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...
