世界上最优美的散文--人生短篇-第13章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
人生并不是上帝为了谴责我们的缺陷而给我们设下的陷阱。人生也不是一场拼字游戏的 比赛——不管你拼出了多少单词，一旦出现失误，你便前功尽弃。人生更像是一个棒球赛季 ，即使最好的球队也可能丢掉三分之一的比赛，而最差的球队也有辉煌的胜利。我们的目标 就是多赢球，少输球。当我们接受“不完整『性』”是人类本『性』的一部分时，当我们不断地进行 人生滚动并能欣赏其价值时，我们就会获得其他人仅能渴望的完整人生。我相信这就是上帝 对我们的要求：不求“完美”，也不求“永不犯错”，而是追求人生的“完整”。
如果我们有足够的勇敢地去爱，有足够的坚强去宽容，有足够的大度地去为别人的快乐 而高兴，有足够的睿智去理解充满于我们身边的爱，那么我们就能取得别的生物所不能取得 的满足感。
the wholeness of life
anonymous
once a circle missed a wedge。 the circle wanted to be whole； so it went arou nd looking for its missing piece。 but because it was incomplete and therefore co uld roll only very slowly； it admired the flowers along the way。 it chatted with worms。 it enjoyed the sunshine。 it found lots of different pieces； but none of them fit。 so it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching。 the n one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly。 it was so happy。 now it c ould be whole； with nothing missing。 it incorporated the missing piece into itse lf and began to roll。 now that it was a perfect circle； it could roll very fast； too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms。 when it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly； it stopped； left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away。
the lesson of the story； i suggested； was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something。 the man who has everything is in some ways a poor man。 he will never know what it feels like to yearn； to hope； to nou rish his soul with the dream of something better。 he will never know the experie nce of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or n ever had。
there is a wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitat ions； who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so。 there is a wholeness about the man or woman who ha s learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive； s he can lose someone and still feel like a complete person。
life is not a trap set for us by cod so that he can condemn us for failing。 life is not a spelling bee； where no matter how many words you've gotten right； you're disqualified if you make one mistake。 life is more like a baseball season ； where even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance。 our goal is to win more games than we lose。 when we acomept that imperfection is part of being human； and when we can continue rollin g through life and appreciate it； we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to。 that； i believe； is what god asks of us—not “be perfect〃； not “don't even make a mistake〃； but “be whole〃。
if we are brave enough to love； strong enough to forgive； generous enough to rejoice in another's happiness； and wise enough to know there is enough love to go around for us all； then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living cr eature will ever know。
面 貌
弗朗西斯。帕金森。凯丝
这篇文章是女作家凯丝为了在新书广告上刊登相片而引发的一段感想。文中先由林肯的 名言谈起容貌对人的影响，进而反观自己脸上烙印的“时间轨迹”，终而肯定人生的经历远 比刻意妆点修饰的外表重要。
“忠于自身。”
——莎士比亚
我很喜欢一个故事。那是有关林肯内阁推荐职务的。他的一位顾问极力向他推荐一位候 选人，但是林肯拒绝接受这个建议。因此，林肯被要求给出原因来。
“我不喜欢那人的面貌长相。”林肯简明扼要地回答到。
“可是那个可怜的人不应对他的长相负责。” 推荐人坚持道。
“每个人一旦过了40岁就应该对自己的长相负责。” 林肯答复完就转到其他事情的讨 论上了。
最近在出版商的游说之下，我拍了一些照片。他提醒我，我已经很久没给他新照片了， 我不能总使用一样的姿势呀。我不喜欢拍相的过程，当我看到最近一次痛苦经历的结果后， 就不喜欢这些照片了。我把新照片和25年前的一张照片比较之后，想到我要以现在的面貌面 对公众时，我的女『性』虚荣心开始遭受剧痛。我的第一个直觉就是“修饰” 一下这些照片， 虽然我从不修饰自己的脸或头发，因为我一直认为女人这么做，除了骗自己之外谁也骗不了 。当我深思过这些照片之后，我明白这其中蕴含着一个更重要的原则。
四分之一世纪的生活在女人脸上除了留下了一些皱纹及不受欢迎的皱痕之外，还有更多 的东西。在这段漫长的时间里，她已经饱尝痛苦与欢乐、开心与伤心以及生生死死。她生存 与斗争，失败和成功。她失去又重获信心。作为结果，她应该比年轻时更英明、高雅、有耐 心、有度量。她的幽默感应该成熟起来了，见解也应该更为拓展，同情心应该加深了。而所 有的这一切都会表现出来。如果她试图擦除这些岁月的痕迹，同时也冒了摧毁经验与『性』格印 痕的危险。
我知道自己比25年前更有经验，也希望我比以前更有个『性』。所以我按照原样公布了我的 照片。
face and fortune
frances parkinson keyes
“to thine own self be true。〃
——shakespeare
there is a story about a proposed appointment in lincoln's cabinet that i ha ve always liked very much。 one of his advisers urgently recommended a candidate and lincoln declined to follow the suggestion。 so he was asked to give his reaso ns。
“i don't like the man's face。〃 lincoln explained briefly。
“but the poor man is not responsible for his face。〃 his advocate insisted。
“every man over forty is responsible for his face。〃 lincoln replied； and tu rned to the discussion of other matters。
recently； at the instigation of my publisher； i had some photographs taken。 it was a long time； he reminded me； since i had supplied him with a new one； i c ould not go on using the same pose indefinitely。 i do not enjoy the process of b eing photographed； and when i saw the results of this latest ordeal； i enjoyed t hese still less。 i compared the new photograph with one that had been taken twen tyfive years ago； and my feminine vanity suffered an acute pang at the thought of being presented to the public as i am today。 my first instinct was to have t he prints “touched up；〃 though i have never “touched up〃 my own face or my own hair because i have always maintained that women who did this deceived no one e xcept themselves。 as i thoughtfully considered the photographs； i knew that a st ill more important principle was involved。
a quarter century of living should put a great deal into a woman's face besi des a few wrinkles and some unwelcome folds around the chin。 in that length of t ime she has become intimately acquainted with pain and pleasure； joy and sorrow； life and death。 she has struggled and survived； failed and sucomeeded。 she has l ost and regained faith。 and； as a result； she should be wiser； gentler； more pat ient and more tolerant than she was when she was young。 her sense of humor shoul d have mellowed； her outlook should have widened； her sympathies should have dee pened。 and all this should show。 if she tries to erase the imprint of age； she r uns the risk of destroying； at the same time； the imprint of experience and char acter。
i know i am more experienced than i was a quarter century ago and i hope i h ave more character。 i released the pictures as they were。
人人想当别人
塞缪尔。麦考德。克罗瑟斯
塞缪尔。麦考德。克罗瑟斯（1867—1931），美国优秀散文作家，生于伊利诺州，曾先后 就读于普林斯顿大学、联合神学院与哈佛大学等学校，以学识渊博与善于讲道著称于世。
人生许多微小不快的背后原因，都因为这种人人想当别人的自然欲望，它使社会不能圆 满合理地组织起来，不能让每个人都各司其职，各就其位。想当别人的欲望常常引导我们去 做一些严格意义上来说并不属于自己范围的事。我们的才干本领常常超出我们自己行业与职 务的狭小范围。每个人都觉得自己才过其位，大才小用。因而无时无刻不在做着那种神学家 们所谓的“额外余功”。
一个态度认真的女佣人不会满足于只干几件被吩咐的差事。她身上有着剩余精力没有用 完。她的志向是做一名改革家庭方面的专家。于是她来到那家虚有其名的主人的书桌面前， 在那上面进行一番彻底改革。按照她的整洁观点，所有文件都重新被做了归置。当那位可怜 的主人回来后，发现为他熟悉的杂『乱』已经变成可恶的整齐时，他简直成了—个反动分子。
一位秉『性』严肃的市街铁道公司经理绝不会只从运送乘客方面，和使乘客觉得便宜、舒适 这一简单责任中获得满足感。他要发挥在一个道德促进会上一位宣讲人的职能。于是，当一 位可怜的乘客正在皮带环的下面被弄得摇晃蹒跚站立不稳时，他却要为这位乘客读份东西， 请求他发扬基督徒的美德，不要推挤。
一个人走进理发店，目的只是刮刮胡子而已。但却遇到一位雄心壮志的理发师。这位志 向高超的理发师绝不满足于仅对人类的幸福做微小的贡献。他坚持认为，他这位顾客还需要 洗发、修指、按摩、在滚热『毛』巾下发汗，在电风扇下冷却，等等，并在进行所有这些的同时 ，他的皮鞋还必须被重新上油擦拭。
当你看到有些人在接受种种他们并不需要的服务时所表现的这种忍耐，你不觉得奇怪吗 。其实也不过是为了不伤害情愿多干点活的手艺人的感情罢了。你看，卧车中一些乘客站起 身来让人家为他刷衣服时，有着一副多么耐心的神情啊，他们十有八九并不想让人去刷。他 们宁愿衣服上留着灰尘也不愿被迫忍受这种事。但是他们明白不能让别人感到失望。这乃是 一项整个旅行中的隆重仪式，是正式献礼之前不可缺少的。
人人想当别人，这种情形也是艺术家与文人学士出现越轨现象的一个重要原因。我们的 画家、剧作家、音乐家、诗人以及小说作者也就像上面说的女佣人，铁路经理�
