03 Books书籍
The good books of the hour,then，—I do not speak of the bad ones—are simply the useful or pleasant talk of some person whom you cannot otherwise converse with,printed for you. Very useful often,telling you what you need to know；very pleasant often,as a sensible friend's present talk would be.These bright accounts of travels；good-humored and witty discussion of questions；lively or pathetic story-telling in the form of novel；firm fact-telling,by the real agents concerned in the events of passing history—all these books of the hour,multiplying among us as education becomes more general,are a peculiar characteristic and possession of the present age：we ought to be entirely thankful for them,and entirely ashamed of ourselves if we make no good use of them.But we make the worse possible use,if we allow them to usurp the place of true books：for,strictly speaking,they are not books at all,but merely letters or newspapers in good print.Our friend's letter may be delightful,or necessary,today,whether worth keeping or not is to be considered.
读一个小时的好书——我指的是好书，就像跟一个你无法交谈的人进行了一场有用的、开心的对话一样，只不过是印刷了出来。通常来说，很有用是因为书告诉你你需要了解的事情；很开心是因为就像跟一个明智的朋友现实对话一样。这些明亮鲜活的游记，充满幽默感和智慧的对问题的探讨，以小说的形式生动、感伤地讲述故事，对以往历史事件关注的新闻当事人的严格写实——随着教育越来越普遍，我们读的这些书也加倍增长，成为当今社会一种特色和财富。我们应该感谢这些书籍，如果我们没能好好利用它们，我们应该感到羞愧。但是如果我们让它们篡夺了真正的书籍的地位，那我们可能更坏地利用了它们。因为，严格说来，它们不是书，只是印刷得很好的信件或报纸。一个朋友的来信可能是让人高兴的，或是必要的，现在是否值得保留信件，值得思考。
The newspaper may be entirely proper at breakfast time,but assuredly it is not reading for all day. So though bound up in a volume,the long letter which gives you so pleasant an account of the inns,the roads,and weather last year at such a place,or which tells you that amusing story,or gives you the real circumstances of such and such events,however valuable for occasional reference,may not be,in the real sense of the word,a“book”at all,nor,in the real sense,to be“read”.A book is essentially not a talked thing,but a written thing；and written,not with the view of mere communication,but of permanence.
报纸在早餐时间读应该是最适合的，但是肯定不适合全天阅读。所以，尽管被绑在了一起，那些长信记叙了你去年在这么一个地方，那的客栈、道路以及天气，让你看到都觉得开心的回忆；或者是向你讲述了一个好玩的故事，或者给你某件事情的情景再现，然而不管有多少参考价值，可能这本“书”都不在真实感受的世界中，你也并没有读。本质上来说，书不是谈话，而是写下来的东西；而且写下来的，不只是谈话的观点，还有永久的记忆。
The author has something to say which he perceives to be true and useful,or helpfully beautiful. So far as he knows,no one has yet said it；so far as he knows,no one else can say it.He is bound to say it,clearly and melodiously if he may；clearly,at all events.In the sum of his life he finds this to be the thing,or group of things,manifest to him；this piece of true knowledge,or sight,which his share of sunshine and earth has permitted him to seize.He would fain set it down for ever；engrave it on rock,if he could,saying，“this is the best of me；for the rest,l ate,and drank,and slept,loved and hated,like another；my life was as the vapor,and is not；but this l saw and knew：this,if anything of mine,is worth your memory.”That is his“writing”；it is,in his small human way,and with whatever degree of true inspiration in him,his inscription,or scripture.That is a“Book”.
作者有一些他觉得真实的、有用的或美丽的事情要说。据他所知，没有人说过这些；而且没有人可以说出这些话。他一定要说出来，尽他所能清晰地、曼妙地说出来，比任何事情都清晰。在他整个生命历程中，他发现这是一件或是一些他非常明白的事，他对阳光对地球的分享允许他去抓住这些真实的知识碎片或光芒。他会高兴地永远放下它，如果他可以；他会刻在岩石上，写道：“这是最好的我；其余的部分，我像其他人一样吃、喝、睡觉，有爱有恨；我的生活像水蒸气但又不是，但这就是我看到的、知道的东西：如果我的任何东西，值得你的记忆。”这就是他的作品，确实是，用他渺小的人类的方式，加上他内心无论什么程度的真实的灵感，他的题字，或者文稿。这就是“书籍”。
converse[kənˈvɜːrs]n..交谈；谈话
例 It is a pleasure to converse with her.
和她谈话是一种乐趣。
witty[ˈwɪti]adj.机智的；诙谐的
例 She responded to their criticism with a witty retort.
她以机智的反驳回应了他们的批评。
pathetic[pəˈθetɪk]adj.可怜的；不足的；感伤的；悲哀的
例 We saw the pathetic sight of starving children.
我们看到挨饿的儿童悲惨可怜的样子。
peculiar[pɪˈkjuːliər]adj.奇怪的；特殊的；独特的；古怪的
例 The food has a peculiar taste.
这食物有种怪味道。
usurp[juːˈzɜːrp]v.篡夺；霸占；篡位
例 You must not allow it to usurp a disproportionate share of your interest.
你不应让它过多地占据你的兴趣。
assuredly[əˈʃʊrədli]adv.确实地；确信地
例 Assuredly he didn’t mean that.
确实他并没有那个意思。
inn[ɪn]n.客栈；小旅店
例 The traveler decided to lie at an inn that night.
旅行者决定那天晚上在一个小旅店过夜。
permanence[ˈpɜːrmənəns]n.永久；持久
例 We believe the permanence of the sun.
我们相信太阳的永恒。
melodiously[məˈləʊdiəsli]adv.旋律美妙地
例 The crashing sound still kept drifting melodiously to distant places.
钟声依然悠悠地传向远方。
manifest[ˈmænɪfest]adj.明白的；显然的
例 It is now manifest that,if you don’t return the book to the library right now,you will have to pay a late fine.
现在情况已很清楚，如果你不立刻把书送回图书馆，你将必须付过时不还书的罚金。
fain[feɪn]adv.乐意地；欣然地
例 I would fain help you.
我乐意帮助你。
engrave[ɪnˈgreɪv]v.雕刻；刻上；铭记
例 His memorial was engraved on the stone.
纪念他的碑文刻在石碑上。
vapor[ˈveɪpə]n.蒸汽；水蒸气
例 The locomotive vomits out vapor when getting started.
火车头启动时喷出大量蒸汽。
inscription[ɪnˈskrɪpʃn]n.题字；碑铭；铭文
例 He carved an inscription on a bench.
他将一则题字刻在长凳上。
scripture[ˈskrɪptʃər]v.经文
例 You’ve read about them in scripture.
你曾经在经文中读到关于他们的事。
①The good books of the hour,then，—I do not speak of the bad ones—is simply the useful or pleasant talk of some person whom you cannot otherwise converse with,printed for you.
这个句子中，I do not speak of the bad ones做插入语。后面还有一个whom引导的定语从句，修饰先行词some person,whom在从句中充当宾语成分。
speak of谈到；论及
例 She has saved a little money,but nothing to speak of.
她存了一点钱，但少得不值一提。
converse with跟某人谈话
例 It is a pleasure to converse with her.
和她谈话是一种乐趣。
②We ought to be entirely thankful for them,and entirely ashamed of ourselves if we make no good use of them.
这个句子中有一个if引导的条件状语。
ought to应当
例 Regularity ought to be observed,as regularity is very conductive to health.
生活应遵守规律，因为规律对健康有益。
be thankful for对……感激
例 Let us be thankful for the fools；but for them the rest of us could not succeed.
让我们感谢那些蠢材吧，要不是他们，我们就没得成功啦。
ashamed of惭愧，难为情，羞愧
例 He was so ashamed of his fault that he committed suicide.
他对自己的过错深以为耻，所以自杀身亡。
make good use of很好利用
例 Those who can’t make good use of time are unlikely to go far.
不会好好利用时间的人是不可能大有作为的。
1.The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story,and writes another；and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.
每个人的生活都是他自己写的一个故事，而他曾誓愿要写的却往往是另外一个故事。人们将这两个故事相互比较的时候，往往让他们自惭形秽。
2.Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.
生活就像是一边学习演奏，一边当众演奏小提琴。
3.What is called the serenity of age is only perhaps a euphemism for the fading power to feel the sudden shock of joy or sorrow.
上了年纪的人所谓的冷静沉着，也许只是一种委婉说法：实际上是因为他们对欢乐与悲伤的感知能力衰退了。
4.As you pass from the tender years of youth into harsh and embittered manhood,make sure you take with you on your journey all the human emotions！Don't leave them on the road,for you will not pick them up afterwards！
在你从敏感的青春走向残酷现实的成年时，记得在这途中带好你全部的情感！不要把它们丢在路上，因为以后你就无法将它们捡回来了！
5.We face the question whether a still higher“standard of living”is worth its cost in things natural,wild,and free.
我们面对的问题之一是：所谓“更高水平的生活”是否值得我们放弃自然的、充满野性和自由的生活。
6.Seize the day！Put no trust in the morrow.
抓住眼前的光阴！不要相信明天。