Every morning when I awake I thank heaven for silence. This is my orison. I remember the London days when sleep was broken by clash and clang, by roar and shriek, and when my first sense on returning to consciousness was hatred of the life about me. Noises of wood and metal, clattering of wheels, banging of implements, jangling of bells --- all such things are bad enough, but worse still is the clamorous human voice. Nothing on earth is more irritating to me than a bellow or scream of idiot mirth, nothing more hateful than a shout or yell of brutal anger. Were it possible, I would never again hear the utterance of a human tongue, save from those few who are dear to me.
Here, wake at what hour I may, early or late, I lie amid gracious stillness. Per-chance a horse's hoof rings rhythmically upon the road; perhaps a dog barks from a neighbour farm; it may be that there comes the far, soft murmur of a train from the other side of Exe; but these are almost the only sounds that could force themselves upon my ear. A voice at any time of the day is the rarest thing.
每天清晨醒来的时候，我都会为周遭的安静而感谢上苍。这是我的祈祷。记得住在伦敦的时候，我总是在撞击声、叮当声、咆哮声和尖叫声中惊醒;醒来之后的第一个感觉,就是对这种生活境况的憎恶。木头与金属的噪音、车轮转动的声音、工具的乒乓声、刺耳的铃声一一所有这一切已经够糟糕了,但更让人难以忍受的是人们的叫嚷喧哗。世上再没有什么能比白痴在欢乐时发出的吼声和尖叫更令我怒不可遏,也再没有什么能比像野兽一样发怒时的吼叫和呼喊更令我心生恨意了。如果有可能,除了为数不多的亲近之人,我永远也不想再听到人类的声音了。
在这里,每当我醒来，无论什么时间,是迟是早,我都可以安躺于美好的静谧之中。偶尔会从路上传来有节奏的马蹄声;或是从附近的农场里传来狗的吠叫声;也可能听到从埃克斯河对岸传来的遥远、低沉的火车声一这些几乎就是灌入我耳中的仅有的声音了。在一天中的任何时候,人声都鲜有所闻。
But there is the rustle of branches in the morning breeze; there is the music of a sunny shower against the window; there is the matin song of birds. Several times lately I have lain wakeful when there sounded the first note of the earliest lark; it makes me almost glad of my restless nights. The only trouble that touches me in these moments is the thought of my long life wasted amid the senseless noises of man's world. Year after year this spot has known the same tranquillity; with ever so little of good fortune, with ever so little wisdom, beyond what was granted me, I might have blessed my manhood with calm, might have made for myself in later life a long retrospect of bowered peace. As it is, I enjoy with something of sadness remembering that this melodious silence is but the prelude of that deeper stillness which waits to enfold us all.
但这里有晨风吹动树枝的沙沙声,有晴天时阵雨击窗的美妙乐声,还有清晨时鸟儿的歌唱声。最近,有好几次,我清醒地躺在床上等待着聆听早起的百灵鸟的第一声鸣唱一即使彻夜未眠,我也会因此快乐不已。在这些时刻，我唯一的烦恼,就是想到自己漫长的岁月都虚耗在了人世间毫无意义的喧闹之中。时光流转,这里却一如既往地清幽静谧。如果那时的我能够拥有多一点点的好运、多一点点的智慧,或许在成年时期我就可以享受到这种宁静的生活,这样,在晚年时,我就能有充足的时间来回顾这种惬意的安宁。事实上,这种浑然一体的宁静氛围只不过是那终将拥抱我们所有人的、更深邃的宁静的前奏一一一想到这里,我又不禁有此惆帐。
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