面对墓园那各式各样的十字架，人们总会思绪万千。生与死，永恒的两极相通。正因为人都难免一死，我们才更能感受到那“生命中不可承受之轻”的沉重……
When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow: when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day when we shall all of us be contemporaries, and make our appearance together.
Excerpt From Westminster Abbey
By Joseph Addison
［参考译文］
墓园沉思
约瑟夫·艾迪生
当我瞻仰伟人的坟墓时，心中所有的嫉妒顿时烟消云散；当我读到美人的悼文时，所有的非分之想霎时消失殆尽；当我遇见在墓碑旁悲痛欲绝的父母亲时，我的心中充满了同情；当我看到那些父母亲自己的坟墓时，我不禁感慨：既然我们很快都要随逝者而去，悲伤又有何用。当我看到国王与那些将他们废黜的人躺在一起时，当我想到那些争斗一生的智者，或是那些通过竞争和争执将世界分裂的圣人们被后人并排葬在一起时，我对人类的那些微不足道的竞争、内讧和争论感到惊愕和悲伤。看到一些坟墓上的日期，有的死于昨日，而有的死于大约六百年前，我不禁想到，有那么一天我们终会并排出现在世人面前。
［注释］
-inordinate [ɪˈnɔːdɪnɪt] adj. 过分的，无节制的 exceeding reasonable limits; immoderate
-depose [dɪˈpəʊz] v. 免职；废黜 to remove from office or power
［作者简介］
约瑟夫·艾迪生（Joseph Addison, 1672-1719），英国散文家、诗人、剧作家及政治家。艾迪生的名字在文学史上常常与他的好朋友理查德·斯蒂尔一起被提起，两人最重要的贡献是创办了著名的杂志《闲谈者》与《旁观者》。