按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
欢迎访问： txtsk
The Sorrows of Young Werther
声明：本书由4020电子书（txtsk）自网络收集整理制作；版权归原作者和出版社所有；下载后请在24小时内删除。如果喜欢；请购买正版。
J。W。 von Goethe Thomas Carlyle and R。D。 Boylan Edited by Nathen Haskell
Dole PREFACE I have carefully collected whatever I have been able to learn
of the story of poor Werther， and here present it to you ， knowing that
you will thank me for it。 To his spirit and character you cannot refuse
your admiration and love： to his fate you will not deny your tears。
And thou， good soul， who sufferest the same distress as he endured
once， draw fort from his sorrows； and let this little book be thy
friend， if ， owing to fortune or through thine own fault， thou canst
not find a dearer panion。
BOOK I
MAY 4。 How happy I am that I am gone！ My dear friend ， what a thing
is the heart of man ！ To leave you ， from whom I have been inseparable，
whom I love so dearly ， and yet to feel happy！ I know you will forgive
me。 Have not other attachments been specially appointed by fate to torment
a head like mine？ Poor Leonora ！ and yet I was not to blame。 Was it
my fault， that ， whilst the peculiar charms of her sister afforded me
an agreeable entertainment， a passion for me was engendered in her feeble
heart ？ And yet am I wholly blameless？ Did I not encourage her emotions？
Did I not feel charmed at those truly genuine expressions of nature ，
which ， though but little mirthful in reality， so often amused us ？
Did I not —— but oh ！ what is man， that he dares so to accuse himself？
My dear friend I promise you I will improve ； I will no longer ， as
has ever been my habit， continue to ruminate on every petty vexation
which fortune may dispense； I will enjoy the present ， and the past
shall be for me the past。 No doubt you are right， my best of friends ，
there would be far less suffering amongst mankind ， if men —— and God
knows why they are so fashioned —— did not employ their imaginations
so assiduously in recalling the memory of past sorrow ， instead of bearing
their present lot with equanimity。 Be kind enough to inform my mother
that I shall attend to her business to the best of my ability ， and shall
give her the earliest information about it。 I have seen my aunt ， and
find that she is very far from being the disagreeable person our friends
allege her to be。 She is a lively ， cheerful woman ， with the best of
hearts。 I explained to her my mother's wrongs with regard to that part
of her portion which has been withheld from her。 She told me the motives
and reasons of her own conduct， and the terms on which she is willing
to give up the whole， and to do more than we have asked。 In short， I
cannot write further upon this subject at present ； only assure my mother
that all will go on well。 And I have again observed ， my dear friend ，
in this trifling affair ， that misunderstandings and neglect occasion
more mischief in the world than even malice and wickedness。 At all events，
the two latter are of less frequent occurrence。
In other respects I am very well off here。 Solitude in this terrestrial
paradise is a genial balm to my mind， and the young spring cheers with
its bounteous promises my oftentimes misgiving heart。 Every tree， every
bush， is full of flowers ； and one might wish himself transformed into
a butterfly ， to float about in this ocean of perfume， and find his
whole existence in it。
The town itself is disagreeable ； but then ， all around ， you find
an inexpressible beauty of nature。 This induced the late Count M to lay
out a garden on one of the sloping hills which here intersect each other
with the most charming variety， and form the most lovely valleys。 The
garden is simple； and it is easy to perceive ， even upon your first
entrance， that the plan was not designed by a scientific gardener， but
by a man who wished to give himself up here to the enjoyment of his own
sensitive heart。 Many a tear have I already shed to the memory of its
departed master in a summer…house which is now reduced to ruins ， but
was his favourite resort， and now is mine。 I shall soon be master of
the place。 The gardener has bee attached to me within the last few
days， and he will lose nothing thereby。
MAY 10。 A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul，
like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart。
I am alone， and feel the charm of existence in this spot ， which was
created for the bliss of souls like mine。 I am so happy ， my dear friend，
so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence ， that
I neglect my talents。 I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke
at the present moment ； and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist
than now。 When， while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me，
and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage
of my trees ， and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary，
I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream； and，
as I lie close to the earth ， a thousand unknown plants are noticed by
me： when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks， and grow
familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies，
then I feel the presence of the Almighty， who formed us in his own image，
and the breath of that universal love which bears and sustains us ， as
it floats around us in an eternity of bliss ； and then ， my friend，
when darkness overspreads my eyes ， and heaven and earth seem to dwell
in my soul and absorb its power ， like the form of a beloved mistress，
then I often think with longing ， Oh ， would I could describe these
conceptions ， could impress upon paper all that is living so full and
warm within me， that it might be the mirror of my soul ， as my soul
is the mirror of the infinite God ！ O my friend—— but it is too much
for my strength —— I sink under the weight of the splendour of these
visions ！
MAY 12。 I know not whether some deceitful spirits haunt this spot ，
or whether it be the warm ， celestial fancy in my own heart which makes
everything around me seem like paradise。 In front of the house is a fountain，
—— a fountain to which I am bound by a charm like Melusina and her sisters。
Descending a gentle slope ， you e to an arch， where， some twenty
steps lower down， water of the clearest crystal gushes from the marble
rock。 The narrow wall which encloses it above ， the tall trees which
encircle the spot ， and the coolness of the place itself ，—— everything
imparts a pleasant but sublime impression。 Not a day passes on which I
do not spend an hour there。 The young maidens e from the town to fetch
water ，—— innocent and necessary employment， and formerly the occupation
of the daughters of kings。 As I take my rest there， the idea of the old
patriarchal life is awakened around me。 I see them， our old ancestors，
how they formed their friendships and contracted alliances at the fountain…side
； and I feel how fountains and streams were guarded by beneficent spirits。
He who is a stranger to these sensations has never really enjoyed cool
repose at the side of a fountain after the fatigue of a weary summer day。
MAY 13。 You ask if you shall send me books。 My dear friend， I beseech
you ， for the love of God， relieve me from such a yoke！ I need no more
to be guided， agitated ， heated。 My heart ferments sufficiently of itself。
I want strains to lull me ， and I find them to perfection in my Homer。
Often do I strive to allay the burning fever of my blood； and you have
never witnessed anything so unsteady， so uncertain ， as my heart。 But
need I confess this to you， my dear friend ， who have so often endured
the anguish of witnessing my sudden transitions from sorrow to immoderate
joy ， and from sweet melancholy to violent passions？ I treat my poor
heart like a sick child ， and gratify its every fancy。 Do not mention
this again： there are people who would censure me for it。
MAY 15。 The mon people of the place know me already， and love
me， particularly the children。 When at first I associated with them，
and inquired in a friendly tone about their various trifles ， some fancied
that I wished to ridicule them， and turned from me in exceeding ill…humour。
I did not allow that circumstance to grieve me： I only felt most keenly
what I have often before observed。 Persons who can claim a certain rank
keep themselves coldly aloof from the mon people ， as though they
feared to lose their importance by the contact； whilst wanton idlers ，
and such as are prone to bad joking ， affect to descend to their level，
only to make the poor people feel their impertinence all the more keenly。
I know very well that we are not all equal， nor can be so； but it
is my opinion that he who avoids the mon people， in order not to lose
their respect ， is as much to blame as a coward who hides himself from
his enemy because he fears defeat。
The other day I went to the fountain， and found a young servant…girl，
who had set her pitcher on the lowest step， and looked around to see
if one of her panions was approaching to place it on her head。 I ran
down， and looked at her。 〃Shall I help you ， pretty lass？〃 said I。
She blushed deeply。 〃Oh ， sir！〃 she exclaimed。 〃No ceremony ！〃 I replied。
She adjusted her head…gear， and I helped her。 She thanked me ， and ascended
the steps。
MAY 17。 I have made all sorts of acquaintances， but have as yet found
no society。 I know not what attraction I possess for the people ， so
many of them like me， and attach themselves to me； and then I feel sorry
when the road we pursue together goes only a short distance。 If you inquire
what the people are like here ， I must answer， 〃The same as everywhere。〃
The human race is but a monotonous affair。 Most of them labour the greater
part of their time for mere subsistence ； and the scanty portion of freedom
which remains to them so troubles them that they use every exertion to
get rid of it。 Oh ， the destiny of man ！
But they are a right good sort of people。 If I occasionally forget
myself， and take part in the innocent pleasures which are not yet forbidden
to the peasantry， and enjoy myself ， for instance ， with genuine freedom
and sincerity ， round a well…covered table ， or arrange an excursion
or a dance opportunely， and so forth ， all this produces a good effect
upon my disposition ； only I must forget that there lie dormant within
me so many other qualities which moulder uselessly， and which I am obliged
to keep carefully concealed。 Ah ！ this thought affects my spirits fearfully。
And yet to be misunderstood is the fate of the like of us。
Alas， that the friend of my youth is gone！ Alas ， that I ever knew
her ！ I might say to myself， 〃You are a dreamer to seek what is not
to be found here below。〃 But she has been mine。 I have possessed that
heart ， that noble soul， in whose presence I seemed to be more than
I really was， because I was all that I could be。 Good heavens！ did then
a single power of my soul remain unexercised？ In her presence could I
not display ， to its full extent ， that mysterious feeling with which
my heart embraces nature？ Was not our intercourse a perpetual web of
the finest emotions ， of the keenest wit ， the varieties of which ，
even in their very eccentricity ， bore the stamp of genius ？ Alas ！
the few years by which she was my senior brought her to the grave before
me。 Never can I forget her firm mind or her heavenly patience。
A few days ago I met a certain young V——， a frank， open fellow，
with a most pleasing countenance。 He has just left the university ， does
not deem himself overwise ， but believes he knows more than other people。
He has worked hard， as I can perceive from many circumstances， and，
in short， possesses a large stock of information。 When he heard that
I am drawing a good deal， and that I know Greek（two wonderful things
for this part of the country）， he came to see me， and displayed his
whole store of learn