第7章 After the Thunderstorm 暴风雨之后

James Thomson, 1700-1748, the son of a clergyman, was born in Scotland. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, and intended to follow the profession of his father, but never entered upon the duties of the sacred office. In 1724 he went to London, where he spent most of his subsequent life. He had shown some poetical talent when it boy; and, in 1826, he published "Winter, " a part of a longer poem, entitled "The Seasons, " the best known of all his works. He also wrote several plays for the stage; none of them, however, achieved any great success. In the last year of his life, he published his "Castle of Indolence, " the most famous of his works excepting "The Seasons."Thomson was heavy and dull in his personal appearance, and was indolent in his habits. The moral tone of his writings is always good. This extract is from "The Seasons."

As from the face of heaven the shattered clouds

Tumultuous rove, the interminable sky

Sublimer swells, and o'er the world expands

A purer azure.

Through the lightened air

A higher luster and a clearer calm,

Diffusive, tremble; while, as if in sign

Of danger past, a glittering robe of joy,

Set off abundant by the yellow ray,

Invests the fields; and nature smiles revived.

'T is beauty all, and grateful song around,

Joined to the low of kine, and numerous bleat

Of flocks thick-nibbling through the clovered vale:

And shall the hymn be marred by thankless man,

Most favored; who, with voice articulate,

Should lead the chorus of this lower world?

Shall man, so soon forgetful of the Hand

That hushed the thunder, and serenes the sky,

Extinguished fed that spark the tempest waked,

That sense of powers exceeding far his own,

Ere yet his feeble heart has lost its fears?

詹姆斯·汤姆森（1700～1748年），牧师的儿子，出生在苏格兰。他在英国爱丁堡大学做过科研工作，曾打算延续父亲的职业，但他后来并没有像父亲那样履行神职。1724年，他去了伦敦，在那里度过了后半生。在詹姆斯还是个小男孩的时候，就已经在写作方面展现出过人的天赋，1826年，他出版了诗集《冬季》，那是一首题为《四季》的诗的一部分，该诗是詹姆斯最出色的作品。他还写过几部戏，但是这些作品并没有取得成功。在他生命的最后一年，他发表了《懒惰的城堡》，这是他的作品中除《四季》之外最有名的。汤姆森性格沉闷，而且为人懒散。他的著作充满了道德的基调，下面这篇诗歌节选自《四季》。

天空那张布满乌云的脸

在无垠的高空狂暴地咆哮，

看啊！云朵在膨胀，在它下面

整个世界变得更加纯净蔚蓝。

穿过轻薄的空气

是更高的光泽和更清澈的宁静，

它们在扩散，在颤抖，仿佛标志

危险已过去，熠熠生辉的云彩

散发出斑斓色彩，

倾洒在田野；大自然在微笑中复苏。

一切都这么美，到处充满了感激的歌声，

一群群羊儿吃着鲜嫩的绿草，

咩咩叫着通过长满苜蓿的山谷；

赞美诗怎能被忘恩负义的人

那绝大多数受到眷顾的人玷污？声音洪亮的人

能带领这个堕落的世界齐声合唱吗？

人能这么快就忘记

那让暴风雨平静、让天际静谧的上帝之手

熄灭那唤起暴风雨的火花，

神奇的威力遍布他的全身，

那脆弱的心灵是否已不再恐惧？