The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 3

随着学识的进步，天才得到培育，这些故事被诗歌的优美所装点，以便更好地吸引人们的关注。

As learning advanced, and genius received cultivation, these stories were embellished with the graces of poetry, that they might the better recommend themselves to the attention;

它们在节日庆典上被公开吟唱，以教化和娱乐听众；并在战前诵读，以激励将士建功立业。

they were sung in public, at festivals, for the instruction and delight of the audience; and rehearsed before battle, as incentives to deeds of glory.

就这样，悲剧与史诗缪斯诞生了，并随着审美趣味的发展，最终臻于完美。

Thus tragedy and the epic muse were born, and, in the progress of taste, arrived at perfection.

古人在亲眼见过那么多杰出诗人用诗歌颂扬无数重大事件之后，自然无法欣赏散文体的寓言故事，这也就不足为奇了。

It is no wonder that the ancients could not relish a fable in prose, after they had seen so many remarkable events celebrated in verse by their best poets;

因此，我们发现在古代文明鼎盛时期，他们几乎没有留下任何传奇小说，除非色诺芬的《居鲁士的教育》可以算作此类作品。

we therefore find no romance among them during the era of their excellence, unless the Cyropædia of Xenophon may be so called;

直到蛮族入侵欧洲之后，文艺科学开始复兴，这类作品才得以出现。

and it was not till arts and sciences began to revive after the irruption of the barbarians into Europe, that anything of this kind appeared.

然而，当人们的心智被僧侣专权的蒙蔽腐化，陷入极度荒诞的轻信之时，传奇小说的作者们便应运而生。

But when the minds of men were debauched by the imposition of priestcraft to the most absurd pitch of credulity, the authors of romance arose,

他们全然不顾现实可能性，在作品中充斥着最为离奇夸张的描写。

and losing sight of probability, filled their performances with the most monstrous hyperboles.

若说他们在才华上无法与古代诗人媲美，他们便决意在虚构上超越前人，诉诸读者的惊奇感，而非理性判断。

If they could not equal the ancient poets in point of genius they were resolved to excel them in fiction, and apply to the wonder, rather than the judgment, of their readers.

于是，他们借助巫术降灵之道，不再以高尚的情操与品行来塑造英雄形象，而是以英雄的体魄、矫健的身手以及放荡不羁的行为来彰显其人物特征。

Accordingly, they brought necromancy to their aid, and instead of supporting the character of their heroes by dignity of sentiment and practice, distinguished them by their bodily strength, activity, and extravagance of behaviour.