——H．布莱克
An inland Voyage
RobeTt Louis．Stevenson
罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森(Robert Louis Stevenson，1850—1894．年)，苏格兰著名作家，美国19世纪末新浪漫主义的代表。最初的作品是两部游记《内陆旅行记》与《骑驴旅行记》，充满幽默意趣。小说《金银岛》给他带来巨大声誉，也开创了以发掘宝藏为题材的小说先例，之后又陆续出版了《绑架》、《化身博士》等。他文笔细腻流畅，描述的故事新奇浪漫，以同情的态度描写了高尚、勇敢、善良的贫民、流浪者、孤儿，他们常在经过艰苦搏斗后战胜邪恶、卑鄙、阴险的歹徒，作者以此赞美品质高贵的人们。
史蒂文森1850年生于苏格兰的爱丁堡。 他是个勤奋的人，总是随身带着两本书：一本用来读，而另一本则是做笔记用。 他写故事的灵感经常来自很小的事情。以《金银岛》为例，据说就是由一张藏宝图和一个12岁大的小孩得来的灵感而写成。他的许多冒险故事和他自己童年的经验极为相似。比如，对于人性中善恶冲突的兴趣，驱使他写了《化身博士》。又由于卡尔文教派的出身，他认为人总是压抑着自己邪恶的本性。这种本性经过长久地压抑，自然就在海德这个人物的个性中爆发出来。
史蒂文森经常借用别的作家的表达方式或想法，但是他自成风格却也是无法否认的。他到处旅游，后来因为健康的关系而隐居到南太平洋的岛上。1894年12月3日，史蒂文森突发中风在岛上去世，年仅44岁。
oN THE SAMBRE CANAUZED：To QUAInIES
About three in the aftemoon the’whole establishment of the Grand Cer-f accomoanied us tO the water’s edge．The man of the Omnibus Was there with haggard eyes．Poor cage bird！Do I not remember the time when I myself haunted the station，to watch train after train carry its complement of freemen into the night，and read the names of distant places on the time-bills with indescribable longings？
We were not clear of the fortifications before the rain began．The wind was contrary，and blew in furious gusts；nor were the aspects of nature any more clement than the doings of the sky．For we passed through a blighted country，sparsely covered with brush，but handsomely enough diversified with factory chimneys．We landed in a soiled meadow among some pollards，and there smoked a pipe in a flaw of fair weather．But the wind blew SO hard we could get little else to smoke．There were no natural objects in the neighborhood，but some sordid workshops．A group of children，headed by a tall girl，stood and watched US from a little distance all the time we stayed．I heartily wonder what they thought of US．
At Hautmont，the lock was almost impassable；the landing place being steep and high，and the launch at a long distance．Near a dozen grimy workmen lent US a hand．They refused any reward；and，what is much better，refused it handsomely，without conveying any sense of insult．“It is a way we have in our countryside，”said they．And a very becoming way it is．In Scotland，where also you will get services for nothing，the good people reject your money as if you had been trying tol corrupt a voter．When people take the trouble to do dignified acts，it isworth while to take a little more，and allow the dignity to be common to all concerned．But in our brave Saxon countries，where we plod threescore years and ten in the mud，and the wind keeps singing in our ears from birth to burial，we do our good and bad with a high hand and almost offensively；and make even our alms a witness——bearing and an act of war against the wrong．
After Hautmont．the sun came forth again and the wind wentdown；and a little paddling took US beyond the iron works and through adelectable land．The river wound among low hills，SO that sometimes thesLln was at our backs and sometimes it stood right ahead，and the riverbefore US was one sheet of intolerable glory．On either hand meadowsand orchards bordered，with a margin of sedge and water flowers，uponthe river．The hedges were of great height，woven bout the trunks ofhedgerow elms；and the fields，as they were often very small，lookedlike a series of bowers along the stream．There was never any prospect；sometimes a hilltop with its trees would look over the nearest hedgerow，just to make a middle distance for the sky；but that was a11．The heavenwas bare of clouds．The atmosphere，after the rain，was of enchantingpurity．The river doubled among the hillocks，a shining strip of mirror glass；and the dip of the paddles set the flowers shaking along the brink．
In the meadows wandered black-and-white cattle fantastically marked．One beast，with a white head and the rest of the body glossy black，came to the edge to drink，and stood gravely twitching his ears at me as 1 went by，like some sort of preposterous clergyman in a play．A moment after I heard a loud plunge，and，turning my head，saw the clergyman struggling to shore．The bank had given way under his feet．
Besides the cattle，we saw no living things except a few birds and a great many fishermen．These sat along the edges of the meadows，sometimes with one rod，sometimes with as many as half a score．They seemed stupefied with contentment；and，when we induced them to exchange a few words with US about the weather．their voices sounded quiet and far away．There was a strange diversity of opinion among them as to the kind of fish for which them set their lures；although they were all agreed in this，that the river was abundantly supplied．Where it was plain that no two of them had ever caught the same kind of fish，we could not help suspecting that perhaps not any one of them had ever caught a fish at a11．I hope，since the afternoon was so lovely，that they were one and all rewarded；and that a silver booty went home in every basket for the pot．Some of my friends would cry shame on me for this，but I prefer a man，were he only an angle，to the bravest pair of gills in all God’S waters．I do not affect fishes unless when cooked in sauce；whereas an angler is an important piece of river scenery，and hence deserves some recognition among canoeists．He can always tell you where you are！after a mild fashion；and his quiet presence serves to accentuate the solitude and stillness，and remind you of the glittering citizens below your boat．
The Sambre turned SO industriously to and fro among his little hills that it was past six before we drew near the lock at Quartes．There were some children on the towpath，with whom the Cigarette fell into a chaffing talk as they ran along beside US．It was in vain that 1 warned him．In vain I told him in English that boys were the most dangerous creatures；and if once you began with them，it was safe to end in a shower of stones．For my own part，whenever anything was addressed to me，I smiled gently and shook my head，as though 1 were an inoffensive person inadequately acquainted with French．For，indeed，I have had such an experience at home that 1 would sooner meet many wild animals than a troop of healthy urchins．