《少年维特的烦恼·第二部·1771 年 10 月至 1772 年 12 月》第20节
AUGUST 4. I am not alone unfortunate. All men are disappointed in their hopes, and deceived in their expectations. I have paid a visit to my good old woman under the lime-trees. The eldest boy ran out to meet me: his exclamation of joy brought out his mother, but she had a very melancholy look. Her first word was, "Alas! dear sir, my little John is dead." He was the youngest of her children. I was silent. "And my husband has returned from Switzerland without any money; and, if some kind people had not assisted him, he must have begged his way home. He was taken ill with fever on his journey." I could answer nothing, but made the little one a present. She invited me to take some fruit: I complied, and left the place with a sorrowful heart.
注释摘要
这封八月四日的信很短，却是一幅用寥寥数笔勾勒出的、弥漫着无力感的画面。维特开篇的那句叹息——“我并不独是不幸。所有人的希望都落空，所有人的期待都被欺骗”——是他试图将自己无边无际的主观痛苦，投射到整个人类处境上的一次努力。这不是一种超越自我的哲理醒悟，而是一种近乎寻找共犯的慰藉：他需要相信苦难是普遍的，这样他自己的苦难才显得不那么像是某种针对他个人的诅咒。…