查理·爱德华·蒙太古/Charles Edward Montague

　　Among the mind's powers is one that comes of itself to many children and artists. It need not be lost, to the end of his days, by any one who has ever had it. This is the power of taking delight in a thing, or rather in anything, everything, not as a means to some other end, but just because it is what it is, as the lover dotes on whatever may be the traits of the beloved object. A child in the full health of his mind will put his hand flat on the summer turf, feel it, and give a little shiver of private glee at the elastic firmness of the globe. He is not thinking how well it will do for some game or to feed sheep upon.That would be the way of the wooer whose mind runs on his mistress's money. The child's is sheer affection, the true ecstatic sense of the thing's inherent characteristics. No matter what the things may be, no matter what they are good or no good for, there they are, each with a thrilling unique look and feel of its own, like a face; the iron astringently coop under its paint, the painted wood familiarly warmer, the clod crumbling enchantingly down in the hands, with its little dry smell of the sun and of hot nettles. Each common thing a personality marked by delicious differences.

　　The joy of Adam new to the garden and just looking round is brought by the normal child to the things that he does as well as those that he sees. To be suffered to do some plain work with the real spade used by mankind can give him a mystical exaltation: to come home with his legs, as the French say, reentering his body from the fatigue of helping the gardener to weed beds sends him to sleep in the glow of a beatitude that is an end in itself……

　　在心智的各种能力中，有一种能力对于许多儿童和艺术家来说是与生俱来的，而且一旦获得它，就终身不会失去。这种能力就是对一件事物，甚至对每件事物都感到喜悦的能力。之所以感到喜悦，并不是因为那件事物是达到其他目的的手段，只是因为这件事情本身，正如一个情人觉得他所喜爱的对象是十全十美的一样。一个心智健康的儿童也许会把他的手放在夏天的草地上，抚摸着它，他觉得坚实的大地也有点弹性，因而打心眼里感到欣喜。他并不会考虑这草地对于人们玩游戏或用来放羊会有多大好处。如果这样的话，那就是一心贪图钱财的追求者的恶劣行径了。但这孩子内心的喜悦却是至真至纯的，是对这件事物的内在特性感到真正的心醉神迷。不管这些事物是什么，也不管它们对什么有用或者没用，它们自然地存在着，有着自己动人的外观与感觉，就像一张面孔那样。油漆下面冰凉的钢铁，温暖可亲的彩色木料，拿在手中一揉就碎的令人着迷的土块，微微含着日晒与荨麻的干燥气味。各种普通的事物都有着可爱的差别，因而都突显了其独特的性格。

　　初到伊甸园的亚当左右张望，充满喜悦，这正是一个正常的儿童在做什么或看什么时所感到的欣喜之情。如果让他拿起人们使用的真正的铲子去做点普通的劳动，那他肯定会感到一种神秘的喜悦。当他经过一番辛劳，帮助园丁把花园里的杂草除掉，两只脚像缩进身体里似的走了回来（像法国人说的那样），他会在一片纯粹的喜悦之光的照耀下安然睡去……

　　心灵小语

　　难道喜悦也要有能力才可以做到吗？喜悦对于每个人来说意义都是不同的。对于小孩子来说，喜悦是发自内心的，是干干脆脆的；而对于那些一味金钱至上的人们来说，喜悦只是他们劣行的帮凶。

　　词汇笔记

　　private [?praivit] adj. 私人的；私有的；私下的

　　例 There is a private table tennis club near our office.

　　我们办公室附近有一家私人的桌球俱乐部。

　　elastic [i?l?stik] adj. 有弹性的；易伸缩的；灵活的

　　例 The rubber we have today is not sticky, but soft and elastic, though very strong even in the warmest summer and the coldest winter.

　　我们今天用的橡胶既不黏，又软而有弹性，而且还非常结实——甚至在最热的夏天和最冷的冬天。

　　ecstatic [ik?st?tik] adj. 狂喜的；入迷的

　　例 Eddie is ecstatic over his new train set.

　　艾迪对他的新玩具火车着了迷。

　　unique [ju:?ni:k] adj. 独一无二的；独特的；稀罕的

　　例 You are the unique in the history and the universe.

　　你在历史上和宇宙中都是独一无二的。

　　小试身手

　　他并不会考虑这草地对于人们玩游戏或用来放羊会有多大好处。

　　译_______________

　　但这孩子内心的喜悦却是至真至纯的，是对这件事物的内在特性感到真正的心醉神迷。

　　译_______________

　　各种普通的事物都有着可爱的差别，因而都突显了其独特的性格。

　　译_______________

　　短语家族

　　This is the power of taking delight in a thing, or rather in anything…… take delight in：乐于

　　造_______________

　　That would be the way of the wooer whose mind runs on his mistress's money.

　　run on：运行于；涉及；抢购

　　造_______________