I have read this work with a good deal of amusement, and upon this I congratulate myself, since it is colourless and dull. Mr. Strickland has drawn the portrait of an excellent husband and father, a man of kindly temper, industrious habits, and moral disposition.?

我讀這本傳記的時(shí)候忍不住笑，但也暗自慶幸，幸好這本書實(shí)在枯燥乏味。C.S牧師在傳記里描述的的是一個(gè)體貼的丈夫和和藹的父親，一個(gè)善良、正直的君子。

The modern clergyman has acquired in his study of the science which I believe is called exegesis an astonishing facility for explaining things away, but the subtlety with which the Rev. Robert Strickland has "interpreted" all the facts in his father's life which a dutiful son might find it inconvenient to remember must surely lead him in the fullness of time（時(shí)機(jī)成熟時(shí)） to the highest dignities of the Church. I see already his muscular calves encased in the gaiters episcopal.

當(dāng)代的教士在研究人們稱之為《圣經(jīng)》時(shí)，詮釋這門學(xué)問中都學(xué)會了粉飾及遮掩事實(shí)的高強(qiáng)本領(lǐng)，但R.·S牧師用以“解釋”他父親行為（這些都是一個(gè)孝順的兒子認(rèn)為值得記住的）的那種才思敏捷，在時(shí)機(jī)成熟時(shí)肯定會讓他在教會中獲得一個(gè)顯赫的職位。我好象幾乎已經(jīng)看到他那筋骨強(qiáng)健的小腿套上了主教的皮裹腿了。

It was a hazardous（危險(xiǎn)的）, though maybe a gallant （勇敢的; 壯麗的; 堂皇的; （對女子） 獻(xiàn)殷勤的;）thing to do, since it is probable that the legend commonly received has had no small share in the growth of Strickland's reputation; for there are many who have been attracted to his art by the detestation in which they held his character or the compassion with which they regarded his death; and the son's well-meaning efforts threw a singular chill upon the father's admirers.

他做的是一件危險(xiǎn)的，但或許同時(shí)也是是很勇敢的事，因?yàn)镃.S之所以遠(yuǎn)近聞名，在很大程度上要?dú)w功于人們普遍接受了關(guān)于他（C.S）的傳說。他的藝術(shù)作品對很多人之所以有那么大的吸引力，或者是由于人們對他性格的嫌惡，或者是對他慘死的同情；而R.S牧師的這部旨在為父親遮羞掩丑的傳記對于父親的崇拜者卻不亞與潑了一盆冷水。

?It is due to no accident that when one of his most important works, The Woman of Samaria, (4) was sold at Christie's shortly after the discussion which followed the publication of Mr. Strickland's biography, it fetched POUNDS 235 less than it had done nine months before when it was bought by the distinguished collector whose sudden death had brought it once more under the hammer.

C.S的最重要的一幅作品《薩瑪利亞的女人》在九個(gè)月以前曾經(jīng)賣給一位有名的收藏家。后來由于這位收藏家后來突然逝世，這幅畫再度進(jìn)行拍賣，之后被克利斯蒂收入囊中。這次拍賣正處于C.S牧師的傳記出版、人們對于書中的內(nèi)容議論不休之際，這幅畫的價(jià)格竟比九個(gè)月以前降低了二百三十五鎊；這顯然不是巧合。

?Perhaps Charles Strickland's power and originality would scarcely have sufficed to turn the scale if the remarkable mythopoeic faculty of mankind had not brushed aside with impatience a story which disappointed all its craving for the extraordinary. And presently Dr. Weitbrecht-Rotholz produced the work which finally set at rest the misgivings of all lovers of art.

要不是人們對神話的喜愛，叫他們對這個(gè)使他們的好奇心大失所望的故事不屑一顧的話，只靠C.S個(gè)人的權(quán)威和獨(dú)特也許無力挽回大局的。說來碰巧，沒有過多久WR博士的文章就問世了，藝術(shù)愛好者們的疑慮不安終于消除了。