英国语文第六册(双语):大马士革与伦敦（二）(6)
This extraordinary quiet and solemnity of demeanour may arise partly, also, from a sense of danger. Every man has arms, and has the right both of wearing and of using them: and no man makes a journey, be it only to a neighbouring village, without sword and pistols. Now this tends to quiet, earnest, solemn manners. If a scuffle takes place, it is not a black eye or a bloody face that is the result, but the certain death of some of the parties; and hence they are taught the principle of self-restraint and moral control……
这种行为上的极其安静和拘谨产生的部分原因也归咎于一种自身的危机感。每个人都持有武器，而且每个人都有权利携带和使用武器：那里所有的人，只要是外出，即使只是去邻村，也要携带一把长剑或者手枪。也由此才造就了人们安静、认真和拘谨的举止态度。一旦发生斗殴，后果不是双方简单的鼻青脸肿，而是其中一方的必定死亡；因此他们必须紧守自制和道德自律的原则。
3. The Arabs, and Orientals in general, sit much more than we do. The tradesmen all sit at their work: the smith, the carpenter, and the merchant, the butcher, the joiner, and the spice-monger, sit quietly and transact their business. They sit as tailors do, cross-legged, but with their feet doubled in beneath them. They sit on their feet, and maintain that such is the most natural and easy position! They seem to have no pleasure in motion: no man goes out to take a walk; no man moves for the sake of exercise. They go out, as they say, to smell the air, by some spreading tree or fountain of water. And yet they are capable of enduring great and long-continued labour. Abu Mausur travelled with us nearly forty days, during which we rode at the rate of from six to eighteen hours a day; and yet, though never upon a horse, he was always with us at the requisite time and place. He performed the journey on foot, and was rarely far behind.
3. 阿拉伯人和东方人坐着的时间一般比我们要久，因为所有的手艺人都是坐着工作：铁匠、木匠、商人、屠夫、工匠和香料贩子都是安静地坐着经营生意。他们像裁缝那样盘腿而坐，只不过他们双脚都被压在腿下面。他们就那样坐在自己的脚上而且一直保持那个姿势，就好像这个姿势是最自然、最舒服的姿势！他们似乎领悟不到运动的乐趣所在：没有人出去散步；没有人会为了锻炼身体而运动，他们出门只是为了到茂盛的大树或者泉水旁呼吸一下新鲜空气。并且他们能忍受去干费时的、冗杂的活儿，阿卜·摩苏尔和我们一起旅行了将近40天的样子，在此期间，我们每天都要骑马骑6至18个小时；他尽管没有骑过马，但他总会在必要的时间里、在必要的地点陪着我们，他一路都是步行，而且从来没有落在我们后面过。
Take, then, these things together, and you will easily perceive that in the city of Damascus everything is still and calm as the unclouded sky and the balmy air. The hoof of the camel falls noiselessly on the unpaved street; the sheep-skin foot-gloves of the Damascenes make no sound; and all the movements, both of men and of animals, are slow and solemn.
总结这所有的因素，你就能很好理解为什么大马士革的一切都像晴朗的天空和温和的空气一样是静止的、平静的。骆驼的蹄子安静地踏在尚未铺砌的街道上；大马士革人的羊皮靴子同样也不会发出声响；所有人和动物的动作缓慢而又严肃。
