約翰遜博士和他的父親

Itwas in a little bookshop in the city of Lichfield， England. The hour was early， and customers had not yet begun to drop in. Out of doors the rain was falling. At a small table near the door， a feeble1， white-haired old man was making up some packages of books. As he arranged them in a large basket， he stopped now and then as though disturbed by pain. \"Samuel!\" he called. In the farther corner of the room there was a young man busily reading from a large book that was spread open before him. He was a very odd-looking fellow， perhaps eighteen years of age. \"Samuel!\" again the old man called.

But Samuel made no reply. He was so deeply interested in his book that he did not hear. The old man finished tying his packages. He lifted the heavy basket and set it on the table. The exertion2 brought on another fit of coughing; and when it was over he called for the third time， \"Samuel!\"\"What is it， father?\" This time the call was heard. \"You know， Samuel，\" he said， \"that tomorrow is market day at Uttoxeter， and our stall must be attended to. Some of our friends will be there to look at the new books which they expect me to bring. One of us must go down on the stage3 this morning and get everything in readiness4. But I hardly feel able for the journey. My cough troubles me quite a little， and you see that it is raining very hard.\" \"Yes， father; I am sorry，\" answered Samuel; and his face was again bent over the book. The old man went to the door and looked out. He shivered， and buttoned5 his coat. \"Here comes the coach， Samuel;\" and the old man was choked6 by another fit of coughing. Samuel was still reading， and he made no sign nor motion. The stage came rattling7 down the street. The old man with his basket of books staggered8 out of the door. The stage halted9 for a moment while he climbed inside. Then the driver swung his whip， and all were away. Samuel， in the shop， still bent over his book.

Out of doors the rain was falling.

Just fifty years had passed， and again it was market day at Uttoxeter.

The rain was falling in the streets. A chaise10 from Lichfield pulled up at the entrance to the market square. An old man alighted11. One would guess him to be seventy years of age. With slow but ponderousr12 strides13 he entered the market place and looked around. He seemed not to know that the rain was falling. The stranger halted before one of the stalls14 suddenly. \"Yes， this is it，\" he said， \"I remember it well. It was here that my father， on certain market days， sold books to the clergy of the county. The good men came from every parish to see his wares and to hear him describe their contents.\" He turned abruptly around. \"Yes， this is the place，\" he repeated. He stood quite still and upright， directly in front of the little old stall. He took off his hat and held it beneath his arm. He bowed his head and clasped his hands.

\"Who is that old fool?\" asked a thoughtless young man who chances to be passing.

\"Do you ask who he is?\" answered a gentleman from London. \"Why， he is Dr. Samuel Johnson， the most famous man in England. It was he who wrote Rasselas， the Lives of the Poets， Irene and many another work which all men are praising. It was he who made the great English Dictionary， the most wonderful book of our times. In London， the noblest lords and ladies take pleasure in doing him honor. He is the literary lion of England.\"

\"Then why does he come to Uttoxeter and stand thus in the pouring rain?\"

\"Sir，\" said the great man， \"fifty years ago， this very day， I tacitly15 refused to oblige or obey my father. The thought of the pain which I must have caused him has haunted me ever since. To do away the sin of that hour， I this morning went in a chaise to Uttoxeter and did do penance16 publicly before the stall which my father had formerly used.\" The great man bowed his head upon his hands and sobbed.

Out of doors the rain was falling.

時間還早，在英格蘭立斯菲爾德市的一個小書店里，還沒有顧客來訪。門外正下著雨。一位年邁的白頭發老人正在門邊的一張小桌旁整理若干包裹的書。當他將書排放裝入大箱子時，還時不時地停下來，似乎被疼痛困擾著。“塞繆爾!”他大聲叫道。在房間一個偏遠的角落里，一位年輕人正忙著讀一本大部頭的書，書在他的面前平攤開著。他是個看似很怪異的男孩，大約十八歲。“塞繆爾!”老人又一次叫道。

但塞繆爾并沒回答。他深深地被書吸引住了，沒有聽見老人的叫喊。老人捆綁完了包裹。他抬起沉重的箱子，將它放在桌子上。這費力的活又引起一陣咳嗽。當咳嗽停止，他第三次叫道，“塞繆爾!”“什么事，爸爸?”這一次他聽見了。“你是知道的，塞繆爾，”他說，“明天是烏托克沙特的市集日，我們得在那里擺攤位。我的一些朋友會去那兒看看有沒有什么想讓我帶去的新書。我們中必須有一個人在這個早晨乘馬車先去那兒將一切安排妥當。但我對這次行程力不從心。咳嗽總是在折磨我，你也知道的，外面的雨下得很大。”“知道了，爸爸，我很抱歉，”塞繆爾回答道，但他又一頭扎進了書里。老人走進門邊，向外張望。他哆嗦了一下，系上扣子。“塞繆爾，馬車來了，”老人被又一陣咳嗽嗆著了。塞繆爾仍在讀書，沒有做出任何表示或動作。馬車行駛在街道上，咯噠咯噠作響。老人捧著一箱子書蹣跚地走出門。在他吃力地爬進車里那會兒，馬車稍停了片刻。接著車夫擺動著鞭子，車子遠去了。塞繆爾還在書店里，一心看著他的書。

門外雨還在下著。

五十年過去了，又到了烏托克沙特的市集日。

街道上，雨淅瀝淅瀝地下著。一輛來自立斯菲爾德的馬車在集市廣場的入口停住了。一位老人從車中走下來。人們猜測他七十歲了。他邁著緩慢但穩重的步伐走人市集，打量著四周。他好像沒有感覺天在下雨似的。這個陌生人在一個攤位前突然停住了。“啊，就是這兒，”他說，“我記得很清楚。我的父親每逢特定的市集日就會在這兒，向縣里的神職人員出售書籍。各個教區的善良的人們會來到他的書籍前聽他介紹書的內容。”他突然轉過身來。“是的，就是這里，”他重復了一遍。這個陌生人靜靜地直立著，正對著那小塊舊地攤站著。他摘下帽子，夾在手臂下面，又低下頭，緊握著雙手。

“那個老傻瓜是誰啊?”一個恰巧路過的年輕人想也不想，便脫口而出。

“你問他是誰?”一個來自倫敦的紳士回答。“哎呀，他是塞繆爾·約翰博士，是英格蘭最有名的人。他寫了《雷塞拉斯》、《詩人列傳》、《艾琳》，還有其他許多作品，得到了所有人的贊揚。他還編撰了《英文字典》，這是當代最令人贊嘆的書。在倫敦，上層的爵士和貴婦從稱贊他中得到快樂。他是英格蘭的文學巨獅。”

“那他為什么要來烏托克沙特，這樣站在傾盆大雨中?”

“先生們，”這個杰出的人回答，“五十年前，就是在這天，我對父親的叮囑不聞不問。我一定給他造成了痛苦，這個想法從那以后一直縈繞我的腦際。為了除去那個時候的罪惡，這個早晨我乘馬車來到烏托克沙特，在父親曾經用過的地攤前這樣做，以此公開贖罪。”他抱頭抽噎著。

門外仍下著雨。

注釋:

1.feeble adj.虛弱的，衰弱的，無力的

2.exertion n.盡力，努力

3.stage n.站，驛站，驛程，公共馬車[汽車]

4.readiness n.準備就緒

5.button v.扣住，扣緊

6.choke v.窒息，哽住，使呼吸困難

7.rattle v.發出卡嗒卡嗒聲

8.stagger v.搖晃，蹣跚

9.halt v.停止，立定

10.chaise n.一種輕馬車(通常有車篷，尤指單馬雙輪者)

11.alight vi.落下

12.ponderous adj.沉重的，笨重的，冗長的

13.stride n.步幅v.跨過，大步行走

14.stall n.貨攤，出售攤

15.tacitly adv.肅靜地，沉默地

16.penance n.[天主教]懺悔vt.使……以苦行贖罪