谈睡眠

　　Lesson Eleven 　On Getting off to Sleep

　　人真是充满矛盾啊！ 毫无疑问，幽默是惟一帮助我们摆脱矛盾的办法，要是没有它，我们就会死于烦恼。

　　What a bundle of contradictions is a man！ Surety， humour is the saving grace of us， for without it we should die of vexation.

　　在我看来，没有什么比睡眠更能说明事物间的矛盾。

　　With me， nothing illustrates the contrariness of things better than the matter of sleep.

　　比如，我打算写一篇文章，面前放好了笔、墨和几张白纸，准保没写几个字我就会困得要命，无论当时是几点都会那样。

　　If， for example， my intention is to write an essay， and 1 have before me ink and pens and several sheets of virgin paper， you may depend upon it that before I have gone very far I feel an overpowering desire for sleep， no matter what time of the day it is.

　　我瞪着那似乎在谴责我的白纸，直到眼前一片模糊，声音也难以辨清，只有靠意志力才能勉强坚持。

　　I stare at the reproachfully blank paper until sights and sounds become dim and confused， and it is only by an effort of will that I can continue at all.

　　即使这时，我也会迷迷糊糊地像在做梦一样继续坚持工作。

　　Even then， I proceed half-heartedly， in a kind of dream.

　　但是当深夜躺在床上，我什么事都能干，只有睡觉无法做到。

　　But let me be between the sheets at a late hour， and I can do any-thing but sleep.

　　随着时钟一遍一遍的报时，我可以完成大量的文章。

　　Between chime and chime of the clock I can write essays by the score.

　　极有吸引力的主题和崇高的思想纷纷出现在脑海，随之而来的还有恰如其分的意象和措辞。

　　Fascinating subjects and noble ideas come pell-mell， each with its appropriate imagery and expression.

　　除了笔、墨和纸，什么也不能阻止我写出半打不朽的杰作。

　　Nothing stands between me and half-a-dozen imperishable masterpieces but pens， ink， and paper.

　　如果，我们的思想和主观意象对于来世的人来说真的就像我们的书本和图片一样是有形的、摸得着的，那么我在来世会比在今生获得更高的声誉。

　　If it be true that our thoughts and mental images are perfectly tangible things， like our books and pictures， to the inhabitants of the next world， then I am making for myself a better reputation there than I am in

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