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吉米·阿尔弗雷德·怀特(James Alfred Wight)，1916年10月出生于英格兰东北部的桑德兰镇，长于苏格兰的格拉斯哥。23岁从格拉斯哥兽医学院毕业后，怀特开始在英格兰约克郡的瑟斯克镇行医。之后他忙于成家立业，生儿育女，在二战期间还在英国皇家空军服过兵役，直到50岁时才在妻子的鼓励下开始自己的创作生涯。为了避开为自己的兽医诊所打广告的嫌疑，他采用了吉米·哈利(James Herriot)这一笔名。1970年，怀特出版了《若它们开口能言》(If Only They Could Talk)，1972年出版了《不该发生在兽医身上的故事》(It shouldn’t Happen to a Vet)，但是反响平平，直到这两本书的合集《万物既伟大又渺小》(All Creatures Great and Small)在美国出版发行，他才收获了巨大的成功。几十年来，他的系列书籍行销英美，被搬上了电影和电视荧幕，并影响了后世的兽医文学。1995年，怀特在瑟斯克镇附近的家中去世，结束了长达50余年乡村兽医的一生。《万物有灵且美》(All Things Bright and Beautiful)是继《万物既伟大又渺小》之后怀特的第二本合集。
赏析
怎样的工作才算是好工作？工作的价值与意义又该如何衡量？在《万物有灵且美》中，作者吉米·怀特结合自己从事兽医工作几十年的真实经历，化身为书中的吉米·哈利，为读者呈现了一名乡村兽医的酸甜苦乐。
在现实生活中，吉米行医的瑟斯克小镇位于北英格兰的约克郡，临近约克郡谷地和北约克荒原，书中的达罗比小镇即取材于此。对乡村兽医而言，20世纪30年代算得上是历史上的一段过渡期：一方面，以拖拉机为代表的现代化机械正在逐步取代传统上以驮马为主的驱动方式；另一方面，以抗生素的推广为标志的医学发展将彻底改变兽医的处方格局。然而，在《万物有灵且美》中，这些变化都还将至而未至。因此，兽医吉米日常所接触的患者并非乖巧可爱的猫狗宠物，而是需要耗神费力的大型役畜。他的用药也与前辈们所传授的一般无异，常见的无非是氯仿麻醉剂、松脂和木馏油合剂。细数起来，吉米的这份兽医职业，论薪酬，每天不过三先令；论环境，露天处日晒雨淋，棚圈内又大多腥臭难闻；论工作时间，无论昼夜节假，只要电话一响，他就要随时开着小车穿越荒原和谷底；论工作内容与强度，其业务范围包括为驮马钉掌、为公牛穿鼻、为母羊接生、为猫狗手术，修喙剪爪，不能尽数；论接触对象之野蛮，驮马踢起人来运腿如飞，公牛发起脾气雷霆万钧，更有痊愈后却怀恨在心的恶犬埋伏偷袭。除去日常要为各种不见起色的疑难杂症费尽心思以外，更有诸多束手无策的时刻。兽医吉米经常受到委托，要及早结束那些不可挽救的动物患者的生命，使它们少受痛苦，甚至要眼睁睁地看着家畜带着一家人的梦想成批死去。就是这样一份薪酬少、环境差、内容杂、强度大且一不小心还有性命之虞的工作，作者却为之乐此不疲，读者为之津津乐道。其秘密可能在于，我们都在某种程度上认同，所谓好的工作，总是能够使人的内心与世界相遇。
谈及劳作的意义，纪伯伦在《先知》一书的《劳作篇》中写道：“在劳作时，你便是一根长笛，时间的呢喃穿过你心中，流淌成音乐旋律。”在纪伯伦看来，是劳动将人的内心与外界连接起来，将无意义的时间内化为有故事的生命，而时间与心灵相遇所产生的乐音便是对生活的真正热爱。如果少了这种爱，工作将变得空虚，知识将变得徒劳，渴望将变得盲目，生命也将归于黑暗。《万物有灵且美》所呈现的正是这样一种“有形可见的爱”。吉米生活中各种爱的发现与生长都受到了他的兽医工作的指引和见证。吉米终生的良师益友是兽医诊所的合伙人西格弗里德和特里斯坦，他们一天中最享受的时刻是诊所关门后对坐而饮，交流工作中的逸闻趣事。吉米与妻子海伦的定情时刻发生在为查普曼一家顺利接生出六个小狗的喜庆夜晚，他们的蜜月在为牲畜检查结核中度过，他们的新家安顿于诊所的顶楼，而妻子表达爱意的方式之一就是在丈夫寒冬夜晚出诊归来的时候，凑过去给他温暖身体。也正是凭借着共通的对生命的热情，从技艺精湛的宠物专科医生格兰维尔，到独自坚强支撑农场的多尔比太太，再到年近七十还愿意学习牧羊新技的克利夫先生，甚至于迷恋追车奔跑的老狗乔克，以及顽强生长的小羊赫伯特，都在爱的共同波段上建立起了友爱亲近的情谊。这种跨越职业、性别、教育程度甚至是物种的对生命的热爱也许正是“万物有灵且美”的题中之义。
在全书结束的时候，第二次世界大战的枪声打响，吉米应征进入英国空军服役，告别了他所热爱的家人、挚友、乡亲、患者和土地。从那时起到今日的半个多世纪间，世界并没有在某一场战争中消亡，却也并未与武器永别；农田里少了驮马和耕牛的身影，却增添了机械化所带来的温室效应与资源危机的问题；抗生素的到来一度发挥过奇效，但随着耐药性的累积，层出不穷的新病种也远没有绝迹。科技的进步也许在福利待遇、舒适程度、物理强度等方面改变了现代工作的样貌，然而在发掘热情和滋养爱意这一指标上却似乎反而拉远了心与世界的距离。在流水线一般高度专门化的现代工作体验中，职业的劳作将人指向的不是更广阔的对生命的热情，而是破碎成片段的隔绝与孤立。
《万物有灵且美》及其他系列书籍的出版为吉米·怀特带来了声誉和巨大的财富，而在其后的二十几年中，他却继续以乡村兽医为业，并笔耕不辍地把更多充满生命热忱的故事传递出去。对吉米而言，降生的艰难、衰老的必然、病患的痛苦和逝去的悲痛可谓兽医需要面对的常态，也许正因为这样，每一次降生才珍贵如奇迹，岁月的沉淀才厚重如礼物，病痛的消解才值得欢庆如胜利，离别的脚步才变得肃穆如归路。而一颗与这个世界的纷繁广阔相遇过的心，才会像习惯了黑暗的夜空却凝望着星星的眼睛一样，在万物的身上看见造物的神奇。
英文节选
Probably the most dramatic occurrence in the history of veterinary (兽医的) practice was the disappearance of the draught horse (挽马，指专门拖拽重物的马). It is an almost incredible fact that this glory and mainstay of the profession just melted quietly away within a few years. And I was one of those who were there to see it happen.
When I first came to Darrowby the tractor had already begun to take over, but tradition dies hard in the agricultural world and there were still a lot of horses around. Which was just as well because my veterinary education had been geared to things equine (马的) with everything else a poor second. It had been a good scientific education in many respects but at times I wondered if the people who designed it still had a mental picture of the horse doctor with his top hat and frock (罩衫，工作服) coat busying himself in a world of horse-drawn trams and brewers’ drays (板车).
And now, in less than three years the stream had dwindled, not exactly to atrickle but certainly to the stage where the final dry-up was in sight. This meant in a way, a lessening of the pressures on the veterinary surgeon because there is no doubt that horse work was the roughest and most arduous (困难的，艰难的) part of our life.
So that today, as I looked at the three-year-old gelding (去势的公马) it occurred to me that this sort of thing wasn’t happening as often as it did. He had a long tear in his flank (动物肋骨和臀部间的胁腹) where he had caught himself on barbed wire (带刺铁丝网) and it gaped (裂开) open whenever he moved. There was no getting away from the fact that it had to be stitched.
The horse was tied by the head in his stall, his right side against the tall wooden partition (隔板). One of the farm men, a hefty (高大健壮的) six footer,took a tight hold of the head collar and leaned back against the manger (食槽) as I puffed some iodoform (碘仿,三碘甲烷) into the wound. The horse didn’t seem to mind, which was a comfort because he was a massive animal emanating an almost tangible vitality and power. I threaded my needle with a length of silk, lifted one of the lips of the wound and passed it through. This was going to be no trouble, I thought as I lifted the flap at the other side and pierced it, but as I was drawing the needle through, the gelding made a convulsive (抽搐的) leap and I felt as though a great wind had whistled across the front of my body. Then, strangely, he was standing there against the wooden boards as if nothing had happened.
On the occasions when I have been kicked I have never seen it coming. It is surprising how quickly those great muscular legs can whip out. But there was no doubt he had had a good go at me because my needle and silk were nowhere to be seen, the big man at the head was staring at me with wide eyes in a chalk white face and the front of my clothing was in an extraordinary state. I was wearing a “gaberdine (工作服，衣服) mac (胶布雨衣)” and it looked as if somebody had taken a razor blade and painstakingly cut the material into narrow strips which hung down in ragged strips to ground level. The great iron-shod (装有蹄铁的) hoof had missed my legs by an inch or two but my mac was a write-off (报废物).
I was standing there looking around me in a kind of stupor (恍惚；麻木) when I heard a cheerful hail from the doorway.
“Now then, Mr. Herriot, what’s he done at you?” Cliff Tyreman, the old horseman, looked me up and down with a mixture of amusement and asperity.
“He’s nearly put me in hospital, Cliff,” I replied shakily. “About the closest near miss I’ve ever had. I just felt the wind of it.”
“What were you tryin’ to do?”
“Stitch that wound, but I’m not going to try any more. I’m off to the surgery to get a chloroform (氯仿) muzzle (动物的口套).”
The little man looked shocked. “You don’t need no chloroform. I’ll haul him and you’ll have no trouble.”
“I’m sorry, Cliff.” I began to put away my suture materials, scissors and powder. “You’re a good bloke (小伙子；家伙), I know, but he’s had one go at me and he’s not getting another chance. I don’t want to be lame for the rest of my life.”
The horseman’s small, wiry frame seemed to bunch into a ball of aggression. He thrust forward his head in a characteristic posture and glared at me. “I’ve never heard owt (任何事) as daft (愚蠢的；疯狂的) in me life.” Then he swung round on the big man who was still hanging on to the horse’s head, the ghastly pallor (苍白；灰白) of his face now tinged with a delicate green. “Come on out o’ there, Bob! You’re that bloody scared you’re upsetting t’oss. Come on out of it and let me have ’im!”
Bob gratefully left the head and, grinning sheepishly moved with care along the side of the horse. He passed Cliff on the way and the little man’s head didn’t reach his shoulder.
Cliff seemed thoroughly insulted by the whole business. He took hold of the head collar and regarded the big animal with the disapproving stare of a schoolmaster at a naughty child. The horse, still in the mood for trouble, laid back his ears and began to plunge about the stall, his huge feet clattering ominously on the stone floor, but he came to rest quickly as the little man uppercutted (用上钩拳击) him furiously in the ribs.
“Get stood up straight there, ye big bugger. What’s the matter with ye?” Cliff barked and again he planted his tiny fist against the swelling barrel of the chest, a puny blow which the animal could scarcely have felt but which reduced him to quivering submission. “Try to kick, would you, eh? I’ll bloody fettle (修理；整顿) you!” He shook the head collar and fixed the horse with a hypnotic (催眠的) stare as he spoke. Then he turned to me. “You can come and do your job, Mr. Herriot, he won’t hurt tha.”
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