The Folly of Discontent with One’s Own Lot英汉对照

Week Four The Folly of Discontent with One’s Own Lot · Joseph Addison It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy, would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division. Horace has carried this thought a great deal farther in the motto of my paper, which implies, that the hardships or misfortunes we lie under, are easier to us than those of any other person would be, in case we could change conditions with him. As I was ruminating on these two remarks, and seated in my elbow-chair, I insensibly fell asleep; when, on a sudden, methought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his grieves and calamities, and thrown them together in a heap. There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the center of it, and saw, with a great deal of pleasure, the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads, which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds. There was a certain lady of a thin, airy shape, who was very active in this solemnity. She carried a magnifying glass in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose, flowing robe, embroidered with several figures of fiends and specters, that discovered themselves in a thousand chimerical shapes as her garment hovered in the wind. There was something wild and distracted in her looks. Her name was Fancy. She led up every mortal to the appointed place, after having officiously assisted him in making up his pack, and laying it upon his shoulders. My heart melted within me to see my fellow-creatures groaning under their respective burdens, and to consider that prodigious bulk of human calamities which lay before me. There were, however, several persons who gave me great diversion upon this occasion. I observed one bringing in a fardel, very carefully concealed under an old embroidered cloak, which, upon his throwing it into the heap, I discovered to be poverty. Another, after a great deal of puffing, threw down his luggage, which, upon examining, I found to be his wife. There were multitudes of lovers saddled with very whimsical burdens, composed of darts and flames; but, what was very odd, though they sighed as if their hearts would break under these bundles of calamities, they could not persuade themselves to cast them into the heap, when they came up to it; but, after a few faint efforts, shook their heads, and marched away as heavy loaden as they came. I saw multitudes of old women throw down their wrinkles, and several young ones who stripped themselves of a tawny skin. There were very great heaps of red noses, large lips, and rusty teeth. The truth of it is, I was surprised to see the greatest part of the mountain made up of bodily deformities. Observing one advancing toward the heap with a larger cargo than ordinary upon his back, I found, upon his near approach, that it was only a natural hump, which he disposed of with great joy of heart among this collection of human miseries. There were, likewise, distempers of all sorts, though I could not but observe that there were many more imaginary than real. One little packet I could not but take notice of, which was a complication of all the diseases incident to human nature, and was in the hand of a great many fine people. This was called the spleen. But what most of all surprised me was, that there was not a single vice or folly thrown into the whole heap: at which I was very much astonished, having concluded within myself that everyone would take this opportunity of getting rid of his passions, prejudices, and frailties. I took notice in particular of a very profligate fellow, who, I did not question, came loaden with his crimes, but upon searching into his bundle, I found that instead of throwing his guilt from him, he had only laid down his memory. He was followed by another worthless rogue, who flung away his modesty instead of his ignorance. When the whole race of mankind had thus cast their burdens, the phantom which had been so busy on this occasion, seeing me an idle spectator of what passed, approached toward me. I grew uneasy at her presence, when, of a sudden, she held her magnifying glass full before my eyes. I no sooner saw my face in it, but was startled at the shortness of it, which now appeared to me in its utmost aggravation. The immoderate breadth of the features made me very much out of humor with my own countenance, upon which I threw it from me like a mask. It happened very luckily that one who stood by me had just before thrown down his visage, which, it seems, was too long for him. It was, indeed, extended to a most shameful length; I believe the very chin was, modestly speaking, as long as my whole face. We had both of us an opportunity of mending ourselves; and all the contributions being now brought in, every man was at liberty to exchange his misfortunes for those of another person. As we stood round the heap, and surveyed the several materials of which it was composed, there was scarcely a mortal in this vast multitude who did not discover what he thought pleasures and blessings of life, and wondered how the owners of them ever came to look upon them as burdens and grievances. As we were regarding very attentively this confusion of miseries, this chaos of calamity, Jupiter issued out a second proclamation, that everyone was now at liberty to exchange his affliction, and to return to his habitation with any such other bundle as should be delivered to him. Upon this, Fancy began again to bestir herself, and, parceling out the whole heap with incredible activity, recommended to everyone his particular packet. The hurry and confusion at this time was not to be expressed. Some observations, which I made upon the occasion, I shall communicate to the public. A venerable, gray-headed man, who had laid down the colic, and who, I found, wanted an heir to his estate, snatched up an undutiful son that had been thrown into the heap by an angry father. The graceless youth, in less than a quarter of an hour, pulled the old gentleman by the beard, and had liked to have knocked his brains out; so that meeting the true father, who came toward him with a fit of the gripes, he begged him to take his son again, and give him back his colic; but they were incapable, either of them, to recede from the choice they had made. A poor galley slave, who had thrown down his chains, took up the gout in their stead, but made such wry faces that one might easily perceive he was no great gainer by the bargain. The female world were very busy among themselves in bartering for features; one was trucking a lock of gray hairs for a carbuncle; and another was making over a short waist for a pair of round shoulders; but on all these occasions there was not one of them who did not think the new blemish, as soon as she had got it into her possession, much more disagreeable than the old one. I must not omit my own particular adventure. My friend with the long visage had no sooner taken upon him my short face, but he made such a grotesque figure in it, that as I looked upon him, I could not forbear laughing at myself, insomuch that I put my own face out of countenance. The poor gentleman was so sensible of the ridicule, that I found he was ashamed of what he had done. On the other side, I found that I myself had no great reason to triumph, for as I went to touch my forehead, I missed the place, and clapped my finger upon my upper lip. Besides, as my nose was exceedingly prominent, I gave it two or three unlucky knocks as I was playing my hand about my face, and aiming at some other part of it. I saw two other gentlemen by me who were in the same ridiculous circumstances. These had made a foolish swap between a couple of thick bandy legs and two long trapsticks that had no calves to them. One of these looked like a man walking upon stilts, and was so lifted up into the air, above his ordinary height, that his head turned round with it, while the other made such awkward circles, as he attempted to walk, that he scarcely knew how to move forward upon his new supporters. Observing him to be a pleasant kind of a fellow, I stuck my cane in the ground, and told him I would lay him a bottle of wine that he did not march up to it on a line that I drew for him, in a quarter of an hour. The heap was at last distributed among the two sexes, who made a most piteous sight, as they wandered up and down under the pressure of their several burthens. The whole plain was filled with murmurs and complaints, groans and lamentations. Jupiter, at length taking compassion on the poor mortals, ordered them a second time to lay down their loads, with a design to give everyone his own again. They discharged themselves with a great deal of pleasure; after which, the phantom who had led them into such gross delusions, was commanded to disappear. There was sent in her stead a goddess of a quite different figure: her motions were steady and composed, and her aspect serious but cheerful. She every now and then cast her eyes toward heaven, and fixed them upon Jupiter. Her name was Patience. She had no sooner placed herself by the Mount of Sorrows, but, what I thought very remarkable, the whole heap sunk to such a degree that it did not appear a third part so big as it was before. She afterward returned every man his own proper calamity, and, teaching him how to bear it in the most commodious manner, he marched off with it contentedly, being very well pleased that he had not been left to his own choice as to the kind of evil which fell to his lot. Beside the several pieces of morality to be drawn out of this vision, I learnt from it never to repine at my own misfortunes, or to envy the happiness of another, since it is impossible for any man to form a right judgment of his neighbor's sufferings; for which reason, also, I have determined never to think too lightly of another's complaints, but to regard the sorrows of my fellow-creatures with sentiments of humanity and compassion. 苏格拉底有个著名的思想，那便是如果把人类所有的不幸都丢入一个公共仓库里以便在所有人中间进行公平分配，那么那些现在认为自己最不开心的人，面对通过这样 的分配而落到他们头上的不幸，会宁愿要他们原先的那些不幸。贺拉斯已经在他的第一部讽刺小说里把这一思想进一步发扬光大了，其寓意是，假如我们能够与别人 换个处境的话，比起别人的那些困难和不幸来，我们自己的困难和不幸对我们来说更容易承受。   当坐在扶椅思考这两个论断时， 我不知不觉地睡着了；这时候，突然地，我觉得朱庇特发出了一项通告，即每个人都必须把他的悲伤和灾难带来，扔在一堆。一个辽阔的平原被指定用来堆放它们。我站在这个平原的中央，极开心地看到整个人类一个接一个地赶来，扔下他们肩头的包袱。这些重物立即堆成一座庞大的高山，似乎要冲破云霄。   有一个身材瘦削、轻盈的女子，她在这项庄重的仪式里非常的活跃。她手里拿着一把放大镜，身着一件宽松飘洒的长袍，上面绣着恶魔和幽灵的形象。当她的衣服在风中盘旋时，这些恶魔和幽灵的形状千奇百怪。她的脸上有着某种野蛮和心不在焉的神色。她的名字叫“奇思异想”。她神气活现地帮助每个人打好背包并放到他们肩上之后，把他们领到指定的地点。看到我的同类在他们各自的重负之下痛苦呻吟，想到我面前由人类的灾难所堆成的庞然大物，我的心都碎了。   然而在这个场合，却有几个人给我造成了很大的假象。我看到一位来者在他破旧、绣着刺绣的斗篷下小心翼翼地藏着一个包袱，在他将它扔入堆子时，我发现里面原来是“贫穷”。另一个人，在喘息了好一阵子之后，丢下了他的行李，经过检查，我发现是他的妻子。   一群群的情人们背着非常奇异的包袱，这些包袱里装着是飞镖和火苗；但极其怪异的是，尽管他们唉声叹气，好像这些灾难的折腾会让他们肝胆俱裂，但走到堆子跟前 时，他们却不能劝服自己扔下这些重物；经过好一番微弱的努力之后，他们摇着头又走开了，跟来时一样，依然背负着沉甸甸的重荷。我看见一批批的老太太扔下了 她们的皱纹，几个年轻女子揭下了她们黄褐色的皮肤。那儿有大堆大堆的红鼻子、大嘴唇和赤褐色牙齿。事实是，我惊讶地看到这座大山的最大的一部分是由身体上 的畸形构成的。我注意到一个人朝堆子走去，他背上的包裹比一般人的大，在他走近时，我发现那不过是自然的驼背。将他的驼背丢进这一堆人类的诸多痛苦之中， 他的心里充满了巨大的快乐。同样，那儿也有各种各样的坏脾气；尽管我不得不指出其中臆想的要比真实的多得多。一个小包裹让我不得不注意，它是伴随着人类的 本性而来的所有弊病的集合，而且为很多高雅之士所拥有，这便是“怨气”。 但是最让我惊讶的是我作的一个结论，即，投入到整个大堆中的没有一个是缺点或愚蠢。这让我极其惊骇，我原本以为每个人都将利用这一良机摆脱他的激怒、偏见 和缺陷。我特别留意一个极其恣意挥霍的家伙，我毫不怀疑他背着他的诸多罪行而来；但是在搜查他的包时，我发现他扔掉的不是他的罪过，只是丢下了他的记忆。 他后面跟着另一个品行恶劣的无耻之徒，他抛弃了他的谦虚而不是他的无知。   当整个人类这样抛下他们的负担之后，那位在这个场合一直非常忙碌的幽灵，看到我这个懒惰的旁观者便朝我靠过来。在她面前我感到非常不安，猛然间她把她的放大 镜举到我的眼前，我立即在放大镜里看到了我的脸，它如此之短，让我大吃一惊。在我看来，我的脸现在扭曲至极。五官夸张的宽度使我对自己的面容伤心透顶，于 是我把我的脸像个面具一样扔掉了。非常碰巧的是，站在我旁边的一位刚刚在我之前扔下了他的脸孔，他的脸孔对他来说似乎太长了，长到一个令人感到羞耻的程 度；我相信就那个下巴，不过分地说，就跟我的整个脸一样长。我们两个人都获得一个修补自己的好机会；而且因为现在所有的捐赠都已带来了，每个人都自由地与 别人交换着他的那些不幸。   尽管同时，当我们站在这个堆子的四周并且仔细端详它的一些构成物时，在这个浩荡的人群中几乎没有哪个人未曾发现他们所认为的生活中的快乐和 幸福，并且想知道这些快乐和幸福的拥有者缘何将它们视为累赘和烦恼。但我们正专心地注视这堆乱七八糟的痛苦、混乱不堪的灾难时，朱庇特发出了第二项公告，即每个人现在都可以自由地交换他的不幸，并且带着应该分给他的任何一个别人的包裹回家。听到这一公告，“奇思异想”开 始再度忙碌起来，她以难以置信的敏捷将整个大堆分成若干部分，并且向每个人推荐适合他的独特的包裹。这时的忙碌和混乱就不说了。我想告诉大家我在那里的一 些观察。 一位令人尊敬的头发花白的男人，我发现他需要一个继承人来继承他的地产。他先放下了自己的腹绞痛，然后迅速抓起被一位愤怒的父亲扔到堆中的一个不 孝之子。不到一刻钟的时间，这个无礼的年轻人便拽住了老绅士的胡子，想要敲打他的头部，把他敲死；因此老绅士在遇到那位生父时——这位真父亲忍受着一阵腹痛朝他走来，恳求他要领会自己的儿子，并且把腹痛还给他；可是他们谁都不能退出他们已经作出的选择。一个可怜的被迫划桨的奴隶，扔下 了他的锁链，拿起痛风来代替，可是他却做出了好多极其扭曲的面容，因此人们都会很容易看出他绝不是这桩交易的大赢家。足以让人心情舒畅的是这样几桩交易， 以病痛换贫穷，以饥饿换没有食欲，以及用忧虑换疼痛。 女性世界内部正非常忙碌地交换着容貌：一个妇女正拿着一束灰白的头发换一个痈疽；另一个正在为一副圆肩转让短腰，而第三个正以一张丑脸换一个卑劣的名声……但 在这些交易之后，没有一个人不为新的缺点所恼，她们一得到交换来的容貌就觉得比原来的不如意得多。我对集会中的每一个人以其原有的不幸和灾难换来的新的不 幸和灾难作了同样的观察，但是所有的灾祸是否在一定程度上与我们的承受力相适应或成比例，或习惯了之后是否会更容易忍受，我无法确定。 我无法从内心中克制自己不去同情在前一篇文章中提到的那位可怜的驼背绅士，他对患有膀胱结石的一位身材伟岸的绅士失去了兴趣，他一拐一拐地穿过过去对他尊敬有加的那一群妇女，拱起的双肩比头还高。 我绝不可以略去我自己独特的冒险经历。我的长脸朋友迫不及待地戴上了我的短脸，可是那相貌极其怪异，我看着他时我忍不住嘲笑起我自己来，因为那曾经是我的 脸。这位可怜的绅士对这种嘲笑极其敏感，我发现他开始为自己的所作所为感到羞愧；另一方面，我发现自己也绝对没有冠冕堂皇的理由得意洋洋；因为当我摸前额 时，我搞错了地方，我的手指拍在我的上嘴唇上。另外，因为我的鼻子过分前突，所以当我摆弄我这张脸并想想敲打其他某个部位时，竟不幸地在鼻子上敲了两三 下。我看到身边的另两位绅士也陷入了同样可笑的境地。这两位做了一桩罗圈腿与没有小腿肚的两根打射球游戏用的球棍之间的愚蠢交换。两位中的一个看起来像在 踩高跷，高高地矗在空中，由于高出平常很多，他得不断转头打量自己；而另一个再试着走路时，却笨拙地打着转转，他简直不知道该怎样依靠他的新腿往前移动。 我觉得他很有喜感，便把手杖插在地上，并在他和手杖之间划了一条直线，以一瓶酒赌他不能沿着那条线走到手杖边，结果他花了一刻钟也没有走到。 这个大堆最后在男男女女之间分完了，当他们在重负的压力下来回游荡时，这群人发出极其可怜的哀叹。整个平原上充斥着低语和抱怨，呻吟和悲叹。最终朱庇特对这 群可怜的人动了怜悯之心，他命令他们再次放下他们的包袱，打算重新还给每个人他自己的包袱。他们流露出巨大的欢乐；之后，指引人们来到这个巨大幻境的幽灵 接到消失的命令。派来代替他的是一个体型迥异的女神，她步履平稳从容，神情严肃而又欢快。她不时地望着天空并且盯着朱庇特，她的名字叫“忍耐”。可我认为不可思议的是，她一站到“悲痛之山”之侧，整个大堆就开始下沉，它看起来竟不到原来的三分之一了。接着她还给每个人他自己的灾难，并且教他们怎么样最大宽容地忍受它们。每个人都满意地带着他的灾难大步走开了，非常庆幸摆脱了原来的那个选择——曾降临于他命运的那种邪恶。 除了要从这一幻想中汲取几条教训之外，我还领悟到绝不要为自己的诸多不幸牢骚满腹，或者去羡慕别人的快乐，因为任何一个人都不可能正确地估量左邻右里的各种痛苦；也因为同样的原因，我决心绝不再把别人的抱怨不当一回事，而是怀着仁慈和同情去看待同类们的种种痛苦。 1