作者介紹

喬治·斯萊思·斯特里特(1867—1936)，英國作家、散文家。是一個(gè)寫小品文的能手。在本篇中，作者通過切身的體驗(yàn)，描述了他對世界聞名的霧都倫敦的感受。

Beauty or none， there is much to be said for a London fog. It gives us all that\"change\" which we are always needing. When our world is all but invisible， and growing visible bit by bit looks utterly different from its accustomed self， the stupidest of us all can hardly fail to observe a change for our eyes at least as great as there would have been in going to Glasgow. When， arriving at one's house or one's club; that monotonous diurnal incident seems an almost incredible feat， accomplished with profound relief and gratitude for a safe deliverance， one has at least an unaccustomed sensation. One is not a man going into his club， but a mariner saved from shipwreck at the last gasp， to be greeted with emotion by erst indifferent waiters. Yes， a fog gives Londoners a more thorough change than going to the Riviera to avoid it. Then it brings out the kindness and cheerfulness， which are their prime claim to honour， into strong relief. True， it also throws into relief the incomparable egoism of the prosperous among them. People with no serious cares or worries in the world of course bemoan and upbraid this trifling inconvenience. But the working， struggling Londoners， cabmen and busmen， you and I， display our indomitable good-humour to advantage. I stayed on top of a bus for half an hour in the block on Monday at Hyde Park Corner and talked with the driver. People are often disappointed in a bus-driver because they expect a wit and a pretty swearer. They find neither， but they find an overworked man of extraordinary cheerfulness， responsive， ready to laugh. He is master of his business —a fact emphasised by the fog—to a degree refreshing to one whose experience of men professing some practical calling is that the great majority， some from mere stupidity， some from over-hasty enthusiasm， are quite incompetent. When finally I left him， his mate piloted me through wheels and horses to the pavement， and I felt I had been among folk who deserve to live. On Sunday night I walked a mile to my abode， and made a point of asking my whereabouts of every one I met. Not one churlish or even hurried answer: politeness， jokes， reminiscences， laughter. We are a kindly people， and it is worth a fog to know it. Another pleasure of a fog is a mild but extended form of the pleasure we feel when we hear that a millionaire has broken his leg. The too fortunate are suffering a discontent health cannot remove. There was in that block a fat brougham containing an important-looking old man who foamed at the mouth， and one reflected that there was a temporary equality of fortunes.

Such are the pleasures we may take in a London fog.

無論它是美還是不美，倫敦的霧總是有值得大書特書的地方。它能給我們帶來我們每時(shí)每刻都需要的那種“變化”。最初，這個(gè)世界幾乎是白茫茫的一片，然后，慢慢地一點(diǎn)一點(diǎn)地清晰起來，這和我們平常所見完全不同。這時(shí)，就算是最愚蠢的人也不會察覺不到眼前的景物起了變化。這種變化之大，絕不亞于從倫敦到格拉斯哥。又比如，回到家里，或來到俱樂部，這種平凡單調(diào)的日?，嵤?，在霧天也幾乎成為驚人的壯舉，完成之后不免要深深地松一口氣，自幸安全脫險(xiǎn)——這時(shí)人們至少得到一種不同尋常的新鮮之感。這時(shí)我們已經(jīng)不像是——個(gè)到俱樂部去玩的人，而像是一個(gè)航行遇險(xiǎn)的海員在九死一生之際，終于得救，并且受到一群以前非常淡漠而這時(shí)卻非常激動的侍者們的熱烈歡迎。的確，一場迷霧帶給倫敦人的變化非常之大，比起去里維埃拉避霧度假所帶來的變化都要大。其次，霧還能使人的善良之心和喜悅之情充分表現(xiàn)出來，這是倫敦人引以為榮的兩大特點(diǎn)。當(dāng)然，它也會把富人的那種極度自私自利揭露出來。那些幾乎是無憂無慮地活在世上的人，自然會因?yàn)檫@點(diǎn)小小不便或痛哭流涕，或咒罵不已。但是為生計(jì)奔波的倫敦人，比如那些馬車夫和汽車夫，比如你和我，卻會把我們那種歡快心情充分展現(xiàn)出來。某個(gè)星期一，我在海德公園拐角那個(gè)街區(qū)的一輛公共汽車頂端乘坐過半個(gè)小時(shí)，并與司機(jī)攀談。人們往往對一個(gè)汽車司機(jī)感到失望，因?yàn)樗麄冋J(rèn)為他應(yīng)該會說會罵，而他卻沒有這類“長處”。但是我們應(yīng)該看到，這是個(gè)工作非常辛苦但卻又非?？鞓返娜?，非常勤快，服務(wù)周到，笑口常開。他在自己的工作上是個(gè)行家——這點(diǎn)在霧天最能突出——而他對工作的熟練程度很高，對于那種憑借經(jīng)驗(yàn)，總以為從事實(shí)際行業(yè)的人往往不是愚蠢就是冒失，因而就其絕大多數(shù)都不稱職的人士來說，總是一件快事吧。最后我離開他時(shí)，他的副手引我繞過車輪馬蹄，一直把我送到人行道上，這時(shí)我有一種感覺，覺得我的周圍的確都是好人。上周日的晚上，我曾步行一英里回到我的寓所，一路上，我每碰到一個(gè)人就向他問路。但是沒有一個(gè)人給予粗魯甚至倉促的回答：每個(gè)人都是彬彬有禮，俏皮風(fēng)趣，談古論今，有說有笑。我們這個(gè)民族確實(shí)是個(gè)友好的民族，能體會這一點(diǎn)，即使遇上一次霧天，也是值得的。霧的另外一種樂趣，就如同我們聽到某個(gè)百萬富翁摔斷了腿時(shí)所感到的那種樂趣相差無幾，只是比較溫和而已。那種命運(yùn)特別好的人往往并不快樂，即使健康良好也不能把它驅(qū)除掉。在某個(gè)街區(qū)的一輛寬敞的布魯厄姆馬車上坐著一位派頭十足的老頭，他口吐白沫?？吹竭@個(gè)情景，人們不禁會想，在這件事上，命運(yùn)總算暫時(shí)是公平的。

這些就是我們在一場倫敦的霧中所找到的一些樂趣。