世界上最优美的散文--人生短篇-第15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！
pon the labors of my fell ow men； both living and dead； and how earnestly i must exert myself in order to give in return as much as i have received。 my peace of mind is often troubled by the depressing sense that i have borrowed too heavily from the work of other me n。
to ponder interminably over the reason for one's own existence or the meanin g of life in general seems to me； from an objective point of view； to be sheer f olly。 and yet everyone holds certain ideals by which he guides his aspiration an d his judgment。 the ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness； beauty； and truth。 to make a goal of comfort and happiness has never appealed to me； a system of ethics built on this basis woul d be sufficient only for a herd of cattle。
第1卷 第六章
生活的道路
威廉。s。『毛』姆
大多数人的生活被他们身处的环境所决定。他们不仅接受既定的命运，而且顺从命运的 安排。他们就像街上的电车一样，在他们既定的轨道上行驶，而对于那些不时出没于车水马 龙间和欢快地奔驰在旷野上的廉价小汽车却不屑一顾。我尊重他们，他们是好公民、好丈夫 和好父亲。当然，总得有些人来支付税收，但是，他们并没有令人激动的地方。另外有一些 人，他们把生活掌握在自己的手里，可以按照自己的喜好去创造生活，尽管这样的人少之又 少，但我却被他们深深地吸引着。可能世界上并没有诸如自由意志这样的事情，但是无论怎 样，我们总有关于自由意志的幻想。当我们处在一个十字路口时，我们似乎可以决定向左走 还是向右走，可是一旦做出选择，我们却很难意识到，实际上是世界历史的全部进程强迫我 们做出了那样的选择。
the road of life
william s。 maugham
the lives of most men are determined by their environment。 they acomept the c ircumstances amid which fate has thrown them not only with resignation but even with good will。 they are like streetcars running contentedly on their rails and they despise the sprightly flitter that dashes in and out of the traffic and spe eds so jauntily across the open country。 i respect them； they are good citizens； good husbands； and good fathers； and of course somebody has to pay the taxes； b ut i do not find them exciting。 i am fascinated by the men； few enough in all co nscience； who take life in their own hands and seem to mould it to their own lik ing。 it maybe that we have no such thing as free will； but at all events； we hav e the illusion of it。 at a crossroad it does seem to us that we might go eithe r to the right or the left and； the choice once made； it is difficult to see tha t the whole course of the world's history obliged us to take the turning we did。
生命美于变化
佚名
将所有事物和事物的原则统统归结为经常变化着的形态或风尚，这已日益成为近代思想 界的一个趋势。我们可以从我们的生理活动等表面的事情说起。举个例子来说，选定在酷暑 中猛然浸入滔滔清流的一刹那和感觉极其愉快的这么一个微妙的时刻。在那一瞬间的所有生 理活动，难道不可以说是具有科学名称的各种元素的一种化合作用吗？但是，像磷、石灰、 微细的纤维质等这些元素，不仅存在于人体之中，而且在与人体没有丝毫关系的地方也能检 查出它们的存在。血『液』的流通，眼睛中水晶体的消耗和恢复，每一道光波、每一次声浪对于 脑组织所引起的变异——都不外是这些元素永久的运动。但是科学把这些运动过程还原为更 为简单和基本力量的作用。 正如我们身体所赖以构成的元素所形成的我们的生理活动的力 量，这些力量在我们身体以外也同样发挥着作用——它可以使铁生锈，使谷物成熟。这些元 素，在种种气流吹送之下，从我们身外向四面八方传播：人的诞生，人的姿态，人的死亡， 以及在人的坟头上生长出紫罗兰——这不过是成千上万化合结果的点滴例子而已。人类那轮 廓分明、长久不变的面颜和肢体，不过是一种表象，在它那框架之内，我们好把种种化合的 元素凝聚一团——这好像是蛛网的纹样，那织网的细丝从网中穿出，又引向他方。在这一点 上，我们的生命有些像那火焰——它也是种种力量汇合的结果，这汇合虽不断延续，那些力 量却早晚要各自飘散。
change makes life beautiful
anonymous
to regard all things and principles of things as inconstant modes or fashion s has more and more become the tendency of modern thought。 let us begin with tha t which is without — our physical life。 fix upon it in one of its more exquisit e intervals； the moment； for instance； of delicious recoil from the flood of wat er in summer heat。 what is the whole physical life in that moment but a combinat ion of natural elements to which science gives their names。 but these elements； phosphorus and lime and delicate fibers； are present not in the human body alone ： we detect them in places most remote from it。 our physical life is a perpetual motion of them — the passage of the blood； the wasting and repairing of the le nses of the eye； the modification of the tissues of the brain under every ray of light and soundprocesses which science reduces to simpler and more elementary forces。 like the elements of which we are composed； the action of these forces extends beyond us： it rusts iron and ripens corn。 far out on every side of us th ose elements are broadcast； driven in many currents； and birth and gesture and d eath and the springing of violets from the grave are but a few out of ten thousa nd resultant combinations。 that clear； perpetual outline of face and limb is but an image of ours； under which we group them a design in a web； the actual threa ds of which pass out beyond it。 this at least of flame — like our life has； tha t it is but the concurrence； renewed from moment to moment； of forces parting so oner or later on their ways。
随 想
约翰。博因顿。普里斯特利
约翰。博因顿。普里斯特利（1894—1984），英国小说家、剧作家和散文家，他的散文 以细腻著称，文笔生动，广受读者喜爱。
一直以来，对别人学识渊博及造诣之深，我感到很不理解。只要你随便读一读哪一位重 要人物的传记，就总会发现他的学问和才能，就算我活六辈子也休想学到和做到。首先，除 了碰到像史蒂文森或契诃夫那样的，有明显残疾的人以外，他们总是成绩顶呱呱的运动员， 他们有着惊人的气力、耐力。
他们即使年届七旬，在走路，跑步，翻山越岭时我们都赶不上他们。其次，他们大都是 语言方面的天才。你从来没有看见他们坐下来学习一种新的语言，甚至连不规则动词表也没 有看见他们浏览—下。但是大家都认为他们随便可以讲几种语言，不仅流利，而且发音纯正 。他们一般都精通几门，而不会使自己局限在一门科学里。大自然这部巨著被他们熟记于心 。不久以前，我还读到一位杰出的小说家的事迹。他是一位非常老练而又精细的人，据说他 熟悉乡村每一种野花野草、树木和禽鸟的名称、习『性』和生活史。除此之外，请原谅我用一些 套语来形容，这些大人物都是富于灵感的音乐大师，或是精妙绝伦的业余水彩画家，或是风 格优美的文体家。更使我们感到惊讶的是，要是他们的境遇不同，只要他们认真从事这门或 那门艺术，凭着他们的才能，而且日后一定会获得不朽的声誉，再者还会享誉全球。这些对 他们的描述真是神乎其神。
但是我被搞糊涂了。他们凭什么做得到。我再次想问这个问题，甚至忌妒和烦恼得要遥 问苍天。我们应该仔细地想一想一首乐曲、一幅水彩画或一篇美妙的文章究竟意味着什么（ 这一点却被他们轻轻带过或略而不论），这需要很多年专心致志地在键盘上、在画架上或者 在写字台上辛勤『操』作，这样才能有所成就。而像你我这样，胡『乱』弹奏钢琴曲，同时还用左手 『插』入即兴的过门，或者不管『色』彩是否协调，『乱』涂几笔蘸上水彩，或者在一篇粗制滥造的散文 里贴上几句闪闪烁烁的陈词滥调是一回事；而要成为一个有成就的音乐家、画家或作家，却 是另一回事。要是那指的是前者，我可以理解；但是如果指的是后者呢。——尚且还不过是 作为一种业余的消遣！更不用说他们还要从事体育运动，研究各门科学，学习各种语言，或 者博物学！ 这使我『迷』『惑』不解，而且佩服得五体投地。这就是使我自己越看越小，小得像个小 蚊虫的原因。他们有如此神奇的天赋！正像传说中讲的那样。
random thoughts
john boynton priestley
this matter of other people's learning and acomcplishments has been worrying me for some time。 i never read the life of any important person without discove ring that he knew more and could do more than i could ever hope to know or to do in half a dozen lifetimes。 to begin with； unless these people chance to be obvi ous invalids like stevenson or tchehov； they are always tremendous athletes； wit h surprising strength； powers of endurance； and so forth。
they could all walk and run and climb our heads off； even when they were sev enty。 then they all have the gift of tongues。 you never catch a glimpse of them sitting down to learn a new language； not even running an eye over its irregular verbs； yet it is admitted that they speak any number with an astonishing fluenc y and purity of acoment。 they never confine themselves to one science； but are in evitably masters of several。 the big book of nature they know by heart。 only the other day i was reading an acomount of a great novelist； a most sophisticated an d subtle person； and was told that he knew the name and habits and history of ev ery wild flower and plant and tree and bird in the country。 nor is that all。 the re is not one of these bigwigs who is not （ i quote the customary phrases ） a se nsitive and acomcplished musician； or an extraordinarily fine amateur watercol ourist； or the possessor of a magnificent prose style。 we are always told that； had circumstance been different； their talents were such that they need only hav e given their serious attention to one or other of these arts to have procured f or themselves lasting and perhaps worldwide reputations。 so runs the legend of the eulogists。
i am baffled。 how is it done。 i ask the question again； my voice rises to a scream of envy and vexation。 consider what is involved in this matter （so lightl y touched upon and dismissed）
