Of late I have been wishing for music. An odd chance gratified my desire.
I had to go into Exeter yesterday. I got there about sunset, transacted my business, and turned to walk home again through the warn twilight. In Southernhay, as I was passing a house of which the ground-floor windows stood open, there sounded the notes of a piano -- chords touched by a skillful hand. I checked my step, hoping, and in a minute or two the musician began to play that nocturne of Chopin which I love best -- I don't know how to name it. My heart leaped. There I stood in the thickening dusk, the glorious sounds floating about me; and I trembled with very ecstasy of enjoyment. When silence came, I waited in the hope of another piece, but nothing followed, and so I went my way.
最近,我一直想听音乐。一个偶然的机会使我的愿望得到了满足。
昨天,我不得不到埃克塞特市去了一趟。我到达那里时已是黄昏,事情处理完毕之后,我便沐浴着温暖的暮色,转身向家中走去。在萨圣赫,当我经过一所底层的窗户敞开的房子时,听到了里面传出的钢琴声——那是一双技巧娴熟的手弹奏的和弦。我满怀期待地停下脚步,一两分钟之后,演奏者开始弹奏起我最喜爱的肖邦的夜曲——我不知道曲名是什么。我的心随之激荡。我站在逐渐深沉的暮色中,美妙的音乐浮动在我周身的空气中;我则在这享受的狂喜中颤抖不已。当乐声沉寂下来后,我依然等在那里,希望能再听到一首曲子,但随后一直是一片静谧,于是我又踏上了回家的路。
It is well for me that I cannot hear music when I will; assuredly I should not have such intense pleasure as comes to me now and then by haphazard. As I walked on, forgetting all about the distance and reaching home before I knew I was half way there, I felt gratitude to my unknown benefactor -- a state of mind I have often experienced in the days long gone by. It happened at times -- not in my barest days, but in those of decent poverty -- that someone in the house where I lodged played the piano -- and how it rejoiced me when this came to pass! I say "played the piano" -- a phrase that covers much. For my own part, I was very tolerant; anything that could by the largest interpretation be called music, I welcomed and was thankful for; even "five-finger exercises" I found, at moments, better than nothing. For it was when I was labouring at my desk that the notes of the instrument were grateful and helpful to me. Some men, I believe, would have been driven frantic under the circumstances; to me anything like a musical sound always came as a godsend; it tuned my thoughts; it made the words flow. Even the street organs put me in a happy mood; I owe many a page to them -- written when I should else have been sunk in bilious gloom.
我无法在想听音乐的时候就能听到,这对我来说也是一件好事;否则,这偶然获得的快乐,肯定不会如此强烈。我继续前行,完全忘记了路程的远近;在我以为只走了一半路程时，竟已经到家了。我感谢那位不知名的施惠者一这是我在以往的岁月里常常能体会到的一种心情。有时，它会发生一一不是在身无分文的日子里，而是在虽然贫穷但尚能维持生计的时期一一在我所寄宿的房子里,那里有人弹钢琴。每当音乐响起时,我都无比地高兴!我说“弹钢琴”一这个说法包含着很多意思。我认为自己是宽容之人一一任何在最宽泛的意义上能够被称为音乐的东西，我都欢迎并且对之心存感激;我觉得,即使是“五指练习”,常常也比没有要好。当我伏案写作时,乐器奏出的音符能令我心情愉快,对我大有神益。我相信,有些人在这种环境中可能已经发狂了;但对我来说,任何类似音乐的声音都仿佛天赐之物一般,能够让我文思泉涌、语言流畅。甚至是街边的风琴,也能令我心情愉悦;我的许多页书稿都是托它们的福才得以完成一-如果没有它们,我恐怕早已陷入暴躁、阴郁的情绪之中了。
More than once, too, when I was walking London streets by night, penniless and miserable, music from an open window has stayed my step, even as yesterday. Very well can I remember such a moment in Eaton Square one night when I was going back to Chelsea, tired, hungry, racked by frustrate passions. I had tramped miles and miles in the hope of wearying myself so that I could sleep and forget. Then came the piano notes -- I saw that there was festival in the house -- and for an hour or so I revelled as none of the bidden guests could possibly be doing. And when I reached my poor lodgings, I was no longer envious nor mad with desires, but as I fell asleep I thanked the unknown mortal who had played for me and given me peace.
当我身上一文不名、无比凄凉地在夜晚的伦敦街头徘徊时,不止一次听到从一扇敞开的窗户里传出的音乐,那时，我总会像昨天一样停下脚步。我清楚地记得一个这样的时刻,那是一天夜里,在伊顿广场,我正走在回切尔西的路上。当时,我又累又饿，并且正遭受着灰心丧气的情绪的折磨。我拖着沉重的脚步走了很远的路，只希望能使自己精疲力竭,就可以倒头便睡,忘掉一切。就在那时，一阵钢琴声传人了我的耳畔一一我看到一所房子里正在举行欢宴一一在一个小时左右的时间里,我欣喜若狂,任何一个被邀请的客人都无法体会到那种心情。当我回到那破旧的栖身之所时，我已经不再因自己的欲望而嫉妒和疯狂了;当我酣然入睡时,我得感谢那位不知名的演奏者,是他给予了我内心的平静。
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