2012年1月14日 星期六

John Tillotson,

毛姆《觀點》(The Points of View by W. Somerset Maugham 1958) 夏菁譯,上海:上海譯文,2011

目錄

詩人(案:哥德)的三部小說

聖者

散文與神學家蒂樂生

短篇小說

三位 (案:法國)日記體作家

譯後記

讀者從我對目錄的兩處案語,可知作者的文字範圍包括英德文。當時書有也有些拉丁文。

這本書翻譯上有些”疏忽” ,譬如說《散文與神學家蒂樂生》( pp. 83-123) ,傳主姓名的原文是 John Tillotson, 1630-1694。此君的講道文章以簡潔出名,一向是英國18世紀以前的文章範本。現在類似《牛津英國文學伴讀》只用數十字介紹他,而毛姆大發思古之幽情,介紹這英國文化史上常被忽略的人物之生平 (現在人對當初英國國教與天主教的衝突,可能已沒什麼興趣,不過這是16-17世紀英國人的第一要事),相當有趣。



Quotes:

"Though all afflictions are evils in themselves, yet they are good for us, because they discover to us our disease and tend to our cure."

"The art of using deceit and cunning grow continually weaker and less effective to the user."

"The crafty person is always in danger; and when they think they walk in the dark, all their pretenses are transparent."

"To be able to bear provocation is an argument of great reason, and to forgive it of a great mind."

"Men expect that religion should cost them no pains, that happiness should drop into their laps without any design and endeavor on their part, and that, after they have done what they please while they live, God should snatch them up to heaven when they die. But though the commandments of God be not grievous, yet it is fit to let men know that they are not thus easy."

"Ignorance and inconsideration are the two great causes of the ruin of mankind."



John Tillotson (October 1630 – 22 November 1694) was an Archbishop of Canterbury (1691–1694).


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