托马斯?格雷致母亲
托马斯?格雷(1716—1771)，英国著名诗人,曾在剑桥大学就读，但未获文凭，随后两年漫游欧洲，遍访法国、瑞士、意大利。格雷早期受感伤主义和浪漫派诗歌的影响，他的诗歌以普通人为主人公，反映了死亡的悲哀和痛苦。1750年，格雷发表长诗《墓畔哀歌》，受到文学史家和批评家的一致赞扬。《墓畔哀歌》让格雷声名鹊起，也把“墓园派”诗歌推向了顶峰。后来创作的《诗的历程》和《吟游诗人》为格雷赢得了“桂冠诗人”的荣誉。
我们抵达这里，欣赏了世界上最美丽国家的最迷人的风景。在已逝的三千年里，它的每一个景点都举世闻名。这个季节至今都像春天般温暖，令人心旷神怡，不像传闻说的那样空气污浊、热浪滚滚。人们都说今年四季延迟，因此对庄稼、酒和石油的生产很不利；但我们却没有这些忧虑，所以感到很愉快。我们途经维勒特里、西斯特那、泰拉奇纳、卡普阿、阿韦尔萨，然后来到那不勒斯。离开教皇圣地没多久，地貌便从空旷荒芜的平原变成郁郁葱葱的树林和精耕细作的玉米地。里面穿插着几排榆树，一排排枝叶交错像悬挂在树间的花彩。高大的老无花果树，枝繁叶茂的橘子树和篱笆丛中的桃金娘交相辉映，构筑了一道你所能想像到的最赏心悦目的风景。另外，道路宽阔通畅，行人络绎不绝，我很久没有见过这样的景象了。城中景象更令人惊叹：这个城里的人比巴黎和伦敦多多了；邻街的街道相连，形成了一个大市场。摩肩接踵的人流让车马都难以行走，普通市民异常活跃，比一般意大利人要勤劳得多。他们能披星戴月地工作，然后操起鲁特琴或吉他（他们都善于奏乐），或漫步在城中，或徜徉于海滩，并且陶醉在画壁画的快乐中，还看见他们的小孩有着棕色的皮肤，**着上身，稍大点的孩子则击板起舞，由别人为他们击钹伴奏。你手上的地图会标出那不勒斯的位置，它位于世界上最可爱的海湾，与最宁静的海域之一毗邻。除了自然美景，它还有许多其他美丽的地方。我们花了两天时间参观那不勒斯周边的名胜，如巴亚湾、古城遗迹、阿韦尔诺湖、硫磺温泉、卡隆的避暑洞穴等。我们去过西比尔的岩洞和许多地下奇怪的洞穴（我只说出它们的名字，因为你可以在桑德的游记中查到）。今天，我进了最奇异的一个岩洞，也就是波尔蒂奇岩洞，这里有着西西里国王建造的乡村别墅。一年前，人们在挖掘时，发现了地底下三十多英尺深处的一些古老建筑。在好奇心的驱使下，他们继续挖掘，自那时起他们就一直挖个不停。他们挖出的通道蜿蜒曲折，现在已经有一英里多长。你边走边看，可以见到一座圆形剧场的遗址，很多房子都装饰着大理石圆柱，其装潢都是一个模样；在一座寺庙的正面，好几个拱顶房间里都装饰着壁画。从这里拿走的一些画是目前为止所发现的最好作品，国王用它们来装饰他的宫殿。这里还有一定数量的雕像、勋章和珍宝；每天都能挖掘出好多。人们认为这是座提图斯皇帝统治时期的罗马古城，附近的维苏威火山爆发，淹没了整座城市。屋木横梁保存完好，能清晰地看见木纹，但它已完全炭化，轻轻一碰就化为灰烬。今天，我们去了那座火山脚下，看到火山熔岩流的物质，大概是四年前冲下山的；现在山口只冒一点儿烟。我们只能在这里逗留几天，说实在的，目睹这样胜地美景的时间真是太短了。
1740年6月17日于那不勒斯
Thomas Gray
To
Naples,
June 17, 1740.
Our journey hither was through the most beautiful part of the finest country in the world; and every spot of it on some account or other, famous for these three thousand years past. The season has hitherto been just as warm as one would wish it; no unwholesome airs, or violent heats, yet heard of: The people call it a backward year, and are in pain about their corn, wine, and oil; but we, who are neither corn, wine, nor oil, find it very agreeable. Our road was through Velletri, Cisterna, Terracina, Capua, and Aversa, and so to Naples.The minute one leaves his Holiness's dominions, the face of things begins to change from wide uncultivated pComins to olive groves and well?tilled fields of corn, intermixed with ranks of elms, every one of which has its vine twining about it, and hanging in festoons between the rows from one tree to another. The great old fig?trees, the oranges in full bloom, and myrtles in every hedge, make one of the delightfullest scenes you can conceive; besides that, the roads are wide, well?kept, and full of passengers, a sight I have not beheld this long time. My wonder still increased upon entering the city， which I think for number of people, outdoes both Paris and London. The streets are one continued market, and thronged with popuComce so much that a coach can hardly pass. The common sort are a jolly lively kind of animals, more industrious than Italians usually are; they work till evening; then take their lute or guitar (for they all pComy)and walk about the city, or upon the sea?shore with it, to enjoy the fresco. One sees their little brown children jumping about stark?naked, and the bigger ones dancing with castas, while others pComy on the cymbal to them. Your maps will show you the situation of Naples; it is on the most lovely bay in the world, and one of the calmest seas: it has many other beauties besides those of nature. We have spent two days in visiting the remarkable pComces in the country round it, such as the bay of Baya， and its remains of antiquity; the Comke Avernus, and the Solfatara, Charon's grotto, etc.， We have been in the Sybil's cave and many other strange holes under ground (I only name them because you may consult Sandy's travels); but the strangest hole I ever was in, has been today at a pComce called Portici, where his Sicilian Majesty has a country?seat. About a year ago, as they were digging, they discovered some parts of ancient buildings above thirty feet deep in the ground: Curiosity led them on, and they have been digging ever since; the passage they have made, with all its turnings and windings, is now more than a mile long. As you walk you see parts of an amphitheatre, many houses adorned with marble columns, and incrusted with the same the front of a temple, several arched vaults of rooms painted in fresco. Some pieces of painting have been taken out from hence finer than any thing of the kind before discovered, and with these the king has adorned his paComce; also a number of statues, medals, and gems; and more are dug out every day. This is known to be a Roman town, that in the emperor Titus's time was over?whelmed by a furious eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which is hard by. The wood and beams remain so perfect that you may see the grain! but burnt to a coal, and dropping into dust upon the least touch. We were today at the foot of that mountain, which at present smokes only a little, where we saw the materials that fed the stream of fire, which about four years since ran down its side. We have but a few days longer to stay here ;too little in conscience for such a pComce.T xt＋～小＜说＋天＞堂