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1、AnInlandVoyagebyRobertLouisStevensonPREFACETOTHEFIRSTEDITIONToequipsosmallabookwithaprefaceis,Iamhalfafraid,tosinagainstproportion.Butaprefaceismorethananauthorcanresist,foritistherewardofhislabours.Whenthefoundationstoneislaid,thearchitectappearswithhisplans,andstru
2、tsforanhourbeforethepubliceye.Sowiththewriterinhispreface:hemayhaveneverawordtosay,buthemustshowhimselfforamomentintheportico,hatinhand,andwithanurbanedemeanour.Itisbest,insuchcircumstances,torepresentadelicateshadeofmannerbetweenhumilityandsuperiority:asifthebookhad
3、beenwrittenbysomeoneelse,andyouhadmerelyrunoveritandinsertedwhatwasgood.ButformypartIhavenotyetlearnedthetricktothatperfection;Iamnotyetabletodissemblethewarmthofmysentimentstowardsareader;andifImeethimonthethreshold,itistoinvitehiminwithcountrycordiality.Tosaytruth,
4、Ihadnosoonerfinishedreadingthislittlebookinproof,thanIwasseizeduponbyadistressingapprehension.ItoccurredtomethatImightnotonlybethefirsttoreadthesepages,butthelastaswell;thatImighthavepioneeredthisverysmilingtractofcountryallinvain,andfindnotasoultofollowinmysteps.The
5、moreIthought,themoreIdislikedthenotion;untilthedistastegrewintoasortofpanicterror,andIrushedintothisPreface,whichisnomorethananadvertisementforreaders.WhatamItosayformybook?CalebandJoshuabroughtbackfromPalestineaformidablebunchofgrapes;alas!mybookproducesnaughtsonour
6、ishing;andforthematterofthat,weliveinanagewhenpeoplepreferadefinitiontoanyquantityoffruit.Iwonder,wouldanegativebefoundenticing?for,fromthenegativepointofview,Iflattermyselfthisvolumehasacertainstamp.Althoughitrunstoconsiderablyupwardsoftwohundredpages,itcontainsnota
7、singlereferencetotheimbecilityofGod'suniverse,norsomuchasasinglehintthatIcouldhavemadeabetteronemyself.-Ireallydonotknowwheremyheadcanhavebeen.Iseemtohaveforgottenallthatmakesitglorioustobeman.-'Tisanomissionthatrendersthebookphilosophicallyunimportant;butIaminhopest
8、heeccentricitymaypleaseinfrivolouscircles.TothefriendwhoaccompaniedmeIowemanythanksalready,indeedIwishIowedhimnothingelse;butatthis
