約瑟夫·艾迪生/ JosephAddison
約瑟夫·艾迪生（1672—1719），英國著名作家，1672年生於英國一個鄉村牧師家庭，後受教於牛津大學，並於1693年獲得碩士學位。從1708年開始，艾迪生先後擔任過議會議員，國務大臣助理，英國駐愛爾蘭總督秘書等職。後曾為理查德，斯帝爾主編的《閑話報》撰寫文章。1711年，他與斯帝爾合作創辦報紙《旁觀者》並擔任主編。他的散文文風優美，文筆流暢，親切通俗，主題明晰，對以後的散文作家有很大的影響。
Ace in the Hole
Understand these new words before you read this article.
1. accidentally [,?ksi'dentli] adv.偶然地，意外地
2. entertainmet [,ent?'teinment] n.娛樂，款待，消遣
3. particular [p?'tikjul?] adj.詳細的，獨有的
4. delightful [di'laitful] adj.令人愉快的，可愛的，可喜的
I chanced to rise very early one particular morning this summer, and took a walk into the country to divert myself among the fields andmeadows, while the green was new, and the flowers in their bloom. As at this season of the year every lane is a beautiful walk, and every hedge full of nosegays, I lost myself, with a great deal of pleasure, among several thickets and bushes that were filled with a great variety of birds, and an agreeable confusion of notes, which formed the pleasantest scene in the word to one who had passed a whole winter in noise and smoke. The freshness of the dews that lay upon everything about me, with the cool breath of the morning, which inspired the birds with so many delightful instincts, created in me the same kind of animal pleasure, and made my heart overflow with such secret emotions of joy and satisfaction as are not to be described or accounted for. On this occasion I could not but reflect upon a beautiful simile in Milton:
As one who long in populous city pent;
Where houses thick and sewers annoy the air;