater work.In the essays constituting the“Roundabout Papers,”howeve
15、r,he appeared at his easiest and most charming.After a little more than two years he resigned the editorship:and on December 23,1863,he died.Thackerays greatest distinction is,of course,as a novelist,and an estimate of his work in this field is not in place here.But as an essayist he is also great.T
16、he lectures on“The English Humourists,”of which the following paper on“Swift”was the first,were the fruit of an intimate knowledge of the time of Queen Anne,and a warm sympathy with its spirit.And here,as in all his mature work,Thackeray is the master of a style that for ease,suppleness,and range of
17、 effect has seldom been equaled in English.JONATHAN SWIFT IN treating of the English humourists of the past age,it is of the men and of their lives,rather than of their books,that I ask permission to speak to you;and in doing so,you are aware that I cannot hope to entertain you with a merely humorou
18、s or facetious story.Harlequin without his mask is known to present a very sober countenance,and was himself,the story goes,the melancholy patient whom the Doctor advised to go and see 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 8/507 Harlequina man full of cares and perplexities like the rest
19、 of us,whose Self must always be serious to him,under whatever mask or disguise or uniform he presents it to the public.And as all of you here must needs be grave when you think of your own past and present,you will not look to find,in the histories of those whose lives and feelings I am going to tr
20、y and describe to you,a story that is otherwise than serious,and often very sad.If Humour only meant laughter,you would scarcely feel more interest about humorous writers than about the private life of poor Harlequin just mentioned,who possesses in common with these the power of making you laugh.But
21、 the men regarding whose lives and stories your kind presence here shows that you have curiosity and sympathy,appeal to a great number of our other faculties,besides our mere sense of ridicule.The humorous writer professes to awaken and direct your love,your pity,your kindnessyour scorn for untruth,
22、pretension,impostureyour tenderness for the weak,the poor,the oppressed,the unhappy.To the best of his means and ability he comments on all the ordinary actions and passions of life almost.He takes upon himself to be himself to be the week-day preacher,so to speak.Accordingly,as he finds,and speaks,
23、and feels the truth best we regard him,esteem himsometimes love him.And,as his business is to mark other peoples lives and peculiarities,we moralize upon his life when he is gone and yesterdays preacher becomes the text for to-days sermon.Of English parents,and of a good English family of clergymen,
24、Swift was born in Dublin in 1667,seven months after the death of his father,who had come to practise there as a lawyer.The boy went to school at Kilkenny,and afterwards to Trinity College,Dublin,where he got a degree with difficulty,and was wild,and witty,and poor.In 1688,by the recommendation of hi
25、s mother,Swift was received into the family of Sir William Temple,who had known Mrs.Swift in Ireland.He left his patron in 1694,and the next year took orders in Dublin.But he threw up the small 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 9/507 Irish preferment which he got and returned to Temp
26、le,in whose family he remained until Sir Williams death in 1699.His hopes of advancement in England failing,Swift returned to Ireland,and took the living of Laracor.Hither he invited Hester Johnson,Temples natural daughter,with whom he had contracted a tender friendship,while they were both dependan
27、ts of Temples.And with an occasional visit to England,Swift now passed nine years at home.In 1709 he came to England,and,with a brief visit to Ireland,during which he took possession of his deanery of St.Patrick,he now passed five years in England,taking the most distinguished part in the political
28、transactions which terminated with the death of Queen Anne.After her death,his party disgraced,and his hopes of ambition over,Swift returned to Dublin,where he remained twelve years.In this time he wrote the famous“Drapiers Letters”and“Gullivers Travels.”He married Hester Johnson,Stella,and buried E
29、sther Vanhomrigh,Vanessa,who had followed him to Ireland from London,where she had contracted a violent passion for him.In 1726 and 1727 Swift was in England,which he quitted for the last time on hearing of his wifes illness.Stella died in January,1728,and Swift not until 1745,having passed the last
30、 five of the seventy-eight years of his life with an impaired intellect and keepers to watch him.You know,of course,that Swift has had many biographers;his life has been told by the kindest and most good-natured of men,Scott,who admires but cant bring himself to love him;and by stout old Johnson,who
31、,forced to admit him into the company of poets,receives the famous Irishman,and takes off his hat to him with a bow of surly recognition,scans him from head to foot,and passes over to the other side of the street.Dr.Wilde of Dublin,who has written a most interesting volume on the closing years of Sw
32、ifts life,calls Johnson“the most malignant of his biographers”:it is not easy for an English critic to please Irishmenperhaps to try and please them.And yet Johnson truly admires Swift:百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 10/507 Johnson does not quarrel with Swifts change of politics,or
33、 doubt his sincerity of religion:about the famous Stella and Vanessa controversy the Doctor does not bear very hardly on Swift.But he could not give the Dean that honest hand of his;the stout old man puts it into his breast,and moves off from him.Would we have liked to live with him?That is a questi
34、on which,in dealing with these peoples works,and thinking of their lives and peculiarities,every reader of biographies must put to himself.Would you have liked to be a friend of the great Dean?I should like to have been Shakespeares shoeblackjust to have lived in his house,just to have worshipped hi
35、mto have run on his errands,and seen that sweet serene face.I should like,as a young man,to have lived on Fieldings staircase in the Temple,and after helping him up to bed perhaps,and opening his door with his latch-key,to have shaken hands with him in the morning,and heard him talk and crack jokes
36、over his breakfast and his mug of small beer.Who would not give something to pass a night at the club with Johnson,and Goldsmith,and James Boswell,Esq.,of Auchinleck?The charm of Addisons companionship and conversation has passed to us by fond traditionbut Swift?If you had been his inferior in parts
37、(and that,with a great respect for all persons present,I fear is only very likely),his equal in mere social station,he would have bullied,scorned,and insulted you;if,undeterred by his great reputation,you had met him like a man,he would have quailed before you,and not had the pluck to reply,and gone
38、 home,and years after written a foul epigram about youwatched for you in a sewer,and come out to assail you with a cowards blow and a dirty bludgeon.If you had been a lord with a blue riband,who flattered his vanity,or could help his ambition,he would have been the most delightful company in the wor
39、ld.He would have been so manly,so sarcastic,so bright,odd,and original,that you might think he had no object in view but the indulgence of his humour and that he was the most 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 11/507 reckless,simple creature in the world.How he would have torn your en
40、emies to pieces for you!and made fun of the Opposition!His servility was so boisterous that it looked like independence;he would have done your errands,but with the air of patronizing you,and after fighting your battles,masked,in the street or the press,would have kept on his hat before your wife ao
41、d daughters in the drawing-room,content to take that sort of pay for his tremendous services as a bravo.He says as much himself in one of his letters to Bolingbroke:“All my endeavours to distinguish myself were only for want of a great title and fortune,that I might be used like a lord by those who
42、have an opinion of my parts;whether right or wrong is no great matter.And so the reputation of wit and great learning does the office of a blue riband or a coach and six.”Could there be a greater candour?It is an outlaw,who says,“These are my brains;with these Ill win titles and compete with fortune
43、.These are my bullets;these Ill turn into gold”;and he hears the sound of coaches and six,takes the road like Macheath,and makes society stand and deliver.They are all on their knees before him.Down go my lord bishops apron,and his Graces blue riband,and my ladys brocade petticoat in tie mud.He ease
44、s the one of a living,the other of a patent place,the third of a little snug post about the Court,and gives them over to followers of his own.The great prize has not come yet.The coach with the mitre and crosier in it,which he intends to have for his share,has been delayed on the way from St.James;a
45、nd he waits and waits until nightfall,when his runners come and tell him that the coach has taken a different road,and escaped him.So he fires his pistols into the air with a curse,and rides away into his own country.Swifts seems to me to be as good a name to point a moral or adorn a tale of ambitio
46、n,as any heros that ever lived and failed.But we must remember that the morality was laxthat other gentlemen besides 百年哈佛 50 部经典 英文版 Harvard Classics 第 28 卷 英国与美国名家随笔 12/507 himself took the road in his daythat public society was in a strange disordered condition,and the State was ravaged by other c
47、ondottieri.The Boyne was being fought and won,and lostthe bells rung in Williams victory,in the very same tone with which they would have pealed for James.Men were loose upon politics,and had to shift for themselves.They,as well as old beliefs and institutions,had lost their moorings and gone adrift
48、 in the storm.As in the South Sea Bubble,almost everybody gambled;as in the Railway manianot many centuries agoalmost every one took his unlucky share:a man of that time,of the vast talents and ambition of Swift,could scarce do otherwise than grasp at his prize,and make his spring at his opportunity
49、.His bitterness,his scorn,his rage,his subsequent misanthropy,are ascribed by some panegyrists to a deliberate conviction of mankinds unworthiness,and a desire to amend them by castigating.His youth was bitter,as that of a great genius bound down by ignoble ties,and powerless in a mean dependence;hi
50、s age was bitter,like that of a great genius that had fought the battle and nearly won it,and lost it,and thought of it afterwards writhing in a lonely exile.A man may attribute to the gods,if he likes,what is caused by his own fury,or disappointment,or self-will.What public man what statesman proje
