天津图书馆外国文学撷珍（Classics Reading）第80期：《老实人》

摘要：启蒙运动是继文艺复兴运动之后欧洲近代第二次思想解放运动。在启蒙思想家的引领下，人们开始展开了追求自由、平等、民主的斗争。在一众杰出的启蒙思想家中，伏尔泰可谓是领军人物。他一生涉猎广泛，在文学、政治、历史、哲学、科学等方面皆有建树。今天为大家推荐的是他的代表作之

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小编有话说

启蒙运动是继文艺复兴运动之后欧洲近代第二次思想解放运动。在启蒙思想家的引领下，人们开始展开了追求自由、平等、民主的斗争。在一众杰出的启蒙思想家中，伏尔泰可谓是领军人物。他一生涉猎广泛，在文学、政治、历史、哲学、科学等方面皆有建树。今天为大家推荐的是他的代表作之一《老实人》，让我们通过阅读感悟其中哲理，探寻启蒙思想家的精神世界。

作品简介

《老实人》是法国思想家伏尔泰创作的哲理性讽刺小说。该小说的主人公老实人是一个纯朴、善良的青年，然而残酷的社会现实粉碎了他的梦想，在历尽苦难之后他终于感悟了人生的真理，开始通过勤劳的双手来创造幸福的生活。该作表达了启蒙思想家反对专制主义和封建特权、追求自由平等的思想，被誉为宣传启蒙思想的战斗号角。

作者简介

伏尔泰（Voltaire，1694-1778），法国思想家、文学家、哲学家、“资产阶级启蒙运动的泰斗”。原名弗朗索瓦-马利·阿鲁埃，“伏尔泰”为其笔名。伏尔泰出生于一个律师家庭，早年曾因公开批评政府而两次入狱、被流放到英国。由于学术成就，先后被选为英国皇家学会会员、法兰西学院院士。1753年投入到“启蒙运动”中，主张自由平等和开明君主制。其一生酷爱写作和历史研究，代表作有《哲学通信》《路易十四时代》《老实人》等。

精彩片段

Once upon a time, in the province of Westphalia, at the castle of his lordship the Baron von Thunder-ten-Tronckh, there lived a boy of very sweet disposition. His mind could be read in his face. He was fairly intelligent, yet his general outlook was one of utter simplicity. Probably this was why he acquired the name of Candide.

The older servants of the household suspected that he was the son of his lordship’s sister, the reputed father being a neighbouring landowner. The sister had refused to marry him, although he was an agreeable and worthy man, because his coat-of-arms had only seventy-one quarterings -- the others having disappeared in the storms of time.

The Baron was one of the most powerful noblemen in Westphalia; as was evidenced by the fact that his castle had a great gate and windows, and its hall was hung with tapestry. The dogs that ran about his farms could at a pinch be mustered into a pack for hunting, at which his stablemen served as whippers-in. His grand chaplain was the village parson. Everyone called him ‘My Lord’, and laughed at his anecdotes.

词汇学习

disposition

n. 处理；天性；气质；排列，部署

acquire

vt. 取得，获得；学到

suspect

vt. 疑心，怀疑

n. 嫌疑犯；可疑分子

disappear

vi. 不见，消失

anecdote

n. 短故事；轶事，奇闻