Samuel Johnson—A Great Master of Literary World
文坛巨匠——塞缪尔·约翰逊
Next only to William Shakespeare， Samuel Johnson is regarded as one of the most outstanding man of letters of 18th century. The latter part of the British 18th century is often called， simply， the Age of Johnson. Samuel Johnson is equally important as a remarkable writer and a great personality. He is in many ways the founder of modern biography， claiming to give a comprehensive picture of a person's life， character and achievements in an honest， objective way. Johnson became Doctor Johnson when Dublin University gave him the honorary degree in 1765.
However， Samuel Johnson is mostly remembered for his great dictionary， which costs him nearly ten years. Between 1745 and 1755， Johnson began to write his best-known work， A Dictionary of the English Language. The dictionary， which is two volumes thick and 2，300 pages long， marked a milestone in a language in desperate need of standards. No English dictionary before it had devoted so much space to everyday words， been so thorough in its definitions， or illustrated usage by quoting from Shakespeare and other great writers. Johnson's dictionary would define the English language for the next 150 years， until the arrival of the Oxford English Dictionary. Johnson's was the dictionary used by those famous writers like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens， William Wordsworth， the Brownings and Thomas Hardy.
During his work on the dictionary， Johnson made many appeals for financial help in the form of subscriptions： Patrons would get a copy of the first edition as soon as it was printed in compensation for their support during its compilation. Among the patrons to whom he appealed in vain was Lord Chesterfield. After the dictionary was finally published， Chesterfield sent Johnson a large check. Johnson returned it with his now famous Letter to Chesterfield， in which he compares himself to a drowning man who calls for help vainly， then slowly swims to shore and crawls up on the beach， only to be offered a belated assistance.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL
OF CHESTERFIELD.
February 7， 1755
MY LORD，
I have been lately informed by the proprietor of “The World”， that two papers， in which my “Dictionary” is recommended to the public， were written by your lordship. To be so distinguished， is an honor， which， being very little accustomed to favors from the great， I know not well how to receive， or in what terms to acknowledge.
When， upon some slight encouragement， I first visited your lordship， I was overpowered， like the rest of mankind， by the enchantment of your address， and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre—that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending； but I found my attendance so little encouraged， that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it. When I had once addressed your lordship in public， I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess. I had done all that I could； and no man is well pleased to have this all neglected， be it ever so little.
Seven years， my lord， have now passed， since I waited in your outward rooms， or was repulsed from your door； during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties， of which it is useless to complain， and have brought it， at last， to the verge of publication， without one act of assistance， one word of encouragement， or one smile of favor. Such treatment I did not expect， for I never had a patron before.
The shepherd in Virgil grew at last acquainted with Love， and found him a native of the rocks.
Is not a patron， my lord， one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water， and when he has reached ground， encumbers him with help？ The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labors， had it been early， had been kind； but it has been delayed till I am indifferent， and cannot enjoy it； till I am solitary， and cannot impart it； till I am known， and do not want it. I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received， or to be unwilling that the public should consider me as owing that to a patron， which Providence has enabled me to do for myself.
Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favorer of learning， I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it， if less be possible， with less； for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope， in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation. My Lord， your lordship's most humble， most obedient servant，
SAM JOHNSON
塞缪尔·约翰逊被誉为继威廉·莎士比亚之后十八世纪最为杰出的作家之一。人们常会将英国十八世纪后半叶称作约翰逊时代。塞缪尔·约翰逊不仅享有作家盛名，而且人格伟大。从诸多方面考量，约翰逊均可以称得上是现代传记的奠基人。他主张诚实而客观地对一个人的生平、性格及成就进行全面的描述。1765年，都柏林大学授予了约翰逊名誉博士学位。
然而，塞缪尔·约翰逊最为世人铭记的是他那部耗费了近十年时光编纂而成的字典。1745年到1755年之间，约翰逊开始编写他最富盛名的作品——《约翰逊字典》。这部字典有两卷之厚，2300页之长，这在当时那个语言亟待规范化的时代里，是一部具有里程碑意义的著作。在此之前，没有任何一部英语字典对常用词语有过如此大篇幅的注释，没有任何一部英语字典定义如此详尽，也没有任何一部英语字典引用莎士比亚和其他伟大作家的用词来举例说明。约翰逊的字典对于英语的规范一直沿用了150年之久，直至《牛津英语字典》的问世。约翰逊的字典多为简·奥斯汀、查尔斯·狄更斯、威廉·华兹华斯、勃朗特姐妹以及布朗宁夫妇和托马斯·哈代这些著名作家所使用。
在字典的编写过程中，约翰逊曾以书写协议的形式寻求过他人的经济支持。内容如下：字典一经出版，资助者便可获得该字典第一版的副本一份以偿还其在字典编纂过程中的（经济）支持。约翰逊曾希望得到切斯特菲尔德伯爵的资助，但却徒劳而归。但当字典最终出版后，切斯特菲尔德伯爵却派人送给约翰逊一张大面额的支票。约翰逊以他那封著名的《致切斯特菲尔德伯爵》回绝了这位伯爵。在信中，约翰逊将自己比喻成了一个行将溺水身亡，但却呼救无望的人，最终慢慢游到岸边，爬上岸，却仅得到一份迟来的援助。
致切斯特菲尔德伯爵
1755年2月7日
伯爵大人阁下，
近日我从《世界报》社长处得知该报上推荐我所著字典的两篇文章均出自阁下您之手笔。昔过去从未承蒙过如阁下您这般显贵的垂青，今日能获此殊荣，一时间难以适从，真不知该如何接受抑或是以何等言辞以示我的谢意。
昔日，我曾受别人轻微鼓励拜访过您。与他人无异，我为您言辞的魅力所折服，且无法自制地希望能自诩为“世界征服者之征服者”——能够得到全世界都为之竞求的尊重。然而我发现我的拜见似乎并不受欢迎，自尊与谦逊之心都使我无法继续登门拜访了。我曾当众公开致书于阁下，这已耗尽了我这个退休赋闲且粗俗无礼的布衣学者所能及的全部奉承讨好的伎俩了。我已尽我所能，没人愿见到自己的努力为他人所忽视，纵然这种努力是微不足道的。
尊敬的伯爵，自从我在尊府外室中苦苦等待，并被您拒之门外以来，七年的光景已去。在此期间，我倍尝种种艰辛，辛勤劳作。如今抱怨无用，只待出版。这七年中，您未曾助予我一臂之薄力，未曾给予我一句鼓励之话语，未曾施予我一次赞许的微笑。但我从未期待过如此这般礼遇，因我从未有过资助之人。
维吉尔诗中的牧羊人最终认清了爱神的真面目，却发现他有着如岩石般的铁石心肠。
尊敬的伯爵，所谓的资助人难道是那种见人落水挣扎却无动于衷、待落水人上岸后再出手援助的人吗？您对我劳作的关注若能早日到来，我将心存感激；然而这关心却姗姗来迟，时至今日我已毫无所谓，也无从享受；我现已丧偶，无法与人分享；且我已略有声名，已不求名利。既然未曾受过您的任何恩惠，这表明上天助我独自完成此项工作。而我不愿让公众误将您视为我的资助人。希望此举不被视为狂傲无礼吧。
迄今为止，我的工作未曾得到过任何学术文人的眷顾，即便是在收尾之际这种眷顾会少之又少，假使可能的话，我也不觉失望；因为我早已从希望的梦中醒来，梦中我曾洋洋自得般自诩。您最谦卑顺从的仆人，
塞缪尔·约翰逊
译者感言
一代世界文坛巨匠塞缪尔·约翰逊出生在里奇菲尔德的一个穷书商家中。少年时期的他曾先后在里奇菲尔德文法学校及牛津大学读书，但是由于穷困他没有拿到学位便离开了牛津。然而约翰逊并没有放弃求学之路，而是用时间和毅力将自己打磨成了一代文豪。约翰逊的一生穷困潦倒，直到历时十载编纂而成《英语词典》才使得他声名大振。这部字典在1755年4月15日一经出版便立刻被公认为字典编纂史上的一个里程碑。值得一提的是在字典的编写过程中，约翰逊始终以实事求是的科学态度来对待英语，谨慎地处理每一个词条。此外，约翰逊几乎是在无人资助的情况下独立完成字典的编纂工作的。相比之下，法国的《国家字典》是在花费了40名院士40年时间的情况下才编写而成的，而约翰逊独自一人仅用了近10年的时间便著就了这部举世闻名的字典，这不得不为世人所赞叹。他的严谨治学，他的自强自尊，值得后人学习与效仿。
