1-Kant-the-Man-康德其人

1KanttheManWilliamSomersetMaughamPunctuallyatfiveminutestofiveLampe,hisservant,wakedProfessorKantandbyfive,inhisslippers,dressing-gownandnight-cap,overwhichheworehisthree-cornedhat,heseatedhimselfinhisstudyreadyforbreakfast.Thisconsistedofacupofweakteaandapipeoftobacco.Thenexttwohourshespentthinkingoverthelecturehewastodeliverthatmorning.Thehedressed.Thelectureroomwasonthegroundfloorofhishouse.Helecturedfromseventillnineandsopopularwerehislecturesthatifyouwantedagoodseatyouhadtobethereatsix-thirtyKant,seatedbehindalittledesk,spokeinaconversationaltone,inalowvoice,andveryrarelyindulgedingesture,butheenlivenedhisdiscoursewithhumorandabundantillustrations.Hisaimwastoteachhisstudentstothinkforthemselvesandhedidnotlikeitwhentheybusiedthemselveswiththeirquillstowritedownhiseveryword.“Gentlemen,donotscratchso,”hesaidonce.“Iamnotoracle.”Itwashiscustomtofixhiseyesonastudentwhosatclosetohimandjudgebythelookonhisfacewhetherornotheunderstoodwhathesaid.Butaverysmallthingdistractedhim.Ononeoccasionhelostthethreadofhisdiscoursebecauseabuttonwaswantingonthecoatofoneofthestudents,andonanother,whenasleepyyouthpersistentlyyawned,hebrokeofftosay:“Ifonecannotavoidyawning,goodmannersrequirethatthehandshouldbeplacedbeforethemouth.”Atnineo’clockKantreturnedtohisroom,oncemoreputonhisdressing-gown,hisnight-cap,histhree-cornedhatandhisslippersandstudiedtillexactlyaquartertoone.Thenhecalleddowntohiscook,toldherthehour,dressedandwentbacktohisstudytoawaittheguestsheexpectedtodinner.Hecouldnotbeartoeatalone,andtherewerealwaysguests,neverlessthantwonormorethanfive.AssoonastheywereassembledKanttoldhisservanttobringthedinnerandhimselfwenttofetchthesilverspoonswhichhekeptlockedupwithhismoneyinabureauintheparlourThepartyseatedthemselvesinthedining-roomandwiththewords“Now,gentlemen,”Kantsetto.Themealwassubstantial.Itwastheonlyoneheateintheday,andconsistedofsoup,driedpulsewithfish,roast,cheesetoendwithandfruitwheninseason.Beforeeachguestwasplacedapintbottleofredwineandapintbottleofwhitesothathecoulddrinkwhicheverheliked.Kantwasfondoftalking,butpreferredtotalkalone,andifinterruptedorcontradictedwasapttoshowdispleasure;hisconversation,however,wassoagreeablethatnonemindedifhemonopolizedit.Hewouldalsotellhumorousstories,ofwhichhehadarichsupplyandwhichhetolduncommonlywell,so,hesaid,“thattherepastmayendwithlaughter,whichiscalculatedtopromotedigestion.”Heliketolingeroverdinnerandtheguestsdidnotrisefromtabletilllate.Hewouldnotsitdownaftertheyhadleftincasehefellasleep,andthishewouldnotpermithimselftodosincehewasofopinionthatsleepshouldbeenjoyedsparingly,forthustimewassavedandsolife2lengthened.Hesetoutonhisafternoonwalk.Hewasalittleman,barelyfivefeettall,withanarrowchestandoneshoulderhigherthantheother,andhewasthinalmosttoemaciation.Hehadacrookednose,butafinebrowandhiscolorwasfresh.Hiseyes,thoughsmall,wereblue,livelyandpenetrating.HewasnattyIhisdress.Heworeasmallblondwig,ablacktie,andashirtwithrufflesroundthethroatandwrists;acoat,breechesandwaistcoatoffinecloth,graysilkstockingsandshoeswithsilverbuckles.Hecarriedhisthree-corneredhatunderhisarmandinhishandagold-headedcane.Hewalkedeveryday,rainorfine,forexactlyonehour,butiftheweatherwasthreatening,hisservantwalkedbehindhimwithabigumbrella.TheonlyoccasiononwhichheisknowntohaveomittedhiswalkiswhenhereceivedRousseau’sEmile,andthen,unabletotearhimselfawayfromit,heremainedindoorsforthreedays.Hewalkedveryslowlybecausehethoughtitwasbadforhimtosweat,andalonebecausehehadformedthehabitofbreathingthroughhisnostrils,sincethushethoughttoavoidcatchingcoldand,hadhehadacompanionwithwhomcourtesywouldobligedhimtospeak,hewouldhavebeenconstrainedtobreathethroughhismouth.Heinvariablytookthesamewalk,alongtheLindenAlley,andthis,accordingtoHeine,hestrolledupanddowneighttimes.Heissuedfromhishouseatpreciselythesamehoursothatthepeopleofthetowncouldsettheirclocksbyit.Whenhecamehomehereturnedtohisstudyandreadandwroteletterstillthelightfailed.Then,aswashishabit,fixinghiseyesonthetowerofaneighboringchurch,heponderedovertheproblemsthatjustthenoccupiedhim.Ataquartertotenhesuspendedhisarduouslaborandbytenwassafelytuckedupinbed.Thoughhelivedtobeeighty,heneverwentmorethansixtymilesawayfromthetowninwhichhewasborn.Hesufferedfromfrequentindispositionsandwasseldomfreefrompain,buthewasablebytheexertionofhiswilltoturnhisattentionawayfromhisfeelingsjustasthoughtheydidnotconcernhim.Hewasneitherimpulsivenordemonstrative,buthewaskindly,withinhisscantymeansgenerous.Hisintelligencewasgreat,hispowerofreasoningimpressive,buthisemotionalnaturewasmeagre.Twicehethoughtseriouslyofmarrying,buthetooksolongtoconsidertheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthestephehadinmindthatintheintervaloneoftheyoungwomenhehadhiseyeonmarriedsomebodyelseandtheotherleftKonigsbergbeforehereachedadecision.1威廉·萨默赛特·毛姆（1874-1970），英国小说家，剧作家，散文家。出生于巴黎。幼年时父母双亡，回到英国后寄居在叔父家中。患有先天性口吃，内向寡言。热爱法国文学，受莫泊桑影响很大，一生著述颇丰，虽大多失之严肃深邃，但却轻松流转，睿智明慧，因而自称为“二流作家中的佼佼者”。其散文简洁明晰，朗朗上口。主要作品有长篇小说《人性的枷锁》、《月亮与六便士》，短篇小说《雨》，散文《写作生活回忆》、《作家手记》、《随心所至》等。本篇运用简明优雅的文字，描述了伟大哲学家狼的的日常生活，使我们对他的性情习惯等有了一个比较清晰的认识，缩短了这位伟人与我们常人之间的距离。32Heine