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Down the Aalley
河谷寻幽
William Cobbet/威廉·科贝特
I came off this morning on the Marlborough road about two miles，or three，and then turned off，over the downs，in a northwesterly direction，in search of the source of the Avon river，which goes down to Salisbury.I had once been at Netheravon，a village in this valley，but I had often heard this valley described as one of the finest pieces of land in all England；I knew that there were about thirty parish churches，standing in a length of about thirty miles，and in an average width of hardly a mile；and I was resolved to see a little into the reasons that could have induced our fathers to build all these churches，especially if，as the Scotch would have us believe，there were but a mere handful of people in England until of late years.
我大清早就出了门，在马尔博罗公路上走了两三英里，然后拐向西北，翻过一处高地去寻找阿文河的源头，这条河流向索尔兹博。我曾经在河谷中一个叫作下阿文的村庄里住过一些日子，然而不止一次听说，这条河算得上是整个英国的胜地中的其中一个。那谷地不过三十公里长一英里宽，可上面竟然耸立着大约三十座教区教堂。我决定去探讨一番，究竟是什么原因驱使我们的先人们建造了这么多的教堂，更何况直到最近几年以前英格兰的人口还非常少——苏格兰人一直力求让我们相信这一点。
In steering across the down，I came to a large farm，which a shepherd told me was Milton Hill Farm.This was upon the high land，and before I came to the edge of this Valley of Avon，which was my land of promise，or at least，of great expectation；for I could not imagine that thirty churches had been built for nothing by the side of a brook（for it is no more during the greater part of the way）thirty miles long.The shepherd showed me the way towards Milton；and at the end of about a mile，from the top of a very high part of the down，with a steep slope towards the valley，I first saw this Valley of Avon；and a most beautiful sight it was！Villages，hamlets，large farms，towers，steeples，fields，meadows，orchards，and very fine timber trees，scattered all over the valley.The shape of the thing is this：on each side downs，very lofty and steep in some places，and sloping miles back in other places；but each outside of the valley are downs.From the edge of the downs begin capital arable fields generally of very great dimensions ，and，in some places，running a mile or two back into little crossvalleys，formed by hills of downs.After the cornfields come meadows on each side，down to the brook or river.The farmhouses，mansions，villages，and hamlets are generally situated in that part of the arable land which comes nearest the meadows.
沿着高地走，我来到一座巨大的庄园附近，一位牧人对我说这是米尔顿山庄。庄园建在高地上，距离阿文河还有一些路程。这个河谷就是我“想抵达的地方”，或者至少是一个令人期待的地方，因为我实在是难以想像为什么人们会无缘无故地把这三十座教堂建在这么一条三十英里长的小河旁（而这条小河的大部分并没有什么特色鲜明的地方）。牧人把通向米尔顿村的道路指给了我，差不多走了一英里，我终于从直达谷地的一个陡峭的坡上第一次见到了阿文河谷——多么美丽的河谷呀！这里有村落、庄园、塔楼、田野、草地、果园，还有郁郁葱葱的树木。这里的地形是这样的：河谷的周围都是高地，有些地方陡峭险峻，绵延向前数英里，有的地方坡度比较平缓。在河谷和高地的交汇的地方，是一大片肥沃的田地，有的甚至顺着高地向上爬了一二英里远。玉米地紧紧地挨着两边的草地，向下一直延伸到水边。在靠近草地的田间里，座落着大部分的农屋、农院和村屯。
Great as my expectations had been，they were more than fulfilled.I delight in this sort of country；and I had frequently seen the vale of the Itchen，that of the Bourn，and also that of the Teste in Hampshire；I had seen the vales amongst the South Downs；but I never before saw anything to please me like this valley of the Avon.I sat upon my horse and looked over Milton and Easton and Pewsey for half an hour，though I had not breakfasted.The hill was very steep.A road，going slanting down it，was still so steep，and washed so very deep by the rains of ages，that I did not attempt to ride down it，and I did not like to lead my horse，the path was so narrow.So seeing a boy with a drove of pigs going out to the stubbles，I beckoned him to come up to me；and he came and led my horse down for me.But now，before I begin to ride down this beautiful vale，let me give，as well as my means will enable me，a plan or map of it，which I have made in this way.A friend has lent me a very old man of Wiltshire describing the spots where all the churches stand，and also all the spots where manor houses or mansion-houses stood.I laid a piece of very thin paper upon the map，and thus traced the river upon my paper，putting figure to represent the spots where churches stand，and putting stars to reprent the spots where manor-houses or mansion-houses formerly stood.（未完待续）