波西·比希·雪莱致约翰·济慈
P. B. Shelley to John Keats
My dear Keats,
I hear with great pain the dangerous accident that you have undergone, and Mr. Gisborne who gives me the account of it, adds that you continue to wear a consumptive appearance. This consumption is a disease particularly fond of people who write such good verses as you have done, and with the assistance of an English winter it can often indulge its selection. I do not think that young and amiable poets are at all bound to gratify its taste; they have entered into no bond with the Muses to that effect... But seriously (for I am joking on what I am very anxious about) I think you would do well to pass the winter after so tremendous an accident in Italy, and (if you thinks it as necessary as I do) so long as you could find Pisa or its neighborhood agreeable to you, Mrs. Shelley unites with myself in urging the request, that you would take up your residence with us. You might come by sea to Leghorn(France is not worth seeing, and the sea air is particularly good for weak lungs), which is within a few miles of us. You ought, at all events to see Italy, and your health, which I suggest as a motive, might be an excuse to you. I spare declamation about the statues and the paintings and the ruins—and what is a greater piece of forbearance—about the mountains the streams and the fields, the colors of the sky, and the sky itself...
I have lately read your "Endymion" again and even with a new sense of the treasures of poetry it contains, though treasures poured forth with indistinct profusion—This, people in general will not endure, and that is the cause of the comparatively few copies which have been sold. I feel persuaded that you are capable of the greatest things, so you but will. I always tell Ollier to send you Copies of my books.—"Prometheus Unbound" I imagine you will receive nearly at the same time with this letter. "The Cenci" I hope you have already received—it was studiously composed in a different style "Below the good how far! but far above the great" . In poetry I have sought to avoid system and mannerism; I wish those who excel me in genius would pursue the same plan...
Whether you remain in England, or journey to Italy, —believe that you carry with you my anxious wishes for your health, happiness and success, wherever you are, or whatever you undertake—and that I am,
Yours sincerely,
P. B. Shelley
Pisa,
July 27，1820
亲爱的济慈：
听到你所经受的危难，我的心情十分沉痛。吉斯博恩先生向我细说了你的情况，而且，他说你看上去仍然像个结核病患者。这种结核病偏偏喜欢眷顾像你这样优秀的诗人，在英国冬天的帮助下，它总是能够肆行无忌。但我绝不认为年轻和善良的诗人应该成为它的俘虏，他们与缪斯所签的约定并不是为了这种结果……但说正经的（我一贯在我非常担忧的事情上开玩笑），我认为在经历如此可怕的事情之后，到意大利来度过冬天会对你的健康非常有益。而且（如果你跟我一样认为有这个必要的话），只要你觉得比萨或者它的邻近地区适合你，我的夫人和我都非常欢迎你能跟我们住在一起。你可以乘船到来亨（法国没什么值得看的，海上的空气对你衰弱的肺功能极有益处），那里离我们的住处只有几英里的路程。无论如何，你都应该来看看意大利。我的建议是为你的健康考虑的，或许你也会以此为借口拒绝。我缺少雄辩的力量向你介绍意大利的雕塑、绘画和遗迹，更不用说这里的山川、河流、田野和天空的颜色以及天空本身……
近来，我重读了你的诗《恩狄米翁》，它所蕴涵的诗的艺术给了我新的感触，不过，它丰富的艺术表现可能过于绚丽——这也是普通人所难以欣赏的，所以，卖出的作品相对来说没多少。我相信你能创作出最伟大的作品，你一定会的。我总是告诉奥利尔寄给你几本我写的书。我想，在你接到我这封信的同时，你刚好会收到我的诗作《解放了的普罗米修斯》。我希望你已经收到我的诗作《珊奇》，这首诗是我故意使用一种与众不同的风格创作的——“离好有多远啊！但比了不起要强得多。”在诗的创作上，我力求避免程式化和常用的风格，我也希望那些比我更有天赋的人也能追求同样的方法……
不管你是留在英国，还是旅行来意大利，请相信你永远都拥有我殷切的祝福——无论你在什么地方，也无论你承担着什么事，你都能健康、幸福和成功。
你的真诚的P．B．雪莱
1820年7月27日，比萨
undergo [nd] v. 经历；经受（变化、不快的事等）
The girl underwent great hardship when she was young.
这个女孩小时候遭受了极度的艰难。
gratify ['r鎡ifai] v. 使高兴或满意
It gratified me to hear of your success.
获悉你取得成功我甚感欣慰。
residence [rezidns] n. 住所；住房；（尤指）宅第
Foreign visitors are only allowed one month's residence.
外国访客只准逗留一个月。
avoid ['vid] v. 避免；防止；回避；避开；躲避
Try to avoid accidents.
尽量防止发生事故。
但我绝不认为年轻和善良的诗人应该成为它的俘虏，他们与缪斯所签的约定并不是为了这种结果。
我的建议是为你的健康考虑的，或许你会以此为借口拒绝。
我缺少雄辩的力量向你介绍意大利的雕塑、绘画和遗迹，更不用说这里的山川、河流、田野和天空的颜色以及天空本身。
I do not think that young and amiable poets are at all bound to gratify its taste...
be bound to：一定；不得不
...they have entered into no bond with the Muses to that effect...
enter into：参与；开始；包括；考虑
D.H.劳伦斯致约翰·米德尔顿·默里
D.H. Lawrence to John Middleton Murray
劳伦斯（1885—1930），英国诗人、小说家、散文家。他写过诗，但主要写长篇小说，共有10部，最著名的有《虹》《恋爱中的女人》和《查太莱夫人的情人》。他小说中的性爱描写曾引起争论，其实，全书寓意严肃，爱憎分明。劳伦斯的小说语言优美，气势恢弘，但因为他对工业文明持悲观态度，作品大都显得色调黯淡。
英国文学批评家默里因办杂志而结识凯瑟琳·曼斯菲，并深深地爱上了她，他为此困扰不已。默里向好友劳伦斯请教，劳伦斯以本信作复后不久，默里便与凯瑟琳结婚。
Dear Murray,
I'm going to answer your letter immediately, and frankly.
When you say you won't take Katherine's money, it means you don't trust her love for you. When you say she needs little luxuries, and you couldn't bear to deprive her of them, it means you don't respect either yourself or her sufficiently to do it.
It looks to me as if you two, far from growing nearer, are snapping the bonds that hold you together, one after another. I suppose you must both of you consult your own hearts, honestly. She must see if she really wants you, wants to keep you and to have no other man all her life. It means forfeiting something. But the only principle I can see in this life, is that one must forfeit the less for the greater. Only one must be thoroughly honest about it.
She must say, "Could I live in a little place in Italy, with Jack, and be lonely, have rather a bare life, but be happy?" If she could, then take her money. If she doesn't want to, don't try.
But don't beat about the bush. In the way you go on, you are inevitably coming apart. She is perhaps beginning to be unsatisfied with you. And you can't make her more satisfied by being unselfish. You must say, "How can I make myself most healthy, strong, and satisfactory to myself and to her?" If by being lazy for six months, then be lazy, and take her money. It doesn't matter if she misses her luxuries: she won't die of it. What luxuries do you mean?
If she doesn't want to stake her whole life and being on you, then go to your University abroad for a while, alone. I warn you, it'll be hellish barren.
