人的一生,就像一卷手稿那样,竟会如此轻易地被打开。此时，一切早已尘封的往事，所有情感、力量，乃至灵魂全部都涌上心头。

如果你是一名大、中学生，阅读本书可以提高人文素养，开阔视野，陶冶情操。 如果你是一位英语爱好者，阅读本书可以一睹这些佳作的原文风采。 如果你是一位翻译爱好者，阅读本书可以将原文和译文对比推敲，欣赏佳译。 如果你是一名文学爱好者，阅读本书可以从优美的文字中感受最真挚、最纯洁的感情，从而思索生命的意义。

本书《世界上最优美的散文》选自世界最有成就的文学大家最杰出的散文作品。大师们以其超凡的笔触、激荡洒脱的文字，打造出的一篇篇至纯至美的杰作。

本书选自世界最有成就的文学大家最杰出的散文作品。大师们以其超凡的笔触、激荡洒脱的文字，打造出的一篇篇至纯至美的杰作，包含了他们对大自然的讴歌。对复杂社会的解析。对漫长人生的理解。读一篇优美的散文就是和一颗坦荡、高尚的心灵晤谈，它会引领我们进入博大的境界，以超凡的视觉。来静观社会，审视人生。本书为大学生、中学生英汉双语的最佳读物，是散文爱好者的理想选择。

论美

Of Beauty

论学习

Of Studies

论爱情

Of Love

说春(节选)

The Rambler

快乐的期待

Expectations of Pleasure Frustrated

谈人间荣誉之虚渺

On the Instability of Human Glory

谈怕死

On the Fear of Death

人生(节选)

On Life

八月

August

尼亚加拉大瀑布

To the Falls of Niagara

黄金国

EL Dorado

四季随笔

The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft

远处的青山

A Green Hill Far Away

论老之将至

How to Grow Old

微尘与栋梁

On Motes and Beams

人类的故事

The Human Story

无知的乐趣

The Pleasures of Ignorance

论友谊(节选)

Of friendship

论忧伤

Of Sadness or Sorrow

要生活得惬意

To Live Agreeably

习俗是正义的本质

Justice and the Reason Of Effects

忏悔录(第二章节选)

The Cofessions Book 2

论创造

The Archer

美腿与丑腿

The Handsome and Deformed Leg

破碎的心

The Broken Heart

妻子

The Wife

生命

Life

论自立(节选)

Essay I Self—Reliance

烦忧的心灵

The Haunted Mind

阅读

Reading

冬之湖

The Pond in Winter

我的母亲

This was My Mother

青春

Youth

如果我休息 我就生锈

If I Rest，I Rust

我们在旅途中

We are on a Journey

艰辛的人生

The Strenuous Life

人类的始祖

Our Earliest Ancestors

《宽容》序言

Prologue Tolerance

晚夏

Late Summer

爱是艰难的

Love is Difficult

树林和草原

The Forest and the Steppe

时钟

The Clock

孟加拉风光·西来达

Glimpses of Bengal Shelidah

我和父亲

Father and I

快乐的期待

寻找快乐是一件很难有结果的事。最明亮的火焰通常都是由意外的火花所点燃：生命旅途上不时散发出芬芳的花朵。也是由偶然散落的种子无意中生长起来的。

快乐的计划总难让人如愿。把一些智者和幽默家从遥远的地方邀请来会聚一堂，他们的到来会得到赞赏者的欢呼与喝彩；但当他们面面相觑时，如果沉默，会觉得惭愧，如果说话，又会有顾虑，如此一来，每个人都会不自在，开始痛恨给自己施加痛苦的人，并最终决定对这种毫无价值的聚会采取冷漠态度。酒能够燃起仇恨之火，也可以把阴郁变为暴躁，直到最后再也无法忍受在座的其他人。他们退到一个更加安全的地方去发泄自己的愤慨，谁知又被留心的人听到了，于是他们的重要性又得以恢复，他们又开始变得幽默，并用充满智慧和诙谐的行为使整个夜晚变得欢快起来。

快乐总是一种瞬时印象的效果。期待中的幽默也随后被破坏。在充满忧郁的冷漠影响下，最活跃的想象力有时也会变得麻木；但在某些特殊场合，又需要诱发仍然不稳定的心情去突破，去驰骋。这时任何巧妙言辞都是多余的，只需要机遇的配合就可以了。因此，才智和勇气必定会满意地与好运共享荣誉。

所有其他的快乐也同样是无法确定的。变换环境通常可以补救不佳的心境；几乎每个人都经历过心灵上的快乐之旅，这种快乐使他的期待得到满足。从理论上来说，旅行者做到这一点是没什么困难的；阴影和阳光任其选择，无论停留于何处，他都会遇到丰盛的餐桌和快乐的表情。这些想法一直徘徊在他的脑海里，直到出发的日子终于到来，他雇了一辆轻便马车，然后开始了他的快乐之旅。

才走了几英里，他就得到教训，知道了想象与现实是有差距的。一路烟尘滚滚，天气闷热，马跑得慢，赶车的又非常粗暴。他渴望着午餐时刻的到来。以便吃饱后可以休息一下；但旅店人满为患，他的要求也无人理睬，于是除了无奈地匆忙吃完令人倒胃口的饭菜之外，他别无选择。然后他又继续上路，另寻快乐。到了晚上，他找到了一间很宽敞的住所，但一切总比他预想的要坏。

最后他踏上了故乡的土地，决定找故旧谈心。或回忆青梅竹马的情景来放松心情。他在一个朋友家的门口停了下来，想以意外到访给对方一个惊喜。不料，直到自我介绍之后他才被认出，而且是经过一番解释之后，主人才记起他来。他自然只能得到冷淡的接待和礼节上的宴请。匆匆告辞之后，他又去拜访另一位友人，但这个朋友又因事远走他方；看到人去楼空。他只好带着意外‘的失望怅然离去，因为这种失望总是让人无法预见。在走访的下一家。每个人都因不幸的事而愁容满面，他被视为讨厌的不速之客，好像他不是来拜访，而是来羞辱他们的。

我们很难找到期望中的人或地方。凭借幻想绘出希望前景的人。都不会得到快乐；期望进行机智谈话的人，总想知道是什么样的私见成就了他的名声。然而，尽管希望常常被欺骗，却是必不可少的，因为希望本身就是幸福；尽管它常常遭受挫折，但比起希望破灭，这种挫折毕竟没有那样可怕。

Expectations of Pleasure Frustrated

Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought. Our brightest blazes of glad-ness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks. The flowers which scarer theirodours, from time to time, in the paths of life, grow up without culture from seedsscattered by chance.

Nothing is more hopeless than a scheme of merriment. Wits and humouristsare brought together from distant quarters by preconcerteds invitations; they come, at-tended by their admirers, prepared to laugh and to applaud; they gaze awhile on eachother, ashamed to be silent, and afraid to speak; every man is discontented with him-self, grows angry with those that give him pain, and resolves that he will contributenothing to the merriment of such worthless company, Wine inflames the general ma-lignity, and changes sullenness to petulance, till at last none can bear any longerthe presence of the rest. They retire to vent their indignation in safer places,where theyare heard with attention; their importance is restored, they recover their good humour,and gladden the night with wit and jocularity.

Merriment is always the effect of a sudden impression. The jest which is expect-ed is already destroyed. The most active imagination will be sometimes torpid, underthe frigid influence of melancholy, and sometimes occasions will be wanting to temptthe mind, however volatile, to sallies and excursions. Nothing was ever said with un-common felicity, but by the co-operation of chance; and, therefore, wit, as we as val-our, must be content to share its honours with fortune.

All other pleasures are equally uncertain; the general remedy of uneasiness ischange of place; almost every one has some journey of pleasure in his mind, withwhich he flatters his expectation. He that travels in theory has no inconvenience; hehas shade and sunshine at his disposal, and wherever he alights finds tables of plentyand looks of gaiety. These ideas are indulged till the day of departure arrives, thechaise is called, and the progress of happiness begins.

A few miles teach him the fallacies of imagination. The road is dusty, the air issultry, the horses are sluggish, and the postilliont brutal. He longs for the time of din-ner, that he may eat and rest. The inn is crowded, his orders are neglected, and noth-ing remains but that he devour in haste what the cook has spoiled, and drive on inquest of better entertainment. He finds at night a more commodious house, but the bestis always worse than he expected.

He at last enters his native province, and resolves to feast his mind with the con-versation of his old friends, and the recollection of juvenile frolicks. He stops at thehouse of his friend, whom he designs to overpower with pleasure by the unexpectedinterview. He is not known till he tells his name, and revives the memory of himself bya gradual explanation. He is then coldly received, and ceremonious|y feasted. Hehastes away to another, whom his affairs have called to a distant place, and, havingseen the empty house, goes away disgusted by a disappointment which could not beintended, because it could not be foreseen. At the next house he finds everyfaceclouded with misfortune, and is regarded with malevolence as an unreasonable intrud-er, who comes not to visit but to insult them.

It is seldom that we find either men or places such as we expect them. He thathas pictured a prospect upon his fancy, will receive little pleasure from his eyes; hethat has anticipated the conversation of a wit, will wonder to what prejudice he oweshis reputation. Yet it is necessary to hope, though hope should always be deluded; forhope itself is happiness, and its frustrations, however frequent, are less dreadful thanits extinction. P16-19