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Endless is the variety in the shape of the high lands which from this valley.Sometimes the slope is very gentle，and the arable lands go back very far.At others，the downs come out into the valley almost like piers into the sea，being very steep in their sides；as well as their ends：indeed they have no back ends，but run into the main high land.There is also great variety in the width of the valley；great variety in the width of the meadows；but the land appears all to be of the very best；and it must be so，for the farmers confess it.
尽管对这里的田园风光我本来就抱有很高的期望，却没有想到眼前的景色比我所想像的更美妙。以前我曾经在汗普郡的伊饮、伯恩以及特斯特等一些地方见过溪谷，包括南高地的溪谷，可是没有一处像阿文河这样让我动心。我端骑在马上，仰头眺望米尔顿、伊斯和佩塞，足足有半个小时，居然忘记了自己还没有吃早餐。我所站的这个山丘地势险峻，一条小径从旁边斜出向下，狭窄而陡峭，再加上山雨长年累月地冲洗，更加深凹难走。我既没有胆量骑马下山，也不想牵着马下山。就在这个时候，我看见一个小男孩正赶着猪群向茬子地走去，我于是招手把他叫了过来，让他帮我把马牵下去。在继续我的山谷寻幽之前，我还是好好介绍一下我给阿文河谷画的一张草图或者称之为地图。我是这样画的：我从朋友那里借来了一张威尔特郡的旧地图，在上面盖上一层薄纸，描出河流，用数字代表教堂，用星号代表庄园和房宅的旧址。把这个河谷包围起来的高地可真是姿态各异。有时山坡比较平缓，田地顺畅地向远方延伸；有时高地陡然陷入河谷，好像是探入海中的码头长堤，四面都是峭壁：实际上并没有任何背面，而是与整个高地连接在一起。另外，河谷的宽度和草地的宽度也都有很大的变化。但是无论怎样看，这里的土地都称得上是上等的良田。这一点是毋庸置疑的，因为当地的农民就是这样说的。
It seemed to me that one way，and that not，perhaps，the least striking，of exposing the folly，the stupidity，the inanity，the presumption，the insufferable emptiness and insolence and barbarity，of those numerous wretches who have now the audacity to propose to transport the people of England，upon the principle of the monster Malthus，who has furnished the unfeeling oligarchs and their toad-eaters with the pretence that man has a natural propensity to breed faster than food can be raised for the increase；it seemed to me that one way of exposing this mixture of madness and of blasphemy was to take a look，now that the harvest is in，at the produce，the mouths，the condition，and the changes that have taken place，in a spot like this，which God has favoured with every good that he has had to bestow upon man.
如今，有一些莫名其妙的古怪言论是这么说的：即人口的增长速度总是比所需要的食物增长的速度快，基于此理论要求英格兰向外移民。这些理论不过是那些狂妄而又不学无术、无聊卑鄙的人从妖怪马尔萨斯那里摘文引句，为那些暴君的统治和某些奴颜媚骨者鼓吹的托辞罢了。如果要彻底揭露这些家伙的愚昧蠢笨、稀里糊涂、言行武断，和让人难以忍受的浅薄无知、蛮横骄纵，还有疯疯癫癫以及对神灵的亵渎，最有效的一种方法也许就是赶上收获时节来这个地方看看——看看这年收成、人丁、状况和种种变化。上帝对这个地方真是倾囊恩赐了。
From the top of the hill I was not a little surprised to see，in every part of the valley that my eye could reach，a due，a large，portion of fields of Swedish turnips，all looking extremely well.I had found the turnips of both sorts by no means bad from Salt Hill to Newbury；but from Newbury through Burghclere，Highclere，Uphusband，and Tangley，I had seen but few.At and about Ludgarshall and Everley I had seen hardly any.But when I came this morning to Milton Hill Farm，I saw a very large field of what appeared to me to be fine Swedish turnips.In the valley，however，I found them much finer，and the fields were very beautiful objects，forming，as their color did，so great a contrast with that of the fallows and the stubbles，which latter are，this year，singularly clean and bright.
从山顶之颠眺目远望，我吃惊地发现在河谷之中，有大量的瑞典芜菁长满了大部分的田地上，触目所及，到处都是。从盐山到纽泊里，这一路上我都看见很多长势良好的英国和瑞典芜菁；但自纽伯里到伯克莱、海克莱、厄赫斯本与唐格里一带，却很少见到这些东西；而到了卢德加什和埃弗里周围地区，几乎见不到芜菁的踪迹。可是我早上到达米尔顿山庄时，却见到了大片大片郁郁葱葱的瑞典芜菁。然而河谷中的芜菁长得更好，田野的色彩也变得艳丽多了，真是美不胜收，这景象正好与今年收拾得格外干净的休耕地和茬子地形成了鲜明的对比。
Having gotten to the bottom of the hill，I proceeded on to the village of Milton，the church of which is，in the map，represented by the figure 3，I left.Easton away at my right，and I did not go up to Watton Rivers where the river Avon rises，and which lies just close to the south-west comer of Marlborough Forest，and at about 5or 6miles from the town of Marlborough.Lower down the river，as I thought，there lived a friend，who was a great farmer，and whom I intended to call on.It being my way，however，always to begin making inquiries soon enough，I asked the pig-driver where this friend lived；and，to my surprise，I found that he lived in the parish of Milton.After tiding up to the church，as being the center of the village，I went on towards the house of my friend，which lay on my road down the valley.I have many，many times witnessed agreeable surprise；but I do not know that I ever in the whole course of my life saw people so much surprised and pleased as this farmer and his family were at seeing me.People often tell you that they are glad to see you；and in general they speak troth.I take pretty good care not to approach any house，with the smallest appearance of a design to eat or drink in it，unless I be quite sure of a cordial reception；but my friend at Fifield（it is in Milton parish）and all his family really seemed to be delighted beyond all expression.
走到山脚下，我便决定去米尔顿村，在我的地图上，这个村里教堂上的代号是3。我把伊斯顿甩在了右后方，我也没有去寻找阿文河的源头沃顿河，这条河与马尔博罗森林的西南角为邻，离马尔博罗镇只有五六英里远的距离。我记得有个大农场主朋友就住在阿文河的下游，于是决定前去拜访。平时我出门总是喜欢先问路，于是便向这个小猪倌打探我那个朋友的住所，让人惊喜的是他就住在米尔顿教区里。我策马来到村子中心的教堂，紧接着就笔直奔向朋友家，他的房子就设立在通向河谷的路边上。我曾经见过很多很多次惊喜交织的场面，然而在我一生的记忆之中，从来没有哪一次像农场主及其家人见到我这样惊喜的样子。人们见面时通常都说“很高兴见到你”；一般来说，这句话是出于真心的。我一向很谨慎，除非有十足的把握能够受到热诚的欢迎，否则决不会轻易登门造访，以免有一点点前去打扰的嫌疑。但是，我的这位住在费非尔德（米尔顿教区内）的朋友和他的全家对我的到来表示出的惊喜若狂，确实是用言语所表达不了的。（未完待续）