1、,Samuel Johnson,Samuel Johnson (1709 1784), often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. He is also the subject of “the most famous single work of bio
2、graphical art in the whole of literature“: James Boswells Life of Samuel Johnson.,After nine years of work, Johnsons A Dictionary of the English Language was published in 1755; it had a far-reaching effect on Modern English and has been described as “one of the greatest single achievements of schola
3、rship.“ This work brought Johnson popularity and success. Until the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later, Johnsons was viewed as the pre-eminent British dictionary.,His later works included essays, an influential annotated edition of William Shakespeares plays, and the widely
4、read tale Rasselas. In 1763, he befriended James Boswell, with whom he later travelled to Scotland. Towards the end of his life, he produced the massive and influential Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, a collection of biographies and evaluations of 17th- and 18th-century poets.,Samuel Johnso
5、n often claimed that he grew up in poverty. He soon contracted scrofula（淋巴结核）. An operation was performed that left him with permanent scars across his face and body. Johnson demonstrated signs of great intelligence as a child. To earn money, Johnson began to stitch books for his father, and it is p
6、ossible that Johnson spent most of his time in his fathers bookshop reading various works and building his literary knowledge.,In 1728, a few weeks after he turned 19, Johnson entered Pembroke College, Oxford. After thirteen months, a shortage of funds forced Johnson to leave Oxford without a degree
7、. He eventually received a degree: just before the publication of his Dictionary in 1755, Oxford University awarded Johnson the degree of Master of Arts. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1765 by Trinity College Dublin and in 1775 by Oxford University.,到了十八世纪中叶,意大利人有了他们的大词典；甚至世仇法国人也有了他们的大词典，而英
8、国居然没有！ 但意大利文和法文大词典都是国家文学院编的，特别是法文大词典，四十位院士化了四十年才编成。而英国当时没有相应的学院；英国王室又像英国商人一样斤斤计较：资助四十位学者工作四十年，这投资是否收得回来？ 只能靠个人在有限几年内编成，这本词典的市场需要才会转化为商业可能。颇有几位文化名人跃跃欲试，仔细考虑之后，却是个个知难而退。年，伦敦几家出版商，联手找上了塞缪尔约翰生。,时年三十七岁的约翰生，是伦敦出名的万能文人，写作、评论、翻译、编杂志，样样都来。 因为父亲生意失败，无钱交纳学费，约翰生被迫从牛津中途退学。因为没有学位，约翰生无法担任体面的公职。 他又不幸患有抽动障碍， 偶尔会有不合时
9、宜的怪动作，为贵族做个秘书，也可能被解雇。,约翰生娶了个比他大二十一岁的寡妇，收入不继时只能用妻子的钱。有时自尊心上来了，不愿吃软饭，就跟朋友在廉价酒吧混通宵。 出版商的开价一千五百个金基尼（约合现在二十二万英镑），对约翰生而言是天文数字，他答应在三年内交卷。 约翰生其实干了九年才收工。即将完成前，他的朋友劝说牛津大学有关人士：这般重要著作，当应出自牛津人之手。牛津大学就为约翰生补了个学位。词典出版十年后，都柏林大学授予约翰生名誉博士学位；又十年，牛津大学颁了博士学位。所以现在人们都称他为约翰生博士。,英国人赞叹，称约翰生博士为标准英语奠定基石，使英语趋于稳定。现在，人们将十八世纪下半叶称作英
10、语史的“约翰生时代”。 伏尔泰等名人仍然建议法国文学院向约翰生博士学习，因为他的词典里收录了来自哲学和自然科学的例句，而当时的法国词典只有文学例句。 在编词典的九年中，约翰生博士受到生活种种打击。贫穷始终追随着他。虽然出版商的预付金，按当时的标准不算少，但里面包括了买书、租工作场地和支付助手工资等全部费用。最大的打击是他的妻子在工作开始后的第六年去世。约翰生一度心灰意懒，几乎放弃。,David Hume claimed: “The Elegance and Propriety of Stile have been very much neglected among us. We have no
11、 Dictionary of our Language, and scarce a tolerable Grammar“. Johnsons Dictionary offers insights into the 18th century and “a faithful record of the language people used“. It is more than a reference book; it is a work of literature.,Johnson had to employ a number of assistants for the copying and
12、mechanical work, which filled the house with incessant noise and clutter. He was always busy with his work, and kept hundreds of books around. In preparation for the work, Johnson wrote a Plan for the Dictionary. Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, was the patron of the Plan, to Johnsons disp
13、leasure.,Seven years after first meeting Johnson to go over the work, Chesterfield wrote two anonymous essays in The World recommending the Dictionary. He complained that the English language lacked structure and argued in support of the dictionary. Johnson did not like the tone of the essay, and he
14、 felt that Chesterfield had not fulfilled his obligations as the works patron.,Johnson wrote a letter expressing this view and harshly criticising Chesterfield, saying “Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and when he has reached ground, e
15、ncumbers him with help?” Chesterfield, impressed by the language, kept the letter displayed on a table for anyone to read.,中辜正坤 译注,大人阁下： 顷得世界报馆主告知，该报近日揭载二文，对拙编词典，颇有扬善褒荐之词，闻皆出阁下手笔。厚爱如此，理当引为大幸。奈何在下不惯贵人垂青，茫然不知何以领受、何辞逊谢。 忆当年，在下小蒙鼓励，竟斗胆初谒公门。大人之言谈丰采，语惊四座，令人绝倒，使在下不禁谬生宏愿：他日或能自诩当世：“吾乃天下征服者之征服者也。”举世学人欲夺之殊荣，或竟
16、鹿死我手! 孰料余之趋走逢迎，未蒙丝毫宠幸。尔后余自度不复干谒此途，自尊与自卑，皆勿与论也。 余本一介书生，不善谄辞，不尚交际，而曾一度当众致语阁下，可谓罄尽取悦文饰之辞。仆思已尽犬马之劳，虽功效绵薄，又何甘辛劳遭逢白眼之遇也。,回想当初侍立君堂，甚或见逐门首，忽焉七载飞去。斯年以来，吾力排艰辛，独撑大业，无援手相助，无片言相许，无一笑相期。幸得终竟全功，付梓在即。当此时，发怨尤之词，恐无益也。然余实从未曾知遇提携之人，自曾指望过蒙受惠顾。 维吉尔笔下牧童终与爱神相识，方知爱神原只是草野之夫。 设有人于溺水者奋命中流之际，漠然相对，视若无睹，伺其安全抵岸，方忽急伸援手，反增累赘，所谓赞助人也者
17、，莫非即此辈耶?,大人而今忽有雅兴垂顾拙编，倘恩泽当初，犹可称善；奈何此惠顾珊珊来迟，我已心灰意冷，受之谅无深趣；我已鸳鸯失伴，有乐无人与共；我已名播天下，再不需阁下扬誉之辞!在下当初既不曾蒙恩今朝亦无须感德；天帝既助我独成大业，今何敢欺世惑众，默认身后有所谓莫须有之赞助者?在下言辞或有苛刻不敬，还望海涵。 余自承担此编撰业以来，从未获所谓赞助者分毫，亦使大业行将告竣，纵或杀青之际倍感艰难无助，余亦绝无失望之心。奢望赞助之美梦，梦破多年；堪笑曾几何时余亦曾梦中顾盼自雄、自诩为 大人您门下最卑微 最驯顺之奴仆 塞缪尔约翰逊,辜正坤白话体翻译,近日从世界报馆主得知，该报刊载了两篇文章，对拙编词典颇
18、多举荐滥美之词，这些文章据悉均出自阁下您的手笔。 承蒙您如此的推崇，本应是一种荣耀，只可惜在下自来无缘得到王公大人的青睐，所以真不知道该如何来领受这份荣耀，也不知道该用些什么言辞来聊表谢意。,回想当年，也不知哪来的勇气，我竟第一次拜访了大人阁下。我像所有的人一样，深为大人的言谈丰采所倾倒，不禁玄想他年能口出大言“吾乃天下征服者之征服者也。”虽知此殊荣是举世学人所欲得，仍希望有朝一日能侥幸获取。然而我很快发现自己的趋走逢迎根本没有得到鼓励。不管是出于自尊也好，自矜也好，我反正无法再周旋下去。我本是一个与世无争、不善逢迎的书生，但那时我也曾用尽平生所学的阿谀奉承的言辞，当众赞美过阁下。能做的一切我
19、都做了。如果一个人在这方面付出的一切努力（不管是多么微不足道）受到完全的忽视，他是绝不会感到舒服的。,大人阁下，从我第一次候立于贵府门下，或者说被您拒于门外时算起，已经7年过去。7年多来，我一直苦苦地撑持着我的编撰工作。这些苦楚，现在再来倾诉，已经没有用处。所幸我的劳作而今终于快要出版，在这之前我没有获得过一个赞助的行为，一句鼓励的话语，一抹称许的微笑。我固然不曾指望这样的礼遇，因为我从未有过一位赞助人。 维吉尔笔下的牧童最后终于和爱神相识，这才发现所谓爱神只不过是岩穴土人而已。,大人阁下，有的人眼见落水者在水中拼命挣扎而无动于衷，等他安全抵岸之后，却才多余地伸出所谓援手，莫非这就叫赞助人么？
20、 大人而今忽有雅兴来关照在下的劳作，这原本是一桩美意，只可惜太迟了一点。迟到我已经意懒心灰，再无法快乐地消受；迟到我已经是孤身一人，无从与家人分享；迟到我已经名闻海内，再不需阁下附丽张扬。 我既然本来就没有得到过实惠，自然母需怀感恩之心；既然是上帝助我独立完成这桩大业，我自然不愿让公众产生错觉，似乎我曾受惠于某一赞助人。但愿上面这番话不致被认为太苛刻、太不近人情。,我已经在根本没有所谓学术赞助人赞助的情况下使自己的工作完成到目前这个地步，那么，尽管我将要在更艰难无助的情况下假如还有可能更艰难无助的话完成全稿，我也绝不会感到沮丧。因为我已经早就从那个赞助的美梦里幡然猛醒；曾几何时，我还在那梦中得
21、意非凡地自诩是大人 您门下最卑微 最驯顺的仆人 塞缪尔约翰逊 1755年2月7日,The Dictionary was finally published in April 1755. An important innovation in English lexicography was to illustrate the meanings of his words by literary quotation, of which there are around 114,000. The authors most frequently cited include Shakespeare, Mi
22、lton and Dryden. Years later, many of its quotations would be repeated by various editions of the Websters Dictionary and the New English Dictionary.,Besides working on the Dictionary, Johnson also wrote various essays, sermons, and poems during these nine years. He decided to produce a series of es
23、says under the title The Rambler that would run every Tuesday and Saturday for twopence each. However, not all of his work was confined to The Rambler. His most highly regarded poem, The Vanity of Human Wishes, was written with such “extraordinary speed“ that Boswell claimed Johnson “might have been
24、 perpetually a poet“.,On 16 May 1763, Johnson first met 22-year-old James Boswell who would later become Johnsons first major biographer in the bookshop of Johnsons friend, Tom Davies. They quickly became friends. Johnsons edition of Shakespeare was finally published in 1765 as The Plays of William
25、Shakespeare, in Eight Volumes . To which are added Notes by Sam. Johnson in a printing of one thousand copies.,The first edition quickly sold out, and a second was soon printed. The plays themselves were in a version that Johnson felt most true to the original based on his analysis of the manuscript
26、 editions. In 1777, Johnson wrote to Boswell that he was busy preparing a “little Lives“ and “little Prefaces, to a little edition of the English Poets“. Tom Davies, William Strahan and Thomas Cadell had asked Johnson to create this final major work, the Lives of the English Poets.,（1）、（5）、（10）、L（50
27、）、C（100）、D（500）、M（1000）,Johnson was buried at Westminster Abbey with an inscription that reads: Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Obiit XIII die Decembris, Anno Domini M.DCC.LXXXIV. tatis su LXXV. He died on _. 13 December 1784,His Works,1738 London 1747 Plan for a Dictionary of the English Language 1749 The Va
28、nity of Human Wishes 1755 Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language; A Dictionary of the English Language 1759 The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia 1765 Preface to the Plays of William Shakespeare; The Plays of William Shakespeare 177981 Lives of the Poets,陆谷孙序言中的约翰逊,The Johnsonian les
29、son, as I see it, lies first and foremost in the lexicographers fervour in reading. Besides being a purposeful reader with scholarly talons laid on every available book, what other qualities are required of a lexicographer? Using Samuel Johnson as an exemplar once more, he or she has to be a bibliop
30、hile or a man or woman of letters, not only keen on reading with gusto but also capable of writing with brio.,Part of being a wordsmith is to know as many languages as possible. Johnson was conversant in eight while James Murray knew twenty! Yours Humbly knows only Chinese and English, with six year
31、s of Russian in secondary school and one year of college German to boot. However rusty and paltry my knowledge about the latter two languages, it comes in handy in dictionary-making.,For example, it was my knowledge of Russian that helped to decide if the plural form of Bolshevik was Bolsheviks or B
32、olsheviki, depending on whether the entry was treated as a totally naturalized English word or a Russian loan. As this essay is being prepared, it is the Christmas season of 2006. I have always heard sung and seen as a lighting ornament the word NOEL but had to look it up in a dictionary to know tha
33、t it comes from Latin “natal” to refer to the birth of Jesus Christ.,Similarly, when I perspired profusely sitting in a sauna, I didnt know the word had originated in Finnish, the language of a very, very cold country. In such circumstances I would wistfully lament that I didnt take the trouble of l
34、earning more languages in order to be a well-equipped lexicographer. Another requirement is an extraordinary resolve and unusual fortitude plus pliant mutability when and where necessary.,老少书人搭档,Dr. Samuel Johnson & James Boswell 约翰生固然因为编纂的字典而享誉，但是真正使他名垂青史、让世人永志不忘的，却是后生晚辈包斯威尔为他所撰写的约翰生传（The Life of S
35、amuel Johnson）。热爱伦敦的约翰生博士曾经说：“当一个人厌倦伦敦时，他对人生也就觉得乏味。”仿效这句话，我以为：“当约翰生传让人提不起劲时， 其它书也无法带给人乐趣。”,自尊心强,由于他严重近视，所以得双手、双膝趴下，仔细横量地上的阴沟有 多宽，以便冒险越过。学校的某位女老师因为担心他走错路、或掉近阴沟、或是被车子撞上，因此尾随在后。谁知小小约翰生正好转头看到女老师，觉得她的小 心关怀有损他的男子气慨，于是愤怒地冲向女老师，用尽吃奶力气对她猛打一番。,对苏格兰人的偏见,约翰生对苏格兰人素有偏见，他在字典中对“燕麦”(Oats)这个名词所下的定义是：A grain, which in
36、 England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people. 此外，他在一次聚会中听完一个苏格兰人盛赞自己故乡的景象是如何如何雄伟后，回答道：But, Sir, let me tell you, the prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England!,极具讽刺性的是，对博士崇敬万分、一心一意想要替他立传的包斯威尔偏偏是道地的苏格兰人。一七六三年两人初遇的情形着实令人捏把冷
37、 汗，还好博士的嘲讽，并未让意志坚定的二十三岁少年郎打退堂鼓。包斯威尔日后不仅得到约翰生的喜爱，更说服他在六十四高龄时，两人结伴同游西苏格兰(约翰生原本所鄙弃之地)的赫布里底群岛三个月，日后并分别写下游记，因而成就文坛另一段佳话。,近距离的观察,这一老一少长达二十一年的忘年之交，使得包斯威尔得以近距离的观察、纪录约 翰生的一言一行。最难能可贵的是，处处讨好、巴结约翰生的包斯威尔，并未把约翰生传变成一本歌功颂德的马屁书，更没有将这位拯救民族自尊的英雄写成一 个无暇的完人。,性格：博闻强记、机智幽默、尖酸刻薄、鲁莽冲动、善妒好强、意气风发、咄咄逼人、拘谨腼腆、忧郁软弱、霸气无情、宽容温情 怪癖：身
38、材粗壮、举止粗俗，幼年因患淋巴结核以致颜面变形、视觉神经受损(不仅重度近视，而且一眼几乎全瞎)。 他头上那顶不合衬的假发老是歪歪斜斜地挂着、衣服经常皱巴巴。 他喝橘子汁后，有偷偷把橘子皮兜在口袋的怪异举止。,他读书时总是急急忙忙、狼吞虎咽，在一回宴会上，为了读完一本书，他在用餐时把书用餐巾包好、放在腿上，一边饥渴地阅读，一边不忘介入席间的娱乐。包斯威尔把当时的约翰生比喻成一只爪子紧握着一块骨头不放的狗，其嘴里同时还咬着其它东西。,在约翰生传中，传者包斯威尔却以第一人称的叙述发声，我们无时不听到 他的声音，当约翰生开心时，他是个分享者；当约翰生孤独时，他是个伴随者；当约翰生咆哮时，他是个出气筒，可以忍受冷嘲热讽，让自尊被踩在伟人的脚下。每 回读到包斯威尔为了接近约翰生而展现的天真、热情与坚忍，我就不得不为他的卖力演出击掌叫好、为我们今日能有幸阅读这本精采的传记而俯首称庆！,约翰生的字 典在一九二八年牛津英语大辞典全集出版前，固然雄霸了一个半世纪之久，但是现在已少有人去翻阅它，反倒是他的性格与谈话，因为约翰生传而深植人心，这本书也 使包斯威尔挤身为最了不起的传记作家之林。这两个原本一主一从的人物，互相造就了彼此，双双成为历史上不朽的传奇。,
