《艾伦图灵传》第1章3:艾伦的父亲
译文内容简介
双语畅销书《艾伦图灵传》
Julius Mathison Turing, Alan's father, was the second son, born on 9 November 1873. Devoid ofhis father's mathematical ability, he was an able student of literature and history, and won ascholarship to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from where he graduated with a BA in 1894. Henever forgot his early life of enforced economy, and typically never paid the 'farcical' threeguineas to convert the BA into an MA. But he never spoke of the miseries of his childhood, too proud to moan of what he had left behind and risen above, for his life as a young man wasa model of success. He entered for the Indian Civil Service, which had been thrown open toentry by competitive examination in the great liberal reform of 1853, and which enjoyed areputation surpassing even that of the Foreign Office. He was placed seventh out of 154 in theopen examination of August 18953. His studies of the various branches of Indian law, the Tamillanguage and the history of British India then won him seventh place again in the Final ICSexamination of 1896.
在刚才的介绍中,有一位还没提到,也就是约翰的二儿子,生于1873年11月9日的朱利叶斯·马西森·图灵──这位就是艾伦的父亲。朱利叶斯没有继承约翰的数学天赋,而是成了一名文科高材生。1894年,他获得牛津大学基督学院的学士学位,还拿了奖学金。他忘不了童年时期的窘困,拒绝继续花钱读书。他是个很好强的人,从不跟人谈论童年的苦,也不抱怨自己遇到的种种荆棘坎坷。他希望进入印度文职机构,自从1853自由改革以来,印度文职人员的竞争异常激烈,甚至比英国外交部还要难考。但是苦心人天不负,在1895年8月的统一考试中,朱利叶斯在154人当中排名第七。他对印度各项法律、塔米尔语及英属印度史颇有造诣,在1896年的复试中,他又考了第七名。
He was posted to the administration of the Presidency of Madras, which included most ofsouthern India, reporting for duty on 7 December 1896, the senior in rank of seven newrecruits to that province. British India had changed since Sir Robert left it in 1792. Fortune nolonger helped the daring; fortune awaited the civil servant who could endure the climate forforty years. And while (as a contemporary writer put it) the district officer was 'glad of everyopportunity to cultivate intercourse with the natives,' the Victorian reforms had ensured that'the doubtful alliances which in old days assisted our countrymen to learn the languages' were'no longer tolerated by morality and society.' The Empire had become respectable.
1896年7月,复试的前7名被调到印度的马德拉斯省,朱利叶斯随之走马上任了。这个省覆盖了印度南方的大半疆域,朱利叶斯在此就任民政事务官。跟1792年罗伯特爵士离开时相比,此时的印度,一切都已经不同了。勇者不再有什么好运,能忍受40年酷暑的公务员才有好运。据当时的一位作家记载,这位民政官非常乐于与当地人交流感情。维多利亚改革,使印度社会逐渐现代化,大英帝国也开始受到真正的尊敬了。
With the help of a £100 loan from a family friend he bought his pony and saddlery, and wassent off into the interior. For ten years he served in the districts of Bellary, Kurnool andVizigapatam as Assistant Collector and Magistrate. There he rode from village to village, reporting upon agriculture, sanitation, irrigation, vaccination, auditing accounts, andoverseeing the native magistracy. He added the Telugu language to his repertoire, and becameHead Assistant Collector in 1906. In April 1907 he made a first return to England. It was thetraditional point for the rising man, after a decade of lonely labour, to seek a wife. It was onthe voyage home that he met Ethel Stoney.
不久,朱利叶斯又调任到内政部,临走时向亲戚借了100英镑,买了马具和一匹小马。他在贝拉里、卡努尔和维萨卡帕特南地区,当了10年助理税务官兼法官。他每天骑着他的小马,走过一村又一村,上至审计监察,下至播种灌溉,什么都要管。1906年,他转正了,成为首席税务官。1907年4月,他第一次回国,这位背井离乡孤独奋战了十多年的男人,终于又要踏上英国的土地了,对他来说,也是时候该成家了。就在这趟回国的途中,他遇到了艾赛儿·斯托尼,也就是艾伦的母亲。
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