——H．布萊克
An inland Voyage
RobeTt Louis．Stevenson
羅伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森(Robert Louis Stevenson，1850—1894．年)，蘇格蘭著名作家，美國19世紀末新浪漫主義的代表。最初的作品是兩部遊記《內陸旅行記》與《騎驢旅行記》，充滿幽默意趣。小說《金銀島》給他帶來巨大聲譽，也開創了以發掘寶藏為題材的小說先例，之後又陸續出版了《綁架》、《化身博士》等。他文筆細膩流暢，描述的故事新奇浪漫，以同情的態度描寫了高尚、勇敢、善良的貧民、流浪者、孤兒，他們常在經過艱苦搏鬥後戰勝邪惡、卑鄙、陰險的歹徒，作者以此讚美品質高貴的人們。
史蒂文森1850年生於蘇格蘭的愛丁堡。 他是個勤奮的人，總是隨身帶著兩本書：一本用來讀，而另一本則是做筆記用。 他寫故事的靈感經常來自很小的事情。以《金銀島》為例，據說就是由一張藏寶圖和一個12歲大的小孩得來的靈感而寫成。他的許多冒險故事和他自己童年的經驗極為相似。比如，對於人性中善惡衝突的興趣，驅使他寫了《化身博士》。又由於卡爾文教派的出身，他認為人總是壓抑著自己邪惡的本性。這種本性經過長久地壓抑，自然就在海德這個人物的個性中爆發出來。
史蒂文森經常借用別的作家的表達方式或想法，但是他自成風格卻也是無法否認的。他到處旅遊，後來因為健康的關係而隱居到南太平洋的島上。1894年12月3日，史蒂文森突發中風在島上去世，年僅44歲。
oN THE SAMBRE CANAUZED：To QUAInIES
About three in the aftemoon the’whole establishment of the Grand Cer-f accomoanied us tO the water’s edge．The man of the Omnibus Was there with haggard eyes．Poor cage bird!Do I not remember the time when I myself haunted the station，to watch train after train carry its complement of freemen into the night，and read the names of distant places on the time-bills with indescribable longings?
We were not clear of the fortifications before the rain began．The wind was contrary，and blew in furious gusts；nor were the aspects of nature any more clement than the doings of the sky．For we passed through a blighted country，sparsely covered with brush，but handsomely enough diversified with factory chimneys．We landed in a soiled meadow among some pollards，and there smoked a pipe in a flaw of fair weather．But the wind blew SO hard we could get little else to smoke．There were no natural objects in the neighborhood，but some sordid workshops．A group of children，headed by a tall girl，stood and watched US from a little distance all the time we stayed．I heartily wonder what they thought of US．
At Hautmont，the lock was almost impassable；the landing place being steep and high，and the launch at a long distance．Near a dozen grimy workmen lent US a hand．They refused any reward；and，what is much better，refused it handsomely，without conveying any sense of insult．“It is a way we have in our countryside，”said they．And a very becoming way it is．In Scotland，where also you will get services for nothing，the good people reject your money as if you had been trying tol corrupt a voter．When people take the trouble to do dignified acts，it isworth while to take a little more，and allow the dignity to be common to all concerned．But in our brave Saxon countries，where we plod threescore years and ten in the mud，and the wind keeps singing in our ears from birth to burial，we do our good and bad with a high hand and almost offensively；and make even our alms a witness——bearing and an act of war against the wrong．