Goethe
Then three new characters were born: Werther, Charlotte, and Albert. Werther was Goethe if he had not been an artist.1 Albert was a slightly meaner2 Kestner...
On the following day he shut himself up to work, and in four weeks the book was written.
When Goethe had finished The Sorrows of the Young Werther he felt as free and happy as after a general confession......
As soon as he had received the first volumes from the printer, he packed up two copies, one for Charlotte and one for Kestner, and wrote to Lotte: “You will realize when you read this book how dear it is to me; and this copy above all I value as much as if it were3 the only one in the world. It is for you, Lotte. I have kissed it a hundred times, and I kept it shut up so that no one might touch it. Oh, Lotte, I want each of you to read it by yourselves and separately. You by yourself and Kestner by himself, and then I want each of you to write me a line. Lotte — good-bye, Lotte.”
— A. Maurois
character n.(小说、戏剧等的)人物;角色
meaner adj. 更为平庸的
confession n. 招供;忏悔
printer n. 印刷商
above all adv. 尤其
中译 少年维特(歌德)
三个新人物产生了:维特、绿蒂和阿尔贝。维特就是歌德,不同的是,维特是个画家。阿尔贝的才气比起凯斯纳稍逊一筹。
第二天,歌德闭门写作,四星期后,全书写成。
当歌德写完《少年维特之烦恼》的时候,他的感觉就像忏悔了一切以后那样轻松愉快。
他从出版商手中拿到第一批书后,便立即包好两本书,一本给绿蒂,另一本给凯斯纳。他给绿蒂写道:“当你读这本书的时候,你会觉得这本书对我来说是多么珍贵。我尤其把这本书看作世界上独一无二的珍宝。这本书是给你绿蒂的。我吻过它一百次,把书合上,不要让任何人碰它。哦,绿蒂,我要你们二人各自分开读这本书。你一个人读,凯斯纳也一个人读。你们读完以后,分别给我写句话。绿蒂——再见,绿蒂。”
——〔法〕莫洛亚
原来如此!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(歌德,1749-1832),德国诗人、剧作家、小说家,德国古典文学和民族文学的主要代表。十八世纪德国文学的成就与歌德的名字分不开。他在文学、艺术、自然科学、哲学、历史学、政治等领域均有卓著的成就。代表作有诗剧《浮士德》(Faust, 1808-1832)、小说《少年维特之烦恼》(The Sorrows of the Young Werther, 1774)等。后者是德国文学第一部对世界产生重大影响的作品。
本文中所提到的Werther, Charlotte, and Albert:都是歌德名著《少年维特之烦恼》中的人物名。维特(Werther)是个能诗善画的青年,他深深地爱上年轻活泼的姑娘绿蒂(Charlotte,又名Lotte),但她已经是青年阿尔贝(Albert)的未婚妻。该书情节以作者的经历为基础,小说中的绿蒂与现实中作者热恋过的绿蒂同名,阿尔贝的原型是绿蒂的男友Kestner。
这篇轶事告诉我们作家或艺术家在创作过程中全神贯注,一鼓作气,最后完成作品,其心情何等轻松自得。
本文作者André Maurois(莫洛亚,1885-1967),法国作家,原名Emile-Salomon-Wilhelm Herzog,作品有小说和历史著作,尤以文学家传记闻名,包括英国的拜伦(Byron)、雪莱(Shelley)、法国的巴尔扎克(Balzac)、雨果(Hugo)、大仲马(Alexandre Dumas)、小仲马(Dumas fils)等人的传记。
名言
As soon as you trust yourself,
you will know how to live. — Goethe
自信才懂得生活。——歌德
增值英语
1 if he had not been an artist
句式 if 从句句式:subj. + had + past participle;而主句句式:subj. + would + have + past participle,表示过去的假设,动词谓语要用虚拟语气:
If you had come here yesterday, you would have seen him. 假如你昨天来这里,你就见到他了。(事实上你没来这里。)
If she had further considered the problem, she might have come to the correct conclusion. 假如她当时能进一步考虑这个问题,她也许会得出正确的结论。(事实上她当时没作进一步考虑。)
注意 本文中主句 Werther was Goethe 并未用虚拟语气,使语气变得肯定。
2 a slightly meaner Kestner
mean 是个多义词。用作形容词时最常见的意义是“吝啬”“卑鄙”“低贱”,也可解作“低劣”“平庸”:
He is a man of mean ability. 他是个能力平庸的人。
This should be clear even to the meanest intelligence. 即使智力最差,这也能看得一清二楚的。
Her husband is very mean with money. 她的丈夫视钱如命。
3 as if it were the only one in the world
句式 as if it were... = as though it were... (好像是……),注意不用was:
She felt so upset at the news as if it were the end of the world.
她对那消息感到莫大困扰,好像是世界末日一样。
注意 表示假设,谓语动词要用虚拟语气;表示现在、有可能实现的假设、比喻,则可用现在式:
He walks very fast as if he is always in a hurry. 他走路很快,好像总是忙着有事。