Preface

      It's very plain that if a thing's the fashion—

       Too much the fashion—if the people leap

     To do it, or to be it, in a passion

       Of haste and crowding, like a herd¹ of sheep,

 

     Why then that thing becomes through imitation

       Vulgar, excessive, obvious, and cheap.

 

     No gentleman desires to be pursuing

 

     What every Tom and Dick and Harry's doing.

 

     Stranger, do you write books? I ask the question,

       Because I'm told that everybody writes

     That what with scribbling², eating, and digestion³,

       And proper slumber⁴, all our days and nights

 

     Are wholly filled. It seems an odd suggestion—

       But if you do write, stop it, leave the masses,

       Read me, and join the small selected classes.

 

1 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

2 scribbling   

n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下

参考例句：

• Once the money got into the book, all that remained were some scribbling. 折子上的钱只是几个字！ 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• McMug loves scribbling. Mama then sent him to the Kindergarten. 麦唛很喜欢写字，妈妈看在眼里，就替他报读了幼稚园。 来自互联网

3 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

4 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。