《少年维特的烦恼·第一部·1771 年 5 月至 9 月》第3节
MAY 12. I know not whether some deceitful spirits haunt this spot, or whether it be the warm, celestial fancy in my own heart which makes everything around me seem like paradise. In front of the house is a fountain,—a fountain to which I am bound by a charm like Melusina and her sisters. Descending a gentle slope, you come to an arch, where, some twenty steps lower down, water of the clearest crystal gushes from the marble rock. The narrow wall which encloses it above, the tall trees which encircle the spot, and the coolness of the place itself,—everything imparts a pleasant but sublime impression. Not a day passes on which I do not spend an hour there. The young maidens come from the town to fetch water,—innocent and necessary employment, and formerly the occupation of the daughters of kings. As I take my rest there, the idea of the old patriarchal life is awakened around me. I see them, our old ancestors, how they formed their friendships and contracted alliances at the fountain-side; and I feel how fountains and streams were guarded by beneficent spirits. He who is a stranger to these sensations has never really enjoyed cool repose at the side of a fountain after the fatigue of a weary summer day.
注释摘要
维特在这封信里描绘了一处泉水，这是他来到乡间后为自己找到的又一个灵魂居所。泉水的清澈、岩石的质地、树木的环绕、石阶的纵深，共同构成了一幅安静而崇高的小景。他自己也说不上来这种喜悦究竟是来自外物，还是出自内心——开头那句关于"骗人的精灵"和"心中温暖的幻想"的疑问，其实已经点明了他此刻的状态：外在自然与他内在感受之间的界限正在消融。他在这里感到自己被一种类似…