沃尔特·司各特(Walter Scott)
He was in the prime of life, rather low of stature , and slightly, though elegantly, formed; his gesture, language, and manners, were those of one whose life had been spent among the noble and the gay.
The severity of his character, as well as the higher attributes of undaunted and enterprising valour which even his enemies were compelled to admit, lay concealed under an exterior which seemed adapted to the court or the saloon rather than to the field. The same gentleness and gaiety of expression which reigned in his features seemed to inspire his actions and gestures; and, on the whole, he was generally esteemed, at first sight, rather qualified to be the votary of pleasure than of ambition. But under this soft exterior was hidden a spirit unbounded in daring and in aspiring, yet cautious and prudent. Profound in politics, ...this leader was cool and collected in danger, fierce and ardent in pursuing success, careless of facing death himself, and ruthless in inflicting it upon others. Such are the characters formed in times of civil discord, when the highest qualities, perverted by party spirit, and inflamed by habitual opposition, are too often combined with vices and excesses which deprive them at once of their merit and of their lustre.
- prime [praɪm] n. 正值盛年，风华正茂
- stature [ˈstætʃə] n. 身高，身材
- undaunted [ʌnˈdɔːntɪd] a. 无畏的，大胆的
- saloon [səˈluːn] n. 沙龙
- votary [ˈvəʊtərɪ] n. 信徒崇拜者
- pervert [pəˈvɜːt] vt. 使堕落；使反常
他处在人生的黄金时期，虽然身材比较矮小但风度优雅；他的姿态、语言和举止，属于一直在贵族和快乐的人群中生活过的类型。
他有着严谨的个性，有着不屈不挠、勇敢进取的素质，甚至连他的对手都不得不敬重他；这些素质藏而不露，似乎不具有乡野气息，而适合宫廷和沙龙。他的面部表情同样温和而快乐，似乎主导着他的行为举止。总的来说，乍看之下，一般都会认为他是个贪图享乐的人，而并无大志，然而，在这柔和的外表下，隐藏的却是勇猛刚毅，勃勃雄心，谨慎沉稳和深谋远虑。这位领袖人物是政治老手，他遇险沉着冷静，追求成功时威猛无比，热情奔放，面对死亡时坦然自若，打击对手时残酷无情。这些性格形成于内斗之中。当最高级的素质，为党派政见所滥用，为积怨很深的敌对所激发，便常常与邪恶和极端相融合，这就既剥夺了其美德，也使之丧失了荣耀。
沃尔特·司各特(1771—1832)，英国小说家、诗人，出生在爱丁堡没落贵族家庭。创作第一时期(1796—1813)从事诗歌采集与创作，作品有《苏格兰边区歌谣集》(The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border ，1802—1803)，《玛密恩》(Marmion ，1808)，《湖上夫人》(The Lady of the Lake ，1810)等，特点是引人入胜，有浪漫情调。第二时期(1814—1832)写历史小说，是欧洲历史小说的首创者，作品有《威弗利》(Waverly ，1814)，《古董家》(The Antiquary ，1816)，《罗布·罗伊》(Rob Roy ，1818)，《艾凡赫》(Ivanhoe ，1819)等。其历史小说画面浩瀚，场景瑰丽，人物众多，情节复杂，既浪漫又有现实主义描写。后期作品趋于消极。