The Turkish Embassy Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (Letter I)蒙太古夫人《东方来信》（第一封）

玛丽·渥特莱·蒙太古夫人

【導读】蒙太古夫人（1689—1762），英国书信作家、诗人、旅行家，出身于贵族家庭。自幼天资聪颖，博览群书，少女时期即开始写诗，并自学了拉丁文。1712年，她违抗父命，与相恋的爱德华·渥特莱·蒙太古（Edward Wortley Montagu）秘密结婚。婚后不久，爱德华升任财政大臣，蒙太古夫人也因此得以广结社会名流，与当时的著名文人斯梯尔、艾狄生、康格里夫、蒲柏、盖依等交往甚密。1716年，爱德华担任英国驻土耳其大使，她便随夫沿欧洲各国一路行至土耳其，直到两年后才返回故土。在此期间，她写下一组“东方来信”1，共计52封，记录、分享了沿途的旅行见闻以及土耳其的风土人情。返回伦敦后，蒙太古夫人大力推广她在土耳其见到的用以预防天花的种痘术，被后世传为美谈。《东方来信》的初版刊行于1763年。

To Lady Mar2，

Rotterdam3， 3 August 1716

I flatter myself， dear sister， that I shall give you some pleasure in letting you know that I am safely past the sea， though we had the ill fortune of a storm. We were persuaded by the captain of our yacht to set out in a calm， and he pretended that there was nothing so easy as to tide it over; but， after two days slowly moving， the wind blew so hard that none of the sailors could keep their feet and we were all Sunday night tossed very handsomely. I never saw a man more frighted than the captain. For my part I have been so lucky neither to suffer from fear or sea-sickness， though I confess I was so impatient to see myself once more upon dry land that I would not stay till the yacht could get to Rotterdam， but went in the long boat to Helvoetsluys4， where we hired voitures5 to carry us to the Brill6. I was charmed with the neatness of this little town， but my arrival in Rotterdam presented me a new scene of pleasure. All the streets are paved with broad stones， and before the meanest artificers’ doors seats of various coloured marbles， and so neatly kept that， I’ll assure you， I walked almost all over the town yesterday， incognito， in my slippers， without receiving one spot of dirt， and you may see the Dutch maids washing the pavement of the street with more application than ours do our bedchambers. The town seems so full of people， with such busy faces， all in motion， that I can hardly fancy that it is not some celebrated fair， but I see it is every day the same. ’Tis certain no town can be more advantageously situated for commerce. Here are seven large canals， on which the merchant ships come up to the very doors of their houses. The shops and warehouses are of a surprising neatness and magnificence， filled with an incredible quantity of fine merchandise， and so much cheaper than what we see in England I have much ado to persuade myself I am still so near it. Here is neither dirt nor beggary to be seen. One is not shocked with those loathsome cripples so common in London， nor teased with the importunities of idle fellows and wenches that choose to be nasty and lazy. The common servants and the little shop women here are more nicely clean than most of our ladies， and the great variety of neat dresses （every woman dressing her head after her own fashion） is an additional pleasure in seeing the town.

You see， hitherto， dear sister， I make no complaints， and if I continue to like travelling as well as I do at present， I shall not repent my project. It will go a great way in making me satisfied with it， if it affords me opportunities of entertaining you. But it is not from Holland that you must expect a disinterested offer. I can write enough in the style of Rotterdam to tell you plainly， in one word， that I expect returns of all the London news. You see I have already learnt to make a good bargain， and that it is not for nothing I will so much as tell you that I am your affectionate sister.

致马尔伯爵夫人，

鹿特丹，1716年8月3日

亲爱的妹妹，我想你得知这事后会颇感欣快。我们虽然不幸遇到了暴风雨，但还算平安地渡过了大洋。起初，在风平浪静之时，船长劝大家登船出航，仿佛天底下再没有比越洋渡海更容易的事了。哪知在缓缓前行了两日后，天上却刮起了无比猛烈的大风，使得船员没有一个能站稳脚跟。在那个周日，我们整晚都感到颠簸得厉害。至于船长，我还未曾见过有谁像他那样惊恐万状的。所幸的是我自己既不感到害怕，也不觉得晕船，只是难免也想尽快回到陆地上。故我等不急我们这船抵达鹿特丹，便坐进了一艘大艇里，先前往海勒富特斯勒斯，而后又雇了马车把我们送至布里勒。我很是喜欢这座小城整洁的样子。然待我们来到鹿特丹，却又见到了另一番迷人的景象。那里的街道都以大石板铺之，即便在卑微至极的匠人的家门前，也有贴着五颜六色大理石片的座椅。并且街道上面还纤尘不染——我不骗你，昨日我穿着便鞋悄悄地把全城游了个遍，也未沾上哪怕一丁点儿的泥污。你可想见荷兰女佣清洗街道的路面都比我们的女佣打扫卧房更用心。另外，那城里真可说是人山人海，每个人都神色匆匆，马不停蹄，我很难不以为正在举办什么欢庆会，可哪有天天如此的呢。此城实在是最得贸易经商之地利，有着七条大运河，商船往来其间，直抵各家门前。而城中商铺和货栈也出乎意料地规整、气派，里面精美的商品琳琅满目，远比我们在英国所见的要便宜许多——真是难以置信，我竟身临其境。这里是见不到脏污或乞丐的，人们既不会被遍布伦敦的那类讨厌的跛子给惊着，也不会陷入自甘邋遢、懒惰的浪荡男女的胡搅蛮缠之中。他们就连寻常的佣人、瘦小的女店员也比我们大多数的女士要更显俏丽甜净，而那各色各样漂亮的装扮——女子们均按自己的喜好打理头发——又为这座城市的景象增添了额外的光彩。

你瞧，亲爱的妹妹，我至此也未抱怨过一句。如若接下来我对旅行还像现在这样感到中意的话，那我是不会后悔自己当初的计划的。而在旅行途中，假使能遇到什么有趣的，可拿来逗你一乐，这也会助我生出不虛此行之感。不过，在荷兰你可别想有什么不求利益的交易。我就单以鹿特丹的方式直言相告吧，总之，你得给我以回报，要把伦敦的近况统统告诉我。你看我都学会如何做一桩好买卖了，而末了的这句“你亲爱的姐姐手书”也不是白白写给你的。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖选手，单位：中铁科研院）