importunities of desire; he will receive and reject with equability



of temper; and act or suffer as the reason of things shall

alternately prescribe. Other men may amuse themselves with subtle



definitions or intricate ratiocination. Let them learn to be wise

by easier means: let them observe the hind of the forest and the



linnet of the grove: let them consider the life of animals, whose

motions are regulated by instinct; they obey their guide, and are



happy. Let us therefore at length cease to dispute, and learn to

live: throw away the encumbrance of precepts, which they who utter



them with so much pride and pomp do not understand, and carry with

us this simple and intelligible maxim: that deviation from Nature



is deviation from happiness.

When he had spoken he looked round him with a placid air, and



enjoyed the consciousness of his own beneficence.

"Sir," said the Prince with great modesty" target="_blank" title="n.谨慎；端庄；羞怯">modesty, "as I, like all the rest



of mankind, am desirous of felicity, my closest attention has been

fixed upon your discourse: I doubt not the truth of a position



which a man so learned has so confidentlyadvanced. Let me only

know what it is to live according to Nature."



"When I find young men so humble and so docile," said the

philosopher, "I can deny them no information which my studies have



enabled me to afford. To live according to Nature is to act always

with due regard to the fitness arising from the relations and



qualities of causes and effects; to concur with the great and

unchangeable scheme of universalfelicity; to co-operate with the



general disposition and tendency of the present system of things."

The Prince soon found that this was one of the sages whom he should



understand less as he heard him longer. He therefore bowed and was

silent; and the philosopher, supposing him satisfied and the rest



vanquished, rose up and departed with the air of a man that had co-

operated with the present system.



CHAPTER XXIII - THE PRINCE AND HIS SISTER DIVIDE BETWEEN THEM THE

WORK OF OBSERVATION.



RASSELAS returned home full of reflections, doubting how to direct

his future steps. Of the way to happiness he found the learned and



simple equallyignorant; but as he was yet young, he flattered

himself that he had time remaining for more experiments and further



inquiries. He communicated to Imlac his observations and his

doubts, but was answered by him with new doubts and remarks that



gave him no comfort. He thereforediscoursed more frequently and

freely with his sister, who had yet the same hope with himself, and



always assisted him to give some reason why, though he had been

hitherto" target="_blank" title="ad.至今，迄今">hitherto frustrated, he might succeed at last.



"We have hitherto" target="_blank" title="ad.至今，迄今">hitherto," said she, "known but little of the world; we

have never yet been either great or mean. In our own country,



though we had royalty, we had no power; and in this we have not yet

seen the private recesses of domestic peace. Imlac favours not our



search, lest we should in time find him mistaken. We will divide

the task between us; you shall try what is to be found in the



splendour of Courts, and I will range the shades of humbler life.

Perhaps command and authority may be the supreme blessings, as they



afford the most opportunities of doing good; or perhaps what this

world can give may be found in the modest habitations of middle



fortune - too low for great designs, and too high for penury and

distress."



CHAPTER XXIV - THE PRINCE EXAMINES THE HAPPINESS OF HIGH STATIONS.

RASSELAS applauded the design, and appeared next day with a



splendid retinue at the Court of the Bassa. He was soon

distinguished for his magnificence, and admitted, as a Prince whose



curiosity had brought him from distant countries, to an intimacy

• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)


• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


• cheerful [´tʃiəful] a.快乐的；高兴的 (初中英语单词)


• prosperity [prɔ´speriti] n.繁荣；成功；幸运 (初中英语单词)


• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)


• apartment [ə´pɑ:tmənt] n.一套房间 (初中英语单词)


• enthusiasm [in´θju:ziæzəm] n.热心；狂热；爱好 (初中英语单词)


• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)


• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)


• apparent [ə´pærənt] a.显然的；表面上的 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• misery [´mizəri] n.痛苦；悲惨；穷困 (初中英语单词)


• pursuit [pə´sju:t] n.追踪；追击；事务 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• residence [´rezidəns] n.居住(期间)；住宅 (初中英语单词)


• retreat [ri´tri:t] v.&n.退却；撤退；放弃 (初中英语单词)


• valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)


• inquiry [in´kwaiəri] n.询问；质询；调查 (初中英语单词)


• imagination [i,mædʒi´neiʃən] n.想象(力) (初中英语单词)


• prevail [pri´veil] vi.胜(过)；流行；普遍 (初中英语单词)


• ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• devotion [di´vəuʃən] n.献身；忠诚；热爱 (初中英语单词)


• likewise [´laikwaiz] ad.同样地；也，又 (初中英语单词)


• counsel [´kaunsəl] n.商议；劝告；律师 (初中英语单词)


• resolve [ri´zɔlv] v.决心 n.决心；刚毅 (初中英语单词)


• resolution [,rezə´lu:ʃən] n.决心；坚决；果断 (初中英语单词)


• considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)


• assembly [ə´sembli] n.集会；装配；与会者 (初中英语单词)


• coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)


• genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)


• interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)


• properly [´prɔpəli] ad.适当地；严格地 (初中英语单词)


• strongly [´strɔŋli] ad.强烈地；强有力地 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• desirable [di´zaiərəbəl] a.向往的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)


• universal [,ju:ni´və:səl] a.宇宙的；普遍的 (初中英语单词)


• temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)


• instinct [´instiŋkt] n.本能；直觉；天资 (初中英语单词)


• dispute [di´spju:t] v.&n.争论，辩论；争吵 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)


• disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)


• tendency [´tendənsi] n.趋势；倾向 (初中英语单词)


• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)


• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)


• ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)


• domestic [də´mestik] a.家庭的；本国的 (初中英语单词)


• supreme [su:´pri:m, sju:-] a.最高的，无上的 (初中英语单词)


• modest [´mɔdist] a.谦虚的；朴素的 (初中英语单词)


• courtesy [´kə:tisi] n.礼貌；殷勤；好意 (高中英语单词)


• hitherto [,hiðə´tu:] ad.至今，迄今 (高中英语单词)


• mansion [´mænʃən] n.大厦；宅第；官邸 (高中英语单词)


• tumult [´tju:mʌlt, ´tu:-] n.喧哗；激昂；烦乱 (高中英语单词)


• solitude [´sɔlitju:d] n.孤独；寂寞；荒凉 (高中英语单词)


• cavern [´kævən] n.大山洞；大岩洞 (高中英语单词)


• lodging [´lɔdʒiŋ] n.寄宿，住宿 (高中英语单词)


• hermit [´hə:mit] n.隐士 (高中英语单词)


• discourse [´diskɔ:s] n.论文；演说；说教 (高中英语单词)


• esteem [i´sti:m] n.尊重 vt.认为；感到 (高中英语单词)


• implore [im´plɔ:] vt.乞求，恳求 (高中英语单词)


• stillness [´stilnis] n.不动；无声，寂静 (高中英语单词)


• novelty [´nɔvəlti] n.新奇(的事物) (高中英语单词)


• resentment [ri´zentmənt] n.不满；怨恨；忿恨 (高中英语单词)


• lament [lə´ment] v.哀悼 n.哀悼；恸哭 (高中英语单词)


• solitary [´sɔlitəri] a.独居的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• deliberately [di´libərətli] ad.故意地；慎重地 (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• pronounced [prə´naunst] a.发出音的；显著的 (高中英语单词)


• narrative [´nærətiv] a.叙述的 n.记事 (高中英语单词)


• restrain [ri´strein] vt.抑制；管束；限制 (高中英语单词)


• torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)


• philosopher [fi´lɔsəfə] n.哲学家；思想家；哲人 (高中英语单词)


• obedience [ə´bi:djəns] n.服从；顺从 (高中英语单词)


• originally [ə´ridʒənəli] ad.本来；独创地 (高中英语单词)


• destiny [´destini] n.命运 (高中英语单词)


• reject [ri´dʒekt] vt.拒绝；抵制；否决 (高中英语单词)


• prescribe [pri´skraib] v.指示；处(方)；嘱咐 (高中英语单词)


• consciousness [´kɔnʃəsnis] n.意识；觉悟；知觉 (高中英语单词)


• royalty [´rɔiəlti] n.王位；特权阶层；版税 (高中英语单词)


• mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)


• magnificence [mæg´nifisns] n.壮丽；宏伟；豪华 (英语四级单词)


• unwilling [ʌn´wiliŋ] a.不愿意的；不情愿的 (英语四级单词)


• forbear [fɔ:´beə, fə-] v.容忍；克制 n.祖先 (英语四级单词)


• meditation [,medi´teiʃən] n.熟虑；默想 (英语四级单词)


• willingly [´wiliŋli] ad.情愿地，乐意地 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• diversion [dai´və:ʃən] n.转移；消遣 (英语四级单词)


• censure [´senʃə] vt.&n.责备；非难 (英语四级单词)


• justly [´dʒʌstli] ad.公正地，正当地 (英语四级单词)


• retirement [ri´taiəmənt] n.退休；撤退；幽静处 (英语四级单词)


• precept [´pri:sept] n.箴言；教训；规则 (英语四级单词)


• intricate [´intrikit] a.错综复杂的；难懂的 (英语四级单词)


• placid [´plæsid] a.平静的；温和的 (英语四级单词)


• modesty [´mɔdisti] n.谨慎；端庄；羞怯 (英语四级单词)


• desirous [di´zaiərəs] a.渴望的；想往的 (英语四级单词)


• intimacy [´intiməsi] n.亲密；熟悉；秘密 (英语四级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• pensive [´pensiv] a.沉思的；忧郁的 (英语六级单词)


• coolness [´ku:lnis] n.凉，凉爽；冷静 (英语六级单词)


• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)


• discord [´diskɔ:d] n.不一致；不和谐 (英语六级单词)


• perseverance [,pə:si´viərəns] n.毅力；坚持 (英语六级单词)


• vehemence [´vi:iməns] n.激烈，猛烈；热烈 (英语六级单词)


• hypocrite [´hipəkrit] n.伪善者；伪君子 (英语六级单词)


• desertion [di´zə:ʃən] n.离开，遗弃；潜逃 (英语六级单词)


• purify [´pjuərifai] vt.净化；精炼；提纯 (英语六级单词)


• affected [ə´fektid] a.做作的；假装的 (英语六级单词)


• felicity [fi´lisiti] n.幸福；(措词)适当 (英语六级单词)


• confidently [´kɔnfidəntli] ad.有信心地；自信地 (英语六级单词)


• fitness [fitnis] n.适合；健康 (英语六级单词)


• departed [di´pɑ:tid] a.已往的；已故的 (英语六级单词)