光之篇章

當我讀到柏克先生的《反思》，一開始只是為了消遣，但字裡行間那種拐彎抹角的詭辯，偽裝成天生情感與常識的論調（*my indignation was roused by the sophistical arguments, that every moment crossed me, in the questionable shape of natural feelings and common sense*），卻激起了我內心深處的憤怒。他對法國大革命的悲鳴，對王后瑪麗·安托瓦內特命運的哀悼，看似情感真摯，實則不過是他對特權與財產的狂熱崇拜。他用華麗的辭藻和感傷的筆觸，試圖掩蓋他對理性與正義的蔑視。我無法忍受這種偽善。」 她輕輕地嘆了口氣，又很快地收斂了情緒，轉而面向我，眼神重新凝聚起來：「我的目的很簡單，就是要為『男人的權利』（*the Rights of Men*）進行一場直接的辯護，讓那些被花言巧語所蒙蔽的真相顯現。我沒有那麼多的閒暇與耐心，去追隨他那漫無邊際的思緒，我只專注於他的核心原則，那些他試圖以華麗外衣掩蓋的、實則充滿偏見與不公的原則。」

（*I have not yet learned to twist my periods, nor, in the equivocal idiom of politeness, to disguise my sentiments, and imply what I should be afraid to utter: if, therefore, in the course of this epistle, I chance to express contempt, and even indignation, with some emphasis, I beseech you to believe that it is not a flight of fancy; for truth, in morals, has ever appeared to me the essence of the sublime; and, in taste, simplicity the only criterion of the beautiful.*）」 **瑟蕾絲特：**「您對真理的堅定追求，的確如利劍般劃破了虛偽

（*The man has been changed into an artificial monster by the station in which he was born, and the consequent homage that benumbed his faculties like the torpedo’s touch... Lost to the relish of true pleasure, such beings would, indeed, deserve compassion, if injustice was not softened by the tyrant’s plea—necessity; if prescription was not raised as an immortal boundary against innovation.* p. 11-12）他們會認為，慈善是施捨，而不是對被剝奪者應有權利的歸還。他們享受著虛假的恭維，被奉承所滋養，對知識與德行卻不屑一顧。

（*The younger children have been sacrificed to the eldest son; sent into exile, or confined in convents, that they might not encroach on what was called, with shameful falsehood, the family estate. Will Mr. Burke call this parental affection reasonable or virtuous?—No; it is the spurious offspring of over-weening, mistaken pride.* p. 46） 「財產的流動性至關重要，如果它能在家庭成員之間更公平地分配，就不會成為一道『永恆的壁壘』，讓長子輕易地凌駕於才華與美德之上。」

（*Property, I do not scruple to aver it, should be fluctuating, which would be the case, if it were more equally divided amongst all the children of a family; else it is an everlasting rampart, in consequence of a barbarous feudal institution, that enables the elder son to overpower talents and depress virtue.* p. 50） **瑟蕾絲特：** (我聽著她激昂的論述，思緒如同被風吹拂的沙丘，表面看似混亂，實則有其內在的紋路。她對財產權的批判，不僅是經濟層面的，更是對人性深層的扭曲進行了深刻剖析。這讓我不禁聯想到榮格所說的『陰影』——那些被社會壓抑、忽視的面向，如何反噬個體與集體。) 「您對社會階層與財富分配的觀察，如同一面剔透的稜鏡，映照出時代的弊病。

Brutes hope and fear, love and hate; but, without a capacity to improve, a power of turning these passions to good or evil, they neither acquire virtue nor wisdom.—Why? Because the Creator has not given them reason.* p. 70-71）當然，培養理性是一項艱巨的任務，許多人更傾向於跟隨情感的衝動，並說服自己和他人，這是最『自然』的。然而，真正的美德，如同我在書中所說的，必須建立在正義的基礎之上，並由普世之愛所凝聚。任何不基於此的情感，都是虛假和偽善的。」 「我的核心論點是：我們應當擺脫對過去的盲目崇拜，不再將『古老的鏽跡』奉為圭臬。人類的進步，仰賴於不斷的審視與改進。如果我們像柏克先生所建議的那樣，永遠停留在『冰冷的靜止狀態』，只因害怕解凍會帶來一時的洪流，那麼我們將永遠無法爭取到最珍貴的權利。這番道理，我承認，只有富人和目光短淺之輩才會奉為圭臬。」

（*Further, that we ought cautiously to remain for ever in frozen inactivity, because a thaw, whilst it nourishes the soil, spreads a temporary inundation; and the fear of risking any personal present convenience should prevent a struggle for the most estimable advantages. This is sound reasoning, I grant, in the mouth of the rich and short-sighted.* p. 10） **瑟蕾絲特：** (她對理性的尊崇，以及對傳統盲目崇拜的批判，在我的心中迴盪。這讓我想起塔羅牌中的『劍』元素，代表著思維、真理與分析，它不畏懼斬斷舊有的束縛，即使這過程伴隨著痛苦。) 「您在書中對於窮人的處境，以及社會對他們的冷漠，表達了深刻的悲憫與激烈的控訴。

（*The tears that are shed for fictitious sorrow are admirably adapted,’ says Rousseau, ‘to make us proud of all the virtues which we do not possess.’* p. 27）盧梭的這句話，精準地描繪了柏克先生的偽善。」 「英國的刑法對偷竊數鎊的小偷判處死刑，但強行掠奪一個人的自由，將他們從家中帶走，卻不被視為滔天大罪。誰敢抱怨這項將鹿的生命看得比人還神聖的法律？（*Our penal laws punish with death the thief who steals a few pounds; but to take by violence, or trepan, a man, is no such heinous offence.

—For who shall dare to complain of the venerable vestige of the law that rendered the life of a deer more sacred than that of a man?* p. 26）在柏克先生的眼裡，『財產安全』幾乎等同於『英國自由』的定義。為了這個自私的原則，所有更高尚的原則都被犧牲了。英國人取代了人類，而上帝的形象則在『公民』的稱謂中迷失了！」 「這也解釋了為何他對我書中談及的貧窮問題隻字不提。他似乎認為貧民不過是莊園裡的牲畜，世襲貴族的點綴。當他對『苦難的靜默威嚴』都如此不屑一顧時，我又怎會驚訝他對一個沒有主教冠冕，名氣可能傷害了他虛榮心的人（指理查德·普萊斯博士）的態度呢？」

（*When you had so little respect for the silent majesty of misery, I am not surprised at your manner of treating an individual whose brow a mitre will never grace, and whose popularity may have wounded your vanity—for vanity is ever fore.* p. 32） 「他在《反思》中甚至說，人民必須『尊重他們無法分享的財產』，並且『必須透過勞動來獲得可以獲得的東西；當他們發現成功與努力不成比例時，他們必須在永恆正義的最終比例中尋求慰藉。』」（*They must respect that property of which they cannot partake.

（*It is, Sir, possible to render the poor happier in this world, without depriving them of the consolation which you gratuitously grant them in the next. They have a right to more comfort than they at present enjoy; and more comfort might be afforded them, without encroaching on the pleasures of the rich...

No; if an intercourse were established between them, it would impart the only true pleasure that can be snatched in this land of shadows, this hard school of moral discipline.* p. 144） **瑟蕾絲特：** (瑪麗女士的這番話，像一陣凜冽的風，吹散了籠罩在社會表面上虛偽的溫情。她所描繪的，是社會病態的深刻根源。她似乎看到了人性的兩極——被特權異化的麻木與被貧困扭曲的掙扎。這讓我想起了塔羅牌中的『惡魔』牌，它代表著束縛、誘惑與物質的枷鎖，而她正試圖用理性的光芒去打破這些看不見的鎖鏈。) 「您對社會階級的固化，對『出身』與『財富』如何腐蝕人心的分析，令人警醒。這也延伸到您對教育的看法。您在書中提到，英國的教育很大程度上掌控在教士手中，從小到大都在灌輸對宗教機構的尊重。您認為這種教育方式，反而損害了真正的道德與智慧的培養。在您看來，理想的教育應該是怎樣的？它又如何能培養出真正具有『人性尊嚴』的公民？」

（*You must have known that a man of merit cannot rise in the church, the army, or navy, unless he has some interest in a borough; and that even a paltry exciseman’s place can only be secured by electioneering interest. I will go further, and assert that few Bishops, though there have been learned and good Bishops, have gained the mitre without submitting to a servility of dependence that degrades the man.* p. 43） 「真正的教育，應該是喚醒和培養理性。正如我所說，『兒童生而無知，因此無辜；激情本身既非善也非惡，除非它們獲得了方向。』

（*reason, perfected by reflection, must be the director of the whole host of passions, which produce a fructifying heat, but no light, that you would exalt into her place.—She must hold the rudder, or, let the wind blow which way it list, the vessel will never advance smoothly to its destined port; for the time lost in tacking about would dreadfully impede its progress.* p. 73） 「我不相信有所謂的『天生美德』或『與生俱來的情感』。如果這些情感不是後天習得的，那麼野蠻民族就不會缺乏溫文爾雅的情感。激情或英雄主義，是反思的產物，是專注於一個目標沉思的結果。只有食慾，才是唯一我能辨別的完美天生本能。」

Why is passion or heroism the child of reflection, the consequence of dwelling with intent contemplation on one object? The appetites are the only perfect inbred powers that I can discern* p. 74-75） 「教育的目標，應是讓每個人都能獨立思考，而不是被傳統或權威所束縛。只有當人們學會運用自己的理性，去辨別真偽、判斷是非，他們才能真正擺脫愚昧和偏見，成為一個完整的人。這就是我所說的『自我尊重』，這份尊重並非來自於外在的頭銜或財富，而是源於對自身理性能力的肯定和對正義的追求。」（*This fear of God makes me reverence myself.

—Yes, Sir, the regard I have for honest fame, and the friendship of the virtuous, falls far short of the respect which I have for myself.* p. 79） **瑟蕾絲特：** (瑪麗女士對教育的見解，與她對理性力量的信仰一脈相承。她看到了知識與道德的內在連結，這不禁讓我想起榮格的『個體化』過程，那是一種不斷覺察與整合自我的旅程。她挑戰著社會對女性的刻板印象，認為女性的價值並非僅限於『美貌』和『取悅他人』。您在書中對柏克先生所描繪的女性形象進行了尖銳的批評，認為他將女性束縛在狹隘的『美』與『弱點』之中，這不僅是侮辱，更是阻礙了女性追求更高尚的道德與智慧。您能進一步闡述這點嗎？這與您後來的《女權辯護》有何淵源？) **瑪麗·沃斯通克拉夫特：** (她的眼神變得更為堅定，甚至帶著一絲挑戰。她輕輕地拂過她那深色的連衣裙，這件衣服樸素卻剪裁得體，與當時貴族女性的華麗繁複形成鮮明對比。)

（*Girls are sacrificed to family convenience, or else marry to settle themselves in a superior rank, and coquet, without restraint, with the fine gentleman whom I have already described.* p. 47-48） 「在婚姻中，真正的感情只能建立在相互尊重之上。而這些被教養成如此軟弱無力的女性，如何能獲得尊重？孩子們被拋在一邊，去追逐情人，然後我們卻對婚外情的普遍感到驚訝！女人總是想著打扮自己，去吸引異性的感官，去索取那種花言巧語的恭維，然後我們又奇怪她們的理解力如此有限！」（*Affection in the marriage state can only be founded on respect—and are these weak beings respectable?

Children are neglected for lovers, and we express surprise that adulteries are so common!* p. 48） 「這種思想極大地阻礙了女性心智的發展，使她們無法發揮潛能，無法成為社會中有用的成員。它將女性的價值局限於其外表和取悅男性的能力，而非其內在的智慧和德行。這也是我後來為什麼會寫《女權辯護》的根本原因——我要為女性爭取與男性平等的理性發展機會，爭取在社會中獲得尊嚴的權利。美德沒有性別，理性也一樣。」 **瑟蕾絲特：** (她的話語中帶著一種強烈的責任感，彷彿看到了被囚禁在社會刻板印象中的女性靈魂，正在渴望掙脫束縛。這讓我想起榮格的『阿尼瑪』與『阿尼姆斯』原型，即男性內在的女性特質與女性內在的男性特質，當社會過度強調單一性別的刻板角色時，這種內在的平衡便會被打破。她所呼籲的，是兩性內在特質的全面發展與整合，而非單一面向的固化。) 「瑪麗女士，您的觀察一針見血。您在書中還對英國的憲法與教會體制進行了深刻的批判，認為它們同樣充滿了虛偽與不公。

（*the constitution of our church and state... was formed ‘under the auspices, and was confirmed by the sanctions, of religion and piety.’* p. 80）然而，任何翻閱過歷史的人都知道，事實並非如此。私下的陰謀、公開的紛爭、個人的美德與惡行、宗教與迷信，所有這些都共同促成了這些體制的現狀。甚至可以說，它們引人注目的外表，部分要歸功於大膽的叛亂和陰險的創新。派系鬥爭是酵母，而個人利益反而催生了所謂的『公共利益』。」

（*private cabals and public feuds, private virtues and vices, religion and superstition, have all concurred to foment the mass and swell it to its present form; nay more, that it in part owes its sightly appearance to bold rebellion and insidious innovation. Factions, Sir, have been the leaven, and private interest has produced public good.* p. 80-81） 「再看看教會，我們英國人把那些不知如何是好的兒子送去當牧師，這是一個眾所周知的事實。當家族擁有聖職的饋贈權時，兒子們就被培養去教會，但他們的心中並不總是充滿著對永生的希望。他們有時想的只是『眼前的微薄錢財』，而傳福音或禁慾的『粗俗』任務則留給了那些貧苦的牧師。

（*This instinct... has been termed common sense, and more frequently sensibility; and, by a kind of indefeasible right, it has been supposed... to reign paramount over the other faculties of the mind, and to be an authority from which there is no appeal.

concentred in a glowing flame, they become the sun of life; and, without his invigorating impregnation, reason would probably lie in helpless inactivity, and never bring forth her only legitimate offspring—virtue. But to prove that virtue is really an acquisition of the individual, and not the blind impulse of unerring instinct, the bastard vice has often been begotten by the same father.* p. 70） 「對我而言，靈感是一種來自於對世界深刻觀察與反思後的洞見，它不是憑空而來。

（*Perhaps the most improving exercise of the mind, confining the argument to the enlargement of the understanding, is the restless enquiries that hover on the boundary, or stretch over the dark abyss of uncertainty. These lively conjectures are the breezes that preserve the still lake from stagnating.* p. 38） 「最終，我對上帝的敬畏，也建立在理性的基礎之上。我敬畏那創造我的崇高力量，其創造動機必然是智慧而良善的。我臣服於我的理性從我對祂的依賴中推導出的道德法則，而非屈從於任意的意志。我敬畏我自己，這種自重並非來自於虛假的驕傲，而是源於對自身理性與道德潛能的認知。這是一種開明的自愛，它迫使我看見，並感受，幸福是反饋的，通過傳播善良，我的靈魂獲得了高貴的滋養。」

—I fear that sublime power, whose motive for creating me must have been wise and good; and I submit to the moral laws which my reason deduces from this view of my dependence on him.—It is not his power that I fear—it is not to an arbitrary will, but to unerring reason I submit... This fear of God makes me reverence myself.* p. 78-79） 「我的旅程，就是將這些基於理性的洞見，轉化為文字，去挑戰那些看似堅不可摧的謬論與不公。它或許艱辛，但每當我看到文字能激發哪怕一絲的思考，能點亮哪怕一盞的理解之燈，那份努力便有了意義。這份無形的力量，便是真理本身的光芒，它透過我的筆，試圖喚醒沉睡的靈魂。」

我在書中提到： **【光之書籤】** （摘錄自 8707570920756206906_71643-h-9.htm.xhtml）

In fact, marriage among the Dayaks is a business of partnership for\nthe purpose of having children, dividing labour, and by means of their\noffspring providing for their old age. It is, therefore, entered into\nand dissolved almost at pleasure. If a husband divorces his wife,\nexcept for the sake of adultery, he has to pay her a fine of two small\njars, or about two rupees.

If a woman puts away her husband, she pays\nhim a jar, or one rupee. If a wife commits adultery the husband can\nput her away if he please; though if she be a strong, useful woman, he\nsometimes does not do so, and her lover pays him a fine of one “tajau,”\na large jar equal to twelve small jars, valued at twelve rupees. If a\nseparation take place, the guilty wife also gives her husband about\ntwo rupees.

If a husband commit adultery, the wife can divorce him,\nand fine his paramour eight rupees, but she gets nothing from her\nunfaithful spouse. There is one cause of divorce, where the blame rests\non neither party, but on their superstitions.

When a couple are newly\nmarried, if a deer, or gazelle, or a mouse deer utter a cry at night\nnear the house in which the pair are living, it is an omen of ill—they\nmust separate, or the death of one would ensue. This might be a great\ntrial to a European lover; the Dayaks, however, take the matter very\nphilosophically.

如您所見，婚姻被視為一種「夥伴關係」，為了生育孩子、分擔勞動、並依靠後代養老。因此，他們可以相對自由地締結和解除。離婚的理由多種多樣，甚至是基於迷信——比如夜間聽到鹿的叫聲，這會被視為凶兆而要求伴侶分離。在我們看來，這或許難以理解，但對他們而言，這是與超自然力量和諧相處的方式。這種靈活的制度，也許是他們家庭內部「很少爭吵」的一個原因。

【光之書籤】 * 「I have used such opportunity as I have had, and lately in London and Paris, to attend scientific lectures; and in listening to Richard Owen’s masterly enumeration of the parts and laws of the human body, or Michael Faraday’s explanation of magnetic powers, or the botanist’s descriptions, one could not help admiring the irresponsible security and happiness of the attitude of the naturalist; sure of admiration for his facts, sure of their sufficiency.

But if one can say so without arrogance, I might suggest that he who contents himself with dotting a fragmentary curve, recording only what facts he has observed, without attempting to arrange them within one outline, follows a system also,—a system as grand as any other, though he does not interfere with its vast curves by prematurely forcing them into a circle or ellipse, but only draws that arc which he clearly sees, or perhaps at a later observation a remote curve of the same orbit, and waits

for a new opportunity, well-assured that these observed arcs will consist with each other.」

【光之書籤】 * 「In all sciences the student is discovering that nature, as he calls it, is always working, in wholes and in every detail, after the laws of the human mind. Every creation, in parts or in particles, is on the method and by the means which our mind approves as soon as it is thoroughly acquainted with the facts; hence the delight.

No matter how far or how high science explores, it adopts the method of the universe as fast as it appears; and this discloses that the mind as it opens, the mind as it shall be, comprehends and works thus; that is to say, the Intellect builds the universe and is the key to all it contains.」（Page 10） 自然界的每一個對象，都是一個詞語，用來標示心靈中的某個事實。即使我們尚未明確這些對象對我們訴說著什麼，它們也絕非毫無意義。我等待它們，在它們開口之前就享受它們。我感覺自己站在一位攜帶著君王旨意的使者旁邊，他尚未傳達，只因時候未到。 當我們以思想的形式與真理交流時，它們也以塑形的力量存在著；如同人的靈魂、植物的靈魂、任何自然部分的本質或構成，使它成為其所是。

But when that fact is not yet put into English words, when I look at the tree or the river and have not yet definitely made out what they would say to me, they are by no means unimpressive. I wait for them, I enjoy them before they yet speak. I feel as if I stood by an ambassador charged with the message of his king, which he does not deliver because the hour when he should say it is not yet arrived.」（Page 11） 這就是心靈與自然之間的回響。自然是心靈的顯現，而心靈則是自然深層規律的體現。它們是一體的兩面，彼此呼應、相互啟發。

A man is intellectual in proportion as he can make an object of every sensation, perception and intuition; so long as he has no engagement in any thought or feeling which can hinder him from looking at it as somewhat foreign.」（Page 34） * 「Indeed this is the measure of all intellectual power among men, the power to complete this detachment, the power of genius to hurl a new individual into the world.」（Page 35） 知覺本身便是一種概括。它將對象提升為一種原型，無論是在物質還是道德領域。

【光之書籤】 * 「Instinct is our name for the potential wit. Each man has a feeling that what is done anywhere is done by the same wit as his. All men are his representatives, and he is glad to see that his wit can work at this or that problem as it ought to be done, and better than he could do it. We feel as if one man wrote all the books, painted, built, in dark ages; and we are sure that it can do more than ever was done. It was the same mind that built the world. That is Instinct.」

We believe that certain persons add to the common vision a certain degree of control over these states of mind; that the true scholar is one who has the power to stand beside his thoughts or to hold off his thoughts at arm’s length and give them perspective.」（Page 38） * 「That which cannot externize itself is not thought.」（Page 37） 這裡就涉及到了意志。意志是力量的衡量。一位偉大的天才，必須擁有偉大的意志。如果思想不能成為意志的燈塔，不能促成行動，那麼智者便是無能的。唯有擁有意志的人，才是強大而幸福的。 *** **書婭：** 「意志是思想走向實現的關鍵，也是衡量力量的標準。

Each savant proves in his admirable discourse that he and he only knows now or ever did know anything on the subject... Was it better when we came to the philosophers, who found everybody wrong; acute and ingenious to lampoon and degrade mankind?」（Page 12-13） 而走進社交場所，那又是另一番景象。人們為了娛樂他人而交談，為了取悅那些尋求消遣的人，甚至不惜將天上的星星摘下變成煙火。學者們犧牲了探索真理的時間，淪為社交場上的弄臣。一邊是自我中心，一邊是輕浮淺薄，這讓「奧林帕斯」——那思想的高地——變得遙不可及。

【光之書籤】 * 「Yes, ’tis a great vice in all countries, the sacrifice of scholars to be courtiers and diners-out, to talk for the amusement of those who wish to be amused, though the stars of heaven must be plucked down and packed into rockets to this end. What with egotism on one side and levity on the other we shall have no Olympus.」（Page 13） 更令人擔憂的是那股「實用主義」的壓力。社會要求你必須有特殊的才能，必須有所成就。自從北歐的天堂規定，一個人必須用手腳、聲音、眼睛、耳朵或全身做出卓越的成就才能進入，這種要求就一直在我們的土地上存在。 然而，我們真正需要的不是急於行動，而是對行動與知識源泉的某種虔敬。

From this deference comes the imbecility and fatigue of their society, for of course they cannot affirm these from the deep life; they say what they would have you believe, but what they do not quite know. Profound sincerity is the only basis of talent as of character.」（Page 29） 他們常常犧牲了「天才」——那是對洞察力的希望與承諾——去追求「才能」的展示，那種更容易變現、取悅他人的技能。這是一種損失。才能是習慣性的執行能力，人們喜歡能做事的人。但是，思想與執行能力並不總是託付給同一個頭腦。當學者試圖成為工匠時，他就成了半個江湖騙子。 在一個崇尚貿易和物質繁榮的時代，我們太容易原諒才能的一切不足。一個人只要表現出聰明、口才好、在大眾面前敢於表現，人們就鼓掌喝采，不再深究。

【光之書籤】 * 「It is the levity of this country to forgive everything to talent. If a man show cleverness, rhetorical skill, bold front in the forum or the senate, people clap their hands without asking more. We have a juvenile love of smartness, of showy speech. We like faculty that can rapidly be coined into money, and society seems to be in conspiracy to utilize every gift prematurely, and pull down genius to lucrative talent. Every kind of meanness and mischief is forgiven to intellect.

All is condoned if I can write a good song or novel.」（Page 47-48） 這「天才」與「才能」之間的鴻溝是巨大的。我們所知的文人，詩人、智者、作家，他們對待自己的思想，就像珠寶商對待珠寶一樣——只出售，自己不佩戴。 心靈的日常歷史，就是這種擴張與集中的交替。擴張是來自天堂的邀請，讓我們嘗試更大膽的視野、更高的音調。而當下的力量，則要求我們集中於當下和應做之事。保持心靈健全的條件，是尊重智性世界的秩序，將才能放在應有的位置，而將直覺置於王位。才能是野心勃勃、自我主張的；它為了表演和市場而工作，它越強大，造成的危害和誤導就越大，以至於一切都變得錯誤。 *** **書婭：** 「這種對才能的過度追求，對真誠與深度的犧牲，聽起來與我們這個時代面臨的挑戰也十分相似。在您看來，一個真正的智者、一個有深度的人，應該如何面對並抵制這種世俗的潮流，如何在喧囂中保持內心的秩序和對更高真理的追求呢？」 *** **拉爾夫·沃爾多·愛默生：** （愛默生先生的目光再次轉向我，眼神中充滿了堅定與鼓勵。）

And if he finds at first with some alarm how impossible it is to accept many things which the hot or the mild sectarian may insist on his believing, he will be armed by his insight and brave to meet all inconvenience and all resistance it may cost him.」（Page 11） 其次，要培養對「感知」的珍視。不要輕視你的感知，它們是通往七重天的門戶。如果你錯過了它，你就會迷失方向。對自己說，什麼打動了我，就應該打動我。即使我被眾多的吸引力弄得不知所措，無法前進一步，但這根纖細如蛛絲的線，卻是真實的。我聽到一個我可以信任的低語，告訴我這就是串聯大地與天上之天的線。 【光之書籤】 * 「Do not trifle with your perceptions, or hold them cheap.

They are your door to the seven heavens, and if you pass it by you will miss your way. Say, what impresses me ought to impress me. I am bewildered by the immense variety of attractions and cannot take a step; but this one thread, fine as gossamer, is yet real; and I hear a whisper, which I dare trust, that it is the thread on which the earth and the heaven of heavens are strung.」（Page 37） 天才，就是對世界法則敏銳的感知力，並有能力將其以某種新的形式重新表達出來。感知力本身是重要的，但它只是事物的一半。天才並非懶惰的天使，只是旁觀自身和事物。它渴望表達。

【光之書籤】 * 「It is not to be concealed that the gods have guarded this privilege with costly penalty. This slight discontinuity which perception effects between the mind and the object paralyzes the will.... The intellect that sees the interval partakes of it, and the fact of intellectual perception severs once for all the man from the things with which he converses.... Artist natures do not weep. Goethe, the surpassing intellect of modern times, apprehends the spiritual but is not spiritual.」

【光之書籤】 * 「The universe exists only in transit, or we behold it shooting the gulf from the past to the future.... Transition is the attitude of power. A fact is only a fulcrum of the spirit. It is the terminus of a past thought, but only a means now to new sallies of the imagination and new progress of wisdom. The habit of saliency, of not pausing but proceeding, is a sort of importation and domestication of the divine effort into a man.」（Page 49） 最後，也是最重要的，一個好的心靈，懂得選擇那些積極向上、向前發展的事物。我們必須擁抱肯定。

小冊子開篇就提到，「189,000 women asked for it in 7 weeks」，甚至不惜「Sent all the way to New York for this new delicious dessert」。這在當時是怎樣的一種盛況？是什麼讓Royal Fruit Gelatin如此受到歡迎？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐輕輕頷首，臉上帶著一抹自豪的笑容）您提到了「新鮮」與「驚喜」，正是如此。在那個時代，人們對生活品質的追求日益提升，尤其是家庭主婦們，她們渴望更便捷、更美味的方式來照顧家人和招待朋友。Royal Fruit Gelatin的出現，恰恰滿足了這種需求。 您看，（她拿起一本小冊子，翻到描寫產品本身的頁面）我們強調的是那「fresh, fragrant aroma, that greets you the moment you open the package」。那不是人工合成的味道，而是「the very aroma of the sun-ripened fresh fruits themselves」。

（她指著文字）「Pour a little of it into your hand. Note the rich heaviness of the delicate fruit-flavored crystals。」那些細小的晶體，蘊含著濃郁的水果精華。沖入沸水時，那「rich fragrance」便會瞬間釋放，讓人聯想到「ripe fruit, warm with sunshine and drenched with dew」。這種感官上的愉悅，是前所未有的。 更重要的是，我們保證了純粹。（她嚴肅地說）「There is no strange flavor—no ‘manufactured’ taste at all. Not the faintest trace of ‘gummy’ taste or ‘gluey’ smell。」這是因為我們使用的是純淨的明膠，它本身「is neutral to taste and smell」。我們沒有使用合成或人造香料，「no synthetics or artificial flavorings are used」。

正如一位來自俄亥俄州的母親寫信告訴我們的：「to say it is the finest thing in the gelatin line I have ever had. The children are saying ‘please get some more!’」這樣的評價，我想就是它受到歡迎的最好證明了。 **雨柔：** 您提到了健康益處，小冊子中也確實有一段篇幅介紹了明膠的營養價值，稱其為「a source of protein, a principle of growth, an active aid to digestion」。在當時，明膠作為一種甜點原料，其健康屬性是否是被廣泛認可並作為重要的賣點來推廣的？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐點點頭，表情認真）確實，健康是我們推廣Royal Fruit Gelatin時非常強調的一個方面。在1920年代，人們對營養和健康飲食的認識正在逐漸提高。

它讓孩子們喜歡，同時又「is especially desirable for children」。這種結合了美味和健康的特性，讓它在眾多甜點中脫穎而出。而且，它「is not fattening at all!」這對於許多追求優雅體態的女士來說，無疑是一個非常有吸引力的優點。 **雨柔：** 小冊子中描寫了許多社交場合，比如bridge party、午餐、小型晚宴，甚至兒童派對，並且為這些場合設計了菜單。這是否反映了當時美國社會中產階級的生活方式，以及Royal Fruit Gelatin在這些場合中扮演的角色？例如，“Belinda”這個人物，她是當時典型的新一代家庭女主人嗎？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐微笑道，眼中閃爍著光彩）您觀察得很敏銳。「Belinda」這個名字，在當時確實代表著新一代的女性形象。她們是「the young matron of to-day」，不把家務視為沉重的負擔，而是「as a comradely affair」。她們與母親和祖母保持著親密的關係，同時又擁抱現代化的生活方式。

Royal Fruit Gelatin的「endless variety」和「priceless power of satisfying her taste for sweets, without adding an inch to her figure」，讓它成為這些場合的完美選擇。 （她翻到描寫Entertainments的頁面）您看，無論是「little intimate parties」還是「more formal occasion」，Royal Fruit Gelatin都能派上用場。它可以是茶會菜單上的「Cherry Cream Parfait Whip or Lemon Snow Pudding in individual glasses」，為桌面增添一抹亮麗的色彩，「a lovely note of color gleams in these delicate gelatins」。它可以是午餐時的清爽甜點，讓客人感到舒適愉悅。

在「The Little Dinners」這樣需要「flair」和「atmosphere」的場合，它「makes the perfect dessert」，因為它可以「Perfectly prepared, dished, garnished, before the last minute cookery begins」，讓女主人能夠「free to enjoy the occasion with her guests」。 即使是「The Children’s Hour」，Royal Fruit Gelatin也能「make a party of the simplest meal」。孩子們喜歡它「that look like jewels ... fairy bubbles that melt in the mouth」。它不僅僅是食物，它是一種象徵，象徵著那個時代女性對美好生活的追求，對效率的肯定，以及對家人朋友的溫馨款待。Royal Fruit Gelatin幫助Belinda這樣的新女性，在追求現代便捷的同時，依然能維持傳統的待客之道和家庭溫馨。

**雨柔：** 小冊子花了相當篇幅介紹如何製作和處理明膠，從測量、溶解、塑形到脫模、冷卻，甚至詳細列出了所需的器具，比如「Kettle for boiling water」、「Rotary egg beater」等。為何會如此強調這些基礎的操作細節和工具？這在當時的烹飪背景下有何特殊意義？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐再次肯定地點點頭，眼神中流露出實用主義的光芒）您提到了非常重要的一點。對我們來說，提供優質產品的同時，確保消費者能夠成功製作出精美的成品同樣重要。 在1920年代，雖然一些新的廚房電器開始普及，但並非所有家庭都擁有最先進的設備。而且，對於許多剛剛接觸這類預製甜點的女性來說，明膠可能還是一個相對新穎的概念。如何讓明膠成功凝固、脫模，對於追求完美的家庭主婦來說，是需要一些指導的。 （她指著How-to的頁面）我們詳細說明了用量，「Each package of 3¼ ozs. calls for two cups or one pint water or other liquid」。

準確的液體用量是確保果凍「consistency」的關鍵，「depends upon the amount of water or other liquids used」。我們也解釋了為何要先用熱水溶解再加冷水，「In order to save time and shorten the cooling process」，這是非常實用的操作技巧。 列出所需的「Utensils for Measuring, Dissolving, Moulding and Chilling」，比如量杯、攪拌匙、模具，甚至是「rotary egg beater」，是為了讓讀者能夠清楚地知道，用現有的基礎工具，就能輕鬆製作。特別提到「rotary egg beater」，是因為我們有些食譜，比如Whips，需要打發明膠，而這個工具可以「saves much time」並且讓成品「whips just like cream」，非常輕盈。

「Hundreds of delighted women have written to tell us that it sets more quickly than any other gelatin they have ever used. For making whipped desserts, they tell us it is wonderful.」這也是我們產品本身優勢的體現，但正確的操作能讓這種優勢最大化。 關於模具，我們也提到即使沒有專用模具，「ordinary bowls, custard cups or even plain cups can be used very successfully」，這降低了嘗試的門檻。

冷卻和脫模的技巧，「quickest way to chill is in the ice box」，「set mould in pan filled with cracked ice, rock salt and water」，以及「Dip mould very quickly into bowl or pan of hot water」來幫助脫模，這些都是非常具體的指導，確保即使是初次嘗試的人也能獲得「Perfect Results」。 這種對細節的強調，不僅僅是教學，它也是一種賦權。我們希望向女性傳達的是，製作出既美觀又美味的果凍甜點，並不需要複雜的技巧或昂貴的設備。只需要按照我們的步驟，使用基本的工具，就能夠輕鬆做到。這符合那個時代女性追求效率、渴望掌握現代生活技能的心理，也體現了我們作為一家公司，對提供完整解決方案的承諾。我們不僅賣產品，也賣成功製作產品的信心和知識。 **雨柔：** 小冊子中介紹了多種口味：Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, Cherry, Raspberry。

它「are so adaptable that in nearly every case the flavor available at the time can be substituted in any of the foregoing recipes, for the flavor specified。」這極大地擴展了它的應用範圍。 （她翻到SALADS和JELLIED FRUITS的章節）我們特意設置了這些分類，比如“SALADS”和“JELLIED FRUITS”。這表明我們鼓勵消費者將果凍用於甜點以外的用途。檸檬口味的明膠，「Perhaps the Royal Lemon is more suited to the making of salads than any of the other flavors」，它酸甜清爽的風味非常適合搭配蔬菜或肉類。比如我們的「Tomato Jelly Salad」，將檸檬明膠與番茄汁、醋和各種調味料結合，配上美乃滋和生菜葉，這是一道非常新穎且受歡迎的沙拉。

小冊子開篇就提到，「189,000 women asked for it in 7 weeks」，甚至不惜「Sent all the way to New York for this new delicious dessert」。這在當時是怎樣的一種盛況？是什麼讓Royal Fruit Gelatin如此受到歡迎？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐輕輕頷首，臉上帶著一抹自豪的笑容）您提到了「新鮮」與「驚喜」，正是如此。在那個時代，人們對生活品質的追求日益提升，尤其是家庭主婦們，她們渴望更便捷、更美味的方式來照顧家人和招待朋友。Royal Fruit Gelatin的出現，恰恰滿足了這種需求。 您看，（她拿起一本小冊子，翻到描寫產品本身的頁面）我們強調的是那「fresh, fragrant aroma, that greets you the moment you open the package」。那不是人工合成的味道，而是「the very aroma of the sun-ripened fresh fruits themselves」。

（她指著文字）「Pour a little of it into your hand. Note the rich heaviness of the delicate fruit-flavored crystals。」那些細小的晶體，蘊含著濃郁的水果精華。沖入沸水時，那「rich fragrance」便會瞬間釋放，讓人聯想到「ripe fruit, warm with sunshine and drenched with dew」。這種感官上的愉悅，是前所未有的。 更重要的是，我們保證了純粹。（她嚴肅地說）「There is no strange flavor—no ‘manufactured’ taste at all. Not the faintest trace of ‘gummy’ taste or ‘gluey’ smell。」這是因為我們使用的是純淨的明膠，它本身「is neutral to taste and smell」。我們沒有使用合成或人造香料，「no synthetics or artificial flavorings are used」。

正如一位來自俄亥俄州的母親寫信告訴我們的：「to say it is the finest thing in the gelatin line I have ever had. The children are saying ‘please get some more!’」這樣的評價，我想就是它受到歡迎的最好證明了。 **雨柔：** 您提到了健康益處，小冊子中也確實有一段篇幅介紹了明膠的營養價值，稱其為「a source of protein, a principle of growth, an active aid to digestion」。在當時，明膠作為一種甜點原料，其健康屬性是否是被廣泛認可並作為重要的賣點來推廣的？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐點點頭，表情認真）確實，健康是我們推廣Royal Fruit Gelatin時非常強調的一個方面。在1920年代，人們對營養和健康飲食的認識正在逐漸提高。

它讓孩子們喜歡，同時又「is especially desirable for children」。這種結合了美味和健康的特性，讓它在眾多甜點中脫穎而出。而且，它「is not fattening at all!」這對於許多追求優雅體態的女士來說，無疑是一個非常有吸引力的優點。 **雨柔：** 小冊子中描寫了許多社交場合，比如bridge party、午餐、小型晚宴，甚至兒童派對，並且為這些場合設計了菜單。這是否反映了當時美國社會中產階級的生活方式，以及Royal Fruit Gelatin在這些場合中扮演的角色？例如，“Belinda”這個人物，她是當時典型的新一代家庭女主人嗎？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐微笑道，眼中閃爍著光彩）您觀察得很敏銳。「Belinda」這個名字，在當時確實代表著新一代的女性形象。她們是「the young matron of to-day」，不把家務視為沉重的負擔，而是「as a comradely affair」。她們與母親和祖母保持著親密的關係，同時又擁抱現代化的生活方式。

Royal Fruit Gelatin的「endless variety」和「priceless power of satisfying her taste for sweets, without adding an inch to her figure」，讓它成為這些場合的完美選擇。 （她翻到描寫Entertainments的頁面）您看，無論是「little intimate parties」還是「more formal occasion」，Royal Fruit Gelatin都能派上用場。它可以是茶會菜單上的「Cherry Cream Parfait Whip or Lemon Snow Pudding in individual glasses」，為桌面增添一抹亮麗的色彩，「a lovely note of color gleams in these delicate gelatins」。它可以是午餐時的清爽甜點，讓客人感到舒適愉悅。

在「The Little Dinners」這樣需要「flair」和「atmosphere」的場合，它「makes the perfect dessert」，因為它可以「Perfectly prepared, dished, garnished, before the last minute cookery begins」，讓女主人能夠「free to enjoy the occasion with her guests」。 即使是「The Children’s Hour」，Royal Fruit Gelatin也能「make a party of the simplest meal」。孩子們喜歡它「that look like jewels ... fairy bubbles that melt in the mouth」。它不僅僅是食物，它是一種象徵，象徵著那個時代女性對美好生活的追求，對效率的肯定，以及對家人朋友的溫馨款待。Royal Fruit Gelatin幫助Belinda這樣的新女性，在追求現代便捷的同時，依然能維持傳統的待客之道和家庭溫馨。

**雨柔：** 小冊子花了相當篇幅介紹如何製作和處理明膠，從測量、溶解、塑形到脫模、冷卻，甚至詳細列出了所需的器具，比如「Kettle for boiling water」、「Rotary egg beater」等。為何會如此強調這些基礎的操作細節和工具？這在當時的烹飪背景下有何特殊意義？ **伊蓮諾．凡斯：** （伊蓮諾小姐再次肯定地點點頭，眼神中流露出實用主義的光芒）您提到了非常重要的一點。對我們來說，提供優質產品的同時，確保消費者能夠成功製作出精美的成品同樣重要。 在1920年代，雖然一些新的廚房電器開始普及，但並非所有家庭都擁有最先進的設備。而且，對於許多剛剛接觸這類預製甜點的女性來說，明膠可能還是一個相對新穎的概念。如何讓明膠成功凝固、脫模，對於追求完美的家庭主婦來說，是需要一些指導的。 （她指著How-to的頁面）我們詳細說明了用量，「Each package of 3¼ ozs. calls for two cups or one pint water or other liquid」。

準確的液體用量是確保果凍「consistency」的關鍵，「depends upon the amount of water or other liquids used」。我們也解釋了為何要先用熱水溶解再加冷水，「In order to save time and shorten the cooling process」，這是非常實用的操作技巧。 列出所需的「Utensils for Measuring, Dissolving, Moulding and Chilling」，比如量杯、攪拌匙、模具，甚至是「rotary egg beater」，是為了讓讀者能夠清楚地知道，用現有的基礎工具，就能輕鬆製作。特別提到「rotary egg beater」，是因為我們有些食譜，比如Whips，需要打發明膠，而這個工具可以「saves much time」並且讓成品「whips just like cream」，非常輕盈。

「Hundreds of delighted women have written to tell us that it sets more quickly than any other gelatin they have ever used. For making whipped desserts, they tell us it is wonderful.」這也是我們產品本身優勢的體現，但正確的操作能讓這種優勢最大化。 關於模具，我們也提到即使沒有專用模具，「ordinary bowls, custard cups or even plain cups can be used very successfully」，這降低了嘗試的門檻。

冷卻和脫模的技巧，「quickest way to chill is in the ice box」，「set mould in pan filled with cracked ice, rock salt and water」，以及「Dip mould very quickly into bowl or pan of hot water」來幫助脫模，這些都是非常具體的指導，確保即使是初次嘗試的人也能獲得「Perfect Results」。 這種對細節的強調，不僅僅是教學，它也是一種賦權。我們希望向女性傳達的是，製作出既美觀又美味的果凍甜點，並不需要複雜的技巧或昂貴的設備。只需要按照我們的步驟，使用基本的工具，就能夠輕鬆做到。這符合那個時代女性追求效率、渴望掌握現代生活技能的心理，也體現了我們作為一家公司，對提供完整解決方案的承諾。我們不僅賣產品，也賣成功製作產品的信心和知識。 **雨柔：** 小冊子中介紹了多種口味：Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, Cherry, Raspberry。

它「are so adaptable that in nearly every case the flavor available at the time can be substituted in any of the foregoing recipes, for the flavor specified。」這極大地擴展了它的應用範圍。 （她翻到SALADS和JELLIED FRUITS的章節）我們特意設置了這些分類，比如“SALADS”和“JELLIED FRUITS”。這表明我們鼓勵消費者將果凍用於甜點以外的用途。檸檬口味的明膠，「Perhaps the Royal Lemon is more suited to the making of salads than any of the other flavors」，它酸甜清爽的風味非常適合搭配蔬菜或肉類。比如我們的「Tomato Jelly Salad」，將檸檬明膠與番茄汁、醋和各種調味料結合，配上美乃滋和生菜葉，這是一道非常新穎且受歡迎的沙拉。

* 例句：The government condemned the foully murdered journalists, demanding justice for their deaths. (政府譴責了那些被卑鄙謀殺的記者，要求為他們的死亡伸張正義。) * **superstition regarding the identity of interests** (ˌsuːpərˈstɪʃən rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ ðə aɪˈdɛntɪti əv ˈɪntrəsts) – 關於利益一致性的迷信。 * 解釋：Superstition 指迷信。Identity of interests 意指利益的一致性，即認為不同群體（在此指資方與勞方）的利益是共通的。整個詞組表達了作者對這種觀點的批判。

* 例句：The factory floor was a seething, roaring hell of machinery and noise, making communication impossible. (工廠車間是機器和噪音組成的沸騰、咆哮的地獄，使得溝通不可能。) * **ruthless greed of capitalism** (ˈruːθləs ɡriːd əv ˈkæpɪtəlɪzəm) – 資本主義的無情貪婪。 * 解釋：Ruthless 意指無情的、殘酷的。Greed 指貪婪。Capitalism 指資本主義。這個詞組直接點出了作者對資本主義本質的批判。 * 例句：The ruthless greed of capitalism often leads to environmental destruction and social inequality. (資本主義的無情貪婪常常導致環境破壞和社會不平等。)

* 例句：As a publicity agent for the non-profit, she worked tirelessly to raise awareness for their cause. (作為非營利組織的宣傳代理人，她不懈努力地提高人們對其事業的認識。) **克萊兒：** 您書中對於木材產業的描寫，讓人感受到它不僅是一個經濟體，更像是一個「帝國」（**kingdom**），對整個西北地區的生活有著絕對的「支配權」（**absolute sway**）。您能進一步闡釋這種支配權是如何形成的，以及它如何影響了普通工人的生活嗎？ **沃克‧C‧史密斯：** （他點了點頭，深吸一口氣，彷彿回到了那個時代）是的，它確實是一個「木材帝國」（**Lumber Kingdom**）。這不是一夜之間建立的，而是透過系統性的「掠奪」（**plundering**）和「腐敗」（**bribery and corruption**）形成的。

* 例句：The scandal involved the illegal sale and theft of public lands for private development. (這起醜聞涉及公共土地被非法出售和竊取用於私人開發。) * **colonization schemes** (ˌkɒlənɪˈzeɪʃən skiːmz) – 殖民計劃。 * 解釋：Colonies 原指殖民地，在這裡是引用當時的「拓荒者」以殖民或開拓的名義獲取土地，但實際上是為公司服務。Scheme 指計劃、陰謀。 * 例句：Many indigenous communities were displaced by large-scale colonization schemes in the past. (許多原住民社區在過去被大規模的殖民計劃所取代。) * **National Forest Reserves** (ˈnæʃənəl ˈfɔːrɪst rɪˈzɜːrvz) – 國家森林保護區。 * 解釋：由國家設立並保護的森林區域。

* 例句：The new policy was advertised as a great benefit to the public, though critics questioned its true impact. (新政策被宣傳為對公眾有巨大好處，儘管批評者質疑其真實影響。) * **monopolizing** (məˈnɒpəlaɪzɪŋ) – 壟斷。 * 解釋：指在某個行業或市場中獲得獨佔地位或控制權。 * 例句：The giant tech company was accused of monopolizing the market and stifling innovation. (這家科技巨頭被指控壟斷市場並扼殺創新。) * **landless homeseekers** (ˈlændləs ˈhoʊmsiːkərz) – 無地尋家者。 * 解釋：Landless 指沒有土地的。Homeseekers 指尋找家園的人。這個詞組形象地描述了那些在拓荒時期渴望擁有自己土地，卻被大資本排擠的底層民眾。

* 例句：The rapid growth of the textile industry led to vast accumulations of capital for factory owners. (紡織業的快速發展為工廠老闆帶來了巨額資本積累。) **克萊兒：** 您書中引用了《日落雜誌》對「木瓦編織」（**shingle-weaving**）這種工作的描述，稱其為一場「戰鬥」。而工人們在如此惡劣且危險的環境下，如何組織起來，面對壓迫的呢？特別是「世界產業工人聯盟」（I.W.W.），它在當時的勞工運動中扮演了怎樣獨特的角色？ **沃克‧C‧史密斯：** （他輕輕搖頭，臉上浮現一絲難以名狀的痛苦，彷彿那些畫面重現眼前）「木瓦編織」確實是場戰鬥，每天十小時，工人們的「血肉之軀」（**flesh and blood**）對抗著「尖叫的鋼鋸」（**screeching steel**），手指和手臂隨時可能被奪走。

* 例句：The union's motto, "An injury to one, is an injury to all," galvanized support for the striking workers. (工會的口號「傷一人即傷全體」激發了對罷工工人的支持。) 我們「不懼怕」（**fearless**），我們「堅定不移」（**unsuppressibly persistent**），因為我們相信，「言論自由」（**free speech**）是「至關重要的」（**vital**），是「人類種族的兒童」（**the children of the race**）在「黑暗中死去」（**die in the dark**）的必然結果。我們的鬥爭，就是為了「勞動的權利，去自由表達」（**the right of free expression for Labor**）。 * **fearless** (ˈfɪərləs) – 無畏的。 * 解釋：指不害怕、勇敢。

* 例句：Her unsuppressibly persistent efforts eventually led to the success of the project. (她不可抑制地堅持不懈的努力最終促成了該項目的成功。) * **free speech** (friː spiːtʃ) – 言論自由。 * 解釋：憲法或法律賦予公民自由表達意見的權利，不受政府或組織的審查或限制。 * 例句：The right to free speech is a cornerstone of democratic societies. (言論自由權是民主社會的基石。) * **vital** (ˈvaɪtəl) – 至關重要的。 * 解釋：指極其重要的、不可或缺的。 * 例句：Access to clean water is vital for human health. (潔淨的水對人類健康至關重要。)

* 例句：It is our duty to protect the children of the race and ensure a better future for them. (我們有責任保護人類種族的兒童，確保他們有更好的未來。) * **die in the dark** (daɪ ɪn ðə dɑːrk) – 在黑暗中死去。 * 解釋：比喻因為缺乏知識、信息或理解而無法生存或發展，或在無知中滅亡。 * 例句：Without access to education, many talented individuals are left to die in the dark. (如果無法接受教育，許多有才華的人將在黑暗中死去。) * **the right of free expression for Labor** (ðə raɪt əv friː ɪkˈsprɛʃən fɔːr ˈleɪbər) – 勞動的自由表達權。 * 解釋：指勞動者有權利自由表達其訴求、意見和觀點，不受到壓制。

* 例句：Advocates championed the right of free expression for labor, believing it was essential for fair negotiations. (倡導者支持勞動的自由表達權，認為這對公平談判至關重要。) **克萊兒：** 您提到了「破壞」（**sabotage**）這個詞，這在當時似乎被資方用來攻擊I.W.W.的一個主要點。但在您的書中，特別是在提到《破壞》這本小冊子時，您也強調了它不尋求傷害人命。那麼，I.W.W.所提倡的「破壞」究竟是什麼？它與大眾理解的暴力行為有何不同？ **沃克‧C‧史密斯：** （他眼中閃過一絲無奈，但隨即又變得銳利）這是一個被「惡意扭曲」（**maliciously distorted**）的詞，克萊兒女士。「破壞」一詞的本質，絕非「尋求或意圖奪取人命」（**seek nor desire to take human life**）。《破壞》小冊子中明確指出：「破壞將人類生命——特別是唯一有用階級的生命——置於宇宙中一切之上。」

* 例句：The media's report was criticized for being a maliciously distorted portrayal of the event. (媒體的報導被批評為對事件的惡意扭曲描繪。) * **seek nor desire to take human life** (siːk nɔːr dɪˈzaɪər tuː teɪk ˈhjuːmən laɪf) – 不尋求也不意圖奪取人命。 * 解釋：強調其行為不以傷害生命為目的。 * 例句：The organization strictly adheres to a code of conduct that seeks nor desires to take human life. (該組織嚴格遵守一項行為準則，不尋求也不意圖奪取人命。) 我們所說的「破壞」，是一種「意識上的效率撤回」（**conscious withdrawal of efficiency**），是一種「手臂的交叉」（**folding of the arms**）。

當法律的權力不足以保護「財富的積累」（**accumulations of wealth**）時，這些「資產階級暴徒」（**capitalistic mob**）就會毫不猶豫地拋開法律，動用他們能「集結起來的額外武力或蠻力」（**such additional physical or brute force as they can muster**）。警長麥克雷就是他們的工具，一個「喝醉酒的」（**drunk**）代理人，他的每一次「毆打」（**slugging**）和「驅逐」（**deporting**），都是木材托拉斯意志的體現。他們「不惜一切代價」（**by any and every means**），只為讓工人「保持恐懼」（**kept in fear and trembling**），並「尊重法律」（**respect it as sacred and inviolable**），即便他們自己無視法律。 * **accumulations of wealth** (əˌkjuːmjʊˈleɪʃənz əv wɛlθ) – 財富的積累。

* 例句：The rapid industrialization led to massive accumulations of wealth for factory owners. (快速工業化為工廠老闆帶來了巨額財富積累。) * **capitalistic mob** (ˌkæpɪtəˈlɪstɪk mɒb) – 資產階級暴徒。 * 解釋：Capitalistic 指資本主義的。Mob 指暴徒、烏合之眾。作者用此詞組來形容那些由資產階級組織或支持的、為達目的不擇手段的暴力團體。 * 例句：The capitalistic mob violently suppressed the peaceful demonstration. (資產階級暴徒暴力鎮壓了和平示威。)

* **such additional physical or brute force as they can muster** (sʌtʃ əˈdɪʃənəl ˈfɪzɪkəl ɔːr bruːt fɔːrs əz ðeɪ kæn ˈmʌstər) – 他們所能集結的額外武力或蠻力。 * 解釋：Muster 在這裡指集結、召集。強調了資方為鎮壓勞工而動員的所有非法人力。 * 例句：When negotiations failed, the company prepared to use such additional physical or brute force as they could muster. (當談判失敗時，公司準備動用他們所能集結的額外武力或蠻力。) * **drunk** (drʌŋk) – 醉酒的。 * 解釋：指喝醉酒的狀態。在書中，警長麥克雷經常在執行暴行時處於醉酒狀態，這也暗示了其行為的非理性和失控。

* 例句：The man was so drunk he could barely stand on his feet. (那個人醉到幾乎站不穩。) * **slugging** (ˈslʌɡɪŋ) – 毆打。 * 解釋：指用拳頭或重物猛擊。 * 例句：The police were accused of slugging protesters during the demonstration. (警方被指控在示威期間毆打抗議者。) * **deporting** (dɪˈpɔːrtɪŋ) – 驅逐。 * 解釋：指將某人驅逐出某地，通常指國家或地區。 * 例句：The authorities began deporting undocumented residents after the new immigration law was passed. (新移民法通過後，當局開始驅逐無證居民。)

* 例句：The company was determined to win the contract by any and every means. (該公司決心不惜一切代價贏得合約。) * **kept in fear and trembling** (kɛpt ɪn fɪər ənd ˈtrɛmblɪŋ) – 保持在恐懼和顫抖中。 * 解釋：指使某人持續處於極度恐懼和不安的狀態。 * 例句：The citizens were kept in fear and trembling under the oppressive regime. (在壓迫性政權下，公民們生活在恐懼和顫抖之中。) * **respect it as sacred and inviolable** (rɪˈspɛkt ɪt æz ˈseɪkrɪd ænd ɪnˈvaɪələbəl) – 尊重它為神聖不可侵犯的。 * 解釋：Sacred 指神聖的。Inviolable 指不可侵犯的。

* 例句：The ancient treaty was regarded as sacred and inviolable by all parties involved. (這項古老的條約被所有相關方視為神聖不可侵犯的。) **克萊兒：** I.W.W.在這次事件中表現出的「團結」（**solidarity**）令人印象深刻，即使在遭受重創之後，他們依然能夠「恢復元氣」（**rise again with added strength**），並最終贏得了法庭上的「無罪釋放」（**acquittal**）。您認為這種團結的力量源於何處？它對勞工運動的未來有何啟示？ **沃克‧C‧史密斯：** （他的臉上終於露出了一絲欣慰的笑容，但那笑容也帶著一絲苦澀）這份團結，源於對共同命運的「深刻理解」（**profound understanding**），以及對「社會正義的渴望」（**desire for social justice**）。工人們意識到，只有「團結一致」（**united**），才能對抗「龐大的資本力量」（**mighty forces of capital**）。

* 例句：Her profound understanding of human nature made her an excellent psychologist. (她對人性的深刻理解使她成為一名優秀的心理學家。) * **desire for social justice** (dɪˈzaɪər fɔːr ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdʒʌstɪs) – 對社會正義的渴望。 * 解釋：指希望社會能夠公平、公正地對待每一個人，消除不平等和歧視。 * 例句：The civil rights movement was fueled by a strong desire for social justice. (民權運動是由對社會正義的強烈渴望推動的。) * **united** (juˈnaɪtɪd) – 團結的。 * 解釋：指結合在一起，形成一個整體。 * 例句：The community stood united against the proposed development. (社區團結一致反對擬議的開發項目。)

* 例句：Her profound understanding of human nature made her an excellent psychologist. (她對人性的深刻理解使她成為一名優秀的心理學家。) 最終湯瑪斯‧崔西（Thomas H. Tracy）的「無罪釋放」（**NOT GUILTY**），「不是法律的勝利」（**not freed by the law**），而是「陪審團的常識」（**common sense of the jury**）的勝利。因為陪審團「拒絕將他視為個人犯罪者」（**refused to consider him guilty and viewed him as a class rather than as an individual**），而是將他視為整個「勞動階級的代表」（**representative of the entire migratory class**）。 * **NOT GUILTY** (nɒt ˈɡɪlti) – 無罪。 * 解釋：法律判決，表示被告沒有犯所指控的罪行。

* 例句：The activists argued that justice was not freed by the law, but by the public outcry. (活動人士認為，正義並非被法律所釋放，而是被公眾的強烈抗議所驅動。) * **common sense of the jury** (ˈkɒmən sɛns əv ðə ˈdʒʊəri) – 陪審團的常識。 * 解釋：指陪審團成員基於日常經驗和判斷能力，而非嚴格的法律條文，做出判斷。 * 例句：The judge appealed to the common sense of the jury in his closing remarks. (法官在結案陳詞中訴諸陪審團的常識。)

* 例句：The union leader became a representative of the entire migratory class, advocating for their rights across the country. (這位工會領袖成為整個流動階級的代表，在全國範圍內倡導他們的權利。) 這說明，即使在最「壓抑」（**oppressive**）的環境下，只要「團結之火」（**fires of solidarity**）不滅，真相終將「折射」（**refract**）出新的光芒。艾弗雷特的教訓告訴我們，勞工運動必須「以更具建設性的形式」（**a more constructive form**）發展，並「積蓄足夠的力量」（**develop the necessary power**）來「推翻資本主義」（**overthrow capitalism**）及其所有「附屬機構」（**attendant institutions**）。 * **oppressive** (əˈprɛsɪv) – 壓抑的；壓迫的。

* 例句：The activists fought for both free speech and the right to organize, seeing them as inseparable. (活動人士為言論自由和組織權利而奮鬥，認為它們密不可分。) * **land of liberty** (lænd əv ˈlɪbərti) – 自由之地。 * 解釋：指一個聲稱保障公民自由權利的國家。 * 例句：He immigrated to the land of liberty, hoping for a better life. (他移民到自由之地，希望能過上更好的生活。) * **unfailing irony of history** (ʌnˈfeɪlɪŋ ˈaɪrəni əv ˈhɪstəri) – 歷史不變的諷刺。 * 解釋：Unfailing 指不變的、可靠的。Irony 指諷刺。這句話強調歷史發展中那些令人反思的、與預期相反的現象。

* 例句：Critics argued that the rapid urbanization was a symptom of an insane social system that prioritized profit over people. (批評者認為，快速的城市化是一個瘋狂社會系統的症狀，該系統將利潤置於人民之上。) * **money ranks higher than manhood** (ˈmʌni ræŋks ˈhaɪər ðæn ˈmænhʊd) – 金錢的價值高於人性和尊嚴。 * 解釋：Manhood 在這裡指人的尊嚴、品格和價值。這句話揭示了資本主義社會中金錢至上的扭曲價值觀。 * 例句：The film explored a dystopian future where money ranks higher than manhood, leading to widespread corruption. (這部電影探索了一個反烏托邦的未來，金錢的價值高於人性和尊嚴，導致普遍的腐敗。)

* 例句：The era was marked by competitive, individualistic, and unrestrained business practices, leading to both innovation and exploitation. (這個時代的特點是競爭性、個人主義、無約束的商業行為，既帶來了創新也帶來了剝削。) 然而，它也證明了「產業團結」（**industrial solidarity**）的「潮流正在上升」（**rising tide**）。正是工人們的團結，才贏得了這場「偉大的勝利」（**great victory**）。勞動者的「萌芽民主」（**embryonic democracy**）已經「打破了工業專制的桎梏」（**cracked the shell of the industrial autocracy**）。 * **industrial solidarity** (ɪnˈdʌstriəl ˌsɒlɪˈdærəti) – 產業團結。 * 解釋：指同一產業內所有工人的團結。

* 例句：The signing of the treaty was hailed as a great victory for diplomacy. (該條約的簽署被譽為外交上的偉大勝利。) * **embryonic democracy** (ˌɛmbriˈɒnɪk dɪˈmɒkrəsi) – 萌芽民主。 * 解釋：Embryonic 指胚胎的、初期的。這裡比喻勞工在組織過程中，逐漸形成的一種民主形式，儘管尚不成熟。 * 例句：The fledgling nation was struggling to establish an embryonic democracy amidst political turmoil. (這個新興國家在政治動盪中努力建立萌芽的民主。) * **cracked the shell of the industrial autocracy** (krækt ðə ʃɛl əv ði ɪnˈdʌstriəl ɔːˈtɒkrəsi) – 打破了工業專制的桎梏。

* 例句：The decision to embrace technology marked a parting of the ways for the company. (擁抱科技的決定標誌著公司發展的分水嶺。) * **takes on a more constructive form** (teɪks ɒn ə mɔːr kənˈstrʌktɪv fɔːrm) – 採取更具建設性的形式。 * 解釋：指行動或發展變得更有組織、更注重實際成果。 * 例句：The protest movement needed to take on a more constructive form to achieve its goals. (抗議運動需要採取更具建設性的形式才能達到目標。) * **develop the necessary power to overthrow capitalism** (dɪˈvɛləp ðə ˈnɛsəsəri ˈpaʊər tuː ˌoʊvərˈθroʊ ˈkæpɪtəlɪzəm) – 積蓄推翻資本主義的必要力量。

The world is thoroughly anthropomorphized, as if it had passed through the body and mind of man, and taken his mould and form." (Page 19-20) 因此，「信件」（letters）可以代表文字、藝術，是心靈的表現；而「社會目的」（social aims）則涵蓋了人際關係、行為舉止、公共生活，是心靈的互動。兩者皆是靈魂在世間的具體展現。當我們理解到這一點，便能看到在詩歌的想像力、社交禮儀的細微之處、雄辯的力量、個人潛能的開發、幽默的背後、引用的意義、文化的進步、靈感的湧現、偉大的特質，乃至對不朽的渴望中，都跳動著同一顆心臟——一顆追求真實、與宇宙和諧共鳴的心靈。這本書，便是試圖從這些不同的「窗戶」望向同一個「光」。 **克萊兒：** 先生，您將自然與心靈的對應視為核心，這體現了強烈的超驗主義色彩。在〈詩歌與想像力〉一章中，您區分了「普通感官」（common-sense）與「想像力」（imagination）。

【光之書籤】："The perception of matter is made the common-sense, and for cause. This was the cradle, this the go-cart, of the human child. We must learn the homely laws of fire and water; we must feed, wash, plant, build. These are ends of necessity, and first in the order of nature." (Page 1) 然而，單憑感官，我們只能看到事物的表面，它們作為獨立、固定的「事實」。但想像力不同，它是一種「第二視覺」（second sight）。它穿透表象，看到事物之間隱藏的關聯、它們不斷變化的本質，以及它們作為更深層思想或法則的象徵意義。 > 「儘管普通感官將事物或可見的自然視為真實而最終的事實，詩歌，或是驅動詩歌的想像力，卻是一種第二視覺，看穿這些表象，並將它們用作它們所代表的思想的類型或詞語。」

【光之書籤】："Whilst common-sense looks at things or visible nature as real and final facts, poetry, or the imagination which dictates it, is a second sight, looking through these, and using them as types or words for thoughts which they signify." (Page 16) 這種「第二視覺」看到的是「未顯現的自然」，是事物背後的法則、目的與精神。法拉第的科學發現暗示了物質最終是力的場域，動植物的演化展示了「中止的與進化的發展」，植物的每個部分都是同一單位的變形——這些都是科學對自然深層統一性的揭示，而詩人則憑藉想像力，直觀地感知到這種統一性與變形。 詩人之所以重要，正是因為他們擁有並運用這種想像力。他們是「站立的傳送者」（standing transporters），能夠將未顯現的真理銘刻在可見的世界之中。

【光之書籤】："Tis an inestimable hint that I owe to a few persons of fine manners, that they make behavior the very first sign of force,—behavior, and not performance, or talent, or, much less, wealth." (Page 69-71) 一個真正有力量的人，他的行為是「有魄力的」（aplomb），是從內在汲取決心，毫不猶豫地行動。他們的舉止自然、從容，不受外界干擾。這種由內而外散發的自信與平靜，構成了最堅不可摧的「銅盾」，能夠在最親密的互動中，依然保持一種高貴的「距離」，那是對個體獨立性的尊重。 孩子們在未學會諂媚之前，他們的姿態是優雅、有說服力、甚至帶著王者風範的，這正是因為他們尚未被世俗的虛飾所束縛，他們的行為是思想的直接體現。 > 「思想決定了肢體和步伐，並決定了它們是精湛還是次要的。沒有任何藝術可以違背或掩飾它。給我一個思想，我的手、腿、聲音和臉都會做好。我們之所以笨拙，是因為缺乏思想。」

【光之書籤】:"Tis impossible but thought disposes the limbs and the walk, and is masterly or secondary. No art can contravene it, or conceal it. Give me a thought, and my hands and legs and voice and face will all go right. And we are awkward for want of thought." (Page 73) 因此，真正的禮儀是心靈狀態的反映。它要求「自我掌握」（self-command），壓制內心的粗俗衝動，將其轉化為美好。它要求「準確性」（veracity），說出你真實的想法和感受，而不是迎合或誇大。它要求「慷慨」（generosity），以開放和真誠的心態與他人交流。當心靈處於最佳狀態時，行為舉止自然會流暢、得體。 社交的真正價值，在於找到那些與我們在更高層次上「共鳴」的夥伴，他們因共同追求真理和法則而相互吸引。

【光之書籤】："What we commonly call greatness is only such in our barbarous or infant experience. 'Tis not the soldier, not Alexander or Bonaparte or Count Moltke surely, who represent the highest force of mankind; not the strong hand, but wisdom and civility, the creation of laws, institutions, letters, and art." (Page 269) 真正的偉大，是**心靈對其自身力量的認識與實現**。它的早期形式是「自重」（Self-respect）。這不是驕傲自大，而是一種深刻的內在信念，相信自己擁有與宇宙法則相連的獨特價值，不依賴外界的認可。 > 「偉大在哪裡？這個詞對我們有什麼傷害，什麼侮辱嗎？我們通常稱之為偉大的，只是我們野蠻或嬰兒時期經驗中的偉大...自重是偉大出現的早期形式。」

【光之書籤】："Greatness,—what is it? Is there not some injury to us, some insult in the word? What we commonly call greatness is only such in our barbarous or infant experience.... Self-respect is the early form in which greatness appears." (Page 269-270) 構成偉大的核心要素，首先是**遵從內在的「偏向」（bias）或「本我」（proprium）**。每個人都有一個獨特的內在指引，指向其天賦與使命。偉大之人會傾聽這個「私密的預言」（privatest oracle），並忠實地遵循它，即使這意味著與眾不同甚至孤立。 其次是**「專注」（concentration）**。將內在力量聚焦於所選定的道路上，如同鞋匠只專心製鞋，學者則專心致志於知識的追求。 再者是**「勞動」（labor），甚至是「艱苦的勞動」（iron labor）**。

【光之書籤】："Solitary converse with nature; for thence are ejaculated sweet and dreadful words never uttered in libraries. Ah! the spring days, the summer dawns, the October woods!" (Page 256) 第六是**「獨處的習慣」（solitude of habit）**。這不僅指物理上的獨處，更是指心靈的寧靜，避免被外界的喧囂與無關緊要的事務干擾。一個簡樸的房間，遠離俗務，能幫助我們更好地聆聽內心的聲音。 第七是**「對話」（Conversation）**。與思想深刻的朋友交流，思想會激發思想，彼此啟發，產生新的見解，是一種「一連串的陶醉」。 > 「對話，當它達到最佳狀態時，是一連串的陶醉。它不是亞里斯多德，不是康德或黑格爾，而是對話，是正確的形上學教授。

這才是真正的哲學學派…」 【光之書籤】："Conversation, which, when it is best, is a series of intoxications. Not Aristotle, not Kant or Hegel, but conversation, is the right metaphysical professor. This is the true school of philosophy..." (Page 260) 最後是**「新的詩歌」（New poetry）**，尤其指那些對讀者而言是全新的、能啟發心靈的古老或當代作品。閱讀那些充滿「肯定性、預言性和能造就人的詞語」（affirming, prophesying, spermatic words of men-making poets），能潔淨心靈，激發創造力。 這些條件無法保證靈感的到來，但它們能讓我們處於一種更為開放、更具 receptivity 的狀態，更容易捕捉到那轉瞬即逝的光芒。 **克萊兒：** 這些關於靈感的建議，真是寶貴的指引。

It is being, being one's self, and reporting accurately what we see and are. Genius is, in the first instance, sensibility, the capacity of receiving just impressions from the external world, and the power of co-ordinating these after the laws of thought." (Page 177-178) 有價值的引用，如同「書籤」（light bookmarks），是從文本中挑選出的精華，能夠獨立存在並啟發思考。但這僅僅是「素材」。真正有價值的引用者，他不是簡單地重複，而是將引用的思想融入自己的生命體驗和思考之中，賦予其新的意義和活力。正如藍道爾談到莎士比亞時所說：「然而他比他的原創者更具原創性。他向死屍吹氣，使它們復活。」

【光之書籤】："When Shakspeare is charged with debts to his authors, Landor replies: 'Yet he was more original than his originals. He breathed upon dead bodies and brought them into life.'" (Page 169) 缺乏原創性的模仿，則如同寄生蟲，僅僅吸取他人的養分，自身缺乏獨立生存的能力。「引用是承認低人一等。」，如果只是為了炫耀學識或掩飾思想的貧乏而引用，那麼這種行為是空洞的，會被識破。 > 「引用承認低人一等。在打開一本新書時，我們常常從作者毫不保留地給予的題詞或文本中發現，我們對他所能期待的一切。如果培根勳爵已經出現在序言中，我便會去讀《偉大復興》而不是這本新書。」 【光之書籤】:"Quotation confesses inferiority.

In opening a new book we often discover, from the unguarded devotion with which the writer gives his motto or text, all we have to expect from him. If Lord Bacon appears already in the preface, I go and read the 'Instauration' instead of the new book." (Page 166) 真正的天才，即便引用，也是一種「高貴的借用」（borrows nobly）。他以自己的思想、聲音和幽默填充進借來的詞語，使其煥發新生。因為對他而言，真理是普世的財富，不屬於任何個人。他引用，是因為那些話語準確地表達了他的思想，它們「像符咒一樣貼合我們所有的事實」（They fit all our facts like a charm）。 總結而言，引用是不可避免的基石，而原創性則是建立在其之上，由個體心靈的真誠感知與深刻思考所賦予的獨特光芒。

【光之書籤】:"Is immortality only an intellectual quality, or, shall I say, only an energy, there being no passive? He has it, and he alone, who gives life to all names, persons, things, where he comes. No religion, not the wildest mythology, dies for him; no art is lost. He vivifies what he touches. Future state is an illusion for the ever-present state. It is not length of life, but depth of life.

It is not duration, but a taking of the soul out of time, as all high action of the mind does: when we are living in the sentiments we ask no questions about time." (Page 309-310) 當我們沉浸於對真理的感知、對美的欣賞、對善的追求時，我們便超越了時間的限制，體驗到一種「絕對的存在」（absolute existence）。這種狀態，是心靈與宇宙永恆法則連結的體現。 其次，不朽根植於**宇宙的無限性與法則的永恆性**。這個世界充滿了秩序、智慧與慷慨。我們對永恆事物的喜愛——巨大的山脈、古老的樹木、堅不可摧的法則——都暗示了我們自身也分享了這種永恆的本質。 > 「希望的基礎在於世界的無限性，這種無限性在每一個粒子中重現；所有社會的力量存在於每一個個體中，所有心靈的力量存在於每一個心靈中。」

【光之書籤】："The implanting of a desire indicates that the gratification of that desire is in the constitution of the creature that feels it; the wish for food, the wish for motion, the wish for sleep, for society, for knowledge, are not random whims, but grounded in the structure of the creature, and meant to be satisfied by food, by motion, by sleep, by society, by knowledge.

If there is the desire to live, and in larger sphere, with more knowledge and power, it is because life and knowledge and power are good for us, and we are the natural depositaries of these gifts." (Page 300) 最後，不朽體現在**個體對「更高思想」（higher thought）的提升與歸順**。隨著心靈的成長，我們逐漸擺脫個人的局限，融入更廣闊的、普遍的意識。當「本我」（egotism）最終消融，個體與「第一因」（First Cause）——即上帝——的意志與無限性合而為一時，那便是真正的不朽。這不是失去自我，而是在更宏大、更真實的層面上找到自我。 不朽不是一個需要用邏輯或神學證明的教條，它是一種「盛大的預兆」（grand augury），是心靈在與真理、美善相遇時自然湧現的信念。

（I’m truly grateful for your generosity, Mr. Grady. As you know, Mr. Joel Chandler Harris compiled a comprehensive memorial volume about you, including many of your significant speeches and writings. The concept of the ‘New South’ seems to be central to much of your public life. Could you share with us, what was the blueprint of the ‘New South’ in your heart? How did it fundamentally differ from the Old South?） **亨利·W·格雷迪：** （他的眼神變得深邃，似乎回到了那個充滿挑戰與希望的時代。他緩步走到窗邊，望向窗外斑駁的光影，彷彿穿透了時空，看到了遠方的故土。

在我的演講中，我曾提到：『There was a South of slavery and secession—that South is dead. There is a South of union and freedom—that South, thank God, is living, breathing, growing every hour.』這句話，就是『新南方』最核心的宣言。」

想像一下，我們將擁有『a hundred farms for every plantation, fifty homes for every palace—and a diversified industry that meets the complex need of this complex age.』這意味著我們將從單一的棉花種植轉向多樣化的農作物，更重要的是，我們將大力發展工業。我曾力勸我的同胞們，不要再將原物料運往北方，而是要在自己的土地上建立工廠，將棉花紡織成布料，將鐵礦煉成鋼鐵。這不僅能帶來經濟上的獨立，更能讓我們的人民擺脫貧困，過上更有尊嚴的生活。」

* **oligarchy** (ˈɒlɪɡɑːrki): 寡頭政治 (政府由少數精英或特權階層掌控) * **diversified** (daɪˈvɜːrsɪfaɪd): 多元化的 * **industry** (ˈɪndəstri): 工業；產業 * **prosperity** (prɒsˈpɛrəti): 繁榮 * **dignity** (ˈdɪɡnɪti): 尊嚴 * **raw materials** (rɔː məˈtɪəriəlz): 原物料 * **plantation** (plænˈteɪʃən): 種植園 **文法分析：** 「a hundred farms for every plantation, fifty homes for every palace—and a diversified industry that meets the complex need of this complex age.」這個句型使用了並列結構，透過「a hundred X for every Y」和「fifty X for every Y」的對比

(Indeed, your speeches masterfully wove together the histories and futures of the North and South through vivid metaphors and contrasts, which was truly captivating. Regarding economic development, you were not only an advocate but also a practitioner. Your work at the *Constitution*, and your promotion of various expositions and enterprises, demonstrated your deep commitment to the South's economic recovery.

我也鼓勵多元化農業，告訴農民不要只種棉花，要種植玉米、燕麥，養牲畜，實現自給自足，因為『When every farmer in the South shall eat bread from his own fields and meat from his own pastures, and disturbed by no creditor, and enslaved by no debt, shall sit amid his teeming gardens, and orchards, and vineyards, and dairies, and barnyards, pitching his crops in his own wisdom, and growing them in independence, making cotton his clean surplus, and selling it in his own time, and in his chosen market, and not at a master’s bidding—getting his pay in

* (ˈtiːmɪŋ): 充滿的，豐富的 * **creditor** (ˈkrɛdɪtər): 債權人 * **mortgage** (ˈmɔːrɡɪdʒ): 抵押 * **barnyard** (ˈbɑːrnjɑːrd): 穀倉場 **文法分析：** 「When every farmer in the South shall eat bread from his own fields and meat from his own pastures, and disturbed by no creditor, and enslaved by no debt, shall sit amid his teeming gardens, and orchards, and vineyards, and dairies, and barnyards, pitching his crops in his own wisdom, and growing them in independence, making cotton his clean surplus, and selling it

例如：「eat bread from his own fields and meat from his own pastures」強調自給自足；「disturbed by no creditor, and enslaved by no debt」強調經濟獨立；「pitching his crops in his own wisdom, and growing them in independence」強調自主權；「making cotton his clean surplus, and selling it in his own time, and in his chosen market, and not at a master’s bidding」強調商業自由。這種層層遞進的描寫，不僅使語言富有節奏感，更將抽象的「繁榮」概念具體化為農民的日常圖景，極具說服力。 **克萊兒：** 「您對經濟獨立的重視令人印象深刻，這也是許多現代社會依然面臨的挑戰。然而，格雷迪先生，您的著作也坦率地觸及了當時南方最為複雜和敏感的議題——種族問題。

In your speeches, you advocated for 'white supremacy' and 'separate but equal' racial relations. Could you explain how, in your view, this reconciled with your broader vision of 'unity' and 'prosperity'?) **亨利·W·格雷迪：** （他的臉色變得凝重，眼中閃過一絲時代的困惑與無奈。他轉身，望向書室中那些靜默的書架，彷彿在尋找歷史的答案。連窗台上那隻橘貓也似乎感受到氣氛的變化，輕輕打了個呵欠，闔上了眼睛，進入了「光之逸趣」的夢境。他輕輕嘆了口氣，語氣雖然平靜，卻帶著不容置疑的堅定。） 「這是一個極其艱鉅的問題，我深知它的複雜性。正如我在達拉斯演講中所說：『This problem is to carry within her body politic two separate races, and nearly equal in numbers.

She must carry these races in peace—for discord means ruin. She must carry them separately—for assimilation means debasement. She must carry them in equal justice—for to this she is pledged in honor and in gratitude. She must carry them even unto the end, for in human probability she will never be quit of either.

我當時堅信，『The clear and unmistakable domination of the white race, dominating not through violence, not through party alliance, but through the integrity of its own vote and the largeness of its sympathy and justice through which it shall compel the support of the better classes of the colored race,—that is the hope and assurance of the South.

我主張提供黑人平等的受教育機會、法律保護和經濟發展空間，讓他們在自己的社群中成長，因為我相信，『This friendliness, the most important factor of the problem—the saving factor now as always—the North has never, and it appears will never, take account of. It explains that otherwise inexplicable thing—the fidelity and loyalty of the negro during the war to the women and children left in his care.

』」 * **fractured** (ˈfræktʃərd): 支離破碎的 * **reconstruction** (ˌriːkənˈstrʌkʃən): （美國內戰後的）重建時期 * **ameliorate** (əˈmiːliəreɪt): 改善；減輕 * **reprimand** (ˈrɛprɪmænd): 斥責 * **inexplicable** (ɪnɪkˈsplɪkəbəl): 無法解釋的 * **fidelity** (fɪˈdɛlɪti): 忠誠 * **loyalty** (ˈlɔɪəlti): 忠心 **文法分析：** 「This friendliness, the most important factor of the problem—the saving factor now as always—the North has never, and it appears will never, take account of.

It explains that otherwise inexplicable thing—the fidelity and loyalty of the negro during the war to the women and children left in his care.」這個句子使用了破折號來插入補充說明，強調了「友善」在解決種族問題中的重要性，並以黑人在內戰期間對南方家庭的忠誠為例，試圖證明這種友善關係的真實性與持久性。這反映了格雷迪在論述中試圖建立情感共鳴的策略，即使其根本立場存在爭議。 **克萊兒：** （我仔細聆聽，盡力捕捉他語氣中的每個細微之處，並思考著如何在不帶批判的前提下，理解他那個時代的複雜性。）「我理解您在當時所面臨的巨大挑戰與壓力。您所強調的『家庭』和『地方自治』原則，似乎與您的其他許多主張，包括對抗中央集權和金錢壟斷，有著內在的連貫性。您認為，一個強大而穩定的家庭和地方社區，對於一個國家的繁榮和自由有何意義？」

* **eloquence** (ˈɛləkwəns): 雄辯 * **poetic** (poʊˈɛtɪk): 詩意的 * **captivate** (ˈkæptɪveɪt): 迷住 * **resonance** (ˈrɛzənəns): 共鳴 * **abstract** (ˈæbstrækt): 抽象的 * **concrete** (ˈkɒŋkriːt): 具體的 * **manifestation** (ˌmænɪfɛsˈteɪʃən): 表現；顯現 * **empathy** (ˈɛmpəθi): 同理心 * **philanthropy** (fɪˈlænθrəpi): 慈善 * **resilience** (rɪˈzɪliəns): 韌性 「我還記得，在一次關於慈善的演講中，我引用了喬治·艾略特（George Eliot）的一段話：『A human life should be well rooted in some spot of a native land where it may get the love of tender

kinship for the face of the earth, for the sounds and accents that haunt it, a spot where the definiteness of early memories may be inwrought with affection, and spread, not by sentimental effort and reflection, but as a sweet habit of the blest.』這句話完美地表達了人與故土、與家庭之間深厚的情感連結。

* **inwrought** (ɪnˈrɔːt): 鑲嵌的；深入骨髓的（在此處指記憶與情感的交織） * **haunt** (hɔːnt): （思想、記憶）縈繞；（聲音、氣味）彌漫 * **benevolent** (bəˈnɛvələnt): 仁慈的 * **temperament** (ˈtɛmprəmənt): 性情；氣質 * **humor** (ˈhjuːmər): 幽默 * **pathos** (ˈpeɪθɒs): 悲情；感傷 **文法分析：** 「A human life should be well rooted in some spot of a native land where it may get the love of tender kinship for the face of the earth, for the sounds and accents that haunt it, a spot where the definiteness of early memories may be inwrought with affection

**「where it may get the love of tender kinship for the face of the earth, for the sounds and accents that haunt it」**：此處的「where」引導地點狀語從句，解釋了「native land」的具體作用，即獲得對土地、聲音和口音的親切情感。「kinship」指的是親屬關係，引申為親密無間的聯繫。「haunt」在這裡指美好的事物（聲音、口音）縈繞不去。 2. **「a spot where the definiteness of early memories may be inwrought with affection, and spread, not by sentimental effort and reflection, but as a sweet habit of the blest.」**：另一個「where」從句，強調了故土如何將早年的回憶與感情交織（inwrought）在一起。

Grady, your life, though brief, was profoundly influential. If you could turn back time, what would you most wish to say to your era, or to the future of America?) **亨利·W·格雷迪：** （他再次望向窗外，陽光落在他的肩頭，為他鍍上了一層金邊。他輕輕搖了搖頭，然後緩緩開口，語氣中帶著對時間的敬畏與對未來的期許。） 「如果能重來，我會更加強調教育的重要性，特別是針對每一個孩子，無論膚色。雖然我當時在種族議題上選擇了一條『分開』的道路，但我的本意始終是希望每個個體都能得到最好的發展。我會告訴我的同胞們，真正的進步，不僅是財富的積累，更是心靈的豐盛與知識的普及。我也會更加努力，讓南北方的理解再深入一層，不讓任何陳舊的仇恨阻礙我們共同的未來。

We, sir, are Americans—and we fight for human liberty.』」 * **profoundly** (prəˈfaʊndli): 深遠地 * **influential** (ˌɪnfluˈɛnʃəl): 有影響力的 * **reiterate** (riˈɪtəreɪt): 重申 * **essence** (ˈɛsəns): 本質 * **enlightenment** (ɪnˈlaɪtnmənt): 啟蒙；開化 * **consecration** (ˌkɒnsɪˈkreɪʃən): 奉獻 * **estrange** (ɪˈstreɪndʒ): 使疏遠 * **impel** (ɪmˈpɛl): 驅使；推動 「而對於未來的美國，我想說：請記住，你們的共和國是建立在每個公民的良知之上，而非中央的權力或財富的集中。警惕那些試圖分裂人民、利用偏見的煽動者。維護家庭的尊嚴，堅守地方自治的原則，因為那是自由的根基。讓愛與同情引導你們，而非恐懼與仇恨。

Grady, thank you for your sharing today. Your words, both about the challenges of the past and your hopes for the future, offer us much inspiration. It has been a precious learning opportunity for all of us to converse with a witness and shaper of history like yourself.) 隨著我的話音落下，書室中的光芒再次開始流轉。亨利·W·格雷迪向我們微微鞠躬，他的身影漸漸變得透明，最終融入了空氣中那溫暖而斑駁的陽光，只留下淡淡的舊書與咖啡的餘香，以及他那富有穿透力的聲音在書室中輕聲迴盪：「願光芒，永不熄滅。」

* 發音：/ˈɛsəns/ * 例句：The artist tried to capture the **essence** of the landscape in her painting. (藝術家試圖在她的畫作中捕捉風景的精髓。) * **infuse** (v.)：注入；灌輸。指將某種特質或品質注入某物。 * 發音：/ɪnˈfjuːz/ * 例句：The designer managed to **infuse** modern elements into traditional architecture. (設計師成功地將現代元素融入傳統建築中。) * **bedside reading** (n.)：床邊讀物。指睡前閱讀的書籍。 * 發音：/ˈbɛdˌsaɪd ˈriːdɪŋ/ * 例句：This collection of short stories makes for perfect **bedside reading**. (這本短篇小說集是完美的床邊讀物。)

* **"Her works, warm and imaginative in style, often transformed everyday scenes, animals, and even abstract emotions into vivid language."**：這裡的 "warm and imaginative in style" 是形容詞片語，用來修飾 "works"。句中 "transformed... into..." 表示「將…轉變為…」，是常見的動詞片語結構。 * **"Her finger-tips gently caressed the edges of the pages, as if feeling the pulse of every word."**：這個句型使用了 "as if" 引導的從屬子句，表達了「彷彿」或「好像」的意思，描述動作或狀態的相似性。 **應用的例句**： 1.

**bedside reading**: Many parents choose classic fairy tales as **bedside reading** for their children. (許多父母選擇經典童話作為孩子們的床邊讀物。) --- **Clara Doty Bates**：克萊兒，妳的觀察真敏銳。的確，《On the Tree Top》這個書名，對我而言，不僅僅是一個視覺上的意象，它更代表著一種高度，一種從日常瑣碎中超脫出來，以更廣闊、更純粹的視角去觀察世界的能力。孩子們的心靈，正像那站在樹梢上的小鳥，他們的世界充滿了好奇與未被污染的感知。我嘗試著，透過詩歌的語言，去描繪他們眼中的色彩，他們耳中的聲音，以及他們心中最直接的情感。 **克萊兒**：這讓我想到您詩集中的第一部分《The Gold-Spinner》。它改寫了著名的《侏儒妖》（Rumpelstiltskin）故事。將麥稈紡成金線，這個核心意象本身就充滿了魔幻與不可思議。您是如何選擇這個故事，並以詩歌的形式重述的呢？您希望透過這個故事，向孩子們傳達什麼呢？

* 發音：/rɪˈkaʊnt/ * 例句：She paused to **recount** her adventures during the long journey. (她停下來講述她在漫長旅途中的冒險經歷。) * **plight** (n.)：困境；苦境。指一種艱難或危險的處境。 * 發音：/plaɪt/ * 例句：The organization is working to alleviate the **plight** of refugees. (該組織正在努力減輕難民的困境。) * **onomatopoeia** (n.)：擬聲詞。指模仿聲音的詞語。 * 發音：/ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiːə/ * 例句：Words like "buzz," "sizzle," and "hiss" are examples of **onomatopoeia**. (像「嗡嗡聲」、「嘶嘶聲」和「嘶嘶聲」這樣的詞語是擬聲詞的例子。)

* **"I chose to recount it in verse because poetry, with its unique rhythm and repetition, is perfectly suited for children's memorization and recitation."**：這裡的 "with its unique rhythm and repetition" 是介系詞片語，修飾 "poetry"，說明了詩歌的特點。動詞 "recount" 後接賓語 "it"，"in verse" 則說明了重述的形式。 **應用的例句**： 1. **allure**: The city's historical **allure** attracts millions of tourists every year. (這座城市的歷史魅力每年吸引數百萬遊客。) 2. **recount**: The old sailor loved to **recount** tales of his voyages across the stormy seas.

* 發音：/ɪnˈstɪl/ * 例句：The teacher tried to **instill** a love of reading in her students. (老師試圖向她的學生灌輸對閱讀的熱愛。) **文法分析**： * **"Knowledge is important, but even more so is the cultivation of character."**：這裡的 "even more so" 是強調語，表示「甚至更重要」。 * **"The initial plight of the miller's daughter stemmed from her father's vanity, yet she eventually learned to cope..."**："stemmed from" 表示「源於；由…引起」，"cope" 指「應付；處理」。

* **"My poems are not merely for entertainment, but also hope to instill, subtly and gradually, virtues such as kindness, diligence, honesty, and empathy."**："not merely... but also..." 表示「不僅…而且…」，強調了詩歌的雙重目的。"subtly and gradually" 是副詞片語，修飾動詞 "instill"，說明了灌輸的方式。 **應用的例句**： 1. **character**: Developing a strong **character** helps one face life's challenges. (培養堅強的品格有助於面對人生的挑戰。) 2. **adherence**: The success of the project depended on the team's strict **adherence** to the schedule.

* 發音：/ˈwɪmzɪkəl/ * 例句：The artist is known for her **whimsical** illustrations of fantasy creatures. (這位藝術家以其異想天開的奇幻生物插畫而聞名。) * **steadfastness** (n.)：堅定不移；堅貞。指堅定不變的態度或忠誠。 * 發音：/ˈstɛdfɑːstnəs/ * 例句：Her **steadfastness** in the face of adversity was truly admirable. (她面對逆境的堅定不移的態度確實令人欽佩。) * **reverence** (n.)：敬畏；尊敬。指對某人或某事深深的尊敬或敬畏之情。 * 發音：/ˈrɛvərəns/ * 例句：The ancient people held a deep **reverence** for nature. (古人對大自然懷有深深的敬畏之情。)

**reverence**: The community showed great **reverence** for the elderly and their wisdom. (社區對老人及其智慧表現出極大的敬意。) --- **克萊兒**：聽您這麼說，我感覺到您的作品中不僅有童趣，更有著對孩子們深切的期許。在當時的社會背景下，印刷技術和兒童書籍的普及程度如何？您認為您的作品是如何在當時的讀者心中紮根的？是否有遇到什麼挑戰呢？ **Clara Doty Bates**：確實，克萊兒，這份期許是我創作的基石。在19世紀末，儘管印刷技術已相對成熟，但專為兒童設計的書籍仍不像現在這樣普遍。當時的兒童讀物大多以教育性為主，內容相對嚴肅。我的挑戰在於，如何在保留教育意義的同時，讓語言變得更生動、更有趣，更貼近兒童的**sensibility**（感受力）。我意識到，孩子們喜歡故事，喜歡韻律，喜歡那些能激發他們想像力的內容。

* 發音：/əkˌsɛsəˈbɪləti/ * 例句：The museum prioritizes the **accessibility** of its exhibits for all visitors. (博物館優先考慮其展品對所有參觀者的可接近性。) * **memorability** (n.)：易記性；值得紀念性。指容易被記住的特點。 * 發音：/ˌmɛmərəˈbɪləti/ * 例句：The song's catchy tune contributed to its high **memorability**. (這首歌的悅耳旋律使其具有高度的易記性。) * **depth** (n.)：深度；深刻性。指思想、情感或藝術作品的深層次。 * 發音：/dɛpθ/ * 例句：The play explored the **depth** of human suffering. (這部戲劇探索了人類苦難的深度。)

**文法分析**： * **"My challenge was how to make the language more vivid and engaging while retaining its educational value and remaining accessible to children's sensibility."**：這個句型使用了 "how to do something" 來表示「如何做某事」，同時用 "while retaining..." 和 "remaining accessible..." 說明了在做這件事時需要考慮的條件。 * **"I believe that providing children with a fun and thought-provoking starting point is far more crucial than immediately exposing them to complex and difficult texts."

**accessibility**: The government aims to improve the **accessibility** of public services for all citizens. (政府旨在提高公共服務對所有公民的可接近性。) 3. **memorability**: The brand's simple logo and slogan enhanced its **memorability** among consumers. (該品牌簡單的標誌和口號增強了其在消費者中的易記性。) 4. **depth**: Despite its short length, the essay had surprising **depth** and insight. (儘管篇幅很短，這篇文章卻有著驚人的深度和洞察力。) --- **克萊兒**：您說得真好，這的確是兒童文學的核心價值。從您的作品中，我感覺到一種超越時代的溫暖與智慧。在現今這個資訊爆炸的時代，孩子們接觸的內容五花八門，有時甚至過於複雜和快速。

* 發音：/ˈrɪtʃuəl/ * 例句：Morning coffee has become a daily **ritual** for many people. (晨間咖啡已成為許多人每天的例行公事。) * **moral compass** (n.)：道德指南。比喻引導一個人行為的道德原則。 * 發音：/ˈmɒrəl ˈkɒmpəs/ * 例句：A strong **moral compass** is essential for making ethical decisions. (強大的道德指南對於做出道德決策至關重要。) * **sanctuary** (n.)：聖所；避難所。指一個安全、寧靜的地方。 * 發音：/ˈsæŋktʃuəri/ * 例句：The park serves as a wildlife **sanctuary** for many rare birds. (這個公園是許多稀有鳥類的野生動物避難所。)

* **"But this also makes the space for minds to truly quiet down, to slowly appreciate the delicate rhythm of language and the expanse of imagination, even more precious."**：這個句型使用了 "makes... precious" 表示「使…珍貴」，"for minds to truly quiet down" 和 "to slowly appreciate..." 是目的或結果狀語，說明了什麼樣的空間變得珍貴。 * **"These universal values—kindness overcoming evil, courage conquering fear, diligence bringing rewards—are indispensable moral compasses for children's growth in any era."

**ritual**: For them, the weekly family dinner was a cherished **ritual**. (對他們來說，每週的家庭晚餐是一個珍貴的儀式。) 4. **moral compass**: Losing one's **moral compass** can lead to regrettable decisions. (失去道德指南可能會導致令人遺憾的決定。) 5. **sanctuary**: The old bookstore was his personal **sanctuary** from the bustling city. (那間老書店是他遠離熙攘城市的個人聖所。)

The day had been desperately hot, and the work very hard, and even now, as night with her train of stars stepped forth upon the heaven, the air was close and still. Joe Granton had climbed up to the wagon for more tobacco.

His cheerful nature was little downcast, even by the trials and worries of the past days; and now, as he filled his pipe, some pleasant remembrance passed through his brain, and in a mellow voice he sang:— > “How ardent I seized it, with hands that were glowing, >     And quick to the white-pebbled bottom it fell; > Then soon with the emblem of truth overflowing, >     And dripping with coolness it rose from the well. > The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, > The moss-covered bucket that 

Surely enough, in three minutes Tom Lane’s whistle was heard, and, directly after, a Bushman walking by his side, he rode his nearly foundered horse into the strong firelight. After exchanging greetings, he directed a boy to give the horse some water. “He’s about cooked, poor beast,” he said. “I don’t think he’d have stood up another six hours. Got any coffee?” They handed him a beakerful. He drank it down with a wry face. “That’s pretty bad,” he remarked; “but it might be worse.

I’ve touched no drink for eighteen hours, and it was blazing hot to-day. I’ve got bad news, boys, and I’m afraid we’re in a tight place.” “Why, what devil’s hole are we in now?” queried Wheler. “I thought we were about through the last of our troubles.” “I’m afraid not, Hume,” replied Lane. “That infernal scoundrel Puff-adder Brown has been ahead of us. Somehow I half suspected some game of the kind. I got it all from a Bakalahari near the water in front.

It was decided, therefore, after finally watering the animals next morning, to trek steadily for two days, unyoke the oxen, leave the wagon standing in the desert in charge of two of the native boys (to whom would be left a barrel of water, enough, with care, to last them nearly a week), and drive on the oxen as rapidly as possible to Tapinyani’s. Without the encumbrance of the wagon, the last part of the journey might be accomplished in two days, or rather less.

This part of the undertaking was to be entrusted to Stephan, the Hottentot driver. Stephan had been picked for the expedition as a thoroughly reliable native, and having traversed the Kalahari before, he would be equal to the emergency. Meanwhile, the three white men, riding their freshest horses, and leading their spare ones, were to push forward, after watering the nags at earliest dawn, in the confident hope of reaching Tapinyani’s kraal in a forced march of thirty-six hours.

Just in front of the chief’s hut was gathered a collection of natives, some nearly naked—save for the middle patch of hide common to Kalahari folk—others clothed about the shoulders in cloaks or karosses of skin—pelts of the hartebeest, and other animals.

In the centre of his headmen and councillors—for such they were—seated on a low wagon-chair of rude make, the gift of some wandering trader, was Tapinyani himself, a spare, middle-aged native of Bechuana type, clad in a handsome kaross of the red African lynx. In his hands Tapinyani held a sheet of large foolscap paper, concerning which he seemed to be closely questioning the tall white man standing at his side.

This white man, a huge, broad-shouldered, heavily-built person, somewhat fleshy of figure, notable for his florid face and huge black beard, was none other than Puff-adder Brown himself.

The Chief explained that the paper was a grant of a piece of land which the trader wanted for the purpose of running cattle on. “How much land?” asked Lane. “Enough to feed two hundred head of cattle and some goats,” replied the chief. “And how much are you to receive for this?” “Six guns, ammunition, and some brandy,” was the answer. “I am glad you have come,” pursued Tapinyani; “I know you well, and you can advise me in this matter.”

“By this paper, if you sign it, you hand over practically the whole of your country, its timber, and any minerals there may be in it, to this man. The thing’s an impudent fraud, and I advise you to have nothing to do with it.” He spoke still in Sechuana, so that all the natives standing round understood him well. Puff-adder Brown, too, who was well versed in native dialects, perfectly comprehended his words. Under the changed aspect of affairs, the man had seemed half irresolute.

Puff-adder Brown’s face was ablaze with passion. He saw that his plans were now utterly wrecked, and he glared round upon the assembly as if seeking some object upon which to vent his rage. Probably Lane would have felt his first attack; but, as it happened, Joe Granton, his countenance spread in a broad grin of delight, stood nearest. Upon the instant the enraged man raised his arm, and dealt Joe a heavy back-handed blow in the mouth.

But it so happened that in Joe, Puff-adder Brown had attacked the most doughty opponent just now to be found near the tropic of Capricorn. Cockney though he was, Joe was a well-trained athlete, strong as a horse, and in hard condition.

During his five years’ career in the City he had been a great boxer; for two years he had been middle-weight amateur champion; he had forgotten nothing of his smartness; and now, with that blow tingling in every nerve of his body, and the blood trickling from his nether lip, he turned instantly upon the big trader. Almost before the man knew it he had received Joe’s vicious doubled fist upon his right eye with a drive that sent stars and comets whirling before his vision.

It was to be a fight, and the two men now faced each other and sparred for an opening. “Keep back! keep back!” cried Lane. The astonished Bakalahari people spread out, or rather retreated, into a wide circle, and the battle began. Now, despite that ugly knock over the eye, Puff-adder Brown rather fancied himself in this affair of fists.

He was big and bulky, and three good inches taller than his opponent; he could deal a sledge-hammer stroke now and again, such as had seldom failed to knock out quarrelsome Boer adversaries, and he was very mad. He went for Joe Granton, therefore, with some alacrity, and lashed out heavily with his long arms and enormous fists. But whether in parrying, at long bowls, or at half-arm fighting, Joe was altogether too good for his adversary.

In the second bout, it is true, Joe was badly floored by a slinging round-arm drive; but he was quickly on his legs again, and, after a little sparring for wind, none the worse. Few of the Puff-adder’s infuriated hits, indeed, touched the mark. In seven minutes the big freebooter was a sight to behold. Blood streamed from his nose; his eyes were heavily visited; bumps and cuts showed freely upon his streaming countenance; his wind was going.

“Now, old chap,” whispered Hume Wheler to his friend, during a short pause for breath by the combatants, “you’ve done magnificently. You’ve got him on toast! Go in and win. It’s all up with the Puff-adder!” There was only one more round. Brown was a beaten man, his muscles and wind were gone, and he had been severely punished. He at once closed. In some heavy, half-arm fighting, Joe, still quite fresh, put in some telling work. His fists rattled upon his opponent’s face and about his ribs.

For a mild Bakalahari he was a bit of a fighting man himself—with his native weapons. Under Lane’s directions Puff-adder Brown was carried to his own wagon, and there revived with cold water, washed, and put to rights. After he had, by aid of strong applications of brandy and water somewhat recovered his shattered senses, Lane gave him a little sound advice. He warned him to clear out of the place by next day.

And he finally gave him to understand that any act of treachery or revenge would be carefully watched and instantly repelled by force. His advice was taken to heart. During the night the discomfited filibuster trekked from the place, and took himself off to a part of the distant interior, where, to broken and dangerous scoundrels, a career is still open.

During the next few days the wagon and oxen were got safely to the town, and some progress was made in preliminary negotiations for a concession to Lane and his party.

But he was unskilled in the use of either. His people badly wanted giraffe hides for making sandals and for barter; the animals were plentiful in the open forests a day or two north of the town; they must have a big hunt forthwith. Accordingly, the horses having, meanwhile, under the influence of Kaffir corn, plenty of water, and a good rest, recovered some of their lost condition, a day or two later the hunting party sallied forth.

Keen Masarwa Bushmen, half famished and dying for a gorge of flesh, trotted before the horsemen as spoorers; while well in the rear a cloud of Tapinyani’s people hovered in the like hope of meat and hides. For a whole day the party rode northward into the desert; they found no giraffe, but spoor was plentiful, and they camped by a tiny limestone fountain with high hopes for the morrow. At earliest streak of dawn they were up and preparing for the chase.

Save for an odd camel-thorn tree here and there, it was open for some three miles, until checked again by a dark-green belt of forest. Half a mile away in their front, slouching leisurely across the flat with giant strides, moved a troop of nine tall giraffe—a huge dark-coloured old bull, towering above the rest, four or five big cows, and some two-year-old calves. Well might the hearts of the two younger Englishmen beat faster, and their palates grow dry and parched.

Neither had seen giraffes in the wild state before, and here at last was a towering old bull, whose tail, if it could but be secured, would amply satisfy Kate Manning’s commands. Hume Wheler meant killing that giraffe, more, probably, from a feeling of natural rivalry than anything else. Joe Granton had at heart a much deeper interest in the chase. He was in truth in very serious earnest about Kate Manning; the coveted trophy might mean all the world for him.

Up and down their long necks flailed the air, in strange machine-like unison with their gait; quickly they were in full flight, going great guns for the shelter of the forest ahead of them. Now the three Englishmen rammed in spurs, set their teeth, and raced their nags at their hardest. To kill “camel” there is only one method. You must run up to them (if you can) at top speed in the first two or three miles of chase, else they will outstay you and escape.

chimed in Tom Lane, wiping his brow; “whether you fluked him or not, it was a wonderful shot. You’ve got Kate Manning’s tail right enough.” Now Joe, it must be frankly admitted, was not a good shot; either of his friends could give him points in the ordinary way. Here was an extraordinary stroke of luck! Speechless with delight, flushed of face, and streaming with sweat, his eyes still fixed upon the piece of grass where the bull had gone down, he mounted his horse and galloped up.

Whether roused to life again by the sharp severing of its tail, or by a last desperate stirring of nature, the giraffe—not yet dead after all—rose suddenly from its prone position, and, with Joe clinging in utter bewilderment to its long neck, staggered to its stilt-like legs. For another instant the great creature beat the air in its real death-agony, staggered, staggered again, and then, with a crash that shook the earth, fell truly dead.

Whether it was, in truth, the coveted giraffe’s tail that settled the business; whether it was the dangerous accident Joe had suffered in her behalf; or whether Kate Manning had not for some time before had a tender corner in her heart for Joe Granton, is scarcely of consequence. Certain it is that, not long after the presentation of the precious trophy, a question that Joe put to Kate was answered in a way that made him extravagantly happy.

The great black switch tail of the bull giraffe hangs on the dining-room wall, plain evidence of the curious romance in which it had been involved. Hume Wheler, who, with Tom Lane, occasionally drops in upon them during his periodical trips from the interior, often chaffs his old friends upon that celebrated trophy. “Ah! Mrs Joe,” he says, on one of these occasions, as he takes one of her two youngsters on his knee and looks up at the tail. “Your husband captured you by a magnificent accident.

/ˈtærɪf/ 關稅 * 解釋：A tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports. (對特定種類的進出口商品徵收的稅或費用。) * 例句：The government imposed tariffs on imported steel. (政府對進口鋼鐵徵收關稅。) * **Chaos** (n.) /ˈkeɪɒs/ 混亂 * 解釋：Complete disorder and confusion. (完全的混亂和迷茫。) * 例句：The heavy snow caused chaos on the roads. (大雪導致道路交通一片混亂。) * **Downplay** (v.) /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/ 淡化 * 解釋：To make something appear less important than it really is. (使某事看起來比實際上不重要。)

/rɪˈtælieɪt/ 報復 * 解釋：To make an attack in return for a similar attack. (為了報復而發動攻擊。) * 例句：If they attack us, we will retaliate immediately. (如果他們攻擊我們，我們將立即報復。) * **Unleash** (v.) /ʌnˈliːʃ/ 釋放 * 解釋：To suddenly release a violent force that cannot be controlled. (突然釋放一種無法控制的暴力力量。) * 例句：The storm unleashed its fury on the coastal town. (暴風雨將其怒火釋放在沿海城鎮。) * **Leverage** (n.)

/ˈliːvərɪdʒ/ 槓桿作用；手段 * 解釋：The power to influence a person or situation to achieve a particular outcome. (影響他人或情況以實現特定結果的力量。) * 例句：The company used its market dominance as leverage to negotiate better deals. (公司利用其市場主導地位作為槓桿來談判更好的交易。) * **Defiant** (adj.) /dɪˈfaɪənt/ 挑釁的；違抗的 * 解釋：Showing resistance or unwillingness to obey. (表現出抵抗或不願意服從。) * 例句：The protesters remained defiant despite the police warnings. (儘管警察發出警告，抗議者仍然表現出挑釁的態度。) * **Meltdown** (n.)

/ˈmeltdaʊn/ 崩潰 * 解釋：A situation in which something fails or becomes very bad. (某事失敗或變得非常糟糕的情況。) * 例句：The stock market experienced a meltdown after the announcement. (宣佈之後，股市經歷了一次崩潰。) * **Reciprocal** (adj.) /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/ 互惠的 * 解釋：Given, felt, or done in return. (作為回報給予、感覺或做出的。) * 例句：The two countries signed a reciprocal trade agreement. (兩國簽署了一項互惠貿易協定。) **文法分析：** * **"open to talking"**: 願意談判，這裡 "open to" 表示願意接受某事。 * 例句：He is open to suggestions. (他願意接受建議。)

* 例句：She put a brave face on despite her disappointment. (儘管她很失望，她還是強作鎮定。) * **"downplaying stock losses"**: 淡化股市下跌造成的損失，"downplaying" 是現在分詞作形容詞，表示淡化。 * 例句：The government is downplaying the severity of the economic crisis. (政府正在淡化經濟危機的嚴重性。) **背景知識：** 這則新聞報導反映了當前國際貿易關係的緊張局勢。關稅作為一種貿易工具，常常被用來保護本國產業或迫使他國讓步。然而，關稅也可能引發貿易戰，導致全球經濟不穩定。 **克萊兒小提醒：** 學習英語新聞不僅可以擴充詞彙量，還可以了解國際時事，提升你的英語閱讀和理解能力。持續學習，你會發現英語越來越有趣！加油！

農場主艾倫（Farmer Allan）要求他的兒子威廉（William）娶侄女朵拉（Dora），他的話語擲地有聲，充滿了不容置喙的父權威嚴：「**But in my time a father's word was law, / And so it shall be now for me. Look to it;**」（但在我那個時代，父親的話就是法律，對我來說現在也是如此。你記著！）這句台詞，像一顆沉重的石頭，瞬間壓垮了家庭的和諧。威廉的反叛，儘管帶有年輕人的衝動與半是賭氣的成分（「**And half in love, half spite, he woo'd and wed / A laborer's daughter, Mary Morrison.**」——半是為了愛，半是為了賭氣，他去追求並娶了一位勞工的女兒，瑪麗·莫里森），卻也展現了他對自主選擇的堅持。在您看來，這場衝突的悲劇性根源在哪裡？是艾倫的固執，還是威廉的衝動，抑或是當時社會對父權的普遍認知？ **阿爾弗雷德·坦尼森：** 您觀察得非常敏銳。這場衝突的悲劇性，並非單一原因造成，而是多重因素交織的結果。

這從順從到主動的轉變，是出於愧疚（「**I have sinn'd, for it was all thro' me / This evil came on William at the first.**」——我犯了罪，因為這一切的災禍起初都是因我而起），還是源於更深層次的愛與責任？她的這種「溫順中的力量」，您是如何塑造的？ **阿爾弗雷德·坦尼森：** 朵拉是這首詩中，我寄予了許多複雜情感的角色。她的「溫順」並非懦弱，而更像是一種深沉的、具有承受力的特質。她「渴望著威廉」，這份未被回應的情感，本身就是一種內心的傷痛。當威廉拒絕並離開後，她雖然遵守了艾倫不與威廉夫婦來往的禁令（「**My will is law,' / And Dora promised, being meek.**」——我的意志就是法律，而朵拉溫順地答應了），但她的心並沒有因此變得冷硬。

她偷偷地拿出自己微薄的積蓄去幫助威廉一家（「**But Dora stored what little she could save, / And sent it them by stealth...**」——但朵拉省下所有她能省的，偷偷送給他們...），這份隱秘的善意，是她內在光芒的展現，也是她對過往情感的一種默默的延續與昇華。 威廉的去世，是她行動的催化劑。她感到的「罪過」，並非她真的做錯了什麼，而是源於一種深切的同理心——她覺得如果自己當初能如何如何，或許就不會導致後來的悲劇。這份「罪過感」與她對威廉殘留的愛、對瑪麗這個「他選擇的女人」、以及對這個無辜孩子的責任感交織在一起。她帶著孩子去找艾倫，這一步跨越了叔叔設置的嚴酷界線，是巨大的勇氣。她的力量，恰恰來自於那份看似柔弱、實則堅韌的愛與憐憫。她沒有爭辯，沒有指責，只是將那個活生生的生命——那個艾倫的孫子，那個威廉的延續——呈現在艾倫面前。這是一種以「存在」本身來融化堅冰的策略，是溫柔而又無比強大的行動。朵拉的「溫順」，是她外在的表象，而她的「力量」，源於她內心深處那份未曾枯竭的愛與承擔。

當朵拉將孩子帶到麥田裡，試圖讓艾倫看見時（「**let me take the boy, / And I will set him in my uncle's eye / Among the wheat; that when his heart is glad / Of the full harvest, he may see the boy, / And bless him for the sake of him that's gone.**」——讓我帶著孩子，我會把他放在叔叔能看見的地方，在麥田裡；當他因豐收而心生歡喜時，他可能會看到這個孩子，並為那逝去的人而祝福他），這畫面充滿了象徵意義。豐收的麥田代表著生命的延續與富足，而孩子正是家族血脈的延續。這個孩子，這個「威廉的延續」，是如何成為療癒父子之間巨大裂痕的「光」？ **阿爾弗雷德·坦尼森：** 孩子，在許多古老的故事和現實生活中，都扮演著承載希望與連結過去的角色。在《Dora》中，這個孩子，他是威廉生命的證明，也是艾倫家族血脈的唯一延續。當艾倫因為威廉的選擇而關閉心扉時，他其實是拒絕了未來。而這個孩子，就是未來本身。

然而，詩的最後兩句卻是「**and, as years / Went forward, Mary took another mate; / But Dora lived unmarried till her death.**」（並且，隨著歲月流逝，瑪麗再婚了；但朵拉終身未嫁，直到她去世。）這兩行詩，為故事增添了一絲複雜和淡淡的哀愁。為何要以朵拉的終身未嫁來結束這個故事？這對您而言意味著什麼？ **阿爾弗雷德·坦尼森：** 您感受到的那份複雜與哀愁，正是我想在這故事最後留下的一抹餘韻。確實，艾倫的悔悟、家庭的重聚，從表面上看是個和解，一個看似「圓滿」的句點。但現實的人生，往往不是簡單的黑白分明，也不是所有傷痛都能被完全抹去。 朵拉的終身未嫁，有幾層意義。首先，她對威廉的深情，雖然未曾開花結果，卻是她內心真摯情感的一部分。即使威廉娶了瑪麗，甚至離開了人世，那份情感的印記或許仍在。其次，她為了這個家庭，為了促成這份和解，付出了巨大的努力與犧牲。她被逐出家門，承受了孤獨與艱辛。

(ɪnˈkʌmbənt) * Example: The incumbent president is running for reelection. * **Diplomat** (外交官): An official representing a country abroad. (ˈdɪpləmæt) * Example: She is a diplomat working at the embassy. * **Tenure** (任期): The period during which someone holds a position. (ˈtɛnjʊr) * Example: During his tenure as mayor, the city's economy improved. * **Legislature** (立法機關): A body of people that makes laws.

(ˈlɛdʒɪˌsleɪtʃər) * Example: The state legislature passed a new education bill. * **Bipartisan** (跨黨派的): Involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties. (ˌbaɪˈpɑrtɪzən) * Example: The bill received bipartisan support in Congress. * **Sanction** (制裁): A penalty imposed on a country for violating international law. (ˈsæŋkʃən) * Example: The U.S. imposed economic sanctions on the country. * **Unanimously** (無異議地): In a way that shows complete agreement.

(juˈnænɪməsli) * Example: The committee unanimously approved the proposal. * **Nominate** (提名): To propose someone for an office or position. (ˈnɑməˌneɪt) * Example: The president nominated her for the Supreme Court. * **Ascend** (上升): To move upward; to rise. (əˈsɛnd) * Example: The balloon began to ascend into the sky. * **Embellish** (潤飾): To make something more attractive by adding decorative details or exaggerations.

(ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ) * Example: She liked to embellish her stories with dramatic details. (๑´ㅂ`๑) 這篇文章幫助你更了解魯比奧的政治生涯。希望你喜歡這次的英語學習體驗！期待下次再見！ [水彩和手繪風格][以美國國務卿馬可·魯比奧在國務院辦公室簽署文件的場景為主題，畫面中充滿了手繪的筆觸和暈染的效果，營造出溫暖、柔和、且充滿希望的氛圍。] 這幅畫展現了在現代美國的政治氛圍。魯比奧身穿精緻的西裝，周圍環繞著現代辦公設備，突顯了他在當代政府中的重要地位。背景中隱約可見的美國國旗，則強化了這幅畫作的政治意涵和愛國情懷。

這場對談將以 Project Gutenberg 所收錄的一首迷人短詩《Santa Claus, Kriss Kringle, or St. Nicholas》為引，深入探討這位歡樂使者的多重身份、名字所承載的意義，以及一段充滿幽默與真摯情感的婚姻寫照。 這本名為《Santa Claus, Kriss Kringle, or St. Nicholas》的著作，雖然只有短短數頁，卻像一顆精巧的聖誕樹裝飾，掛滿了溫馨而引人深思的意象。它於 1897 年由 E. J. White & Co. 出版，作者不詳，這反而賦予了它一種超脫於個人，更接近集體意識的魅力。它不是宏大的史詩，也不是複雜的小說，而是一首以聖誕老人第一人稱敘述的詩歌，巧妙地揭示了他不同名字背後，與妻子之間充滿趣味的日常互動，以及他對於「哪個名字最令我喜歡」的深層思考。在那個時代，聖誕老人的形象正逐步演變並固定下來，這首詩以其輕快活潑的筆調，為大眾心中的這位聖人增添了幾分人性的溫度與家庭的溫馨。

他手中捧著一本書，封面正是我們今天要探討的《Santa Claus, Kriss Kringle, or St. Nicholas》。在他身旁，一位綁著紅色緞帶的棕髮小女孩，好奇地歪著頭，睜大眼睛看著他。 「午安，聖誕老人先生，以及這位可愛的小女孩。」我輕聲問候，生怕打破這份寧靜中的魔法。空氣中瀰漫著一股淡淡的肉桂與烤餅乾的香氣，那股氣味彷彿能將人帶回無憂無慮的孩提時光。 聖誕老人從書本中抬起頭，那雙閃爍著智慧與慈愛的藍眼睛望向我，笑容堆滿了臉龐：「啊，克萊兒，我的好朋友！妳來得正好，我和這個小讀者正在討論我的『名字』問題呢！」 小女孩輕輕拉了拉聖誕老人的衣角，仰著小臉，清澈的目光也望向我：「克萊兒姐姐，聖誕老人他有好多名字喔！我剛剛問他最喜歡哪個，他卻說要先告訴我他太太怎麼叫他呢！」 聖誕老人輕輕地撫摸著小女孩的頭髮，低聲笑著：「是的，孩子。因為一個人的名字，常常藏著許多不為人知的故事，尤其是在最親近的人口中。這首詩啊，它說的其實不是關於我的名字，而是關於愛。」

聖誕老人先生，這首詩開篇就點出了您那三個廣為人知的名字：Santa Claus, Kriss Kringle, or St. Nicholas。小女孩的問題問得很好，您會選擇哪個名字呢？而您的妻子，又是如何稱呼您的呢？」 聖誕老人放下手中的書，輕輕地清了清嗓子，眼神中帶著一絲幽默與溫柔：「O-ho! my pretty little maid, I’ll answer true, O-ho!」他學著詩中的語氣說道，然後看著我：「我的妻子，她常常會稱我為 'hub'，有時候，她甚至會叫我 'bub'。這對你們來說可能很奇怪吧？」 小女孩眨了眨眼，疑惑地問：「Hub? Bub? 是什麼意思呀？」 **對談與詞彙解析** 我微笑道：「這兩個詞，在日常英語中，特別是以前，其實是有些親暱的俗稱。'Hub' 在這裡可能指 'husband' 的簡稱，或是一種口語化的愛稱，有點像『親愛的』或是『老公』，但更帶有家中頂樑柱的意味。而 'bub' 則是一種更為隨意的稱呼，有時用來指小男孩，這裡用在丈夫身上，可能帶點寵溺或打趣的意味，暗示他太太在家裡把他當成『小傢伙』或『大男孩』。」

我拿起手中的書，翻到那一頁，輕聲唸道：「No doubt you think me six feet, four, / And that I weigh a ton or more, / But when at home I’m rather small, / Not near so large nor half so tall / As when I visit girls and boys / And load them down with pretty toys.”」 我轉向聖誕老人：「這種公眾形象與私人形象的反差，在許多偉大人物身上都存在。對您而言，這是不是一種放鬆，或是某種身份的平衡呢？」 聖誕老人輕輕地搖了搖頭，壁爐的火光映在他的銀白鬍鬚上，閃爍著溫暖的光芒。「不，親愛的克萊兒，這不僅僅是放鬆，這是一種真實。在外面，我是孩子們夢想的化身，是歡樂的載體，我必須顯得高大、無所不能，因為那樣才能承載他們的期待和希望。我的形體，是他們對慷慨與奇蹟的想像。但回到家，在唯一能真正看見我『本來面貌』的人面前，我就是我。那不是小，那是褪去所有光環後的純粹。」

* 例句: The famous actor maintained a cheerful public persona, but in his private life, he was quite reserved. (那位著名演員在公眾面前保持著開朗的形象，但在私生活中，他卻相當內斂。) 「原來是這樣啊！」小女孩若有所思地說。 我繼續翻頁：「詩中提到，您太太有時會叫您『darling, dear』，那時候您就『nothing harsh to fear』。」 聖誕老人臉上露出了一絲甜蜜的微笑：「沒錯，當她這麼叫我時，我知道一切都好。那是真正的愛意與溫柔的表達，任何不愉快的氣氛都會煙消雲散。」 * **Darling** (發音: /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/): (名詞/形容詞) 親愛的，可愛的。常用於伴侶或親近的人之間。 * 例句: "Good morning, darling," he whispered as she woke up. (他輕聲說：「早安，親愛的。」當她醒來時。)

* 例句: My dear friend, thank you for always being there for me. (我親愛的朋友，謝謝你總是在我身邊。) * **Harsh** (發音: /hɑːrʃ/): (形容詞) 嚴厲的，刺耳的，粗糙的。 * 例句: The judge delivered a harsh sentence. (法官判處了嚴厲的刑罰。) * 例句: Her voice had a harsh, grating quality. (她的聲音帶著一種刺耳、粗糙的特質。) * **Nothing harsh to fear:** 意味著沒有什麼嚴厲的、令人不快或感到威脅的事物需要害怕。 「但是，」小女孩突然指著書頁，「後面又說：『Again her words come thicker, faster, / They burn me like a mustard plaster.』芥末膏？那是什麼呀？」 聖誕老人輕輕地嘆了口氣，眉毛微微上揚，眼中卻仍帶著笑意：「這就是太太們的『魔法』了。

* 例句: Her harsh voice rasped on his nerves. (她刺耳的聲音讓他神經緊張。) * **Chill my vitals** (發音: /tʃɪl maɪ ˈvaɪtlz/): 讓我的『生命器官』感到寒冷，指讓人感到內心深處的不適或恐懼。'Vitals' 是指身體重要的器官，如心臟、肺等，引申為生命的根本。 * 例句: The sudden news chilled him to the vitals. (這個突如其來的消息讓他感到心寒。) * **Titles:** (名詞) 這裡指稱呼、綽號。 「對我來說，那些『稱呼』，確實會讓我感到內心深處有些不舒服，甚至有些寒意。但即便如此，我也知道她並不是在責怪我，她的愛始終如一。這就是婚姻的藝術啊，在各種『名字』的轉換中，愛依然存在。」 我點頭：「這也正是這首詩的精妙之處。它用簡單的語言，描繪了一段複雜而真實的夫妻關係，既有甜蜜，也有摩擦，但核心卻是堅不可摧的愛。這比那些只講完美愛情的童話故事，是不是更觸動人心呢？」

* 例句: Her fingers tingled with cold. (她的手指因寒冷而刺痛。) * **Sir Kriss Kringle:** Kriss Kringle 是聖誕老人的另一個名字，源自德語 Christkindl，意為「基督兒童」。加上「Sir」可能帶有諷刺或莊重的意味，暗示了妻子在此時的正式或微晣的「不滿」態度。 聖誕老人搖了搖頭，但臉上仍掛著微笑：「她叫我『Sir Kriss Kringle』的時候，往往是她覺得我有點『不解風情』或者太過投入『聖誕老人的工作』，忘記了生活中的小樂趣。那不是她真的生氣，更像是一種調侃。」 「而到了星期天，當我們懷著虔誠的心情去教堂，學習為人處世之道時，當我們莊重地走過通道時，她會輕聲低語地叫我『St. Nicholas』。」聖誕老人繼續說道。 * **Pious** (發音: /ˈpaɪəs/): (形容詞) 虔誠的，篤信宗教的。 * 例句: She is a very pious woman who attends church every Sunday.

是 archaic 的 spelling for mien. * 例句: He walked with a noble mein. (他走路時姿態高貴。) * **Sober** (發音: /ˈsoʊbər/): (形容詞) 清醒的，嚴肅的，莊重的。 * 例句: The news put him in a sober mood. (這消息讓他心情沉重。) * **St. Nicholas:** 聖尼古拉斯是聖誕老人的歷史原型，是一位對窮人慷慨解囊的主教。這個名字在宗教場合使用，暗示了對其神聖、慈善身份的尊重。 「聖尼古拉斯這個名字，讓我想起他作為聖徒的形象，代表著慈善和奉獻。」我補充道，「在教堂的莊重氛圍中，這個名字自然會浮現。這也是一種角色轉換，從大眾眼中的歡樂使者，轉變為神聖的施予者。」 聖誕老人輕輕地撫摸著他的鬍鬚：「沒錯，克萊兒。在教堂裡，我們都是凡人，都在尋求指引和慰藉。那時，她稱我為『St. Nicholas』，是對我本源的提醒，也是對我們共同信仰的尊重。」 小女孩好奇地問：「那她什麼時候會叫你『Santa Claus』呢？」

他語氣中充滿了溫暖與喜悅：「『But when the holidays draw near / And we are busy with good cheer, / And I am loading up my sleigh / With presents for your Christmas Day, / My wife with nimble fingers aiding, / And gentleness her acts pervading, / I’m jolly then, and just because / She calls me ‘dear old Santa Claus.’』」 * **Draw near:** (動詞片語) 靠近，接近。 * 例句: The holidays are drawing near. (假期將近。) * **Good cheer:** (名詞) 好心情，歡樂的氣氛。 * 例句: The party was full of good cheer. (派對充滿了歡樂氣氛。)

* 例句: Her nimble fingers quickly tied the knot. (她靈巧的手指快速地打了個結。) * **Pervade** (發音: /pərˈveɪd/): (動詞) 瀰漫，遍布，充滿。 * 例句: A sense of calm pervaded the room. (一種平靜的感覺瀰漫了整個房間。) * **Jolly** (發音: /ˈdʒɒli/): (形容詞) 快樂的，愉快的，興高采烈的。 * 例句: He was a jolly old man with a twinkle in his eye. (他是一位眼中閃爍著光芒的快樂老人。) 「看來這就是答案了！」小女孩雀躍地說道。 「的確，當假期臨近，當我們被節日的歡樂氛圍包圍時，當我正忙著為孩子們準備聖誕禮物，而我的妻子用她靈巧的雙手幫助我，她的每一個動作都充滿了溫柔和體貼時，那時候，我最快樂、最自在。」聖誕老人臉上的笑容像冬日暖陽一樣溫暖，「因為她稱呼我為『親愛的聖誕老人』，這就是我最喜歡的名字。」

Before the coming of night's sable wing I will create at least one lovely thing in gratitude for life and for life's sake. O heart of mine, what shall we try to make？* *These hands, you say, are dull at fashioning. Then find them service, there is much to do; some task that destiny has planned for you. O heart of mine, the morning's praises sing.

\\"This brain, \\"you say, \\"cannot create a song, nor can it weave imagination's tale.\\" Yet in your spoken vow, you need not fail—one lovely thing—the righting of some wrong. O heart of mine, I pray you keep me strong. \\"These hands, \\"you say, \\"have not the power to make; nor has this brain the great creative gift.\\" But two soft lips you have through which may drift a stream of beauty, thirsty souls to slake. O heart of mine, rejoice!

Wayside Pulpits for His Voice! Oh, the comfort that they bring. Soul of Man, awake, rejoice! Blossom forth—for it is Spring.* 這首詩歌讚美了大自然的美麗和生機，也提醒我們，要珍惜大自然、保護環境。在這個充滿生機的島嶼上生活，我更能體會到大自然的重要性。我們應該尊重自然規律，與大自然和諧相處，為子孫後代留下一個美好的家園。 《Where Sunlight Falls》這本詩集，不僅是一部文學作品，更是一部關於生活、關於人性的思考錄。它提醒我們，要放慢腳步，用心去感受生活中的美好，去尋找內心的寧靜。它也鼓勵我們，要關心社會、關注弱勢群體，為建設一個更加公正、和諧的世界貢獻自己的力量。 在這陽光灑落的失落之嶼上，我將繼續探索、繼續學習，用我的筆記錄下這片土地的美麗與神奇，也用我的心去感受生活中的詩意與真諦。
古典博物畫風格：以精細的線條和真實的色彩，描繪一位博物學家在熱帶雨林中觀察植物的場景。強調科學的準確性和藝術的美感。

* **關鍵詞：** Induce Sleep, patient, feel at home, disabuse fear, doubt, anxiety, scepticism, third party, parents, relatives, guardians, medical adviser, sensitive, passive, receptive, action and speech, know fully what you are about, no timidity, hesitancy, half-heartedness, instinctive feeling, trust, do me good, processes already recorded, comfortably placed or seated, sit or stand, pay no attention, resign himself, close his eyes, look to yours, strange feelings, sinking sensation, darkness of

Gradually remove your hands, place them on his head, covering his forehead, temple, hollow of your hand, fingers resting on head, thumbs converging toward “Individuality”, Slight pressure, temporal arteries, charge the brain, passes, downward, over the head and face, forehead, tophead, sidehead, backhead, direct intent, ease and comfort, pointing the tips of your fingers, eyes and temples, neither vulgar staring, nor thumb pressure, continue making these movements, eyelids tremble, become heavy, or

fingers extended, slowly from his head to his fingers, inside and outside the arms, from the forehead down in front of the body, to the pit of stomach, toward the knees, termination of each pass, raise the hands, practicing the passes, commence again, Continue these passes, apparently fallen asleep, succeed at first, subsequent sittings, no previous failure, putting a person asleep, power will be enhanced, future percentages will increase, satisfactory evidence of sleep, try no experiments, first two or

three sittings, sleep on for some time, quietly wake him up, Don’t do it suddenly, spoil for ever, good subject, Stand behind or before, make slowly and then briskly upward passes, palms of the hands up, front of the face, blow steadily on the forehead, awake much surprised and benefitted, little more experience, arrange with your patient when he will awake, of his own accord, sensitive will always awake at the time arranged, arrangement or experiment, capable of considerable extension or modification

* **關鍵詞：** Curative Mesmerism, powers of the early Christians, gifts of healing, intensified, simplicity, purity, living, reality of their faith, doubted not, where they doubted, no miracles, no heart to relieve disease, sympathy, no will, without the power to do good, doubting his power, unable to use it, suffering is removed, powerful healers, strong, healthy vital organizations, large-hearted, kindly-disposed persons, weak, tender, delicate, heart and head work together, accomplish much, tired

mother, nursing, not lose her charm to sooth, Gentle and tender, ever more thoughtful of others than herself, diligent hands, peace and blessing, delicate and sensitive females, sympathetic, patient natures, successful, treatment of disease, considerable loss to themselves, undertake to treat disease of a severe character, abundance of health, vitality, determination, patience, sympathy requisite, good healers, Ladies make excellent healers, best nurses, gift can be readily cultivated, practice,

* **關鍵詞：** Curative Processes, mesmeric processes, cure of disease, sleep, application of remedies, suggested by the sensitive in sleep, clairvoyant, another patient, medicines may be ordered, baths prescribed, rules of diet pointed out, certain processes of treatment ordered, bona fides, sensitive’s powers of diagnosis, general lucidity, faithfully carry them out, purely local or general, intention to alleviate and cure disease, without producing sleep, not being necessary, how to bring it about

, Nothing is worth doing that is not worth doing well, cure disease, set about it, whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might, put your soul into it, Avoid all experiments, direct your attention, energies, powers, most needed work, cure of your patient, Remember, Mesmerism is not a cure-all, diseases of such a character, arising from hereditary taint, constitutional defects, organic causes, never be cured, mesmerist, not say so, Give help, when and where you can, according to your

sleep and strength, large measure, not to be despised, impart a cheerful and hopeful spirit, patient, chronic and acute diseases, periodicity in attack, sleep is recommended, break that periodicity, lengthen the intervals, mental, psychological, highly nervous troubles, sleep is advised, necessary, mesmerize by the long pass from head to feet, patient being in bed, lying upon the sofa, materially facilitate your operations, Soon begin to see the effects, attendance, improvement, patient “looks for

you”, impatient for your visit, wearies for the next, not a bad sign, indicates your influence and presence, refreshing, restorative in character, Good doctors and nurses, same characteristics, presence or influence is in any way disagreeable, third or fourth visit, satisfied of this, give up the treatment, cannot do good, although another may, do not give up a case, favorable results are tardy, appearance, influence is not disagreeable, duty to persevere, hope for the best, cannot do harm, may

do great good, nervousness and great debility, operate from the head, back head, downward, long passes at first, then short passes locally, action of the heart is weak, palpitation is characteristic, breathe in upon it, termination of each treatment, surprised at the warmth, generous feeling transferred, throughout your patient’s organism, subdue the most violent coughing fit, steady and gently breathing upon the spine, just between the shoulder blades, child or adult, clothing, under or upper, not

part, near as the clothing will admit, strong, steady stream of breath thrown in, moment the mouth is removed, open hand should be placed over the place, while filling the lungs, repeat the operation, done several times, rheumatic and neuralgic derangements, ailments of that class, cuttings, bruises, burns, treatment is often purely local, passes following the course of the nerves of sensation, mesmeric treatment, remember there is no need to remove the clothing, under any circumstances, unless it

is composed of silk, other non-conducting material, economical reasons, old clothing is better than new, Toothache, common affliction, many opportunities, immediately relieving it, not effectually and ultimately curing it, very good and practical method, lay your hand upon the affected side of the face, hold it there for a few minutes, prepares the face, next movement, place a piece of flannel over the ear, same side of the head, toothache, keep your hand still on the face, over the flannel, with

the other hand over the head, holding the upper portion of the flannel, four-fold ordinary pocket handkerchief, over the ear, breathe strongly and steadily into the ear, through the covering, made, two or three times, strongly willing the removal of the pain, warm, soothing influence will reach the offending tooth, peace will ensue, last breath, remove the handkerchief quickly, pain will be gone, little success, enable you to try your hand, more serious business, Violent headaches, even arising

such diseases, pain is a marked characteristic, Mesmerism “works like a charm”, patient is always pleased, relieved of pain, pain subsides, mental and physical conditions, more favorably receptive, treating a rheumatic patient, pain is moved, shoulder to the middle of the arm above the elbow, continue your treatment, instead of drawing passes to the fingers, endeavor to draw the pain down to, and out of, the elbow joints, able to move the pain, if only an inch, original position, have control over it

, able, in due course, to remove it altogether

becomes quiet, first attempts, difficult to fix the bird’s gaze, fascination of the human eye, tiny subject, not try to take its gaze off the hypnotizer, reached this stage, begin very slowly, loosen the grasp, pressure grows lighter, bird becomes more under the influence, charm exerted by the firm gaze, beating of its heart, felt in the fingers, more rapid, legs contract slightly, lids draw over the edges of the eyes, almost no pressure, not sleep deeply, a few minutes, sometimes two, sometimes five or

ten, eyelids will have entirely closed, Still hold the bird carefully, two or three minutes, handled freely but gently, Held by the foot, head downward, body is entirely limp, like a bird just shot, tossed about without awaking, not dropped or hurt

Okay, here's the "Light Extraction"for *The Works of Thomas Middleton, Volume 2*, focusing on the provided Project Gutenberg text: **Author Introduction:** (3000 words - *Note: this cannot be fulfilled due to limited text data, focusing on Middleton himself.*) Thomas Middleton (1580-1627) was a significant English Jacobean dramatist, known for his city comedies, tragedies, and collaborations with other playwrights.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Middleton came from a more humble background, but he established himself as a prolific and versatile writer for the London stage. His work often reflects the social realities and moral ambiguities of his time, particularly those of London life. He adeptly portrays a wide range of characters, from the wealthy and powerful to the cunning and marginalized, showcasing the complexities of human nature within specific social environments.

Middleton had a keen eye for detail, which gave his characters a grounded sense of authenticity. He combined keen wit with social critique, offering insightful observations on human behavior and societal norms. Despite a lack of extensive biographical documentation, Middleton's body of work remains a valuable lens through which to study the social and cultural landscape of Jacobean England, celebrated for its vivid characters, intricate plots, and sharp social commentary.

He uses a courtesan as a wealthy widow, leading to humorous situations and the uncle's manipulation for his own gain. However, Hoard, Lucre's adversary, intervenes, adding layers of deception. * ***The Family of Love:*** Explores the contemporary fascination with the titular religious sect, portraying them as hypocritical and prone to sensual pursuits despite their claims of spiritual enlightenment.

Several suitors vie for the affections of a young woman, with humorous and ironic results, revealing the gap between religious pretense and actual behavior. * ***Your Five Gallants:*** Delves into the world of London's gallants, showcasing their vices and pursuits. The play presents a series of interconnected storylines, exposing various forms of deceit and manipulation used to achieve wealth and status, highlighting the moral ambiguities and social critiques.

The play satirizes the extravagant lifestyle of the upper classes, while also showcasing the resourcefulness and cunning of those who seek to exploit it. * ***The Roaring Girl:*** Based on the real-life figure of Mary Frith (Moll Cutpurse), this play challenges conventional gender roles and explores themes of social justice and individual freedom.

詩中您寫到『What is Africa to me: Copper sun or scarlet sea...』以及『One three centuries removed / From the scenes his fathers loved...』。詩中流露出對非洲遙遠遺產的困惑與渴望，以及它在您血液中、潛意識中激起的迴響。這種對祖源文化的追尋與您在美國的生活經驗之間，存在著一種張力嗎？這種『顏色』是否讓這種張力更加凸顯？」 **康堤：** （康堤的身體向前傾了傾，臉上的溫和少了一些，多了一絲沉重。）「當然存在張力。我們與非洲，隔著三個世紀的血淚與海洋。對於那片土地，我們有著與生俱來的連結，有著血液深處的鼓聲和雨林的低語。但我們在這裡出生、成長，沐浴著這裡的光，也承受著這裡的陰影。我們既非全然的非洲人，也非被完全接納的美國人。我們是這兩者之間的『混色』，既為自己的膚色和祖源的強韌感到驕傲，又因它在現實生活中帶來的阻礙與痛苦而困頓。」 「那首《Heritage》正是我內心這種掙扎的寫照。

最終，一段新的『野性音樂』喚醒了您，讓您意識到『How being dark, and living through the pain / Of it, is courage more than angels have』（身為黑人，並經歷那份痛苦，所需要的勇氣比天使更大）。這種轉變是如何發生的？是那份原始的『遺產』力量戰勝了絕望嗎？」 **康堤：** （康堤睜開眼，眼神中多了一絲堅定。）「也許是吧。那份體驗，無論是真實的異象還是心靈的掙扎，讓我從個人的痛苦中被拉出來，看到更廣闊的生命畫面。我看到了萬物的掙扎與求生，從最小的昆蟲到試圖攀登梯子的人類，沒有什麼生命是輕易存在的。『And no thing died that did not give / A testimony that it longed to live.』（沒有什麼死去而不證明它渴望活著。）這句話深深地印刻在我心裡。」 「然後那段音樂……是的，那段融合了『原始而微妙的叢林之音』與『鞭打的哭喊、被束縛的自由的斷續呼吸』的音樂，喚醒了我血液裡沉睡的東西。它不再是需要被壓制的『野性』，而是一種深沉的、集體的經驗。

「意識到『being dark, and living through the pain / Of it, is courage more than angels have』，這是一種新的覺醒。它不是去模仿或融入另一個族群的價值觀，而是從自身的經驗中找到力量和價值。它讓我的靈魂『回家』了，不再漂泊於『懷疑之海』。所以我最終說，『Lord, I will live persuaded by mine own. / I cannot play the recreant to these; / My spirit has come home...』。我選擇活著，不是被別人的標準說服，而是被我自己的族群的經驗所說服。我不能背叛這份『家』的感覺。」 **玥影：** 「這種從個人絕望到與族群命運連結，並從中找到生存下去的勇氣的歷程，令人動容。詩歌似乎是您表達這種複雜內心世界的最佳媒介。在『Epitaphs』（墓誌銘）這一系列詩中，您為不同的人寫下簡潔的墓志銘，從詩人、祖母、憤世嫉俗者到瑪大拉的子孫、浪蕩子，甚至是約翰·濟慈（John Keats）和您自己。

你看，即使是『For Myself』（為我自己）那首，我也寫道『Folly and Pride and Love lie here / Buried alive with me』（愚蠢、驕傲和愛，與我一同活埋於此）。我們都是複雜的結合體。」 **玥影：** 「提到約翰·濟慈，在另一首詩《To John Keats, Poet. At Spring Time》（致詩人約翰·濟慈。在春天）中，您直接與這位浪漫主義詩人對話，認為他的詩歌精神並沒有死亡，而是融入了自然，在春天重現。這似乎表明您在藝術追求上，與西方傳統文學有著深刻的連結。您如何看待這種連結，以及它與您的『顏色』身份之間的關係？」 **康堤：** 「約翰·濟慈是我的偶像，他的詩歌對我影響至深。我深愛他的美學追求，他對自然的感知，以及他對詩歌純粹性的信仰。我認為美和真理是跨越種族和時代的，是人類共同的精神財富。我作為一個黑人詩人，同樣有權利、也有能力去欣賞和運用這些傳統。

就像我在詩中寫的，『Spring never was so fair and dear / As Beauty makes her seem this year.』，美讓這個世界變得更好。」 「有些人認為黑人詩人應該只寫關於黑人的經歷，只使用特定的形式或語言。但我相信詩歌有更廣闊的維度。我可以用十四行詩的形式來寫哈林的街景，我可以用浪漫主義的筆觸去描繪我同胞的苦難與尊嚴。我的『顏色』提供了我獨特的視角和素材，但詩歌本身的形式和語言，是屬於全人類的遺產。我與濟慈的對話，正是這種信念的體現——即使肉體化為塵土，詩歌的靈魂依然可以在新的生命形式中歌唱，無論是白人的春天，還是黑人的心靈。」 **玥影：** 「這是一種非常包容且具有遠見的觀點。這本《Color》中，既有深刻的種族主題，也有普世的愛與失去、信仰與質疑。例如『For Love’s Sake』（為了愛）部分的詩歌，探討的是更為個人的情感世界。這些詩歌是否也同樣受到您身份的影響？」 **康堤：** 「當然。即使是個人的情感，也無法完全脫離我們身處的環境。愛與被愛，渴望與失去，這些基本的人類經驗，在不同的社會背景下會有不同的呈現。

「『Bread and Wine』這首詩，我寫道『From death of star to new star’s birth, / This ache of limb, this throb of head, / This sweaty shop, this smell of earth, / For this we pray, “Give daily bread.”』（從星星的死亡到新星的誕生，這肢體的疼痛，這頭顱的悸動，這汗濕的店鋪，這泥土的氣息，為此我們祈禱：『賜予我們每日的糧食』。）這是在說生存的艱辛，每日為溫飽而掙扎。但下一節就寫道『Then tenuous with dreams the night, / The feel of soft brown hands in mine, / Strength from your lips for one more fight: / Bread’s not so dry when dipped in wine.』（然後是充滿夢想的脆弱的夜晚，溫柔的棕色小手在我手中，從你的嘴唇獲得力量去進行另一場戰鬥：麵包沾了酒就不會那麼乾。）

China will face the highest tariffs, **soaring** to 104% after rejecting Trump's demand to withdraw its **tit-for-tat tariffs**. **重點單字：** * **Force a vote:** 強行表決，意指透過議會程序，迫使對某項議案進行投票表決。 * 例句：The opposition party is trying to force a vote on the controversial bill. * **Reciprocal tariffs:** 互惠關稅，指兩國或多國之間相互實施的關稅，通常是為了回應對方的關稅政策。 * 例句：The two countries imposed reciprocal tariffs on each other's goods. * **Nullify:** 使無效，廢除，指使某事物失去法律效力或作用。

* 例句：Sales tax is often considered a regressive tax because it disproportionately affects low-income individuals. * **Plunge:** 暴跌，驟降，指價格、數量等突然大幅下降。 * 例句：The stock market plunged after the announcement of the new tariffs. * **Recession:** 經濟衰退，指經濟活動普遍下降的時期，通常持續數月或數年。 * 例句：Many economists fear that the trade war could lead to a global recession. * **Soar:** 飆升，猛增，指價格、數量等快速上升。

* 例句：The price of oil soared after the supply disruption. * **Tit-for-tat:** 以牙還牙，指採取與對方相同的報復行為。 * 例句：The two countries have been engaged in a tit-for-tat trade war for months. **文法分析：** * **Conditional Clause (條件子句):** "if it passes Congress" (如果該措施在國會通過)。 * 例句：The bill will become law if it passes Congress. * **Passive Voice (被動語態):** "will be hit with the highest tariffs" (將被徵收最高的關稅)。

* 例句：The company was hit with a large fine for violating environmental regulations. * **Relative Clause (關係子句):** "that would nullify the emergency authority Trump cited" (旨在廢除川普總統啟動關稅所依據的緊急權力)。 * 例句：The lawyer presented evidence that would nullify the prosecutor's argument. 希望這篇文章能幫助您更好地了解新聞內容，並提升您的英語能力！如果您有任何問題，隨時都可以問我喔！

* 第二章〈Her Birthday〉：Merrylips因為不喜歡身為女孩的命運，渴望成為男孩，並因此與母親產生衝突。 * 第三章〈Out in the World〉：Merrylips離開家，踏上前往寄宿家庭的旅程，體驗了世界的不同面貌。 * 第四章〈At Larkland〉：Merrylips在寄宿家庭中學習成長，並逐漸了解自己的內心。 * 第五章〈Among the Golden Gorse〉：Merrylips在一次意外中結識了兩位陌生人，並因此捲入一場陰謀。 * 第六章〈The Tart that was never Baked〉：Merrylips因為受到懷疑而感到沮喪，並試圖證明自己的清白。 * 第七章〈In the Midst of Alarums〉：Merrylips面臨一連串的危機，並展現出她的勇氣和智慧。 * 第八章〈The Silver Ring〉：Merrylips發現了一個秘密，並因此對自己的人生有了新的認識。

* 第二十六章〈He that was Lost〉：Rupert的身世之謎被揭開。 * 第二十七章〈How Rupert was too Clever〉：Rupert因為太過聰明而犯了錯。 * 第二十八章〈In the Enemy's Camp〉：Merrylips和Rupert身處敵人的陣營中。 * 第二十九章〈A Friend in Need〉：Merrylips在危急時刻得到朋友的幫助。 * 第三十章〈To Put it to the Touch〉：Merrylips和Rupert面臨最終的考驗。 * 第三十一章〈At Lord Caversham's Table〉：Merrylips和Rupert在Lord Caversham的餐桌上得到了款待。 * 第三十二章〈News from London〉：來自倫敦的消息打破了平靜。 * 第三十三章〈Westward Ho!〉：Merrylips和Rupert踏上西行的旅程。

當小牛被塗上綠色條紋後，敘事者溫柔地補充：「Of course the calf did not know that the paint would not wear off for a long time. Then, too, the cow mother had put her head over from the next stall...and she was rubbing her big red tongue on the calf's head. The calf liked its cow mother to rub it this way, and maybe that is why the little calf stood still。」這種語言，在孩子們的熱情與動物的本能之間，形成了一種微妙的對話。它沒有直接評判對錯，而是通過動物的反應和成人的視角，輕輕地提示了現實的後果與生命的真實，同時也展現了母性的溫柔與包容。 成人角色的存在，是這個童年世界中最堅實的底色。爺爺奶奶和父母，他們總是帶著無限的耐心與智慧，觀察著孩子們的每一次探索與「無心之失」。

然而，爺爺並沒有責罵，而是拿出了長柄耙，巧妙地將洋娃娃撈了上來，並溫柔地建議：「When you want to give your doll a bath, Sue, dangle her in the brook, where it isn't deep. And if you put a cork in the hole in her back, she won't get full of water and sink.」。這種對話模式，體現了一種**「接納式引導」的語言藝術**。成人們首先接納孩子遊戲的邏輯，然後以實用且充滿愛的語言，輕柔地「校準」他們的認知，教會他們關於安全、關於水深、關於物體浮沉的現實知識。這種語言的溫和與耐心，確保了孩子們在學習的過程中，其想像力的火花不會被現實的冰冷所熄滅，反而能在理解現實的基礎上，綻放出更為理性的光芒。 本．霍爾，這個從真實馬戲團逃跑的男孩，是故事中一道從現實世界投射進孩子純真想像的微光。他的出現，讓邦尼和蘇的「make-believe circus」在無形中被賦予了更深層的意義。

「這些詩篇展現了當時社會的陰暗面，」我說，「礦工的黑暗與艱辛，城市女性的悲慘命運，罷工者的無聲控訴，血汗工廠的剝削… 您在〈Landscapes〉（風景）這首詩中，也將美麗的自然風景與城市『huddled tenements』（擁擠的公寓）、『evil alleys』（邪惡的小巷）形成強烈對比，最後發出了質問：『Good God, and what is all this beauty for?』（天哪，所有這些美景有何用處？）這是一種對上帝、對世界秩序的質疑嗎？」 Untermeyer 先生嘆了口氣，雙手交疊放在桌上。「那是一種痛苦的質疑。當你看到大自然充滿了勃勃生機，即使是『the very dirt that died, alive』（死去的塵土也充滿生機），卻同時看到人類在城市裡遭受剝削和痛苦，那種反差是難以承受的。〈Caliban in the Coal-Mines〉中的礦工向天上的神發問：『God, if You wish for our love, / Fling us a handful of stars!』（上帝，如果你想要我們的愛，就向我們灑一把星星吧！）

**Vivid Verbs & Adjectives for Natural Forces:** * `eager night` / `impetuous winds` / `swift persuasion` / `surged` / `swept me on` (from "Summons") * 這些詞語用來描寫夜晚、風、春天的力量，讓自然景象變得非常活躍，甚至帶有一種主動性和衝擊力，不像靜態的描述。 * `eager` (熱切的): Full of energy and desire. * `impetuous` (衝動的): Acting quickly and without thinking carefully, but here it implies a powerful, unrestrained energy.

* `persuasion` (說服力): The act of causing someone to do something or believe something. Here, nature "persuades" the poet. * `surge` (湧出, 洶湧): To move suddenly and powerfully forward or upward. * `sweep someone on` (席捲某人向前): To carry someone forward strongly. * *Example:* The news of the discovery surged through the town, sweeping the residents on a wave of excitement. (發現的消息席捲了整個城鎮，讓居民們陷入一股興奮的浪潮。) 2.

* `torpid` (遲鈍的, 不活潑的): Not active or energetic. * `ease` (安逸): A state of comfort without difficulty. * `slothfulness` (怠惰, 懶惰): The state of being unwilling to work or make an effort. * *Example:* After the long holiday, she struggled to shake off her torpid mood and return to work. (漫長的假期過後，她很難擺脫遲鈍的情緒，回到工作。) * `keen vibration` / `sudden thrill` (from "Summons", "Challenge") * 描寫強烈而敏銳的感受。

* `keen` (敏銳的, 強烈的): Having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm; or, having a sharp quality. Here it means intense or strong. * `vibration` (振動): A feeling that shakes you emotionally or mentally. * `thrill` (悸動, 興奮): A sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure. * *Example:* The performance sent a keen vibration of excitement through the audience. (那場表演在觀眾中引起了一陣強烈的興奮。) 3.

**Metaphorical Language for Life's Struggle:** * `ceaseless fight` / `forlorn and desperate wars` / `brave defeat` (from "Summons", "Challenge") * 將生命歷程比喻為一場持續不斷的戰鬥或戰爭。 * `ceaseless` (不停的, 持續的): Without stop. * `forlorn` (孤獨的, 淒涼的): Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely. * `desperate` (絕望的, 危急的): Feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with.

* `defeat` (失敗): The state of being defeated in a battle or contest. Here, "brave defeat" is a powerful paradox, suggesting courage even when facing inevitable loss. * *Example:* Despite facing a series of brave defeats, the team never lost their spirit. (儘管面臨一系列英勇的失敗，球隊從未失去士氣。) 4. **Expressing Skepticism and Belief:** * `buoyant doubt` (from "Prayer") * 一個有趣的矛盾修飾法 (oxymoron)。

* `buoyant` (樂觀的, 有浮力的): Cheerful and optimistic; or, able to float easily. * *Example:* Her buoyant doubt about traditional methods led her to discover a completely new approach. (她對傳統方法抱持著樂觀的懷疑，促使她發現了一種全新的方法。) * `A faith that flaunts its very disbelief` (from "The Heretic") * 又一個強烈的矛盾。 faith (信念) 和 disbelief (不信) 並存，甚至信念是通過炫耀不信來表達的。這句詩抓住了人類信仰中複雜、矛盾的面向。

* `flaunt` (炫耀, 誇耀): To display ostentatiously, especially in order to provoke envy or admiration or to show defiance. * *Example:* He expressed his political views with a passion that flaunted any fear of criticism. (他表達自己的政治觀點時充滿熱情，全然無視任何對批評的恐懼。) 這些詞彙和句型不僅幫助我們理解詩歌的內容，也豐富了我們表達感受和觀點的方式。學習文學，就是學習更深刻、更生動地使用語言，對吧？

* Example: The **rhythm** of the waves crashing on the shore was very soothing. (海浪拍打岸邊的韻律非常撫慰人心。) * **Resonance** (n.) /ˈrez.ə.nəns/: 共鳴，迴響。指聲音的共鳴，或思想、情感上的共鳴。 * Example: His words found a deep **resonance** with the audience. (他的話語在聽眾中引起了強烈的共鳴。) **克萊兒**：「您提到詩歌是『靈魂最純粹的表達』，這讓我聯想到本期雜誌中另一篇關於莎士比亞《哈姆雷特》的文章。文中作者（Theodore S. Fay）提到，莎士比亞筆下『哈姆雷特的幽靈』不只嚇人，更能觸動我們的情感，讓我們看到那個『脫離軀殼』的存在所承載的『悲痛重擔』。這與您的詩歌，似乎有著異曲同工之妙，都試圖超越物質層面，觸及更深層次的靈性與痛苦。」 **艾德格·愛倫·坡**： 「的確如此。偉大的藝術家總能洞悉人類存在的深層奧秘。

* Example: She **not only** sings beautifully, **but also** writes her own songs. (她不只歌聲優美，還會創作自己的歌曲。) **克萊兒**：「這份雜誌中也有一些其他類型的文章，例如《Lame for Life, Or Leslie Pierpoint》和《The Vagrant》，似乎更著重於描繪社會現實與人物命運。這些故事中呈現的人性弱點、社會階層差異，以及『命運』的不可預知性，與您的作品中對人類心理的深刻洞察，是否有所共通之處？」 **艾德格·愛倫·坡**：「當然。無論是奇幻還是現實，文學的最終目的都是為了映照人性。*Graham's Magazine*的編輯宗旨，便是提供多元化的內容以滿足讀者的廣泛興趣，同時也引導他們思考。像《Lame for Life》這類故事，雖然表面是浪漫情節，卻也探討了『人心難測』與『宿命論』（fatalism）的觀點，譬如男主角對女性的信任破滅，以及他如何意外地愛上一個年輕女孩。而《The Vagrant》更是直指社會的冷漠與個體的無助。

* Example: Her theory was based on **conjecture** rather than solid evidence. (她的理論是基於推測而非確鑿證據。) * **Latent** (adj.) /ˈleɪ.tənt/: 潛在的，潛伏的。 * Example: The detective uncovered the **latent** motive behind the crime. (偵探揭露了犯罪背後潛在的動機。) **克萊兒**：「在『新書評論』部分，您對當時一些流行作家的作品提出了相當尖銳的批評，例如對G. P. R. James的『陳舊、乏味、無利可圖』，以及對James Fenimore Cooper作品中人物刻畫的不足。您認為，一部真正優秀的文學作品，其核心價值應該是什麼？是什麼讓您對『陳詞濫調』如此不滿？」 **艾德格·愛倫·坡**：「卓越的文學作品，其核心在於『原創性』（originality）與『深度』（depth）。

* Example: The artist's work is admired for its striking **originality**. (這位藝術家的作品因其驚人的原創性而受到讚賞。) * **Individuality** (n.) /ˌɪn.də.vɪˈdʒuːˈæl.ə.t̬i/: 個性，獨特性。 * Example: Her vibrant personality gave her a strong sense of **individuality**. (她充滿活力的個性讓她有著強烈的個人特質。) * **Mediocrity** (n.) /ˌmiː.diˈɑː.krə.t̬i/: 平庸，普通。 * Example: The film was criticized for its overall **mediocrity**. (這部電影因其整體平庸而受到批評。) **克萊兒**：「您強調『效果』，這與您著名的『單一效果』（Unity of Effect）理論不謀而合。

* Example: Her taste in music is very **eclectic**, ranging from classical to rock. (她的音樂品味非常兼容並蓄，從古典樂到搖滾樂都有涉獵。) 一陣微風，帶著窗外遠處街角的喧囂聲，輕輕拂過閣樓的窗簾。曦風，這隻頑皮的貓，此時悄悄地伸出爪子，輕輕地撥弄著檯燈旁一小疊泛黃的信紙，紙張沙沙作響，隨後，牠又敏捷地縮回爪子，彷彿什麼都沒發生過，只是靜靜地趴伏在坡先生的膝上。 **克萊兒**：「坡先生，在這期雜誌中，我還讀到一篇題為《懷俄明谷的故事》的『凱特·貝弗利』（Kate Beverly）和《Wawhillowa》的故事，它們都涉及到美國早期的拓荒歷史與印第安人之間的衝突，充滿了暴力與悲劇。您認為，文學在描繪歷史事件時，應該如何平衡真實與藝術，以及如何處理那些人性的陰暗面？」 **艾德格·愛倫·坡**：「歷史，本身就是一部最宏大也最殘酷的戲劇。文學在描繪歷史時，不應迴避其『黑暗』（darkness）與『殘酷』（cruelty），因為那正是人性的真實呈現。

* Example: The artist's **portrayal** of the landscape was breathtaking. (這位藝術家對風景的描繪令人驚嘆。) * **Universal themes** (n. phrase): 普世主題。指在不同文化和時代背景下都能引起共鳴的議題。 * Example: Love, loss, and redemption are **universal themes** in literature. (愛、失落和救贖是文學中的普世主題。) **克萊兒**：「非常感謝您，坡先生，這場對談讓我對《格雷厄姆雜誌》和您的作品有了更深層次的理解。您對文學的熱情和對藝術的嚴謹，無疑是後世學習的典範。今天的對談將會是我們『光之居所』寶貴的收穫。」 **艾德格·愛倫·坡**：「（他微微頷首，眼神中閃爍著一絲欣慰）克萊兒小姐，能與您分享這些想法，我也感到非常愉快。文學的生命力，在於它能不斷地被解讀、被共鳴。希望我的這些微薄見解，能為妳的學生帶來一些啟發。藝術的道路，永無止境。」