我所追求的生活

By+Willian+Somerset+Maugham

作者簡介：威廉·薩默塞特·毛姆（1874年1月25日- 1965年12月16日）英國小說家、戲劇家，生于律師家庭。原來學醫，后轉而致力寫作。他的作品常以冷靜、客觀乃至挑剔的態度審視人生，基調超然，帶諷刺和憐憫意味。代表作有戲劇《圈子》，長篇小說《人生的枷鎖》《月亮和六便士》，短篇小說集《葉的震顫》《卡蘇里那樹》《阿金》等。

That must be the story of innumerable couples， and the pattern of life it offers has a homely grace. It reminds you of a placid rivulet， meandering smoothly through green pastures and shaded by pleasant trees， till at last it falls into the vast sea； but the sea is so calm， so silent， so indifferent， that you are troubled suddenly by a vague uneasiness. Perhaps it is only by a kink in my nature， strong in me even in those days， that I felt in such an existence， the share of the great majority， something amiss. I recognized its social value. I saw its ordered happiness， but a fever in my blood asked for a wilder course. There seemed to me something alarming in such easy delights. In my heart was desire to live more dangerously. I was not unprepared for jagged rocks and treacherous shoals if I could only have change-change and the excitement of unforeseen.

這一定是世間無數對夫妻的生活寫照，這種生活模式呈現一種天倫之美的畫面。它使人想起一條平靜的溪流，蜿蜒暢游過綠茵的草場，濃蔭遮蔽，最后注入煙波浩渺的汪洋大海；但是大海太過平靜，太過沉默，太過不動聲色，你會突然感到莫名的不安。也許這只是我自己的一種怪誕想法。在那樣的時代，這想法對我影響很深：我覺得這同大多數人一樣的生活，似乎欠缺了點兒什么。我承認這種生活有社會價值，我也看到了它那井然有序的幸福，但我沸騰的血液卻渴望一種更桀驁不馴的旅程。這樣的安逸中似乎有一種叫我驚懼不安的東西。我的心渴望一種更加驚險的生活。只要生活中還存在變數以及不可預知的刺激，我愿意踏上怪石嶙峋的山崖，奔赴暗礁滿布的海灘。

Word Study

innumerable /?'nju?m?r?bl/ adj. 無數的；數不清的

Innumerable books have been written on the subject.

placid /'pl?s?d/ adj. 平靜的；寧靜的

Juggling business with child care does not， of course， make for a placid life.

amiss /?'m?s/ adj. 出差錯的；有缺陷的

She sensed something was amiss and called the police.

unforeseen /，?nf?：'si：n/ adj. 未預見的；不可預料的

Unfortunately， due to unforeseen circumstances， this years show has been cancelled.endprint