I am obliged to you for your long Letter, which did not seem so, and for your short one, which was more than I had any reason to expect. Short as it was it conveyed to me two interesting articles of intelligence, an account of your recovery from a fever, and of Lady Cowper's death. The latter was, I suppose, to be expected, for by what remembrance I have of her ladyship, who was never much acquainted with her, she had reached those years that are always found upon the borders of another world. As for you, your time of life is comparatively of a youthful date. You may think of death as much as you please, (you cannot think of it too much) but I hope you will live to think of it many years. It costs me not much difficulty to suppose that my friends who were already grown old, when I saw them last, are old still. But it costs me a good deal sometimes to think of those who were at that time young, as being older than they were. Not having been an eye-witness of the change that time has made in them, and my former Idea of them not being corrected by observation, it remains the same; my memory presents me with their image unimpaired, and while it retains the resemblance of what they were, forgets that by this time the picture may have lost much of its likeness, through the alteration that succeeding years have made in the original. I know not what impressions time may have made upon your person, for while his claws (as our Grann'am called them) strike deep furrows in some faces, he seems to sheath them with much tenderness as if fearfull of doing injury to others. But though an enemy to the person, he is a friend to the mind, and you have found him so. Though even in this respect his treatment of us depends upon what he meets with at our hands; if we use him well and listen to his admonitions and instructions, he is a friend indeed, but otherwise the worst of enemies, who takes from us daily something that we valued, and gives us nothing better in its stead. It is well with them who like you, can stand a tip: toe on the mountain: top of human life, look down with pleasure upon the valley they have passed, and some-times stretch their wings in joyful hope of a happy flight into eternity, yet a little while and your hope will be accomplished.
We are obliged to your mother and your sister for their kind remembrances. Mrs. Unwin is still afflicted with a nervous malady, to which I believe this East Wind which has lasted so long, contributes not a little. She begs me to present her respects. When you see my aunt, and when you write to Mrs. Maitland, assure them of my affectionate rewards, and of the Pleasure I have in hearing of their Welfare. When you can favor me with a little account of your own Family without Inconvenience, I shall be glad to receive it, for though separated from my kindred by little more than half a century of miles, I know as little of their Concerns as if Oceans and continents were interposed between us.
Yours, My Dear Cousin
Wm. Cowper
Thursday, 31 August 1780
我亲爱的堂嫂：
非常感谢你写的那封长信，虽然它看起来并不怎么长。也非常感谢你的那封短信，此信完全在我的意料之外。虽然它很短，但是它传达了两条我关注的信息：一条是你的热病已经痊愈，另一条是柯珀小姐的过世。我想，后者是意料之中的事情，她在我的记忆中——尽管我和她交往不深——是一个上了年纪、随时有可能步入另一个世界的人。而你，正值盛年，可以随心所欲地思索死亡（不要想得太多），但是我希望你能活下去，花上多年时光来思索它。不难想象我那些已经上了年岁的朋友们又老了许多，我上次见到他们时情况就是如此。但是，我很难想象那些以前年轻的朋友们也正在慢慢老去。由于没有亲眼目睹时间在他们身上造成的变化，我对于他们以前的印象依然鲜活，记忆中呈现的依然是他们未变的形象。
记忆虽然保留了原来的形象，却忘了现在的形象早已失去了以前的许多面貌特征，正是时光的流逝，才导致了这些转变。我不知道时光是否已在你身上留下了印记，虽然它的魔爪（我们祖母就是这样说它们的）在很多人的脸上刻下一道道的皱纹，但它好像又用十倍的温情把它们遮掩着，似乎怕给人们造成伤害。不过，虽然它是人们身体外的敌人，却是心灵的朋友，你自己已经有过这方面的经验了。尽管如此，它如何对待我们，也要取决于它从我们这儿受到什么样的待遇。如果我们正确地对待它，聆听它的忠告和教导，那它就是一位真正的朋友；相反，如果我们没有正确地对待它，它就是我们最险恶的敌人。它每天都从我们这里拿走一些宝贵的东西，却不会给我们任何好处。它们就跟你一样，能够站在群山之巅，站在人生的最高处，向下俯视，欣然回顾它们曾经穿越的山谷，有时候会兴奋得张开双臂，希望能够幸福地飞向那不朽的天堂。过不了多久，你的愿望就能够实现。
我们非常感激你母亲与妹妹的亲切问候。安文夫人仍患有疯癫，我想，这很大程度上要归咎于这久刮不止的东风，她请我代她向你致敬。如果你能见到我姑妈，以及给梅特兰夫人写信时，请务必转告一下我对她们亲切的问候，同时我诚祝她们健康幸福。如果你在方便的时候能够给我写封信，简单说说你家里的情况，我肯定会非常高兴的，因为我和我的家族之间虽然只有50英里的距离，但我对他们的情况却了解得不多，好像有万水千山横亘在我们之间似的。
我亲爱的堂嫂
您的威廉·柯珀
1780年8月31日 星期四
convey [knvei] v. 表达；传送；运送
Her words convey no meaning to me.
我完全不懂她的话所要表达之意。
comparatively [kmp鎟tivli] adv. 比较上；相对地
Comparatively speaking, I like chaste poetry better.
相比较而言，我更喜欢朴实无华的诗。
alteration [:ltrein] n. 改变；更改；改动
Our prices are subject to alteration.
我们的价格可能会有变化。
furrow [fru] n. 犁沟；沟；车辙；航迹；皱纹
Her feet tore two furrows in the clay.
她的脚在黏土里划出了两道纹路。
不难想象我那些已经上了年岁的朋友们又老了许多，我上次见到他们时情况就是如此。
记忆虽然保留了原来的形象，却忘了现在的形象早已失去了以前的许多面貌特征，正是时光的流逝，才导致了这些转变。
不过，虽然它是人们身体外的敌人，却是心灵的朋友，你自己已经有过这方面的经验了。
...an account of your recovery from a fever...
account of：考虑
The latter was, I suppose, to be expected, for by what remembrance I have of her ladyship, who was never much acquainted with her...
be acquainted with：了解；相识