細嚼好文：Charles Dickens 家書

以前我們中文堂讀《傅雷家書》，學英文也不妨讀讀文人書信，感受一下「好英文」。今天找來英國大文豪 Charles Dickens 的家書。

話說 Dickens 三十九歲時，小女兒 Dora 患重病夭折，Dickens 就寫了這封信，把壞消息告訴妻子 Catherine。以下是信中首兩段。Dickens 為顧及妻子感受，用字十分委婉，兩段中沒提過一個「死」字。簡單的字句，流露出無限關切和愛護。希望大家慢慢細讀，用心感受。

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My Dearest Kate,

Now observe, you must read this letter very slowly and carefully. If you have hurried on thus far without quite understanding (apprehending some bad news) I rely on your turning back and reading again.

Little Dora, without being in the least pain, is suddenly stricken ill. There is nothing in her appearance but perfect rest - you would suppose her quietly asleep, but I am sure she is very ill, and I cannot encourage myself with much hope of her recovery. I do not (and why should I say I do to you, my dear?) I do not think her recovery at all likely.

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來，我們逐句看。

1. Now observe, you must read this letter very slowly and carefully.

一看這句，就心感不妙：是有甚麼壞消息吧? 這句為妻子作心理準備。留意 Dickens 是維多利亞時期（大約就是十九世紀吧）的英國佬，文筆雖算「modern」，卻仍有一點古舊氣息。「Now observe」兩字沒甚麼特別意思，像說「留心，我有話說」，現代英文口語的說法是「look」，或「listen」。

2. If you have hurried on thus far without quite understanding (apprehending some bad news) I rely on your turning back and reading again.

也是給妻子心理準備。「Thus far」怎解? 也是較舊的說法，現代英文是「so far」，整句意思大約是「假如你咁快就讀到呢度」。「I rely on your...」就是「我希望你......」的意思。

3. Little Dora, without being in the least pain, is suddenly stricken ill.

我們的小 Dora 突然病了。作者不忘補充，在她病的過程中，沒感受到任何痛苦。為甚麼 without 後面要加 -ing? Without 後面要跟名詞詞組，當然要加 -ing，說「being in the least pain」可以，說「feeling the least pain」亦可。為甚麼要「the least pain」而不寫「any pain」? 連「最少的痛苦」都沒受過，語氣肯定得多。

4. There is nothing in her appearance but perfect rest - you would suppose her quietly asleep.

她的臉上只有安祥，像靜靜睡著一樣。很婉轉，對嗎? 留意「nothing but」的用法，例句：

I feel nothing but pity for you. 我只為你感到可憐。

I love no one but you. 我只愛你一個。

另外也可留意「suppose + noun + adjective」的句式，以前談過。

5. But I am sure she is very ill, and I cannot encourage myself with much hope of her recovery.

她得很重，重得，我不敢奢望她能康復（真對不起，我的翻譯很爛！對翻譯有興趣的網友，可向這位高人請教）。這句也是很婉轉的說法。留意「encourage... with」的用法，可學。

6. I do not (and why should I say I do to you, my dear?) I do not think her recovery at all likely.

括號括著的，意思就是：「親愛的，我實在不想騙你」。留意「think + noun + adjective」的句式，感覺較舊式，看得明白就可以了。例句：「I don't think it appropriate to...」，較現代的說法是：「I don't think it would be appropriate to...」

詞句雖舊，但文筆絲毫不作狀，只見其感情真摯。

蕭愷一

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細嚼好文章（George Orwell 的精采短文）

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後記

語言學習是個模仿過程；模仿對象的水準愈高，學習成效也愈大，所以我們要提升寫作能力，就要多讀好文章。對，就像我們學中文一樣，從小老師就讓我們讀無數優質文章：由古代的《出師表》、《醉翁亭記》，到現代的豐子愷，梁實秋等的散文。試想想，假如我們未讀過《出師表》，又怎能懂得「鞠躬盡粹，死而後已」的正確用法?

其實英文也可以這樣學，但當然要視乎學生程度了。