书城旅游心灵的驿站
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第4章 西敏寺内的遐想(节选)(4)

The day of People of fashion began now to break,and carts and hacks were mingled with equipages of show and vanity:when I resolved to walk it out of cheapness;but my unhappy curiosity is such,that I find it always my interest to take coach,for some odd adventure among beggars,ballad—singers,or the like,detains and throws me into expense.It happened SO immediately;for at the corner of Warwick—street.as 1 was listening to a new ballad,a ragged rascal,a beggar who knew me,cameup tO me,and began to turn the eyes of the good company upon me,bytelling me he was extremely poor,and should die in the streets for wantof drink,except I immediately would have the charity to give him sixpence to go into the next ale—house and save his life.He urged,with amelancholy face,that all his family had died of thirst.All the mob havehumour,and two or three began to take the jest;by which Mr.Sturdycarried his point,and let me sneak off to a coach.As I drove along it was a pleasing Reflection to see the world SG,prettily checkered sinceI left Richmond,and the scene still filling with children of a new hour.This satisfaction increased as I moved toward the city;and gay signs,well disposed streets,magnificent public struc tures,and wealthy shops,adorned with contented faces,made the joy still rising till we came intothe centre of the city,and cen~e of the world of trade,the exchange of London.As other men in the crowds about me were pleased with their hopes and bargains,I found my account in observing them,in attentionto their several interests.I,indeed,looked upon myself as the richest man that walked the exchange that day;for my benevolence made me share the gains of every bargain that was made.It was not the least of the satisfactions in my survey,to go up stairs,and pass the shops of agreeablefemales;to observe SO many pretty hands busy in the folding of ribbons,and the utmost eagerness of agreeable faces in the sale of patches,pins,and wires,on each side the counters,was an amusement,in which I should longer have indulged myself,had not the dear creatures called to me to ask what 1 wanted,when I could not answer,only to look at you.1 went to one of the windows which opened to the area below,where all the several voices lost their distinction,and rose up in a confused humming;which created in me a reflection that could not come into the mind of any but of one a little studious;for I said tO myself,with a kind of pun in thought,What nonsense is all the Hurry of this world to those who are above it?In these,or not much wiser thoughts,I had like to have lost my place at the chop.house;where every man,according to the natural bashfulness of sullenness of our nation,eats in a public room a mess of broth,or chop of meat,in dumb silence,as if they had no pretence to speak to each other on the foot of being men,except they were of each other’S acquaintance.

1 went afterwards to Robin’S exchange house and saw people who had dined with me at the five-penny ordinary just before,give bills for the value of large estates;and could not but behold with great pleasure,property lodged in,and transferred in a moment from such as would never be masters of half as much as is seemingly in them,and given from them every day they live.But before five in the afternoon I left they city,came to my common scene of Covent-garden,and passed the evening at will’S in attending the discourses of several sets of people,who relieved each other within my heating on the subjects of cards,dice,love,learning and politics.The last subject kept me till I heard the streets in the possession of the bellman,who had now the world to himself,and cried,past two of clock.This roused me from my seat,and 1 want to my lodging,led by a light,whom I put into the discourse of his private property,and made him give me an account of the charge,hazard,profit and loss of a family that depended upon a link,with a design to end my trivial day with the gefierosity of six—pence,instead of a third part of that sum.When I came to my chambers 1 writ down these minutes;but was at a loss what instruction I should propose to my reader from the enumeration of SO many insignificant matters and occurrences;and I thought it of great use,if they could learn with me to keep their minds open to gratification,and ready tO receive it from anything it meets with.This one circumstance will make every face you see give you the satisfaction you nOW take in beholding that of a friend;will make everyobject a pleasing one;will make all the good’which arrives to any man,。an increase of happiness to yourself.dissatisfaction n.不满,不平countenance n.面容,支持,面部表情

v.赞同;支持,鼓励intelligence n.智力;智能;聪明coachman n.马车夫sturdy n.家畜晕倒病

aaj.强健的,毫不含糊的,坚定的amusement n.娱乐;娱乐活动;消遣estate n.不动产,阶层,时期generosity n.慷慨,宽大