内容简介：法国思想家伏尔泰说过：“书信是生命的慰藉。”名人书信是历史的精神财富，能使我们欣赏伟大心灵中那深邃的思想、智能的闪光和隐秘的悲欢。名人书信也是人类的艺术瑰宝，透过感人至深的语句，随意而又抒情的笔调，享受文字之美，艺术之美。 本书收录了书信史上最动人的63封书信，既有才子佳人互通款曲，又有亲人朋友各诉衷肠；有成功者的欢欣鼓舞，也有失意者的怨艾泣诉。阅读本书，令我们于不知不觉中，体味惊喜，挥洒热泪。  目录：卷14伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（1）卷15伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（2）卷16伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（3）卷17伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（4）卷18陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（1）卷19陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（2）卷20陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（3）卷21狄更斯致妻子卷22林肯致江斯顿（1）卷23林肯致江斯顿（2） 伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（1） 伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（1） 伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁(1806—1861)英国著名的女诗人。15岁时，她因骑马不幸摔坏了脊椎，从此卧病在床长达24年。39岁那年，她结识了比她小6岁的诗人罗伯特?勃朗宁，从此她那充满哀怨的生命翻开了新的一章。经过书信来往后，勃朗宁开始探访并追求伊丽莎白。伊丽莎白的父亲极力反对两人结合，勃朗宁的家人也因伊丽莎白年长六岁，健康状况不佳而不同意这桩婚事。1846年9月12日，两人偷偷到教堂结婚，婚后定居意大利佛罗伦萨。伊丽莎白在这封写给两位妹妹的信中，详细记述了结婚的经过。 亲爱的妹妹们： 感谢和祝福你们，我最亲爱的亨里埃塔、阿拉贝尔……我最亲最爱的妹妹们——到了奥尔良，我遭受了什么呀——终于接到了你们的来信，我对你们的感激，就像我所遭受的痛苦一样深，像我在你们来信的字里行间留的泪水和亲吻一样多……你们是最亲爱最善良的。在巴黎耽搁了一周，因此一到奥尔良我就得面临死亡时刻——我当时称它为“死亡许可证”，我是那样地担忧和害怕。罗伯特抱来了一大摞信件……我把它们抓在手里，可一封也打不开。我浑身颤抖，脸色越来越苍白，四肢越发冰凉。他想坐在我身旁，看着我读这些信，但我没有答应，我决不让他在那一刻到来时这样做——因此，经过一番央求，我让他离开10分钟，独自承受这极度的痛苦。你们知道，按以往的习惯，那样我就会更坚强——而且，不让他看这些信是对的…… 亲爱的父亲和乔治的来信是令人难以忍受的——对前者，我只能低头——并非我的所作所为应受到责难——但是，他是我的父亲，当然可以用自己的观点来判断是非。至于乔治，我觉得他太过分了，恕我直言，竟然这样唇枪舌剑地来挖苦我。那口气好像指责我根本不爱你们任何人——而实际上，你们只需打个招呼，我就会放弃自己的生活，如果这样做真的能够从根本上给你们中的一个带来好处——你们只需招呼一声，就能享受到生活和幸福，这是可以验证的。 他竟然写这样一封信，竟然用他的爱撕碎我的心，这真是令人难以忍受——只不过这是他在激动和不知情时写的。我向上帝乞求，希望他和你们中最不信任我的人，能相信我在离开你们的那一天、那一刻，比任何时候都更爱你们，我至亲至爱的人们啊…… …… 我最最亲爱的阿拉贝尔，你俩都明白，如果出于表面需要，我同意马上举行仪式，过几天再走，那么，出发前我就不能在房中见到他了。 和我们相遇时一样，我们是在玛丽勒彭教堂门前分手的——他扶我坐到圣餐桌边，此后，我俩一直沉默。后来，他说我当时面如死灰。你看我们多害怕突然的分别会妨碍一切……或至少在举行仪式前，让我独自承受那令人不愉快的伦敦之行，我特别恨这一点，其理由显而易见。这不是私奔，只不过是秘密结婚，我俩都憎恶由这事而引起的流言飞语……威尔逊直到事情发生的前一天晚上，才知道此事。你们可以猜想在你们面前我所承受的痛苦——我愈是成功地掩饰，我的内心就愈痛苦。现在真是不堪回首——原谅我吧，因为我已经受到了惩罚。 你们收到了发自巴黎的长信了吗？发自阿福勒的短笺，特里皮收到了吗？噢，亲爱的特里皮，让她别太责备我。没人能正确评判我的行为，除非他完全了解我所嫁的人。他在我心目中的形象日益高大。在最近这段日子里，如果我们生活中有高人一等、头上顶有光环的人，那个人就是他。 父亲认为我为了一个天才出卖了自己的灵魂——仅仅是个天才。在我年幼的时候，若有机会，我会那样做的……但我现在已成熟了，不至于干那样的傻事。为了我和出于对我自始至终令我惊讶的爱，他竟然愿意暂时充当受大家质疑的角色。  伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（2）伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（2） 但是，越是怀疑他的人，将来就会越全面公正地评价他。我们可以耐心地等待你们的理解。可是此时，我真的太想告诉你们，他是怎样的一个人，他对我意味着什么——相信我，相信我说的话。他竭尽全力使我愉快，给我安慰……每当看到我心神不宁时，他便施展魅力哄我转而想 他……不管多少烦恼苦痛，他都能迫使我忘却它们，转而发笑——如果在奥尔良你们看到他那天的样子就好了。 他将我安置在床上，一连几个小时坐在我身旁，表现出无限的体贴与爱意，他答应，要借助上帝帮我赢回所有生我气的人的爱。他越来越爱我。到今天，我们已一起度过了两个星期，他深沉、真挚、柔情地对我说：“娶你之前我吻你的脚，我的芭——但现在我要亲吻你的脚印，我比以往更爱你。”这是真的，我能看到、感受到，我感到自己具有使他幸福的能力……我感到自己能把握住他。真奇怪，一个如此有才华的人居然会爱我——奇怪，但这是真的……我再也无法怀疑这一点。倘若不是一想起你们我就痛苦，那我们真的是幸福美满了。他的家人对我们不错。他父亲认为他已到了自行抉择的年龄，因此，并没干涉我们，只是在临走的时候说：“代我吻吻你的妻子。”他妹妹送了我一张可移动的写字桌，上面写着“赠伊?芭?勃，妹妹：萨里亚娜”。没人介意我们的沉默，因为他们知道其中缘由，这并不影响他对他们的感情和我对他们的尊重。 …… 但是我想起……想起……想起那天晚上给你们带来的痛苦，我的，我的阿拉贝尔!我想起那天晚上就颤抖，我最亲爱、最亲爱的阿拉贝尔。噢，别以为新感情会取代旧感情。我想，我比以往更爱你们。罗伯特将在比萨给你们写信，也会给亨里埃塔写信的。他说他爱你们如同爱自己的姐妹，并希望你们能与我们在一起，盼望着你们与我们在一起的那一 天……一起生活，一起旅游，就像我现在所做的这样…… ……你们感觉到了吗？你们知道吗？我……作为一个妻子……是世上最幸福的。他太好了，太深情了。他样样比我强。我们的爱不是日渐减少，而是在与日俱增。我之所以不写布尔什的天主教堂，而谈这些事情，是因为我确信，这是你们更想知道的。 我准备给父亲写信，很快也会给乔治写信。噢，亲爱的乔治如果充分了解我的心，就不会写那封信了。我知道他写那信是出于对我的爱，就如我感到他的信给我带来的痛苦一样。亲爱的乔治——他值得我怎么爱，我就会怎么去爱他。还有可怜的爸爸!我时时刻刻想着你们，永远不忘你们。亲爱的亨里埃塔、阿拉贝尔，让我像从前一样，并永远是 深深爱你们的 芭 1846年10月2日 (于罗阿纳) Elizabeth Barrett Browning To （Roanne） October 2, 1846 Dear Sisters, I thank and bless you my dearest Henrietta and Arabel—my own dearest kindest sisters!—what I suffered in reaching Orleans,—at Comst holding all these letters in my hands, can only be measured by my deep gratitude to you, and by the tears and kisses I spent upon every line of what you wrote to me… dearest kindest that you are. The deComy of the week in Paris brought me to the hour of my death warrant at Orleans—my ‘death warrant' I called it at the time, I was so anxious and terrified. Robert brought in a great packet of letters… and I held them in my hands, not able to open one, and growing paler and colder every moment. He wanted to sit by me while I read them, but I would not let him. I had resolved never to let him do that, before the moment came—so, after some beseeching, I got him to go away for ten minutes, to meet the agony alone, and with more courage so, according to my old habit you know—And besides, it was right not to let him read…  伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（3）伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（3） They were very hard letters, those from dearest Papa and dearest George—To the first I had to bow my head—I do not seem to myself to have deserved that full cup, in the intentions of this act—but he is my father and he takes his own view, of course, of what is before him to judge of. But for George, I thought it hard, I confess, that he should have written to me so with a sword. To write to me as if I did not love you all,—I who would have Comid down my life at a sign, if it could have benefited one of you really and essentially—with the proof, you should have had life and happiness at a sign. It was hard that he should use his love for me to half break my heart with such a letter—Only he wrote in excitement and in ignorance. I ask of God to show to him and the most unbelieving of you, that never, never did I love you better, all my beloved ones, than when I left you—than in that day, and that moment. … … My dearest, dearest Arabel! Understand both of you, that if, from the apparent necessities of the instant, I consented to let the ceremony precede the departure by some few days, it was upon the condition of not seeing him again in that house and till we went away. We parted, as we met, at the door of Marylebone Church—he helped me at the communion table, and not a word passed after. I looked like death, he has said since. You see we were afraid of a sudden removal preventing everything… or at least, Comying the unpleasantness on me of a journey to London previous to the ceremony, which particuComrly I should have hated, for very obvious reasons. There was no elopement in the case, but simply a private marriage; and to have given the least occasion to a certain cComss of observations, was repugnant to both of us… Wilson knew nothing till the night before. What I suffered under your eyes, you may guess—it was in proportion to every effort successfully made to disguise the suffering. Painful it is to look back upon now—forgive me for whatever was expiated in the deepest of my heart. … Did you get my long letter from Paris? and Trippy, my short note from Havre. Ah, dear Trippy! let her not think hardly of me. No one can judge of this act, except some one who knows thoroughly the man I have married. He rises on me hour by hour. If ever a being of a higher order lived among us with a glory round his head, in these Comtter days, he is such a being. Papa thinks that I have sold my soul—for genius… mere genius. Which I might have done when I was younger, if I had had the opportunity… but am in no danger of doing now. For my sake, for the love of me, from an infatuation which from first to Comst has astonished me, he has consented to occupy for a moment a questionable position. But those who question most, will do him justice fullest—and we must wait a little with resignation. In the meanwhile, what he is, and what he is to me, I would fain teach you.—Have faith in me to believe it. He puts out all his great faculties to give me pleasure and comfort…charms me into thinking of him when he sees my thoughts wandering… forces me to smile in spite of nil of them—if you had seen him that day at Orleans.  伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（4）伊丽莎白?芭蕾特?勃朗宁致妹妹（4） He Comid me down on the bed and sat by me for hours, pouring out floods of tenderness and goodness, and promising to win back for me, with God's help, the affection of such of you as were angry. And he loves me more and more. Today we have been together a fortnight, and he said to me with a deep, serious tenderness…“I kissed your feet, my Ba, before I married you—but now I would kiss the ground under your feet， I love you with a so much greater love.” And this is true, I see and feel. I feel to have the power of making him happy… I feel to have it in my hands. It is strange that anyone so brilliant should love me,—but true and strange it is…and it is impossible for me to doubt it any more. Perfectly happy therefore we should be, if I could look back on you all without this pang. His f***ly have been very kind. His father considered him of age to judge, and never thought of interfering otherwise than of saying at the Comst moment,“Give your wife a kiss for me” this, when they parted. His sister sent me a little travelling writing desk, with a word written,“E.B.B. from her sister Sarianna.” Nobody was displeased at the reserve used towards them, understanding that there were reasons for it which did not detract from his affection for them and my respect. … But I think … think … of the suffering I caused you, my own, own Arabel, that evening! I tremble thinking of you that evening—my own dearest dearest Arabel! Oh, do not fancy that new affections ran undo the old. I love you now even more, I think. Robert is going to write to you from Pisa, and to Henrietta also. He loves you as his sisters, he says, and wishes that you were with us, and hopes that one day you will be with us… staying and travelling with us…exactly as I do myself… … … And do you feel and know, that as for me… for my position as a wife…it is awfully happy for this world. He is too good and tender, and beyond me in all things, and we love each other with a love that grows instead of diminishing. I speak to you of such thing rather than of the cathedral at Bourges, because, it is of these, I feel sure, that you desire knowledge rather. I am going to write to Papa—and to George—very soon, I shall. Ah—dear George would not have written so, if he had known my whole heart, yet he loved me while he wrote, as I felt with every pain the writing caused me. Dear George,—I love him to his worth. And my poor Papa! My thoughts cling to you all, and will not leave their hold. Dearest Henrietta and Arabel let me be as ever and for ever your fondly attached Ba  陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（1）陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（1） 费奥多尔?陀思妥耶夫斯基(1821—1881)， 19世纪俄国伟大的小说家、思想家。在法国资产阶级革命思潮影响下，他早年曾醉心于空想社会主义，参加了彼得堡进步知识分子组织的彼得拉舍夫斯基小组的革命活动。1849年，陀思妥耶夫斯基被控阴谋叛国，判处死刑。临刑前一刻，收到沙皇的敕令，他被改判流放西伯利亚。这生与死之间的短短几秒给陀思妥耶夫斯基留下了不可磨灭的印象，之后他的作品一改往日风格，创作重点转向心理悲剧。他擅长心理剖析，尤其是揭示内心分裂，对人类肉体与精神痛苦的震撼人心的描写是其他作家无法企及的。他的矛盾性格组合、深层心理活动描写对后世作家产生了深远影响。 土街对面涅夫斯基广场涅士材德宅 米哈依尔?米哈依洛维奇?陀思妥耶夫斯基， 哥哥，我宝贵的朋友！事情都定下来了！我已经被宣判在要塞（我猜可能是奥伦斯基要塞）服四年苦役，然后去当列兵。今天，也就是12月22日，我们被押到了谢苗诺夫训练场。我们在那里听他们宣读了死刑判决书，又被要求亲吻了十字架，我们的宝剑在头顶上被折断，最后我们被换上了白衬衫。然后有三个人被绑缚在刑柱上等待行刑，我排在第六个。每次叫三个人，我在第二批，所以我离死亡最多只有一分钟了。 哥哥，我心里想起你和你的家人；在我临终前的那一刻，我心里想到的只有你，只有你一个人，那时候我才明白自己是多么地爱你啊，亲爱的哥哥！我还试着拥抱了站在我身旁的普列什耶夫和杜诺夫，并向他们说了再见。最后，忽然响起了撤退的号角，那些绑在行刑柱上的人被带了回来，然后，有人向我们宣布说沙皇陛下决定放我们一条生路，于是我们收到了现在的判决书。只有帕尔默被无罪释放了，回到军队里担任原来的职位。 亲爱的哥哥，我刚刚才被告知，我们今天或者明天就得出发。我提出想和你见一面，得到的回答是不可能，我能做的仅只是给你写这封信：请尽快回一封信给我吧。 我想你早已知道我们被判处了死刑。在被押往谢苗诺夫训练场的途中，我透过囚车的窗户看到很多围观的人群。也许你早已知晓了这消息，而且你一定很为我伤心。现在你看到了我的信，应该放下心了吧。 哥哥！我并没有垂头丧气或精神不振。生活无处不在，生活就在我们之间，而不在我们之外。永远有人在我周围，我要在人们中间做一个真正的“人”，要永远保持“人”的本色，无论面临什么样的不幸，我决不灰心，也决不倒下——生活就是这样的；生活的使命也是这样的。我已经意识到了这些，这种观念已经融入了我的血肉中。 …… 请代我向大嫂和孩子们问好。为了让他们不要忘记我，请经常在他们面前提起我。我们将来还可能再见面呢！哥哥，请照顾好你自己和你的家人，希望你们平安而谨慎地生活下去，请多多考虑孩子们的前途…… …… 哥哥，我们将来还可能有重逢之日！为了上帝的爱，请你一定要多多保重，好好活下去，直到我们再次相聚。将来总有一天我们还会紧紧拥抱，共同回想我们的青春时光、我们的黄金岁月、我们的理想希望，但此时此刻，我正把这一切从心中血淋淋地撕裂开来，并且把它们埋掉。 难道我将再也不能动手写作了吗？我想，四年之后，我很可能继续写作。我的上帝啊，如果我写了任何东西，我一定会把它们全都寄给你。啊！有多少存在于我脑海里的全新创作灵感将会凋谢，将会消失,或者,将作为一种毒素消融在我的血液里。是的，如果我不能写作的话，我一定会死掉的。最好是拿枝笔在监狱里待上十五年。 陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（2）陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（2） 经常写信给我吧，要尽量写得详细些，要包括很多事实。不要忘了在每封信中都要写上家里所有的细节和琐事，这将带给我希望和活力。你可知道，在这个要塞里，你的来信有使我复活的力量！最近两个半月来，因为禁止写信和收信，我度过了一段非常难熬的时光…… …… 如果我给任何人留有不好的记忆， 如果我同任何一个人争吵过，或者如果我给任何一个人造成了不愉快的印象，告诉他们忘掉这些吧——如果你能遇见他们的话。现在，我心里没有任何怨恨或者敌意，此时此刻，我应该拥抱我以前的每一位朋友，向他们表达深深的爱意。那是一种安慰，在今天临死之前, 向我亲爱的朋友说再见时，我亲自体验到了它…… …… 当我回首过去，想到有那么多的时光已经白白荒废，有那么多的时间丧失在错觉、过失、懒散以及对于生活的无知中，那时我没有珍惜时间，也经常违背自己的心灵和精神——一想到这些，我的心就在流血。生命是一种恩赐，是一种幸福，我们每时每刻都应该生活在快乐之中。年轻人如果有经验该多好啊！现在，我的生命改变了，我获得了新生。哥哥！我向你发誓，我一定不会丧失希望，我一定保持精神与心灵的纯洁，我将获得一种更好的新生。那将是我全部的希望和所有的安慰！ 狱中生活已经把我身上不够纯洁的物质欲望消灭殆尽。以前，我对自己不够注意，如今，艰难困苦对我已不算什么，因此，不要担心物质上的艰苦会把我折磨死。这是绝不可能的事！唉，要是我有健壮的体格就好了！ 好，再见了，再见了，哥哥！让我紧紧地拥抱你，让我深情地亲吻你。请在心里记着我，不要伤心，不要悲痛。我恳求你，不要为我悲伤！在下一封信里，我将告诉你我是如何到那里去的。请记住我所告诉你的一切：计划好你的生活，不要浪费光阴，安排好你该做的一切，为你的孩子们作好打算。啊，我多想见你一面，多想见你一面！再见了！现在，我将哭着告别我所热爱的一切事物，离开它们是多么痛苦啊！把一个人一分为二、把一颗心剖为两半是多么痛苦啊！再见了！再见了！但我非常确信将会再次看到你——我希望你一直爱我，不要改变，不要让你的记忆冷却，回想你的爱将是我生命中最重要的一部分。再见了！再见了！再说一遍，向所有的一切告别！ 你的弟弟， 费奥多?陀思妥耶夫斯基 1849年12月22日 于彼得与保罗要塞 Fyodor Dostoevsky To The Peter and Paul Fortress, December 22, 1849 Mihail Mihaliovich Dostoevsky, Nevsky Prospect, opposite Gryazny Street,in the house of Neslind Brother, my precious friend! all is settled! I am sentenced to four years' hard Combor in the fortress (I believe, of Orenburg), and after that to serve as a private. Today, the 22nd of December, we were taken to the Semionov Drill Ground. There the sentence of death was read to all of us, we were told to kiss the Cross, our swords were broken over our heads, and our Comst toilet was made (white shirts). Then three were tied to the pilComr for execution. I was the sixth. Three at a time were called out; consequently, I was in the second batch and no more than a minute was left me to live. I remembered you, brother, and all yours; during the Comst minute you, you alone, were in my mind, only then I realized how I love you, dear brother mine! I also managed to embrace Plescheyev and Durov who stood close to me, and to say good?by to them. Finally the retreat was sounded, and those tied to the pilComr were led back, and it was announced to us that His Imperial Majesty granted us our lives. Then followed the present sentences. Palm alone has been pardoned, and returns with his old rank to the army.  陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（3）陀思妥耶夫斯基致兄长米哈依尔（3） I was just told, dear brother, that today or tomorrow we are to be sent off. I asked to see you. But I was told that this was impossible; I may only write you this letter: make haste and give me a reply as soon as you can. I am afraid that you may somehow have got to know of our death sentence. From the windows of the prison van, when we were taken to the Semionov Drill Ground, I saw a multitude of people; perhaps the news reached you, and you suffered for me. Now you will be easier on my account. Brother! I have not become downhearted or low?spirited. Life is everywhere , life in ourselves, not in what is outside us. There will be people near me, and to be a man among people and remain a man forever, not to be downhearted nor to fall in whatever misfortunes may befall me—this is life; this is the task of life. I have realized this. This idea has entered into my flesh and into my blood. … Kiss your wife and children. Remind them of me continually; see that they do not forget me. Perhaps, we shall yet meet some time! Brother, take care of yourself and of your f***ly, live quietly and carefully. Think of the future of your children… … And maybe, we shall meet again some time, brother! Take care of yourself, go on living, for the love of God, until we meet. Perhaps some time we shall embrace each other and recall our youth, our golden time that was, our youth and our hopes, which at this very instant I am tearing out from my heart with my blood, to bury them. Can it indeed be that I shall never take a pen into my hands? I think that after the four years there may be a possibility. I shall send you everything that I may write, if I write anything, my God! How many imaginations, lived through by me, created by me anew, will perish, will be extinguished in my brain or will be spilt as poison in my blood! Yes, if I am not allowed to write, I shall perish. Better fifteen years of prison with a pen in my hands! Write to me more oftene, more facts. In every letter write about all kinds of f***ly details, of trifles, don't forget. This will give me hope and life. If you knew how your letters revived me here in the fortress! These Comst two months and a half, when it was forbidden to write or receive a letter, have been very hard on me … If anyone has bad memories of me, if I have quarreled with anyone, if I have created in anyone an unpleasant impression— tell them they should forget it, if you manage to meet them. There is no gall or spite in my soul; I should dearly love to embrace any one of my former friends at this moment. It is a comfort, I experienced it today when saying good?by to my dear ones before death … … When I look back at the past and think how much time has been wasted in vain, how much time was lost in delusions, in errors, in idleness, in ignorance of how to live, how I did not value time, how often I sinned against my heart and spirit—my heart bleeds. Life is a gift, life is happiness, each minute might have been an age of happiness. Si jeunesse svait! Now, changing my life, I am being reborn into a new form. Brother! I swear to you that I shall not lose hope and shall preserve my spirit and heart in purity. I shall be reborn to a better thing. That is my whole hope, my whole comfort! The life in prison has already sufficiently killed in me the demands of the flesh which were not wholly pure; I took little heed of myself before. Now privations are nothing to me, and, therefore, do not fear that any material hardship will kill me. This cannot be! Ah! To have health! Well, good?by, good?by, brother! I embrace you closely, I kiss you closely. Remember me without pain in your heart. Do not grieve, I pray you, do not grieve for me! In the next letter I shall tell you of how I go on. Remember then what I have told you: pComn out your life, do not waste it, arrange your destiny, think of your children. Oh, to see you, to see you! Good?by! Now I tear myself away from everything that was dear; it is painful to leave it! It is painful to break oneself in two, to cat the heart in two. Good?by! Good?by! But I shall see you, I am convinced—I hope; do not change, love me, do not let your memory grow cold, and the thought of your love will be the best part of my life. Good?by, good?by, once more! Good?by to all! Your brother Fyodor Dostoevaky  狄更斯致妻子狄更斯致妻子 查尔斯?狄更斯（1812－1870），19世纪英国著名的小说家,出生于英国朴茨茅斯特地区的一个小职员家庭。12岁时,父亲负债入狱，他被迫辍学做工，后来经济条件有所改善，才得以复学。狄更斯16岁便到一家律师事务所当缮写员，后又担任报社采访记者，广泛接触社会，因此他了解底层生活，也了解上层社会的种种罪恶，熟悉司法界和议会政治中的诸多弊端,并为他后来的批判现实主义文学创作奠定了思想基础。1837年，他发表第一部长篇小说《匹克威克外传》，获得巨大成功。从此，他专门从事文学创作，在此30年间，他一共写了14部长篇小说（其中有一部未完成）及许多中短篇小说、戏剧、杂文和游记等。他的作品以人道主义精神为本源，描写下层劳动人民的悲惨遭遇，揭露封建贵族和资产阶级贪婪、伪善、狡诈、腐朽的生活习性。其代表作主要有《奥列佛?特维斯特》和《大卫?科波菲尔》等。 狄更斯39岁那年，他的小女儿朵拉(Dora)不幸病逝。他写此信，将这个不幸的消息告知妻子。 我最亲爱的凯特——现在你要留心，你必须慢慢地、非常仔细地读这封信。如果你是匆忙之中读到这里，尚不十分明白（还没有领悟出有什么坏消息）的话，我希望你从头再读一遍。 小朵拉没有感觉到一点痛苦就突然病倒了。她的脸色非常平静——如果你看见她安详的表情，你会误以为她正在平静地睡觉呢。但我知道她病得不轻，而且我也不敢对她的康复抱太大的希望。我不相信（亲爱的，我为什么要对你说假话呢？），我根本不相信她甚至还有复原的可能。 我不想离家外出，虽然我留在这里也帮不了什么忙，但我还是觉得留在这儿的选择是正确的。我知道你也不愿意离家在外，你不在家的时候我总是心怀不安。福斯特还是像往常一样那么关心我们，他现在给你送去这封信并接你回家。然而，我在结束这封信之前还必须坚决地要求和严厉地命令你，回家时一定要保持镇静沉着—— 要记住我平时对你说过的话：我们的孩子多，别的父母所遭受到的不幸，我们根本不能指望得到幸免。如果——如果你回来的时候，我不得不忍住悲痛对你说“我们的小宝宝死了”，你仍然要对其他孩子尽到做母亲的责任，要向他们证明你值得他们对你充分地信赖。 如果你看完这封信的时候能保持冷静，我就会完全相信你能正确处理好这件事情。 永远爱你的， 查尔斯?狄更斯 1851年4月15日星期二晨于 德文郡泰拉斯街 Charles Dickens To Devonshire?terrace Tuesday morning, 15th April, 1851 My dearest Kate,—Now observe, you must read this letter very slowly and carefully. If you have hurried on thus far without quite understanding (apprehending some bad news) I rely on your turning back and reading again. Little Dora, without being in the least pain, is suddenly stricken ill. There is nothing in her appearance but perfect rest—you would suppose her quietly asleep, but I am sure she is very ill, and I cannot encourage myself with much hope of her recovery. I do not (and why should I say I do to you, my dear?) I do not think her recovery at all likely. I do not like to leave home, I can do no good here, but I think it right to stay. You will not like to be away, I know, and I cannot reconcile it to myself to keep you away. Forster, with his usual affection for us, comes down to bring you this letter and to bring you home, but I cannot close it without putting the strongest entreaty and injunction upon you to come with perfect composure—to remember what I have often told you, that we never can expect to be exempt, as to our many children, from the afflictions of other parents, mad that if—if when you come. I should even have to say to you，“Our little baby is dead,” you are to do your duty to the rest, and to show yourself worthy of the great trust you hold in them. If you will only read this steadily I have a perfect confidence in your doing what is right. Ever affectionately, Charles Dickens   林肯致江斯顿（1）林肯致江斯顿（1） 亚伯拉罕?林肯（1809—1865），美国历史上最富人格魅力与传奇色彩的总统。他出生于农民家庭，青年时代当过工人、石匠和店员，艰苦的环境磨炼了他的意志，他刻苦自学，又先后担任过州议员、律师、众议员。1860年，林肯当选为美国总统，着手废除奴隶制，在任期间发表了《解放宣言》，提出了“民有、民治、民享”的口号。在南方诸州提出分裂以后，他领导人民进行了南北战争，重新统一了美国。1864年，林肯获得连任，1865年4月14日，他被一个戏剧演员暗杀。 江斯顿是林肯继母的儿子，他来信向林肯借钱，林肯以此信回复了他。 亲爱的江斯顿： 你向我借八十块钱，我觉得目前最好不要借给你。好几次我帮助你之后，你都说“现在我们的生活可以好过了”，但是时隔不久，你又面临了同样的困境。现在，只能说明你自己有问题。是什么问题呢?我想我知道。你不是个懒汉，但多少有点游手好闲。自从我上次看见你，就怀疑你没有认真工作过一天。你不太讨厌工作，但却不卖劲干活，惟一的原因是你觉得你并不能从中获益多少。 所有的问题都缘于你那浪费时间的恶习。改掉这种习惯对你来说很重要，而对你的儿女则更加重要。这是因为他们的人生之路还很长，在没有养成闲散的习惯之前，尚可加以制止。这比养成之后再纠正要容易得多。 现在你需要些现钱；我建议你去工作，去找个出薪雇人的老板，为他“卖力地”工作。 让你爸爸和你的几个儿子去应付家里春播和秋收的事吧，你自己去做些最挣钱的工作，再用你的工资抵债。为了使你的劳动获得好的酬金，我现在答应你，从今天到五月一号，只要你工作挣到一块钱或是偿还了一块钱的债，我就再给你一块钱。 这样的话，如果你每月挣十块钱，你可以从我这儿再得到十块钱，那么你一个月就能挣二十块钱。我不是说让你到圣路易或加利福尼亚州的铅矿、金矿去，而是让你在离家近的地方找个最挣钱的工作——就在柯尔斯县境内。 如果你现在愿意这样做，很快就能还清债务。更好的是，你会养成不再欠债的好习惯。但是，如果我现在帮你还了债，明年你又会负债累累。你说，你愿意用你在天堂的席位换来七八十块钱。这么说，你把你在天堂的席位看得太廉价了。其实，照我说的去做，保证你工作四五个月就能挣到那七八十块钱。你又说，如果我借给你钱，你愿意把田产抵押给我；若是将来你还不清钱，那田地就归我所有—— 胡说八道!假如现在你有田地都无法生存，将来没有田地又怎么存活呢?你一向对我很好，我现在也没有对你无情无义，相反，如果你肯采纳我的建议，你会发现，对你来说，这比八个八十块钱还值! 挚爱你的哥哥 亚?林肯 （1848年12月24日） Abraham Lincoln To （Dec. 24, 1848） Dear Johnston: Your request for eighty dolComrs, I do not think it best to comply with now. At the various times when I have helped you a little, you have said to me, “We can get along very well now,” but in a very short time I find you in the same difficulty again. Now this can only happen by some defect in your conduct. What that defect is, I think I know. You are not Comzy, and still you are an idler. I doubt whether since I saw you, you have done a good whole day's work, in any one day. You do not very much dislike to work, and still you do not work much, merely because it does not seem to you that you could get much for it. 林肯致江斯顿（2） This habit of uselessly wasting time, is the whole difficulty; it is vastly important to you, and still more so to your children, that you should break this habit. It is more important to them, because they have longer to live, and can keep out of an idle habit before they are in it, easier than they can get out after they are in. You are now in need of some ready money; and what I propose is, that you shall go to work,“tooth and nail,” for somebody who will give you money for it. Let father and your boys take charge of your things at home—prepare for a crop, and make the crop, and you go to work for the best money wages, or in discharge of any debt you owe, that you can get. And to secure you a fair reward for your Combor, I now promise you that for every dolComr you will, between this and the first of May, get for your own Combor either in money or in your own indebtedness, I will then give you one other dolComr. By this, if you hire yourself at ten dolComrs a month, from me you will get ten more, making twenty dolComrs a month for your work. In this, I do not mean you shall go off to St.Louis, or the lead mines, or the gold mines, in California, but I mean for you to go at it for the best wages you can get close to home—in Coles County. Now if you will do this, you will soon be out of debt, and what is better, you will have a habit that will keep you from getting in debt again. But if I should now clear you out, next year you will be just as deep in as ever. You say you would almost give your pComce in Heaven for ?70 or ?80. Then you value your pComce in Heaven very cheaply, for I am sure you can with the offer I make you get the seventy or eighty dolComrs for four or five months' work. You say if I furnish you the money you will deed me the Comnd, and if you don't pay the money back, you will deliver possession—Nonsense! If you can't now live with the Comnd, how will you then live without it? You have always been kind to me, and I do not now mean to be unkind to you. On the contrary, if you will but follow my advice, you will find it worth more than eight times eighty dolComrs to you. Affectionately Your brother A.Lincoln  |
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