English Original
One of the greatest contributors to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University asked Prof. James Murray to edit what would become the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It aimed to include every English word, providing not only definitions but also the history of each word and quotations illustrating its usage.
This monumental task led Dr. Murray to recruit volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to scour all English-language publications. Among the hundreds who responded was William Chester Minor, an American surgeon and Civil War veteran living in England. He provided his address as "Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire," 50 miles from Oxford.
Minor became one of the project's most valued contributors over 17 years, tirelessly sending words and quotations to Murray. Yet, he remained a mystery, consistently declining invitations to visit Oxford. In 1897, Murray decided to travel to Crowthorne. Upon arrival, he discovered Minor confined in a book-filled cell at the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane.
The two men forged a friendship based on their shared love of words. Minor continued his work, submitting over 10,000 entries in 20 years. Murray visited him regularly, often walking with him on the asylum grounds.
In 1910, Minor returned to America, transferred to an asylum in his homeland. Murray was at the pier to bid farewell to his remarkable friend. Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The final 12 volumes defined 414,825 words, thousands of which came from this scholarly and dedicated asylum inmate.
中文翻译
《牛津英语词典》首版最伟大的贡献者之一，同时也是最不寻常的一位。1879年，牛津大学聘请詹姆斯·默里教授主编这部旨在成为英语史上最具雄心的词典。它计划收录所有英语词汇，不仅提供定义，还阐述词源历史，并附上展示其用法的引文。
这项浩大的工程促使默里博士从英国、美国及英国殖民地招募志愿者，筛查所有英文出版物。在数百名响应者中，就有威廉·切斯特·迈纳。他是一位美国外科医生，曾参加内战，当时居住在英国。他提供的地址是距离牛津50英里的“伯克郡克劳索恩布罗德莫”。
在接下来的17年里，迈纳成为编辑部最宝贵的贡献者之一，孜孜不倦地向默里发送词汇和引文。然而，他始终是个谜，屡次婉拒前往牛津的邀请。于是，在1897年，默里决定亲自前往克劳索恩。到达后，他发现迈纳被关在布罗德莫刑事精神病院一间堆满书籍的牢房里。
两人因对词汇的共同热爱而结为好友。迈纳继续为词典供稿，20年间提交了一万多条词目。默里也定期探望他，时常与他在精神病院的场地散步。
1910年，迈纳离开布罗德莫，返回美国，转入家乡的一家精神病院。默里亲赴码头，与他这位非凡的朋友挥手道别。迈纳于1920年去世，比《牛津英语词典》首版完成早了七年。最终出版的12卷词典共定义了414,825个单词，其中数千条贡献来自这位学识渊博、专注奉献的精神病院囚徒。