季羡林·《我和北大图书馆》英译

发布时间:2023-04-12 01:28:08   来源:文档文库   
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季羡林·《我和北大图书馆》英译
PekingUniversityLibraryandI
JiXianlin张培基
我对北大图书馆有一种特殊的感情,这种感情潜伏在我的内心深处,从来没有明确地意识到过。最近图书馆的领导同志要我写一篇讲图书馆的文章,我连考虑都没有,立即一口答应。但我立刻感到有点吃惊。我现在事情还是非常多的,抽点时间,并非易事。为什么竟立即答应下来了呢?如果不是心中早就蕴藏着这样一种感情的话,能出现这种情况吗?
树有根,水有源,我这种感情的根源由来已久了。

1946年,我从欧洲回国。去国将11年,在落叶满长安(长安街也)的深秋季节,又回到了北平。在北大工作,内心感情的波动是难以形容的,既兴奋,又寂寞;既愉快,又惆怅。然而我立刻就到了一下可以安身立命的地方,这就是北大图书馆。当时我单身住在红楼,我的办公室(东语系办公室)是在灰楼。图书馆就介乎其中。承当时图书馆的领导特别垂青,在图书馆里给了一研究室,在楼下左侧。窗外是到灰楼去的必由之路,经常有人走过,不能说是很清静。但是在图书馆这一面,却是清静异常。我的研究室左右,也都是教授研究室,当然室各有主,但是颇少见人来,所以走廊里静如古寺,真是念书写作的好地方。我能在奔波数万里、扰攘十几年,有时梦想得到一张一尺IcherishaparticularaffectionforPekingUniversityLibraryanaffectionthathashiddendeepinmyheartwithoutmyknowledge.Therefore,recentlywhenthecuratoraskedmetowriteanarticleonthelibrary,Ireadilyagreedwithoutanyhesitation.Nevertheless,immediatelyafterwards,IfeltabitsurprisedattherashpromiseIhadmade,for,withalreadytoomanyironsinthefire,Icouldhardlyhavetimetospare.Whathadmademegivethepromise?CouldIhavedonethathaditnotbeenformydeep-seatedaffectionfortheUniversitylibrary?
Everytreehasitsrootsandeveryriveritssource.MydeepaffectionfortheUniversitylibraryhasanoriginoflongstanding.

In1946,IreturnedtoChinaafterstayingEuropeforaboutelevenyears.WhenIarrivedinPeiping,itwaslateautumn,withChang’anStreetstrewnwithfallenleaves.MyfirstdaysatPekingUniversityfoundmeexperiencinganindescribablemixedfeelingofbothelationandloneliness,andbothjoyandgloom.Fortunately,IsoonfoundaplacewhereIcouldsetthedowntoatranquillifeandgetonwithmywork,thatis,PekingUniversityLibrary.Atthattime,IlivedaloneattheRedBuildingandmyoffice,theofficeoftheOrientalLanguagesDepartment,wasintheGrayBuilding.AndtheUniversitylibrarywassituatedin-between.Thankstothethoughtfulnessofthecurator,Iwasallottedaresearchroominthelibrary,ontheleftsideofitsgroundfloor.Itwasabitnoisyoutofthewindowduetoapassagealongsidethebuilding,whichwastheonlyleadingtotheGrayBuilding.Butitwasveryquietinthelibraryitselfthough.Aroundmewerealsoresearchroomsbelongingtootherprofessors,butIseldomsawthem.Soit
见方的书桌而渺不可得的情况下,然有了一间窗明几净的研究室,简直如坐天堂,如享天福了。

研究室的真正在害还不在窗明几净——当然,这也是必要的——在有没有足够的书。在这一点上,我也得到了意外的满足。图书馆的领导允许我从书库里提一部分必要的书,放在我的研究室里,供随时查用。我当时是东语系的主任,虽然系非常小,没有多少学生,一些公要办,所以也并不太闲。可是我一有机会,就遁入我的研究室去,“躲进小楼成一统”这地方是我的天下。我一进屋,就能进入角色,潜心默读,坐拥书城,其乐实在是不足为外人道也。我回国以后,由于资料缺乏,在国外时的研究工作,无法进行,只能有多大碗,吃多少饭,找一些可以发挥自己的长处而又有利于国计民生的题目,来进行研究。北大图书馆藏书甲全国大学,我需要的资料基本上能找得到,因此还能够写出一些东西来。如果换一个地方,我必如车辙中的鲋鱼那样,什么书也看不到,什么文章也写不出。

作为全国最高学府的北京大学,我们有悠久的爱国主义的革命历史wasallquietinthecorridor,likeinanancienttemple.Itwasanidealplacefordoingstudiesandwritingindeed.ImaginehowoverwhelmedwithjoyIwastohaveabrightresearchroomcompletewithadeskafterspendingmorethanadecaderushingaboutformplacetoplacesometimeswiththevaindreamofgettingameresmalldeskofmown!

Tome,however,whatreallymatteredinaresearchroomwerenotbrightwindowsandcleandesks,whichwereofcoursealsoindispensable,butsufficientbooks.NowIhadmywishunexpectedlygratified.Iwasgivenpermissionfromthecuratortoequipmyresearchroomwithnecessarybooksforeasyreferencetakendirectfromthestackrooms.AsheadoftheDepartmentofOrientalLanguages,IwasbusywithmeetingsandofficialdutiesalthoughthesaidDepartmenthadarelativelysmallenrollment.Inspiteofthat,Iwouldwithdrawatthefirstopportunitytomyresearchroomtoenjoytheprivacyofhavingaplacealltomyself,aplacewhereIwasmyownmaster.AssoonasIenteredtheroom,Ibegantolivemypartasanavidreadersittingamongaroomfulofbooks.ThegreatpleasureIenjoyedatthemomentwasbeyonddescription.UponmyreturntoChina,Ihadtodiscontinue,forlackofreferencematerials,theresearchIhadbeendoingabroad.Ihadtoadapttothenewcircumstancesbyworkingonlyonthemesmostfamiliartomeandhavingdirectbearingonnationaleconomyandthepeople’slivelihood.AsPekingUniversityLibraryboastedthelargestcollectionofbooksofalluniversitylibrariesinthecountry,Iwasabletowritewithmaterialsavailabletome.Otherwise,withnoaccesstobooksIneeded,Iwouldhaveaccomplishednothingatall,likeafishstrandedinadryrut.

Asoneofthehighestinstitutesoflearninginthecountry,PekingUniversityhasalonghistory

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