皮特先生小传

Henry Grattan，1750—1820，an Irish orator and statesman，was born at Dublin，and graduated from Trinity College，in his native city.By his admiration of Mr.Pitt，the first Earl of Chatham，he was led to turn his attention to oratory.In personal appearance，he was unprepossessing；but his private character was without a blemish.

The secretary stood alone.Modern degeneracy had not reached him.Original and unaccommodating，the features of his character had the hardihood of antiquity.His august mind overawed majesty itself.No state chicanery，no narrow system of vicious politics，no idle contest for ministerial victories，sank him to the vulgar level of the great；but overbearing，persuasive，and impracticable，his object was England，his ambition was fame.

Without dividing，he destroyed party；without corrupting，he made a venal age unanimous.France sunk beneath him.With one hand he smote the house of Bourbon，and wielded in the other the democracy of England.The sight of his mind was infinite；and his schemes were to effect，not England，not the present age only，but Europe and posterity.Wonderful were the means by which those schemes were accomplished；always seasonable，always adequate，the suggestion of an understanding animated by ardor and enlightened by prophecy.

The ordinary feelings which make life amiable and indolent，were unknown to him.No domestic difficulties，no domestic weakness，reached him；but，aloof from the sordid occurrences of life，and unsullied by its intercourse，he came occasionally into our system，to counsel and decide.A character so exalted，so strenuous，so various，so authoritative，astonished a corrupt age，and the treasury trembled at the name of Pitt，through all classes of venality.Corruption imagined，indeed，that she had found defects in this statesman，and talked much of the inconsistency of his glory，and much of the ruin of his victories；but the history of his country，and the calamities of the enemy，answered and refuted her.

Nor were his political his only talents.His eloquence was an era in the senate；peculiar and spontaneous；familiarly expressing gigantic sentiments and instructive wisdom；not like the torrent of Demosthenes，or the splendid conflagration of Tully；it resembled sometimes the thunder，and sometimes the music of the spheres.He did not conduct the understanding through the painful subtilty of argumentation，nor was he ever on the rack of exertion；but rather lightened upon the subject，and reached the point by the flashings of the mind，which，like those of the eye，were felt，but could not be followed.

Upon the whole，there was in this man something that could create，subvert，or reform；an understanding，a spirit，and an eloquence，to summon mankind to society，or to break the bonds of slavery asunder，and to rule the wildness of free minds with unbounded authority；something that could establish or overwhelm empires，and strike a blow in the world that should resound through the universe.

译文　TRANSLATION

亨利·格拉顿（1750—1820）是爱尔兰演说家、政治家，生于都柏林，毕业于该城三一学院。出于对首任查塔姆伯爵皮特先生的仰慕，他致力于演说。就外表而言，亨利·格拉顿其貌不扬；但就私德而言，他却了无瑕疵。

皮特先生遗世独立。现代的堕落从未污及其身。特立独行而绝不苟且，他的性格特征颇具峻切的古风。他恢宏的精神何止威严。官场的伎俩、邪恶政治的狭隘体系，为加官晋爵而进行的无谓竞争，这一切都不能让他堕入庸常；相反，他是那么伟岸、那么令人信服、那么桀骜不驯，他的目标是英国，他的志向是声名。

没有分化瓦解，他却摧毁了政党；没有营私舞弊，他却使贪污公行。法兰西在他面前臣服。他一面重创波旁王朝，一面左右英国的民主政体。他精神的视野无限广阔；他的一个个规划影响的不是英国或当代而是欧洲和后世。手法是那样高超以致他的所有规划总能得以实现；涉及某个协定时，他的建议总是那样适时、那样恰切，既有激情赋予的生命力又有预言般的启发性。

某些使生活变得惬意、懒散的情感是那么平淡平常，而他却不甚了了。家务的难题与家室之乐，他都一无所知。他超脱于生活的鄙俗，不为其所沾染。他只是偶尔进入我们的世界，提出建议或做出决策。这么意气风发、这么热情洋溢、这么多姿多彩、这么一言九鼎的人物震惊了这腐败的时代；听到他的名字，各个腐败阶层的藏宝室都会战抖。腐败者们确曾以为他们已在这位政治家身上找到了瑕疵，大肆谈论他荣誉中的前后矛盾及其胜利中隐藏的祸根；但他的祖国的历史与他的敌人的灾难则回答和驳斥了那些腐败者的中伤与责难。

他的才能并不局限于政治。他的口才在上议院也一时无两，其演讲总是别出心裁而又自然浑成；娴熟地表达出强烈的情感和富于启发性的智慧。他的演讲不像德摩斯梯尼那样口若悬河，也不像塔利那样精雕细刻。他的演讲有时像雷霆，有时像天庭的音乐。他并不凭借微妙的论证来展现知性，也没绞尽脑汁苦心经营；相反，他信手拈来某个议题，即以心智的灵光直击要点，而灵光恰似他的炯炯目光，只能感受，无从追随。

整体而言，在其人身上蕴含着某种创造、颠覆、变革的激情；那是某种知性、某种勇气、某种感染力，在号召人们建立社团，打破奴隶制的束缚，用无尽的权威掌控自由心灵的狂野；那是一种能够建立或推翻帝国的能量，奋力一击，回音响彻寰宇。