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lavengro-第87部分

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clever of all our moral writers … his philosophy … '



'I will have nothing to do with him;' said I。



'Wherefore?' said the Armenian。



'There is an old proverb;' said I; '〃that a burnt child avoids the 

fire。〃  I have burnt my hands sufficiently with attempting to 

translate philosophy; to make me cautious of venturing upon it 

again'; and then I told the Armenian how I had been persuaded by 

the publisher to translate his philosophy into German; and what 

sorry thanks I had received; 'And who knows;' said I; 'but the 

attempt to translate Armenian philosophy into English might he 

attended with yet more disagreeable consequences?'



The Armenian smiled。  'You would find me very different from the 

publisher。'



'In many points I have no doubt I should;' I replied; 'but at the 

present moment I feel like a bird which has escaped from a cage; 

and; though hungry; feels no disposition to return。  Of what nation 

is the dark man below stairs; whom I saw writing at the desk?'



'He is a Moldave;' said the Armenian; 'the dog (and here his eyes 

sparkled) deserves to be crucified; he is continually making 

mistakes。'



The Armenian again renewed his proposition about Z…; which I again 

refused; as I felt but little inclination to place myself beneath 

the jurisdiction of a person who was in the habit of cuffing those 

whom he employed; when they made mistakes。  I presently took my 

departure; not; however; before I had received from the Armenian a 

pressing invitation to call upon him whenever I should feel 

disposed。







CHAPTER XLVIII







What to do … Strong enough … Fame and profit … Alliterative euphony 

… Excellent fellow … Listen to me … A plan … Bagnigge Wells。



ANXIOUS thoughts frequently disturbed me at this time with respect 

to what I was to do; and how support myself in the Great City。  My 

future prospects were gloomy enough; and I looked forward and 

feared; sometimes I felt half disposed to accept the offer of the 

Armenian; and to commence forthwith; under his superintendence; the 

translation of the Haik Esop; but the remembrance of the cuffs 

which I had seen him bestow upon the Moldavian; when glancing over 

his shoulder into the ledger or whatever it was on which he was 

employed; immediately drove the inclination from my mind。  I could 

not support the idea of the possibility of his staring over my 

shoulder upon my translation of the Haik Esop; and; dissatisfied 

with my attempts; treating me as he had treated the Moldavian 

clerk; placing myself in a position which exposed me to such 

treatment would indeed be plunging into the fire after escaping 

from the frying…pan。  The publisher; insolent and overbearing as he 

was; whatever he might have wished or thought; had never lifted his 

hand against me; or told me that I merited crucifixion。



What was I to do? turn porter?  I was strong; but there was 

something besides strength required to ply the trade of a porter … 

a mind of a particularly phlegmatic temperament; which I did not 

possess。  What should I do? enlist as a soldier? I was tall enough; 

but something besides height is required to make a man play with 

credit the part of soldier; I mean a private one … a spirit; if 

spirit it can be called; which will not only enable a man to submit 

with patience to insolence and abuse; and even to cuffs and kicks; 

but occasionally to the lash。  I felt that I was not qualified to 

be a soldier; at least a private one; far better be a drudge to the 

most ferocious of publishers; editing Newgate lives; and writing in 

eighteenpenny reviews … better to translate the Haik Esop; under 

the superintendence of ten Armenians; than be a private soldier in 

the English service; I did not decide rashly … I knew something of 

soldiering。  What should I do?  I thought that I would make a last 

and desperate attempt to dispose of the ballads and of Ab Gwilym。



I had still an idea that; provided I could persuade any spirited 

publisher to give these translations to the world; I should acquire 

both considerable fame and profit; not; perhaps; a world…embracing 

fame such as Byron's; but a fame not to be sneered at; which would 

last me a considerable time; and would keep my heart from breaking; 

… profit; not equal to that which Scott had made by his wondrous 

novels; but which would prevent me from starving; and enable me to 

achieve some other literary enterprise。  I read and re…read my 

ballads; and the more I read them the more I was convinced that the 

public; in the event of their being published; would freely 

purchase; and hail them with the merited applause。  Were not the 

deeds and adventures wonderful and heart…stirring … from which it 

is true I could claim no merit; being but the translator; but had I 

not rendered them into English; with all their original fire?  Yes; 

I was confident I had; and I had no doubt that the public would say 

so。  And then; with respect to Ab Gwilym; had I not done as much 

justice to him as to the Danish ballads; not only rendering 

faithfully his thoughts; imagery; and phraseology; but even 

preserving in my translation the alliterative euphony which 

constitutes one of the most remarkable features of Welsh prosody?  

Yes; I had accomplished all this; and I doubted not that the public 

would receive my translations from Ab Gwilym with quite as much 

eagerness as my version of the Danish ballads。  But I found the 

publishers as intractable as ever; and to this day the public has 

never had an opportunity of doing justice to the glowing fire of my 

ballad versification; and the alliterative euphony of my imitations 

of Ab Gwilym。



I had not seen Francis Ardry since the day I had seen him taking 

lessons in elocution。  One afternoon as I was seated at my table; 

my head resting on my hands; he entered my apartment; sitting down; 

he inquired of me why I had not been to see him。



'I might ask the same question of you;' I replied。  'Wherefore have 

you not been to see me?'  Whereupon Francis Ardry told me that he 

had been much engaged in his oratorical exercises; also in 

escorting the young Frenchwoman about to places of public 

amusement; he then again questioned me as to the reason of my not 

having been to see him。



I returned an evasive answer。  The truth was; that for some time 

past my appearance; owing to the state of my finances; had been 

rather shabby; and I did not wish to expose a fashionable young man 

like Francis Ardry; who lived in a fashionable neighbourhood; to 

the imputation of having a shabby acquaintance。  I was aware that 

Francis Ardry was an excellent fellow; but; on that very account; I 

felt; under existing circumstances; a delicacy in visiting him。



It is very possible that he had an inkling of how matters stood; as 

he presently began to talk of my affairs and prospects。  I told him 

of my late ill success with the booksellers; and inveighed 
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