White先生… 他承擔了這份重擔… 在編輯退下後… 他與一位才華出眾的紳士合作… 他們希望… 這一卷… 至少能像前一卷一樣… 甚至… 更豐盛… 更能取悅讀者…
(迴聲引述Publisher's Notice的片段,語氣模仿原文的大小寫強調)
“… intellectually department of the paper is now under the conduct of the Proprietor, assisted by a gentleman of distinguished literary talents.
Thus seconded, he is sanguine in the hope of rendering the second volume which the present number commences, *at least* as deserving of support as the former was: nay, if he reads aright the tokens which are given him of the future, it teems with even richer banquets for his readers, than they have hitherto enjoyed at his board.”
**信使的回聲:** 我們希望能提供一場… 「豐富的宴會」… 為靈魂… 為思想… 那時的美國文學… 特別是南方… 仍在摸索… 我們的聲音… 我們的特色… 我們不願… 只是歐洲的回聲… 我們有自己的土地… 自己的歷史… 自己的風情… 我們有Wissahiccon這樣浪漫的溪流… 有墨西哥那樣遙遠而神秘的見聞… 我們有共和制度下… 對教育與公民素質的關切… 以及… 那些潛藏在人心中… 深邃甚至黑暗的… 情感與衝動…
(迴聲在提到埃德加·愛倫·坡時,語調有些許變化,帶著讚賞與一絲不易捉摸的色彩)
“… among these, we hope to be pardoned for singling out the name of Mr. EDGAR A.
The frightful sounds of merriment below
Disturb my senses—go! I cannot pray—
The sweet airs from the garden worry me!
Thy presence grieves me—go!—thy priestly raiment
Fills me with dread—thy ebony crucifix
With horror and awe!”
**信使的回聲:** 她的痛苦… 她的抗拒… 強烈… 尖銳… 與當時普遍推崇的… 溫和、道德… 有所不同… 她的復仇誓言… 更甚…
(迴聲引述Lalage舉起匕首的台詞)
“Behold the cross wherewith a vow like mine
Is written in Heaven!…
…‘Tis sworn!”
**信使的回聲:** 那種… 破壞性的能量… 讓人… 心驚…
至於《瓶中稿》… 那是一場… 純粹的… 恐怖與驚奇… 描寫的精準… 對感官的捕捉…
(迴聲引述《MS.
Found in a Bottle》中對Simoom的描寫)
“The air now became intolerably hot, and was loaded with spiral exhalations similar to those arising from heated iron. As night came on, every breath of wind died away, and a more entire calm it is impossible to conceive. The flame of a candle burned upon the poop without the least perceptible motion, and a long hair, held between the finger and thumb, hung without the possibility of detecting a vibration.
However, as the captain said he could perceive no indication of danger, and as we were drifting in bodily to shore, he ordered the sails to be furled, and the anchor let go. No watch was set, and the crew, consisting principally of Malays, stretched themselves deliberately upon deck. I went below—not without a full presentiment of evil. Indeed every appearance warranted me in apprehending a Simoom.”
**信使的回聲:** 那種… 壓抑的… 不祥… 在風暴來臨時… 極致的混亂…
(迴聲引述對巨大幽靈船的描寫)
“At a terrific height directly above us, and upon the very verge of the precipitous descent, hovered a gigantic ship of nearly four thousand tons… Her huge hull was of a deep dingy black… But what mainly inspired us with horror and astonishment, was that she bore up under a press of sail in the very teeth of that supernatural sea, and of that ungovernable hurricane… then trembled and tottered, and—came down.”
**信使的回聲:** (迴聲變得柔和,帶著詩意的嘆息)是的… 我們擁抱… 多樣性… 文學… 應是… 百花齊放… 艾麗莎和伊莫金… 她們的作品… 溫柔… 真摯… 更易引起… 普遍的… 共鳴…
(迴聲引述Eliza的《October》中對秋天既美麗又帶有毀滅性的描寫)
“Thou’rt here again, October, with that queenly look of thine—
All gorgeous thine apparel and all golden thy sunshine—
So brilliant and so beautiful—‘tis like a fairy show—
The earth in such a splendid garb, the heav’ns in such a glow.
…
Thou callest out the trusting buds with the lustre of thy sky,
And clothest them in hues of Heaven all gloriously—to die.”
Where, mother, where have the fire-flies been
All the day long, that their light was not seen?
MOTHER.
They've been ’mong the flowers and flown through the air,
But could not be seen—for the sunshine was there.
And thus, little girl, in thy morning’s first light,
There are many things hid from thy mind’s dazzled sight,
Which the ev’ning of life will too clearly reveal,
And teach thee to see—or, it may be, to feel.”
**信使的回聲:** (迴聲變得嚴肅,帶著思慮的重量)對… 這份責任感… 深植人心… 共和制度… 是新生事物… 脆弱… 易受攻擊… 歷史的教訓… 歷歷在目… Minor先生… 他的擔憂… 並非杞人憂天…
(迴聲引述Lucian Minor演講中的句子)
“Indeed, at the best, it is no trivial task, to conduct the affairs of a great people. Even in the tiny republics of antiquity… government was no such *simple machine*… The only very simple form of government, is despotism… But in republics, there are passions to soothe; clashing interests to reconcile; jarring opinions to mould into one result, for the general weal.
To effect this, requires extensive and accurate knowledge…”
**信使的回聲:** 他看到了… 維護共和國… 需要的… 複雜性… 需要… 知識、理性、共識… 而他對… 「開明的人民」(ENLIGHTEN THE PEOPLE)… 的呼籲… 是核心…
(迴聲引述Minor演講中最核心的呼籲)
“If it is not ever to be thus; if the anticipations of our revolutionary patriots were not all delusive dreams… if there is a remedy for the diseases that poison the health of liberty;—the reason—that remedy—can be found only in one short precept—ENLIGHTEN THE PEOPLE!”
**信使的回聲:** 他對… 維吉尼亞州… 當時的… 基礎教育狀況… 提出了… 尖銳的批評… 對比了… 北方州… 普魯士… 甚至… 蘇格蘭… 他認為… 教育不應… 僅僅針對… 窮人… 那樣… 反而… 滋生… 輕視和… 羞辱…
(迴聲引述Minor對維吉尼亞教育系統的批評)
“A great and obvious difference between our primary school system, and the *common*-school systems of the northern states, is, that *they* take in ALL children: while we aim to instruct only the children of the *poor; literary paupers*… As if these fatal errors had not sufficiently ensured the impotence of the scheme, the schools themselves are the
**信使的回聲:** 對於… 無法讀寫的… 成年白人數量… 他估計… 達到… 兩萬或三萬… 這在… 那個時代… 是一個… 令人震驚的數字… 他認為… 缺乏教育… 導致了… 無知和… 惡習… 甚至… 阻礙了… 政治上的… 清醒判斷…
(迴聲引述Minor對未受教育者政治判斷的評論)
“And the aggregate of opinions thus caught by accident, is the basis of the *popular will:* and it is the voice prompted by this will, that is called ‘*The voice of God!
**信使的回聲:** (迴聲變得輕快一些,帶有探索的興致)當然… 外部世界… 總是… 充滿了… 吸引力… 墨西哥… 在那時… 對許多美國人來說… 是一個… 新近獨立… 充滿… 異國風情… 和… 未知… 的地方…
(迴聲引述《Extracts From My Mexican Journal》的開頭)
“Since our arrival on the 25th May, my occupations have been such as to prevent my seeing many of the *lions* of Mexico.
I have, however, walked through the principal streets, and visited most of the churches, of which some are very rich and splendid—some are ancient and venerable—others are fine and gaudy—while a few of the more modern are extremely neat and handsome.”
**信使的回聲:** 旅行者… 用細膩的筆觸… 記錄了… 城市的… 面貌… 教堂… 街道… 以及… 令人… 印象深刻… 的… 人群…
(迴聲引述對“leperos”的描寫)
“The city is, indeed, magnificent; many of the buildings are spacious.
The streets are not wide, but well paved—clean in the most frequented, but excessively filthy in the more remote parts, and thronged with dirty, diseased, deformed, and half naked creatures… Those who have seen the lazzaroni of Naples, may form a faint idea of the *leperos* of Mexico.”
It is believed to possess the power of bringing rain, and of staying the ravages of disease… thousands flocked to join her train. But a heavy rain began to fall, and the procession was necessarily postponed, the populace being delighted to find that the intercession of Our Lady was of so much avail, and their faith strengthened at the trifling expense of wet jackets.”
**信使的回聲:** 這種… 結合了… 細節描寫… 個人觀察… 和… 文化評論… 的旅行見聞… 滿足了… 讀者對… 外部世界的… 好奇心… 也提供了一種… 通過對比… 來反思… 自身社會… 的方式… 他認為… 墨西哥人民的… 缺點… 源於… 西班牙殖民者的… 政策… 而非… 自身不足… 並對… 他們在… 共和制度下… 的… 潛在進步… 抱有… 希望…
(迴聲引述墨西哥日記中對墨西哥人民潛力及未來的看法)
“Whatever may be said of the bad blood of the Mexicans, I cannot but view them as a mild and amiable people… for their state of degradation and ignorance they are indebted not to any natural deficiencies of their own, but to the miserable and timid policy of their former Spanish masters… The improvement
of the Mexican people is daily taking place.
They are beginning to be enlightened with the rays of the rising sun of liberty… and after the present generation has passed away, the succeeding one will exhibit those political and moral virtues, which are the offspring of freedom.”
**信使的回聲:** 這種… 既有… 批判… 又有… 希望… 的視角… 在… 那個… 剛經歷… 自身革命… 並見證… 拉丁美洲… 各國… 獨立… 的時代… 並不… 罕見… 它反映了… 對… 共和理念的… 信仰… 以及… 對… 不同民族… 命運的… 關切…
**茹絲:** 這讓我看到了一種對新世界的共同探索視角,不只關注美國本土的實驗,也將目光投向南方的鄰國。墨西哥日記中對當地生活習俗、社交模式的描述也非常生動,讓我彷彿置身其中。
Never was any thing so charmingly written: the mere style is positively inimitable.”
**信使的回聲:** 但同時… 也指出其… 缺乏原創性… 是對… 唐吉訶德的… 模仿… 對於Dr. Bird的《The Hawks of Hawk-Hollow》… 評價則… 更為複雜…
(迴聲引述對《The Hawks of Hawk-Hollow》的評論片段)
“The Hawks of Hawk-Hollow is, however, by no means in the *best* manner of its illustrious author. To speak plainly it is a positive failure, and must take its place by the side of the Redgauntlets, the Monasteries, the Pirates, and the Saint Ronan’s Wells.”
Bird人物描寫和詩歌的讚美)
“Catherine Loring, however, is one of the sweetest creations ever emanating from the fancy of poet, or of painter… Captain Loring is a *chéf d’oeuvre*… He is however true to itself, and to propriety, and although at times verging upon the *outré*, is highly creditable to the genius of its author… If Dr. Bird can always write thus, and we see no reason for supposing the contrary, he should at once… Turn bard, and drop the play-wright and the novelist.”
Fay的《Norman Leslie》… 幾乎是… 全盤否定…
(迴聲引述對《Norman Leslie》的猛烈批評片段)
“We will dismiss the ‘Editor of the Mirror’ with a few questions… Why are you always talking about ‘stamping of feet,’ ‘kindling and flashing of eyes,’ ‘plunging and parrying,’ ‘cutting and thrusting,’ ‘passes through the body,’ ‘gashes open in the cheek,’ ‘sculls cleft down,’ ‘hands cut off,’ and blood gushing and bubbling, and doing God knows what else… What ‘mysterious and inexplicable destiny’ compels you to the so frequent use, in
**信使的回聲:** (迴聲變得更加冷靜和分析性)是的… 對於… 學術… 實用… 或… 紀念性… 的作品… 評論的… 重心… 轉向了… 內容的… 嚴謹性… 信息的… 價值… 以及… 形式的… 適當性…
(迴聲引述對Robinson's Practice的評論片段)
“The first volume of this work came out about three years ago; and received so earnest a welcome from the legal profession, that the author’s tardiness in producing the second might be matter of wonder… The present is destined, because it deserves, to be a much greater favorite with the law-book-reading public, than the former volume was.
The arrangement is after a better classification of subjects; rendering it easier to find the doctrine desired, on any given point: and there is a larger proportion of valuable matter—matter not to be found in the Revised Code, or in Tate’s Digest. Indeed there are few works, more copiously filled with useful, and *not-too-obvious* learning.”
**信使的回聲:** 對於… 法律專著… 評論關注… 內容的… 實用性… 組織結構… 和… 對… 法律工作者的… 幫助… 即使… 指出… 措辭… 冗餘… 或… 索引… 的不足… 也是… 出於… 提升… 其實用價值… 的目的…
對於… 回憶錄… 比如… Dr.
Rice的評論片段)
“This Memoir will be received and read with pleasure generally: and among those who have been so fortunate as to have seen and heard Dr. Rice, it will be perused with the deepest interest and gratification… The greater portion of the work consists of these letters, and they are valuable in every respect… All, however, are full of thought, and give evidence of an elevated, a healthy, cheerful, powerful, and well regulated mind.”
**信使的回聲:** 但… 同時也… 清晰地… 指出… 這類作品… 作為… 入門級… 拉丁文教材的… 局限性… 因為… 它不可避免地… 包含了… 非古典… 的… 用詞… 和… 概念…
(迴聲引述對Washingtonii Vita作為入門教材的質疑)
“If, therefore, by Latin we mean the Language spoken by the Latins, a large proportion of the work—disguise the fact as we may—is necessarily *not Latin at all*.
Did we indeed design to instruct our youth in a language of possibilities—did we wish to make them proficient in the tongue which *might have been spoken* in ancient Rome, had ancient Rome existed in the nineteenth century, we could scarcely have a better book for the purpose than the Washington of Mr. Glass. But we do not perceive that, in teaching Latin, we have any similar view.
**信使的回聲:** (迴聲變得低沉,帶著歷史的重量與感傷)是的… 你感受到了… 我們的… 時代… 並非… 單一的… 色彩… 我們的土地… 充滿了… 機遇… 充滿了… 活力… 獨立的… 理想… 仍在… 激勵人心…
(迴聲引述Halley's Comet—1760的結尾詩句)
“Thus was the world when last yon Comet blazed
Above our earth. On its celestial light
Proudly the free American may gaze:
Nations that last beheld its rapid flight
Are fading fast; the rest no more are known,
While his has risen to a mighty one.”
(迴聲引述Marcelia的片段)
“The story goes, that a
Neglected girl (an orphan whom the world
Frown’d upon,) once strayed thither, and ‘twas thought
Did cast her in the stream…
…She loved a man who marked her not. He wed,
And then the girl grew sick, and pin’d away,
And drown’d herself for love!”