第27章 河谷寻幽(2)

    Endless is the variety in the shape of the high lands which from this valley.Sometimes the slope is very gentle，and the arable lands go back very far.At others，the downs come out into the valley almost like piers into the sea，being very steep in their sides；as well as their ends：indeed they have no back ends，but run into the main high land.There is also great variety in the width of the valley；great variety in the width of the meadows；but the land appears all to be of the very best；and it must be so，for the farmers confess it.

    尽管对这里的田园风光我本来就抱有很高的期望，却没有想到眼前的景色比我所想像的更美妙。以前我曾经在汗普郡的伊饮、伯恩以及特斯特等一些地方见过溪谷，包括南高地的溪谷，可是没有一处像阿文河这样让我动心。我端骑在马上，仰头眺望米尔顿、伊斯和佩塞，足足有半个小时，居然忘记了自己还没有吃早餐。我所站的这个山丘地势险峻，一条小径从旁边斜出向下，狭窄而陡峭，再加上山雨长年累月地冲洗，更加深凹难走。我既没有胆量骑马下山，也不想牵着马下山。就在这个时候，我看见一个小男孩正赶着猪群向茬子地走去，我于是招手把他叫了过来，让他帮我把马牵下去。在继续我的山谷寻幽之前，我还是好好介绍一下我给阿文河谷画的一张草图或者称之为地图。我是这样画的：我从朋友那里借来了一张威尔特郡的旧地图，在上面盖上一层薄纸，描出河流，用数字代表教堂，用星号代表庄园和房宅的旧址。把这个河谷包围起来的高地可真是姿态各异。有时山坡比较平缓，田地顺畅地向远方延伸；有时高地陡然陷入河谷，好像是探入海中的码头长堤，四面都是峭壁：实际上并没有任何背面，而是与整个高地连接在一起。另外，河谷的宽度和草地的宽度也都有很大的变化。但是无论怎样看，这里的土地都称得上是上等的良田。这一点是毋庸置疑的，因为当地的农民就是这样说的。

    It seemed to me that one way，and that not，perhaps，the least striking，of exposing the folly，the stupidity，the inanity，the presumption，the insufferable emptiness and insolence and barbarity，of those numerous wretches who have now the audacity to propose to transport the people of England，upon the principle of the monster Malthus，who has furnished the unfeeling oligarchs and their toad-eaters with the pretence that man has a natural propensity to breed faster than food can be raised for the increase；it seemed to me that one way of exposing this mixture of madness and of blasphemy was to take a look，now that the harvest is in，at the produce，the mouths，the condition，and the changes that have taken place，in a spot like this，which God has favoured with every good that he has had to bestow upon man.

    如今，有一些莫名其妙的古怪言论是这么说的：即人口的增长速度总是比所需要的食物增长的速度快，基于此理论要求英格兰向外移民。这些理论不过是那些狂妄而又不学无术、无聊卑鄙的人从妖怪马尔萨斯那里摘文引句，为那些暴君的统治和某些奴颜媚骨者鼓吹的托辞罢了。如果要彻底揭露这些家伙的愚昧蠢笨、稀里糊涂、言行武断，和让人难以忍受的浅薄无知、蛮横骄纵，还有疯疯癫癫以及对神灵的亵渎，最有效的一种方法也许就是赶上收获时节来这个地方看看——看看这年收成、人丁、状况和种种变化。上帝对这个地方真是倾囊恩赐了。

    From the top of the hill I was not a little surprised to see，in every part of the valley that my eye could reach，a due，a large，portion of fields of Swedish turnips，all looking extremely well.I had found the turnips of both sorts by no means bad from Salt Hill to Newbur... -->>
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