St. Petersburgh, Dec. 11th, 17—

17某某年12月11日写于圣彼得堡

TO Mrs. Saville, England

收信人：英格兰的萨维尔夫人

You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. I arrived here yesterday, and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking.

曾被你视为危机四伏的探险之旅如今已顺利展开，获悉这些你一定会欣慰吧。我昨日到此，首要任务就是向我亲爱的姐姐报平安，并提升你对我探险成功的信心。

I am already far north of London, and as I walk in the streets of Petersburgh, I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves and fills me with delight. Do you understand this feeling? This breeze, which has travelled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climes. Inspirited by this wind of promise, my daydreams become more fervent and vivid. I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight. There, Margaret, the sun is forever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon and diffusing a perpetual splendour. There—for with your leave, my sister, I will put some trust in preceding navigators—there snow and frost are banished; and, sailing over a calm sea, we may be wafted to a land surpassing in wonders and in beauty every region hitherto discovered on the habitable globe. Its productions and features may be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those undiscovered solitudes. What may not be expected in a country of eternal light? I may there discover the wondrous power which attracts the needle and may regulate a thousand celestial observations that require only this voyage to render their seeming eccentricities consistent forever. I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man. These are my enticements, and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his holiday mates, on an expedition of discovery up his native river. But supposing all these conjectures to be false, you cannot contest the inestimable benefit which I shall confer on all mankind, to the last generation, by discovering a passage near the pole to those countries, to reach which at present so many months are requisite; or by ascertaining the secret of the magnet, which, if at all possible, can only be effected by an undertaking such as mine.

我已经到达伦敦以北很远的地方，当我漫步于圣彼得堡的街头，一丝寒冷的北风迎面吹来，让我为之一振，精神抖擞。你能理解这种感觉吗？这微风来自我正要前往的地方，它让我提前体味了一下那里冰天雪地的气候。这希望之风激发了我的灵感，我的梦想变得越发强烈和清晰。我试图说服自己，极地是冰天雪地、荒无人烟之地，却总是徒劳。在我的想象中，它总是呈现出一派美丽、欢乐的景象。在那里，玛格丽特，永远能看见太阳，它那巨大的盘面就在地平线的边缘，散发着永恒的光辉。那里——如果你允许的话，我的姐姐，我将对以前的航海家们抱有几分信任——那里冰雪消融，航行在平静的大海上，我们也许会漂到一个比迄今为止在适合人类居住的地球上所发现的任何地方都要更加美仑美幻之处。它的物产和特征也许是史无前例的，正如天体现象毫无疑问地处于那些不为人所知的状态一样。在一个永远光明的地方，还有什么不会发生呢？在那里，我可能发现吸引钢针的魔力，仅需要借助此次航行，来调整成千项天体观测，以便呈现其一直存在的看似古怪的现象。面对一个从未造访过的地方，我强烈的好奇心将得到充分满足，我可能会踏上一片人类从未涉足的土地。这些就是诱因，它们足可以征服危险和死亡所带来的所有恐惧，足可以引诱我开始这次艰难的航行，那种快乐就像一个孩子登上小船，和假日伙伴们一起沿着家乡的小河而上，开始一次探索与发现之旅。但即便所有的猜想都是假的，你也不能否认我将为全人类、为下一代带来无法估计的利益：比如发现极地附近的一条通向其他国家的航道，目前到达这些国家必须得用几个月；或是探知磁石的奥秘，如果说有任何可能性的话，就只能通过像我的这样的探险来完成。

These reflections have dispelled the agitation with which I began my letter, and I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven, for nothing contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose—a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. This expedition has been the favourite dream of my early years. I have read with ardour the accounts of the various voyages which have been made in the prospect of arriving at the North Pacific Ocean through the seas which surround the pole. You may remember that a history of all the voyages made for purposes of discovery composed the whole of our good Uncle Thomas' library. My education was neglected, yet I was passionately fond of reading. These volumes were my study day and night, and my familiarity with them increased that regret which I had felt, as a child, on learning that my father's dying injunction had forbidden my uncle to allow me to embark in a seafaring life.

这些思考驱散了我刚开始写信时的焦虑不安，现在我感觉自己激情洋溢、心潮澎湃，因为没有什么能像一个持久的目标这样令人气定神闲——灵魂会将它智慧的目光凝聚于此目标点。年少时，这个探险就一直是我最喜欢的梦想。我热切地阅读了各种航行记录，这些航行都是希望通过穿越极地周围的海域到达北太平洋。你或许还记得，在我们亲爱的托马斯叔叔的图书馆里，满是关于发现探索的航海史书。我的教育虽然被忽视了，可我酷爱阅读。我夜以继日地研究这些书卷，但我对它们的日益熟悉却增加了我曾有的那份遗憾，当我还是个孩子的时候，我就得知父亲临终时严令叔叔禁止我从事航海工作。

These visions faded when I perused, for the first time, those poets whose effusions entranced my soul and lifted it to heaven. I also became a poet and for one year lived in a paradise of my own creation; I imagined that I also might obtain a niche in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated. You are well acquainted with my failure and how heavily I bore the disappointment. But just at that time I inherited the fortune of my cousin, and my thoughts were turned into the channel of their earlier bent.

当我第一次仔细阅读诗歌时，那些诗人们所迸发的激情让我神魂颠倒，激情澎湃。而我航海的念头也随之淡化了。我也成了一名诗人，在整整一年多时间里我活在自己的创作天堂中。我幻想着自己也可能会在供奉着荷马和莎士比亚的殿堂里谋得一席之地。你十分清楚我的失败以及我所承受过的沉重失望。但就是在那个时候我继承了堂兄的财产，我儿时的想法也转入正轨，得以复苏。

Six years have passed since I resolved on my present undertaking. I can, even now, remember the hour from which I dedicated myself to this great enterprise. I commenced by inuring my body to hardship. I accompanied the whale-fishers on several expeditions to the North Sea; I voluntarily endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep; I often worked harder than the common sailors during the day and devoted my nights to the study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and those branches of physical science from which a naval adventurer might derive the greatest practical advantage. Twice I actually hired myself as an under-mate in a Greenland whaler, and acquitted myself to admiration. I must own I felt a little proud when my captain offered me the second dignity in the vessel and entreated me to remain with the greatest earnestness, so valuable did he consider my services. And now, dear Margaret, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose? My life might have been passed in ease and luxury, but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path. Oh, that some encouraging voice would answer in the affirmative! My courage and my resolution is firm; but my hopes fluctuate, and my spirits are often depressed. I am about to proceed on a long and difficult voyage, the emergencies of which will demand all my fortitude: I am required not only to raise the spirits of others, but sometimes to sustain my own, when theirs are failing.

自我下定决心从事目前的探险起，六年的时间已经过去了。即便现在，我仍能记得自己决心献身于这个伟大事业的时刻。我开始让自己的身体习惯于苦难。我几次随捕鲸手去北海探险；我自愿忍受寒冷、饥饿、口渴以及睡眠不足；白天我经常比普通水手更加卖力工作，夜晚我致力于学习数学、医药理论和那些对航海探险者来说可能具有最大现实价值的自然科学的分支学科。我甚至曾经两次在一艘格陵兰的捕鲸船上当了一名二副，我的表现赢得了别人的尊重。我必须承认，当我的船长让我当大副，并极其热情地挽留我时，我感到了一丝骄傲，因为他认为我的工作颇具价值。那么现在，亲爱的玛格丽特，难道我不该去完成某个壮举吗？我的生活本可以在安逸和奢侈中度过，但我宁要荣誉也不要人生路上种种财富的诱惑。哦，某个鼓舞人心的声音将做出确定的回答！我的勇气和决心固若磐石，但我的希望漂浮不定，我的精神经常萎靡不振。我将开始一段漫长而艰难的航行，其中的各种危难时刻都要求我的意志要绝对坚强：这要求我不仅要鼓舞他人的士气，还要在别人士气低落的某些时候，仍保持自己的精气神。

This is the most favourable period for travelling in Russia. They fly quickly over the snow in their sledges; the motion is pleasant, and, in my opinion, far more agreeable than that of an English stagecoach. The cold is not excessive, if you are wrapped in furs—a dress which I have already adopted, for there is a great difference between walking the deck and remaining seated motionless for hours, when no exercise prevents the blood from actually freezing in your veins. I have no ambition to lose my life on the post-road between St. Petersburgh and Archangel. I shall depart for the latter town in a fortnight or three weeks; and my intention is to hire a ship there, which can easily be done by paying the insurance for the owner, and to engage as many sailors as I think necessary among those who are accustomed to the whale-fishing. I do not intend to sail until the month of June; and when shall I return? Ah, dear sister, how can I answer this question? If I succeed, many, many months, perhaps years, will pass before you and I may meet. If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never. Farewell, my dear, excellent Margaret. Heaven shower down blessings on you, and save me, that I may again and again testify my gratitude for all your love and kindness.

这是在俄罗斯旅行的最佳时期。人们驾着雪橇在雪地上飞驰而过，动作优雅，在我看来，这远比驾着一辆英国的驿站马车更令人惬意。如果你把自己包裹在毛皮大衣里，就不会觉得特别寒冷了——我已经买了一件这样的大衣，因为在甲板上走动和几个小时纹丝不动地坐着是截然不同的 ，当不运动的时候，血液真的会在你的血管里凝固。我可不想在圣彼得堡和阿尔汉格尔斯克之间的邮路上断送了性命。两三周后，我将前往下一个镇子。我想在那里租艘船，这很容易办到，只要付给船主保险金就行，然后在那些熟悉捕鲸的水手中雇佣我自认为必要数目的人员。我想在明年六月份起航，什么时候返航呢？啊，亲爱的姐姐，我怎么能回答得了这个问题呢？如果我成功了，那要好多好多个月，也许好几年之后，你我才能相见。如果我失败了，你将很快再次见到我，或是永远见不到了。再见了，我亲爱的、优秀的玛格丽特。愿上苍赐福于你，并保佑我，我将一次次地对你的全部关爱和好心表达感激之情。

Your affectionate brother, R. Walton

你亲爱的弟弟，罗·沃尔顿 lPbEfe2VLJu1rN2gozsr35NScJsP/pnjS17K44W1uKZIPvzUH9B3ThyYbzj/jqJ5