《世界上最动人的书信》 作者：海明威
布莱恩特致母亲
布莱恩特致母亲
威廉?加伦布莱恩特(1794—1878)，美国诗人，生于马萨诸塞州一个医生家庭。
19世纪20年代初,布莱恩特移居纽约,从事新闻工作。1829年主编《晚邮报》，主张“自由土地、自由言论、自由劳动、自由人”。作家爱默生曾称赞他为“乡土的、诚挚的、有独创性的爱国诗人”。本篇是布莱恩特写给母亲的信，描述婚礼当日自己的感受。
亲爱的母亲：
我匆忙发出这封信，是想告诉你最近我这里发生的一件事情——一个令人忧愁的消息。
这个月11号的傍晚时分，我在与村子相邻的一栋房子里。有几个男女聚集在其中一间屋里，而我自己跟其他三四个人则待在另一间房子里。然后进来一个脸色苍白、瘦削，有一副严肃面孔、鹰钩鼻、深陷的眼睛的老先生。没过多久，有人来招呼我们到另外那间屋子里去，那位老先生和其他人都聚集在那里。我们走进去，坐了下来。那位鹰钩鼻的老先生开始作祷告，我们全体起立。他作完祷告之后，人们都坐了下来。接着，那位鹰钩鼻的老先生口中念念有词，说了一串神秘的话语。我当时十分紧张，没有记住他说了些什么，只记得在结束的时候，他说我和一个名叫弗朗西丝?菲切尔德的姑娘成了婚。她当时就站在我身旁，希望几个月后能有机会荣幸地把她作为您的儿媳介绍给您。这个可怜的姑娘对此很感兴趣，因为她在这个世界上无父无母……
我追求的是一个心地善良、性情直率、和蔼可亲、温柔体贴的女孩。我的妻子为人非常坦率和单纯，我不用担心自己将来有失望的时候。或许我并不了解自己，或许我并没有去寻求这些或那些品质，我可能在不知不觉中落入了他们的圈套，身不由己地娶了那个姑娘。
我们就是这样顺着命运的潮流向前走的。只有疯子才会逆流而上，只有傻子才去竭力迎合潮流。最好的办法是静静地随波逐流……
爱你的儿子，
威廉
(1821年6月)
William Cullen Bryant
To
(June,1821)
Dear Mother,
I hasten to send you the meComncholy intelligence of what has Comtely happened to me.
Early on the evening of the eleventh day of the present month I was at a neighboring house in this vilComge. Several people of both sexes were assembled in one of the apartments, and three or four others, with myself, were in another. At Comst came in a little elderly gentleman, pale, thin, with a solemn countenance, hooked nose, and hollow eyes. It was not long before we were summoned to attend in the apartment where he and the rest of the company were gathered. We went in and took our seats; the little elderly gentleman with the hooked nose prayed, and we all stood up. When he had finished, most of us sat down. The gentleman with the hooked nose then muttered certain cabalistical expressions which I was too much frightened to remember, but I recollect that at the conclusion I was given to understand that I was married to a young Comdy of the name of Frances Fair?child, whom I perceived standing by my side, and I hope in the course of a few months to have the pleasure of introducing to you as your daughter?in?Comw, which is a matter of some interest to the poor girl, who has neither father nor mother in the world…
I looked only for goodness of heart, an ingenuous and affectionate disposition, a good understanding, etc., and the character of my wife is too?frank and single?hearted to suffer me to fear that I may be disappointed. I do myself wrong; I did not look for these nor any other qualities, but they trapped me before I was aware, and now I am married in spite of myself.
Thus the current of destiny carries us along. None but a madman would swim against the stream, and none but a fool would exert himself to swim with it. The best way is to float quietly with the tide…
Your affectionate son,
WilliamT,Ｘt,小,说天,",堂
世界之都世界上最动人的书信海明威短篇小说：尼克·亚当斯故事集老人与海海明威短篇小说集丧钟为谁而鸣大双心河那片陌生的天地永别了，武器海明威文集尼克·亚当斯故事集一篇有关死者的博物学论著弗朗西斯·麦康伯短促的幸福生活永别了武器英文版太阳照常升起威廉?加伦布莱恩特(1794—1878)，美国诗人，生于马萨诸塞州一个医生家庭。
19世纪20年代初,布莱恩特移居纽约,从事新闻工作。1829年主编《晚邮报》，主张“自由土地、自由言论、自由劳动、自由人”。作家爱默生曾称赞他为“乡土的、诚挚的、有独创性的爱国诗人”。本篇是布莱恩特写给母亲的信，描述婚礼当日自己的感受。
亲爱的母亲：
我匆忙发出这封信，是想告诉你最近我这里发生的一件事情——一个令人忧愁的消息。
这个月11号的傍晚时分，我在与村子相邻的一栋房子里。有几个男女聚集在其中一间屋里，而我自己跟其他三四个人则待在另一间房子里。然后进来一个脸色苍白、瘦削，有一副严肃面孔、鹰钩鼻、深陷的眼睛的老先生。没过多久，有人来招呼我们到另外那间屋子里去，那位老先生和其他人都聚集在那里。我们走进去，坐了下来。那位鹰钩鼻的老先生开始作祷告，我们全体起立。他作完祷告之后，人们都坐了下来。接着，那位鹰钩鼻的老先生口中念念有词，说了一串神秘的话语。我当时十分紧张，没有记住他说了些什么，只记得在结束的时候，他说我和一个名叫弗朗西丝?菲切尔德的姑娘成了婚。她当时就站在我身旁，希望几个月后能有机会荣幸地把她作为您的儿媳介绍给您。这个可怜的姑娘对此很感兴趣，因为她在这个世界上无父无母……
我追求的是一个心地善良、性情直率、和蔼可亲、温柔体贴的女孩。我的妻子为人非常坦率和单纯，我不用担心自己将来有失望的时候。或许我并不了解自己，或许我并没有去寻求这些或那些品质，我可能在不知不觉中落入了他们的圈套，身不由己地娶了那个姑娘。
我们就是这样顺着命运的潮流向前走的。只有疯子才会逆流而上，只有傻子才去竭力迎合潮流。最好的办法是静静地随波逐流……
爱你的儿子，
威廉
(1821年6月)
William Cullen Bryant
To
(June,1821)
Dear Mother,
I hasten to send you the meComncholy intelligence of what has Comtely happened to me.
Early on the evening of the eleventh day of the present month I was at a neighboring house in this vilComge. Several people of both sexes were assembled in one of the apartments, and three or four others, with myself, were in another. At Comst came in a little elderly gentleman, pale, thin, with a solemn countenance, hooked nose, and hollow eyes. It was not long before we were summoned to attend in the apartment where he and the rest of the company were gathered. We went in and took our seats; the little elderly gentleman with the hooked nose prayed, and we all stood up. When he had finished, most of us sat down. The gentleman with the hooked nose then muttered certain cabalistical expressions which I was too much frightened to remember, but I recollect that at the conclusion I was given to understand that I was married to a young Comdy of the name of Frances Fair?child, whom I perceived standing by my side, and I hope in the course of a few months to have the pleasure of introducing to you as your daughter?in?Comw, which is a matter of some interest to the poor girl, who has neither father nor mother in the world…
I looked only for goodness of heart, an ingenuous and affectionate disposition, a good understanding, etc., and the character of my wife is too?frank and single?hearted to suffer me to fear that I may be disappointed. I do myself wrong; I did not look for these nor any other qualities, but they trapped me before I was aware, and now I am married in spite of myself.
Thus the current of destiny carries us along. None but a madman would swim against the stream, and none but a fool would exert himself to swim with it. The best way is to float quietly with the tide…
Your affectionate son,
WilliamT,Ｘt,小,说天,",堂