SWIFT’S “JOURNAL TO STELLA”
斯威夫特《致斯黛拉的日志》
In any highly civilized society disguise plays so large a part, politeness is so essential, that to throw off the ceremonies and conventions and talk a “little language” for one or two to understand, is as much a necessity as a breath of air in a hot room.
在任何一个高度文明的社会，人们多会学习带着面具生活。礼仪礼貌至关重要，因此出席各种庆典和会议，以及说一口极少人能懂的外语，已经和炙热房间中呼吸一口新鲜空气一样必要。
The reserved, the powerful, the admired, have the most need of such a refuge. Swift himself found it so.
保守的人，有权的人，受景仰的人，都最需要这种面具。斯威夫特发现，自己也是这样的人。
The proudest of men coming home from the company of great men who praised him, of lovely women who flattered him, from intrigue and politics, put all that aside, settled himself comfortably in bed, pursed his severe lips into baby language and prattled to his “two monkies”, his “dear Sirrahs”, his “naughty rogues” on the other side of the Irish Channel.
最骄傲的人能玩弄阴谋，把玩政治，有伟大的男人奉承，有美丽的女人献媚。但一回到家，他会把一切抛之脑后，舒舒服服躺在床上，难得地挤出自己的母语，和位于爱尔兰海峡另一边的“俩捣蛋鬼”“坏孩子”“小淘气”随意闲聊。
Well, let me see you now again. My wax candle’s almost out, but however I’ll begin. Well then don’t be so tedious, Mr. Presto; what can you say to MD’s letter? Make haste, have done with your preambles—why, I say, I am glad you are so often abroad.
又见到你了。我的蜡烛快烧完了，但没关系，我要开始的。不要这么无趣，PRESTO先生：你写给MD的信里要说什么？快点，解决你的问题---恩，我该说，我很高兴你经常要出国。
So long as Swift wrote to Stella in that strain, carelessly, illegibly, for “methinks when I write plain, I do not know how, but we are not alone, all the world can see us. A bad scrawl is so snug . . .” Stella had no need to be jealous.
只要SWIFT以这种写信给STELLA时是以这种松散凌乱的风格，她就不会嫉妒，因为SWIFT说过“我认为如果我写得很随便，我不知道为什么，但这说明我们不是孤身一人，全世界都在看着我们。潦草的字迹反而让人觉得温暖。。”
It was true that she was wearing away the flower of her youth in Ireland with Rebecca Dingley, who wore hinged spectacles, consumed large quantities of Brazil tobacco, and stumbled over her petticoats as she walked.
没错，在她与Rebecca Dingley共住爱尔兰的那段时光里，她的花样年华也正渐渐被挥霍。Rebecca Dingley是那样的女人，她戴着细链眼镜，不断吸着巴西的雪茄，走路的时候会被自己的漂亮衣服绊到。
Further, the conditions in which the two ladies lived, for ever in Swift’s company when he was at home, occupying his house when he was absent, gave rise to gossip; so that though Stella never saw him except in Mrs. Dingle’s presence, she was one of those ambiguous women who live chiefly in the society of the other sex.
另外，两位女士的住所也是一个原因---SWIFT在家时她们呆在他的公司，SWIFT不在时她们才能住他的房子，永远是这样，这也导致了一些流言蜚语。因此虽然除了DINGLE夫人在场，STELLA从来没当面见过他，但是她也是那种主要生活在男人社会的女人，而这，很容易让人误解。
But surely it was well worth while. The packets kept coming from England, each sheet written to the rim in Swift’s crabbed little hand, which she imitated to perfection, full of nonsense words, and capital letters, and hints which no one but Stella could understand, and secrets which Stella was to keep, and little commissions which Stella was to execute.
但一切还是很值得。不断有信件从英国寄来，每一封都写到了纸片的最边缘，满是SWIFT潦草的字迹，不知所谓的语言，随处可见的大写字母，只有STELLA才能理解的小暗号，还有那些只写给她的不可告人的秘密，和要做的一些事情。
Tobacco came for Dingley, and chocolate and silk aprons for Stella. Whatever people might say, surely it was well worth while.
雪茄是寄给DINGLEY的，巧克力和蕾丝裙是给STELLA的。不管怎么样，人们也许都会说，当然，一切都是值得的。