Walking an Antidote to City Poison

 There is moral as well as bodily wholesomeness¹ in a mountain walk, if the walker has the understanding heart, and eschews² picnics. It is good for any man to be alone with nature and himself, or with a friend who knows when silence is more sociable³ than talk:

 

"In the wilderness⁴ alone,

There where nature worships God."

It is well to be in places where man is little and God is great—where what he sees all around him has the same look as it had a thousand years ago, and will have the same, in all likelihood, when he has been a thousand years in his grave. It abates⁵ and rectifies⁶ a man, if he is worth the process.

 

It is not favourable⁷ to religious feeling to hear only of the actions and interference of man, and to behold⁸ nothing but what human ingenuity⁹ has completed. There is an image of God's greatness impressed upon the outward[Pg 18] face of nature fitted to make us all pious¹⁰, and to breathe into our hearts a purifying and salutary fear.

 

In cities everything is man, and man alone. He seems to move and govern all, and be the Providence¹¹ of cities; and there we do not render unto C?sar the things which are C?sar's, and unto God the things which are God's; but God is forgotten, and C?sar is supreme—all is human policy, human foresight¹², human power; nothing reminds us of invisible dominion¹³, and concealed¹⁴ omnipotence—it is all earth, and no heaven. One cure of this is prayer and the solitary¹⁵ place. As the body, harassed¹⁶ with the noxious¹⁷ air of cities, seeks relief in the freedom and the purity of the fields and hills, so the mind, wearied by commerce with men, resumes its vigour¹⁸ in solitude¹⁹, and repairs its dignity.

 

Sydney Smith.

 

1 wholesomeness   

卫生性

参考例句：

2 eschews   

v.（尤指为道德或实际理由而）习惯性避开，回避( eschew的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A wise person eschews bad company. 聪明人远避恶友。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Ideology transcends limits, eschews restraints, and disdains tolerance or conciliation. 意识形态越出界限，避开遏制，蔑视宽容或和解。 来自辞典例句

3 sociable   

adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的

参考例句：

• Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
• Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。

4 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 abates   

减少( abate的第三人称单数 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• Unless inflation abates, more countries will adopt some form of inflation accounting. 除非通货膨胀率下降，否则将有更多的国家采用某种形式的通货膨胀会计。
• As mating, and fighting abates, males dip again and begin returning inland. 交配和打斗过后，雄性螃蟹再蘸一蘸潮湿的海水，回到内陆。

6 rectifies   

改正，矫正( rectify的第三人称单数 )； 精馏

参考例句：

• A diode rectifies alternating current. 二极管调整交流电。

7 favourable   

adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的

参考例句：

• The company will lend you money on very favourable terms.这家公司将以非常优惠的条件借钱给你。
• We found that most people are favourable to the idea.我们发现大多数人同意这个意见。

8 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

9 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

10 pious   

adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
• Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

12 foresight   

n.先见之明，深谋远虑

参考例句：

• The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
• It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。

13 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

14 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

15 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

16 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

17 noxious   

adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• Heavy industry pollutes our rivers with noxious chemicals.重工业产生的有毒化学品会污染我们的河流。
• Many household products give off noxious fumes.很多家用产品散发有害气体。

18 vigour   

（=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力

参考例句：

• She is full of vigour and enthusiasm.她有热情，有朝气。
• At 40,he was in his prime and full of vigour.他40岁时正年富力强。

19 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。