中文版本：

亲爱的提奥：

我们的文森特伯伯[1] 来这里看过我们了，我经常能见到他，而且有许多事情和他谈论。我问他是否有可能为你在巴黎的分店安排一个职位。

起初他不同意，说你在海牙的分店太重要了。然而，经过我的坚持，他说他会考虑的。

他到海牙的时候会去看你；他的愚钝是不会改变的，就让他说他想说的吧。那对于你，对于将来你需要什么的时候都是没有坏处的。如果没有必要的话，最好不要提到我。

他非常非常的睿智，去年冬天他来这里的时候，他对我说的其中一句话是：“超自然的事情我也许不知道，我只知道自然的事情。” [2] 我不知道是否那就是他确切的意思，但那是有深意的。

我也可以告诉你，Gleyre的《Lost Illusions》(遗失的幻觉) 是他最喜欢的画之一。

Sainte-Beuve说过：“在人群中有这样一位诗人，他英年早逝，但他却可以继续生存”。而Musset说：“我们应该明白，通常蛰伏的诗人是隐藏在我们之中的，通常是年轻而充满活力的。” 我觉得文森特叔叔就属于第一种人 [3] 。所以说你知道你正面临着什么人，直接问他是否在这里或伦敦为你安排一个职位。

感谢早上收到的这封你的来信以及Rückert的诗。你有他的诗集的手抄本吗？我很想对它们有一定的了解。只要有机会，我会寄给你一本法语的《圣经》和《仿效基督》[4]。那可能是Ph.de Champaigne所画的女士最喜爱的书。卢浮宫里也有一幅Ph.de Ch所画的她的女儿的肖像，一个修女。在她旁边的椅子上放着一本《效仿基督》。

父亲曾经写信告诉我：“你知道同是一张嘴，它可以说：‘要像鸽子一样善良’ ”而马上紧接上一句 ‘像毒蛇一样狡猾’。[马太福音 10:16]” 记住这句话，要相信我 [5]。

永远爱你的哥哥：文森特

[1] 凡高进入古比尔画廊工作，最早就是这位伯伯安排的。而现在由于凡高对工作的怠慢，他也开始对凡高表示不满。
[2] 文森特伯伯在看望凡高时，抛出上面这句话，其实是在含蓄地批评凡高对宗教的“狂热”。 但凡高对此似乎很不以为然。
[3] 这似乎是凡高对文森特伯伯对他批评的一种回击，凡高不客气地把他归入一类人，“这些人不识人间英才，并间接导致了英才的早夭。”（引号中内容选自林和生《凡高 麦田里的人》第四章 第二节）
[4]《仿效基督》“...作者（指《仿效基督》）肯皮斯不只是一位单纯的作家，同时也是一位虔诚而身体力行的基督教徒，与当时基督教友爱会社团保持着密切联系。肯皮斯认为，迅速发展的近代工业运动导致了道德和生活方式的混乱，使许多虔诚的人们感到恐慌和无所适从，这些人遂为各种宗教世俗社团中自我节制的、朴素的生活方式所吸引。肯皮斯认为，只有在这样一类宗教社团中，才有可能找到尘世生活的真正幸福。在这一认识背景上，肯皮斯在书中作出了清晰的表述，指明基督徒的生活具体是如何一回事，指导人如何具体奉行一种基督徒的生活方式。书中的小标题也设计得格外明确，具有指导性，如"悲哀的意义"、"关于自我否定"、"欲望的放弃"等等。如果与米什莱的《爱》相比较，这两本书可以说有异曲同工之妙。它们鲜明地代表了文森特在两个不同阶段所执着的思想感情。”（引号中内容选自林和生《凡高 麦田里的人》第四章 第三节）
[5] 关于这一段的理解：“他甚至以多疑症患者的口吻转述父亲某次对他的告诫，要提奥提防那种口蜜腹剑的人。”（引号中内容选自林和生《凡高 麦田里的人》第四章 第二节）

翻译：
heery0710@126.com
编辑：
mao_zhe

英文版本：

Dear Theo,

Our Uncle Vincent visited us here, I saw him often and talked about a heap of things with him. I asked him if he saw any chance of getting you a place in the store in Paris.

At first he wouldn' t hear of it, saying that you were too valuable in The Hague . Then, after I insisted, he said he would think about it.

He will certainly come to see you while he is in The Hague; he is not going to change from his dullness , let him say what he wants, it will do no harm to you, and won' t do you any harm when you need something in the future. Don' t talk of me unless you need something.

He is very, very clever. When I was here last winter, one of the things he said to me was, “Supernatural things I may not know, but I know everything about natural things.” I do not know if those were his exact words, but that was the meaning.

I can also tell you that one of his favourite pictures is “Lost Illusions” by Gleyre.

Sainte-Beuve said, “In most men there exists a poet who died young, whom the man survived .” And Musset said, “Know that often a dormant poet is hidden within us, always young and alive.” I think Uncle Vincent belongs to the first group. So you know whom you are dealing with. Ask him squarely if he can arrange for you to have authority here or in London.

Thank you for your letter that came this morning and the poem by Rückert. Do you have a copy of his poems? I would love to get to know them. As soon as I have a chance, I shall send you a French Bible , and The Imitation of Christ . It was probably the favourite book of that lady painted by Ph. de Champaigne. There is a portrait of her daughter, a nun , in The Louvre , also by Ph. de Ch. She has l'Imitation on the chair beside her.

Father wrote to me once: “You know that the same mouth which said: “Be as harmless as the doves ,” and straight away added: “and wise as a serpent. ” [Matt. 10:16] Keep that in mind and believe me always.

Your loving brother, Vincent

Do you have the photographs after Meissonier in the gallery? Look at them often; he has painted men. Probably you know his “Le Fumeur à la Fenêtre” and “Le jeune Homme Déjeunant.”

翻译：Mrs. Johanna van Gogh-Bonger
编辑：Robert Harrison
出版：The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, Publisher: Bulfinch, 1991