卷五02
5.3 One man, when he has done a service to another, is ready to set it down to his account as a favour conferred. Another is not ready to do this, but still in his own mind he thinks of the man as his debtor, and he knows what he has done. A third in a manner does not even know what he has done, but he is like a vine which has produced grapes, and seeks for nothing more after it has once produced its proper fruit. As a horse when he has run, a dog when he has tracked the game, a bee when it has made the honey, so a man when he has done a good act, does not call out for others to come and see, but he goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season.- Must a man then be one of these, who in a manner act thus without observing it?- Yes.- But this very thing is necessary, the observation of what a man is doing: for, it may be said, it is characteristic of the social animal to perceive that he is working in a social manner, and indeed to wish that his social partner also should perceive it.- It is true what thou sayest, but thou dost not rightly understand what is now said: and for this reason thou wilt become one of those of whom I spoke before, for even they are misled by a certain show of reason. But if thou wilt choose to understand the meaning of what is said, do not fear that for this reason thou wilt omit any social act. 5.4 Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou bast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which thou returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus thou wilt not fail to obey reason, and thou wilt repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only the things which thy nature requires; but thou wouldst have something else which is not according to nature.- It may be objected, Why what is more agreeable than this which I am doing?- But is not this the very reason why pleasure deceives us? And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when thou thinkest of the security and the happy course of all things which depend on the faculty of understanding and knowledge? Notes: drench [v][often passive] ~sb/sth (in/with) to make sb/sth completely wet e.g.:We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin.
中文翻译: 5.3 有一个人,当他为另一个人做了一件好事,就准备把它作为一种施惠记到他的账上,还有一个人不准备这样做,但还是在心里把这个人看做是他的受惠者,而且他记着他做了的事情。第三个人在某种程度上甚至不知道他所做的,他就像一株生产葡萄的葡萄藤一样,在它一旦结出它应有的果实以后就不寻求更多的东西。一匹马在它奔跑时,一只狗在它追猎过,一只蜜蜂在它酿造蜜以后也是这样,所以一个人在他做了一件好事之后,也不应要求别人来看,而是继续做另一件好事,正像一株葡萄藤在下一个季节继续结果一样。-那么一个人必须以某种方式如此行动且不注意它吗?-是的。-但这也是必要的,即观察一个人正在做的事情。因为,可以说,察知他正以一种有益社会的方式工作,并的确希望他的社会同伴也察知它是社会动物特征。-你说得对,但你并没有理解现在所说的:因此你将成为我前面说过的那些人中的一个,因为甚至他们也因理性的某种展示而误入歧途。但如果你愿意理解现在所说的话的意义,就不要害怕你将因此忽略任何有益社会的行为。 5.4 如果你根据正确的原则没有做成一切事时,不要厌恶,不要沮丧,也不要不满;而是在你失败时又再回去从头做起,只要你所做的较大部分事情符合于人的本性,就满足了,热爱你所回到的家园,但不要回到哲学仿佛她是一个主人,而是行动得仿佛那些眼疼的人用一点海绵和蛋清,或者像另一个人用一块膏药,或用水浸洗一样。因为这样你将不在遵守理性方面失败,你将在它那里得到安宁。记住,哲学仅要求你的本性所要求的事情,而你却有那不符合本性的别的什么东西。-你可能反对说,为什么那件事比你正做的这件事更使人愉悦呢?-但这不正是因为快乐在欺骗我们吗?再考虑是否慷慨、自由、朴素、镇静、虔诚不更令人愉悦。当你想到那依赖于理解和认识能力的一切事物的有保障和幸福的过程,有什么比智慧本身更令人愉悦呢? |
卷五01 小编语:看着下面第一段,对于处于期末紧张复习阶段的小编来说真的是……这大冬天的,被窝多暖啊,多不想起来啊,可是自习教室或者图书馆一大早就爆满了,真纠结啊。 5.1 IN THE morning when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present- I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world? Or have I been made for this, to lie in the bed-clothes and keep myself warm?- But this is more pleasant.- Dost thou exist then to take thy pleasure, and not at all for action or exertion? Dost thou not see the little plants, the little birds, the ants, the spiders, the bees working together to put in order their several parts of the universe? And art thou unwilling to do the work of a human being, and dost thou not make haste to do that which is according to thy nature?- But it is necessary to take rest also.- It is necessary: however nature has fixed bounds to this too: she has fixed bounds both to eating and drinking, and yet thou goest beyond these bounds, beyond what is sufficient; yet in thy acts it is not so, but thou stoppest short of what thou canst do. So thou lovest not thyself, for if thou didst, thou wouldst love thy nature and her will. But those who love their several arts exhaust themselves in working at them unwashed and without food; but thou valuest thy own own nature less than the turner values the turning art, or the dancer the dancing art, or the lover of money values his money, or the vainglorious man his little glory. And such men, when they have a violent affection to a thing, choose neither to eat nor to sleep rather than to perfect the things which they care for. But are the acts which concern society more vile in thy eyes and less worthy of thy labour? 5.2 Thou sayest, Men cannot admire the sharpness of thy wits.- Be it so: but there are many other things of which thou canst not say, I am not formed for them by nature. Show those qualities then which are altogether in thy power, sincerity, gravity, endurance of labour, aversion to pleasure, contentment with thy portion and with few things, benevolence, frankness, no love of superfluity, freedom from trifling magnanimity. Dost thou not see how many qualities thou art immediately able to exhibit, in which there is no excuse of natural incapacity and unfitness, and yet thou still remainest voluntarily below the mark? Or art thou compelled through being defectively furnished by nature to murmur, and to be stingy, and to flatter, and to find fault with thy poor body, and to try to please men, and to make great display, and to be so restless in thy mind? No, by the gods: but thou mightest have been delivered from these things long ago. Only if in truth thou canst be charged with being rather slow and dull of comprehension, thou must exert thyself about this also, not neglecting it nor yet taking pleasure in thy dulness. Notes: superfluous [adj] more than you need or want. e.g.:She gave him a look that made words superfluous. →superfluity [n] superfluously [adv] 中文翻译: 5.1 早晨当你不情愿地起床时,让这一思想出现-我正起来去做一个人的工作。如果我是要去做我因此而存在,因此而被带入这一世界的工作,那么我有什么不满意呢?难道我是为了躲在温暖的被子里睡眠而生的吗?-但这是较愉快的。-那你的存在是为了获取快乐,而全然不是为了行动和尽力吗?你没有看到小小的植物、小鸟、蚂蚁、蜘蛛、蜜蜂都在一起工作,从而有条不紊地尽它们在宇宙中的职分吗?你不愿做一个人的工作,不赶快做那合乎你本性的事吗?-但休息也是必要的。-休息是必要的,但自然也为这确定了界限,她为吃喝规定了界限,但你还是越过了这些限制,超出了足够的范围;而你的行动却不是这样,在还没有做你能做的之前就停止了。所有你不爱你自己,因为,如果你爱,你就将爱你的本性及其意志。那些热爱他们各自的技艺的人都在工作中忙得精疲力尽,他们没有洗浴,没有食物;而你对你的本性的尊重却甚至还不如杂耍艺人尊重杂耍技艺、舞蹈家尊重舞蹈技艺、聚财者尊重他的金钱,或者虚荣者尊重他小小的光荣。这些人,当他们对一件事怀有一种强烈的爱好时,宁肯不吃不睡也要完善他们所关心的事情。而在你的眼里,难道有益于社会的行为是讨厌的,竟不值得你劳作吗? 5.2 你说,人们不能欣赏你的机智-就算是这样,但也有许多别的事情是你不能这样说的,有许多事情是我先天下适合的。那么展示那些完全在你力量范围内的品质吧:真诚,严肃,忍受劳作,厌恶快乐,满足于你的份额和很少的事物,仁慈,坦白,不爱多余之物,免除轻率的慷慨。你没有看到你马上能展示多少品质吗,那些品质都是你没有借口说是天生无能或不适合的,你还愿意使自己保留在标准之下吗?难道你是先天就不健全以致不能抱怨、吝啬、谄媚、不满于你可怜的身体、试图取悦于人,出风头和内心紧张不安吗?不,的确,你本来可以早就从这些事情中解脱出来了,除非你的理解力的确天生就相当迟钝和麻木,但你也必须在这方面训练自己,不忽视它也不以你的迟钝为乐。 |