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Unit4牛津Therearecertainthingsintheworldthataresopraiseworthythatitseemsaneedless,indeedanalmostlaughablethingtopraisethem;suchthingsareloveandfriendship,foodandsleep,springandsummer;suchthings,too,arethewisestbooks,thegreatestpictures,thenoblestcities.ButforallthatImeantotryandmakealittlehymninproseinhonourofOxford,acityIhaveseenbutseldom,andwhichyetappearstomeoneofthemostbeautifulthingsintheworld.此世间确有诸多凡物，它们本身便是值得人们去品味和赞誉的，譬如说爱情和友谊、美食和睡梦、春色和夏日，还有如那些注满了智慧的书卷、注满了心血的画作和注满了圣意的城邦。也许对于这些凡物而言，再多的赞誉已无非是陈词滥调，荒唐可笑的，但我之所以还是想要对上述这些事物品味、赞誉一番，都是为了向牛津城表示我的敬意。牛津城对我来说，就是这世间极其罕见，又最为美丽的地方之一。Idonotwishtosingleoutparticularbuildings,buttopraisethewholeeffectoftheplace,suchasitseemedtomeonadayofbrightsunandcoolair,whenIwanderedhourafterhouramongthestreets,bewilderedandalmostintoxicatedwithbeauty,feelingasapoormanmightwhohaspinchedallhislife,andmadethemostofsinglecoins,andwhoisbroughtintothepresenceofaheapofpiled-upgold,andtoldthatitisallhisown.我并不想单独从牛津城里遴选出一些建筑来赞誉；我想要赞誉的是这块土地上所映射出的一种整体效果。这种效果在我看来，就好比是在一个阳光明媚、天气清爽的日子里，一连花上几个小时，徜徉在牛津城的街道上，痴迷、甚至是沉醉于这番美景之中。这感觉就犹如是把一位穷得一辈子衣衫褴褛、靠一角一分过日子的人带到一堆金矿旁，然后告诉他，这些财富都已归他所有。IhaveseenitsaidinfoolishbooksthatitisamisfortunetoOxfordthatsomanyofthebuildingshavebeenbuiltoutofsoperishableaveinofstone.Itisindeedamisfortuneinonerespect,thatittemptsmenofdullandprecisemindstorestoreandreplacebuildingsofincomparablegrace,becausetheiroutlineissoexquisitelyblurredbytimeanddecay.Iremembermyself,asachild,visitingOxford,andthinkingthatsomeofthebuildingswerealmostshamefullyruinousofaspect;nowthatIamwiserIknowthatwehaveinthesebatteredandfrettedpalace-frontsakindofbeautythatfillsthemindwithalmostdespairingsenseofloveliness,tilltheheartacheswithgratitude,andthrillswiththedesiretoproclaimthegloryofthesightaloud.我曾在一些荒谬、无理的书里读到说，牛津城里如此之多的建筑都用易被腐蚀、布满裂纹的砖石砌成，这简直就是一场灾难。从某种角度来说，这倒确实是一场灾难，因为随着时间的流逝，用这种砖石砌成的建筑会渐渐破败，建筑的轮廓会很明显地变得七零八落，这便会惹得那些脑袋不灵活的笨家伙们想着整修或重建这些与牛津城魅力格格不入的“破玩意儿”。记得在我儿时游访牛津城时，我也曾这么想——这些建筑如此破旧不堪，几乎都是见不得人了；可现在，随着我年数和阅历的增益，我才知道在那些破旧不堪、磨坏受损的殿堂式房子里，蕴藏着一种别样的魅力。这种魅力乍看上去真是令人几近绝望，直到人们对这壮观之景开始心生感激时，才会猛地萌发出一种要高声赞誉这股魅力的念头。Theseblack-frontedblisteredfacades,sothreatening,sosombre,yetscreeningsobrightandclearacurrentoflife;withthetendergreenofbuddingspringtrees,chestnutsfullofsilveryspires,glossy-leavedcreepersclinging,withtinyhands,tocorniceandparapet,givesurelythesharpestandmostdelicatesensethatitispossibletoconceiveofthecontrastonwhichtheessenceofsomuchbeautydepends.Topassthroughoneofthesedarkandsmoke-stainedcourts,witheverylinemellowedandharmonised,asifithadgrownupsooutoftheearth;tofindoneselfinasunnypleasaunce,carpetedwithvelvetturf,andsetthickwithflowers,makesthespiritsighwithdelight.牛津大学城里这些满目苍夷、发黑起泡的建筑，乍看上去是如此地阴沉、昏暗，其实也映射出着一番光鲜、清新的生命力——树木在春天冒出了绿叶嫩枝，栗子树上窜满了毛茸茸的幼叶，叶面光亮的爬山虎将它无数细小的藤蔓吸在了建筑的檐口和挡墙上。这便无疑给了人们一种极为强烈又相当细腻的生命感，让人构想出一副融此美景于一体、反差鲜明的画面。随意穿过校园里的那些阴暗、黝黑的院子，院子的墙角线既沉稳又润和，就仿佛是从地下窜出来似的；再找个阳光明媚的日子，到那铺满绒草、缀满繁花的庭子里去，人的一呼一吸之间都能透射出内心中的愉悦之情。那些高大的门柱可是这世上其他地方看不到的，门柱的顶部嵌有一块纹章，细长的爬山虎藤蔓舒展地缠在门柱间的铁格栅上，真是惹人喜爱。Nowhereintheworldcanoneseesuchathingasthosegreatgate-piers,withacognisancea-top,withagrilleofiron-workbetweenthem,allsweetlyentwinedwithsomeslimvagrantcreeper,thatgiveaglimpseandahint—nomore—ofafairy-landofshelterandfountainswithin.Ihaveseensuchpalacesstandinquietandstatelyparks,asold,asmajestic,asfinelyproportionedasthebuildingsofOxford;buttheveryblacknessofthecityair,andthedriftingsmokeofthetown,givesthataddedtouchofgrimnessandmysterythatthecountryairscannotcommunicate.透过那些铁格栅，便可略微瞥见——仅仅是可以略微瞥见——那里面如仙境般的屋舍和喷泉。这样的建筑，我倒是在一些庄重而寂静的庭院里看到过，那些建筑也是破旧不堪，但却相当高贵，和牛津大学城里的这些建筑就好像是一个模子里刻出来似的。但是，这儿校园里昏昏沉沉的气息，和镇上一屡一屡的炊烟，给这里增添了一股乡村庭院里找不到的敬畏感和神秘感。Andevenfairersightsarecontainedwithin;thosepanelled,dark-roofedhalls,withtheirarrayofportraitsgravelyandintentlyregardingthestrangers;thechapels,withtheirsplendidclassicalscreensandstalls,richanddimwithancientglass.Thetowers,domes,andsteeples;andallsetnotinamereparadiseoflawnsandglades,butintheveryheartofacity,itselffullofquaintandancienthouses,butbusywithalltheactivityofabriskandprosperoustown;therebyagaingivingthestrongandsatisfyingsenseofcontrast,thesenseofeagerandevery-daycaresandpleasures,sidebysidewiththesesecludedhavensofpeace,thecourtsandcloister,wheremenmayyetlivealifeofgentlethoughtandquietcontemplation,untroubled,nay,evenstimulated,bythepresenceofabustlinglifesonearathand,whichyetmaynotintrudeupontheolderdream.而牛津大学城里其实还蕴藏着更为悦目的景象——那些黑顶的豪华大厅里整齐地陈放着大量人像画，那画里的人似乎正认真又专心地打量着来客；小教堂的围屏和长凳精致而古雅，五彩的玻璃使里面看上去既昏暗又华丽。还有那塔楼、穹顶和教堂尖顶等，好像都不仅仅是矗立在这校园里天堂般的草坪和林地上，也矗立在整座牛津城的中心。牛津城里也全是些别致又古老的房屋，但忙忙碌碌的城里人，使这里多了一份生机勃勃、繁荣兴旺的景象，又给人们留下了一副强烈却美好的反差印象。那四处静谧的港湾、天井和修道院，可使来客热切地感受到人们日常生活中的忧虑和愉悦。在这儿过日子的居民，不受世俗的侵扰，他们常常会想着什么东西，静静地沉思，又亦或是受到那咫尺间喧嚣与繁华的启发，可那喧嚣和繁华却不会侵扰他们重温旧梦。Idonotknowwhethermytasteisentirelytrustworthy,butIconfessthatIfindtheItalianateandclassicalbuildingsofOxfordfinerthantheGothicbuildings.TheGothicbuildingsarequainter,perhaps,abouttheclassicalpicturesque,butthereisanairofsolemnpompandsoberdignityabouttheclassicalbuildingsthatharmonisesbetterwiththesenseofwealthandgravesecuritythatissocharacteristicoftheplace.我不知