gratify [r鎡ifai] v. 使高兴；使满意满足（愿望、需要等）
It gratified him to think that it was all his work.
想到这都是他的工作成果，他感到十分欣慰。
merchant [m:tnt] n. 商人；批发商；（尤指）进出口批发
Venice was once a city of rich merchants.
威尼斯曾是富商云集的城市。
由此可见，他不仅向我伸出了魔掌，还包括我的朋友。
不过，我愿意以宽容来结束此信。
但愿您千万别再让我改变（哪怕是任何一条）对您的人品业已形成的观点和看法。
Where I am confined by want of health.
confined by：局限
That you were a lady adorned with all perfection.
adorn with：装饰着
威廉·华兹华斯致托马斯·昆西
William Wordsworth to Thomas Quincey
威廉·华兹华斯（1770－1850），英国浪漫主义诗歌的奠基人之一，“湖畔派”诗人代表。他曾和柯勒律治、骚塞在英国西北山地的湖区居住，故被合称为“湖畔诗人”。1789年他与柯勒律治联名出版了《抒情歌谣集》，其清新自然的格调和明快流畅的语言，开创了英国浪漫主义诗歌的一代新风。1843年被授予“桂冠诗人”称号。其诗作大都歌咏湖光山色、田园风光，语言朴素清新，感情自然真挚，风格宁静幽远。代表作品有长诗《序曲》、《远游》，组诗《露西》等。
Dear Sir,
Your Letter dated May 3 (owing I presume to the remissness of Messeurs Longman and Rees in forwarding it) I did not receive till the day before yesterday. I am much concerned at this as though I am sure you would not suppose me capable of neglecting such a Letter, yet still my silence must needs have caused you some uneasiness.
It is impossible not to be pleased when one is told that one has, given so much pleasure, and It is to me a still higher gratification to find that my poems have impressed a stranger with such favorable ideas of my character as a man. Having said this which is easily said I find some difficulty in replying more particularly to your Letter.
It is needless to say that it would be out of nature were I not to have kind feelings towards one who expresses sentiments of such profound esteem and admiration of my writings as you have done. You can have no doubt but that these sentiments however conveyed to me must have been acceptable; and I assure you that they are still more welcoming from yourself. You will then perceive that the main end which you proposed to yourself in writing to me is answered, viz. that I am already kindly disposed towards you. My friendship it is not in my power to give this is a gift which no man can make, it is not in our own power: a sound and healthy friendship is the growth of time and circumstance, it will spring up and thrive like a wild flower when these favour, and when they do not, it is in vain to look for it.
I do not suppose that I am saying any thing which you do not know as well as myself. I am simply reminding you of a commonplace truth which your high admiration of me may have robbed perhaps of that weight which it ought to have with you. And this leads me to what gave me great concern, I mean the very unreasonable value which you set upon my writings, compared with those of others. You are young and ingenuous and I wrote with a hope of pleasing the young the ingenuous and the unworldly above all others, but sorry indeed should I be to stand in the way of the proper influence of other writers. You will know that I allude to the great names of past times, and above all to those of our own Country. I have taken the liberty of saying this much to hasten on the time, when you will value my poems not less, but those of others, more. That time I know would come of itself and may come sooner for what I have said, which at all events I am sure you cannot take ills.
How many things are there in a man's character of which his writings however miscellaneous or voluminous will give no idea. How many thousand things which go to making up the value of a frank and moral man concerning not one of which any conclusion can be drawn from what he says of himself or of others in the Worlds Ear. You probably would never guess from any thing you know of me, that I am the most lazy and impatient Letter writer in the world. You will perhaps have observed that the first two or three Lines of this sheet are in a tolerably fair, legible hand, and, now every Letter, from A to Z, is in complete route, one upon the heals of the other. Indeed so difficult Do I find it to master this ill habit of idleness and impatience, that I have long ceased to write any Letters but upon business. In justice to myself and you I have found myself obliged to mention this, lest you should think me unkind if you find me a slovenly and sluggish Correspondent.
I am going with my friend Coleridge and my Sister upon a tour into Scotland for six weeks or two months. This will prevent me hearing from you as soon as I could wish, as most likely we shall set off in a few days. If however you write immediately I may have the pleasure of receiving your Letter before our departure; if we are gone, I shall order it to be sent after me. I need not add that it will give me great pleasure to see you at Grasmere if you should ever come this way. I am a dear sir with great sincerity and esteem.
Yours sincerely,
W. Wordsworth
P. S. I have just looked my letter over, and find that towards the conclusion I have been in a most unwarrantable hurry, especially in what I have said on seeing you here. I seem to have expressed myself absolutely with coldness. This is not in my feelings I assure you. I shall indeed be very happy to see you at Grasmere, if you ever find it convenient to visit this delightful country. You speak of yourself as being very young, and therefore may have many engagements of great importance with respect to your worldly concerns and future happiness in life. Do not neglect these on any account, but if consistent with these and your other duties, you could find time to visit this country, which is no great distance from your present residence. I should, I repeat it, be very happy to see you.
W.W.
Near endal Westmoreland
Grasmere
July 29th 1803
亲爱的先生：
直到前天我才收到您5月31日的来信（我想是朗曼李斯出版公司转寄的失误）。我很在意这件事，诚如您所想，我很重视您的来信，但我久未回信还是会让您感到失望。
当一个人得知他给别人带来极大快乐时，他不可能不因此而欢喜。而令我感到更欢喜的是，一位陌生的先生不仅对我的诗产生了深刻的印象，还高度赞扬了我的人品，说完这些容易出口的话后，我觉得很难在回复您的信中再说什么了。