【讀書筆記】林語堂 -生活的藝術(shù) 01 wake up and live
所謂閑適哲學(xué):無憧憬,無醒悟;無奢望,無失望。這究竟是一種精神解放,還是從未釋放。
The Chinese philosopher is one who dreams with one eye open, who views life with love and sweet irony, who mixes his cynicism with a kindly tolerance, and who alternately wakes up from life's dream and then nods again, feeling more alive when he is dreaming than when he is awake, thereby investing his waking life with a dream-world quality. He sees with one eye closed and with one eye opened the futility of much that goes on around him and of his own endeavors, but barely enough sense of reality to determine to go through with it.
中國的哲學(xué)家是睜著一只眼做夢的人,是一個(gè)用愛和譏評心理來觀察人生的人,是一個(gè)自私主義和仁愛的寬容心混合起來的人,是一個(gè)有時(shí)從夢中醒來,有時(shí)又睡了過去,在夢中比在醒時(shí)更覺得富有生氣,因而在他清醒時(shí)的生活中也含著夢意的人。他把一只眼睜著,一只眼閉著,看透了他四周所發(fā)生的事物和他自己的徒勞,而不過僅僅保留著充分的現(xiàn)實(shí)感去走完人生應(yīng)走的道路。
wake up and live
I am quite sure that amidst the hustle and bustle of American life, there is a great deal of wistfulness, of the divine desire to lie on a plot of grass under tall beautiful trees of an idle afternoon and just do nothing.
我相信在美國的繁忙生活中,他們也一定有一種企望,想躺在一片綠草地上,在美麗的樹蔭下什么事業(yè)不做,只想悠閑自在地去享受一個(gè)下午。
Since we are alike under the skin, what touches the human heart in one country touches all.
人類的心性既然相同,則在這個(gè)國家里能感動(dòng)人的東西,自然也會(huì)感動(dòng)別的國家的人類。
I am inclined to think that, in a good or bad sense, there is nothing like it in the world.
我認(rèn)為不論是在好的或壞的方面,世界上沒有一樣?xùn)|西是如它想象的。
For a nation to have a few philosophers is not so unusual, but for a nation to take things philosophically is terrific.
一個(gè)民族產(chǎn)生過幾位大哲學(xué)家沒什么稀罕,但一個(gè)民族能以哲理的眼光去觀察事物,那是難能可貴的。
An important consequence is that, while in the West the insane are so many that they are put in an asylum, in China the insane are so unusual that we worship them.
一個(gè)重要的結(jié)果就是:在西方狂人太多了,只好把他們關(guān)在瘋?cè)嗽豪?;而在中國狂人太罕有了,所以崇拜他們?br>
【注釋】
1、hustle and bustle — 繁忙
????? 例:The hustle and bustle of city life fatigues many people.
????????????? 奔波的城市生活使很多人精疲力竭.
2、under the skin — 心性
3、in some sense — 在某種意義/方面上,in a manner, in some respect都是類似表達(dá)
4、take things … — 以…的眼光看待事物
5、這一句狂人說寫在1937年,并非作者自棄,而是從另一個(gè)角度表達(dá)中國千年的閑適哲學(xué)是遠(yuǎn)非注重高效能的生活所能比擬的。但是放在整個(gè)社會(huì)追求高效能的今天,多少還是品出了一絲嘲諷的意味。