汤姆●琼斯—一个弃儿的个人史01.04A（重译）

Chapter iv. — The reader's neck brought into danger by a description; his escape; and the great condescension of Miss Bridget Allworthy.

第4回——本回中的一段描写将读者带入了险境，足可将其脖子折断；读者逃脱险境；万丽姬小姐极大程度地屈尊俯就。

The Gothic stile of building could produce nothing nobler than Mr Allworthy's house. There was an air of grandeur in it that struck you with awe, and rivalled the beauties of the best Grecian architecture; and it was as commodious within as venerable without.

万德全先生的房屋富丽堂皇，世上恐怕再也找不到能与之匹敌的尖拱哥特式建筑了。这幢房屋气势宏伟，让人一看便会肃然起敬，堪比美妙绝伦的希腊建筑。室内开阔轩敞，室外庄严古朴。

It stood on the south-east side of a hill, but nearer the bottom than the top of it, so as to be sheltered from the north-east by a grove of old oaks which rose above it in a gradual ascent of near half a mile, and yet high enough to enjoy a most charming prospect of the valley beneath.

房屋矗立于一座山丘的东南侧，临近山脚，距离山顶较远。房屋东北方向是一片古橡树林，高过屋顶，逐渐朝山顶向上绵延一里半开外，形成房屋的一道天然保护屏障。但房屋位置较高，人在此处，足以尽情徜徉于下面山谷中最瑰丽的风景之中。

In the midst of the grove was a fine lawn, sloping down towards the house, near the summit of which rose a plentiful spring, gushing out of a rock covered with firs, and forming a constant cascade of about thirty feet, not carried down a regular flight of steps, but tumbling in a natural fall over the broken and mossy stones till it came to the bottom of the rock, then running off in a pebly channel, that with many lesser falls winded along, till it fell into a lake at the foot of the hill, about a quarter of a mile below the house on the south side, and which was seen from every room in the front. Out of this lake, which filled the center of a beautiful plain, embellished with groups of beeches and elms, and fed with sheep, issued a river, that for several miles was seen to meander through an amazing variety of meadows and woods till it emptied itself into the sea, with a large arm of which, and an island beyond it, the prospect was closed.

橡树林中心是一块草地，芬芳鲜美，顺着山坡向下朝着房屋延伸开来。山坡向上快到草地尽头处，涌出一股泉水，水量颇丰，从一块岩石中间汩汩流出，岩石上覆盖着冷杉树丛，泉水飞流直下，形成一道流淌不息的瀑布，长约十米，瀑布并非沿着整齐的台阶往下流淌，而是在长满苔藓的碎石上自然滚落，一泻直到岩底，然后在鹅卵石形成的沟渠中流走，伴随着许多小瀑布蜿蜒而下，一直掉落到山脚下一潭湖水之中。湖水位于房子南侧向下大约四百米处，从房屋正面的每个房间都可以看到。这潭湖水座落在一片美丽平原的中心位置，湖水充盈，四周点缀着丛丛山毛榉和榆树，滋养着一群绵羊。湖水向外延伸出一条河流，顺着姿态万千的芳草地和小树林，曲折蔓延好几里，沿途风景令人叹为观止，一直注入大海。入海口是一个硕大的海湾，海湾之外有一座海岛，风景至此戛然而止。

On the right of this valley opened another of less extent, adorned with several villages, and terminated by one of the towers of an old ruined abby, grown over with ivy, and part of the front, which remained still entire.

山谷右侧是另外一个山谷，规模较小，几座村庄点缀其中，谷底原有一座古刹，现已废弃，其中有座塔矗立在山谷尽头。常青藤爬满塔身，塔的正门某些部分仍保存完好。

The left-hand scene presented the view of a very fine park, composed of very unequal ground, and agreeably varied with all the diversity that hills, lawns, wood, and water, laid out with admirable taste, but owing less to art than to nature, could give. Beyond this, the country gradually rose into a ridge of wild mountains, the tops of which were above the clouds.

山谷左侧可以看到一座花园，景色非常怡人，园中地势高低起伏，各种山丘、草地、树林以及河流变化多样，煞是可爱，花园布局令人艳羡，这种品味与其说是别具艺术风格，倒不如说是自然造化神秀。花园以外，旷野逐渐向上延伸成为一道山脊，由荒山野岭组成，山岭顶部直插云霄。

It was now the middle of May, and the morning was remarkably serene, when Mr Allworthy walked forth on the terrace, where the dawn opened every minute that lovely prospect we have before described to his eye; and now having sent forth streams of light, which ascended the blue firmament before him, as harbingers preceding his pomp, in the full blaze of his majesty rose the sun, than which one object alone in this lower creation could be more glorious, and that Mr Allworthy himself presented—a human being replete with benevolence, meditating in what manner he might render himself most acceptable to his Creator, by doing most good to his creatures.

时值五月中旬，这天早晨异常静谧，万德全先生在阳台上漫步，曙光初照，他的眼前时刻都绽放出一幅幅可爱的美景，这些美景前文已经备述。道道霞光登上了蔚蓝色的苍穹，如同走在盛大典礼仪式最前面的先锋队一般，威严壮丽、绚烂辉煌的光芒中，旭日冉冉升起。而在下界凡间，有可能比太阳更加光辉灿烂的，那就只有万德全先生本人了——一个以慈爱为怀之人，总是多行善事，苦思冥想该以何种方式能使自己被造物主接受认可。