世界上最优美的散文--人生短篇-第19章
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work and pleasure
winston churchill
to be really happy and really safe； one ought to have at least two or three hobbies； and they must all be real。 it is no use starting late in life to say：“ i will take an interest in this or that。〃 such an attempt only aggravates the st rain of mental effort。 a man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected w ith his daily work； and yet hardly get any benefit or relief。 it is no use doing what you like； you have got to like what you do。 broadly speaking； human beings may be divided into three classes： those who are toiled to death； those who are worried to death； and those who are bored to death。 it is no use offering the m anual labourer； tired out with a hard week's sweat and effort； the chance of pla ying a game of football or baseball on saturday afternoon。 it is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man； who has been working or wor rying about serious things for six days； to work or worry about trifling things at the weekend。
it may also be said that rational； industrious； useful human beings are divi ded into two classes： first； those whose work is work and whose pleasure is plea sure； and secondly； those whose work and pleasure are one。 of these the former a re the majority。 they have their compensations。 the long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward； not only the means of sustenance； b ut a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms。 but fortune's favoured children belong to the second class。 their life is a natural harmony。 for them the working hours are never long enough。 each day is a holiday ； and ordinary holidays when they come are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation。 yet to both classes the need of an alternative outlook； o f a change of atmosphere； of a diversion of effort； is essential。 indeed； it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the mea ns of banishing it at intervals from their minds。
关于慷慨
阿诺德。本涅特
要做到真正的慷慨，也就是说将己之所欲施之与他人，我认为是很困难的。从严格的意 义上看，我怀疑自己一生是否真正慷慨过。今天下午在和e谈话时，我产生了这样的感觉。 当时的情形是我需要给人20镑，而我还没有确切地得到一个消息，就是我将从建筑师那里得 到巴黎的房东已答应归还的保证金。那20镑也许真的是我很需要的。虽然我当即决定要给别 人，但这份给予却不是发自内心的慷慨本能，而是一种私下里不情愿的给予，是考虑体面与 礼貌而做出的决定。这不叫慷慨。
同样地，在吃饭的时候，我坐在e和柏格里特夫人之间。前者满眼泪水，一肚子苦水。 后者是一位老女人，她邋遢、喜欢唠叨而且『性』格怪僻，虽然有时也不乏诙谐。m远在巴黎。 我的心被恼人的、烦心的、空虚的灰暗生存状态压得沉甸甸的。我憎恶e的不幸，讨厌b夫人 的苍老和怪僻，我渴望在我身边环绕的是青春、美丽和世俗的成功。然而仅在4个小时前， 我还在对自己说理智应把任何环境中的原材料转化成幸福的果实。
on generosity
arnold bennett
it must be very difficult； i think； to be really generous； i。e。 to give some thing which you need。 i doubt whether in this strict sense i have ever been real ly generous in all my life。 i felt in this afternoon； in talking with e。； when i t was a question of giving 20 before i had heard definitely from my architect th at the landlord at paris had undertaken to refund my deposit。 i might really wan t that 20； and though i decided at once to give it； i gave it not from a spontan eous instinct of generosity； but unwillingly （within myself）； and in obedience t o my ideas of rightness and propriety。 something forced me to give it。 this is n ot generosity。
as at meals i sat between e。； in tears and full of disasters； and mme。 berge ret； an old woman； untidy； radoteuse； maniaque； though witty sometimes； and m。 a way in paris； the unpleasant； empty； unsatisfying greyness of existence weighed on me。 i en voulait（法语，意为怨恨） against e。 for being unfortunate； and agains t mme。 b。 for being old and maniaque； and i wanted to be surrounded by youth； be auty； and worldly sucomess。 yet only 4 hours previously i had been preaching to m yself that it was my reason's business to manufacture my happiness out of the ra w material of no natter what environment i found myself in。
论处世
杰罗姆。克雷克。杰罗姆
杰罗姆。克雷克。杰罗姆（1859—1927），英国小说家，剧作家。著有小说《游手好闲 的闲情逸致》、《三人在船上》等。《论处世》是一篇论人情世态的妙文。
纷繁嘈杂的人群啊！王子与乞丐，罪人与圣人，屠夫、面包师与烛台商，铁匠与裁缝， 农民与海员，所有的人一起向前拥挤着。这里既有头戴假发、身穿礼服的法律顾问，又有头 缠肮脏『毛』巾的老年犹太成衣商；这里既有一身红军装的士兵，又有戴着飘带帽子和旧棉手套 的送丧吹鼓手；这里既有动作笨拙的学者，翻阅着他那发黄的书页，又有香气袭人的演员， 炫耀着华丽的豹皮大衣；既有圆滑的政客，叫喊着立法万能，又有徒步游历的江湖小贩，高 举着他那骗人的狗皮膏『药』；这里既有油嘴滑舌的资本家，又有身强力壮的雇佣工；这里既有 科学家，又有擦鞋匠；这里既有诗人，又有收水费的人；这里既有内阁部长，又有芭蕾舞演 员；这里既有自夸其酒好的糟鼻子酒商，又有每夜50镑报酬的戒酒宣讲者；这里既有法官， 又有骗子；这里既有神父，又有赌徒；这里既有珠光宝气的公爵夫人，笑容可掬，雍容华贵 ，又有厌倦了烹调、瘦骨嶙峋的客栈老板；这里还有浓妆艳抹、趾高气扬的货『色』。
他们肩并着肩挣扎着向前，掺杂着尖叫、咒骂、祈祷、欢笑、歌唱和悲叹。他们的步伐 永不停止，这种竞争也永不结束。没有路边的小憩，没有阴凉喷泉旁的停留，也没有绿荫下 的歇息。向前，向前，向前——他们顶着烈日，随着拥挤的人群，满面风尘——向前，一旦 倒下，就难免被淘汰——向前，哪怕呕心沥血，路途坎坷——向前，直到心力交瘁、头晕目 眩，咕咕的呻『吟』声告诉后来者时机已到。
然而，尽管人群前进的速度使人疲于奔命，道路坎坷颇费脚力，除了懒汉、傻瓜，谁能 避免这艰难的行程呢？谁能置身局外旁观这喧嚣嘈杂呢？正像夜行的旅客望着眼前仙子们的 欢宴，情不自禁地夺杯畅饮，纵步融入狂舞的人群。我正是这种人。我知道路边有树阴、心 满意足的水烟筒、甜荷叶等比喻都不合适。这些比喻虽然听起来美好、深刻，但我恐怕自己 不是这种人——只要外界稍微有点趣事上演，我就无法安坐在树阴下吸烟。想来我更像那些 爱尔兰人，一看见有人群聚集，便打发小女出去打听是否在吵架，“若真是这样，爸爸倒要 去凑些热闹。”
我喜欢激烈的竞争，而且喜欢旁观竞争。我喜欢打听他人的战况，当然竞争靠的是勇敢 顽强，光明正大，而不是投机取巧，玩弄诡计；它能激『荡』撒克逊人传统的战斗热血，就像学 童时代“与厄运抗争的骑士”的故事一样使我们童心振奋。
人生的斗争也是一场同可怕的厄运的抗争。每个时代都存在巨人、苍龙之类的庞然大物 ，它们所守护的金子根本不可能像小说里描写的那样会被轻易拿走。在小说里，阿尔格农最 后流连地望了一眼祖先的房屋，抹去眼角的泪珠，离家而去；三年后，他竟然衣锦还乡、腰 缠万贯。小说家并没有告诉我们“他是怎样做到这一切的”，这真是个遗憾，因为这段经历 肯定会极为精彩。
on getting on in the world
j。 k。 jerome
a motley throng — a motley throng！ prince and beggar； sinner and saint； but cher and baker and candlestickmaker； tinkers and tailors； and ploughboys and s ailors — all jostling along together。 here the counsel in his wig and gown； and here the old jew clothesman under his dingy tiara； here the soldier in his scar let； and here the undertaker's mute in streaming hatband and worn cotton glove s； here the scholar； fumbling his faded leaves； and here the scented actor； dang ling his showy seals。 here the glib politician； crying his legislative panaceas； and here the peripatetic cheap jack； holding aloft his quack cures for human il ls。 here the sleek capitalist； and there the sinewy labourer； here the man of sc ience； and here the shoeblack； here the poet； and here the waterrate collect or； here the cabinet minister； and there the balletdancer。 here a rednosed p ublican； shouting the praises of his vats； and here a temperance lecturer at fif ty pounds a night； here a judge； and there a swindler； here a priest； and there a gambler。 here a jewelled duchess； smiling and gracious； here a thin lodgingh ouse keeper； irritable with cooking； and here a wabbling； strutting thing； tawdr y in paint and finery。
cheek by cheek； they struggle onward。 screaming； cursing； and praying； laugh ing； singing； and moaning； they rush past side by side。 their speed never slacke ns； the race never ends。 there is no wayside rest for them； no halt by cooling f ountains； no pause beneath green shades。 on； on； on — on through the heat and t he crowd and the dust — on； or they will be trampled down； and lost — on； with throbbing brain and tottering limbs — on； till the heart grows sick； and the e yes grow blurred； and a gurgling groan tells those behind they may close up anot her space。
and yet； in spite of the killing pace and the stony track； who； but the slug gard or the dolt； can hold aloof from the course。 who — like the belated travel ler that stands watching fairy revels till he snatches and drains the goblin cup ； and springs into the whirling circle — can view the mad tumult； and not be dr awn into its midst。 not i； for one。 i confess to the wayside arbour； the pipe of contentment； and the lotus leaves being altogether unsuitable metaphors。 they s ounded very nice and philosophical； but i'm afraid i am not the sort of person t o sit in arbours； smoking pipes； when there is any fun going on outside。 i think i more resemble the irishman； who； seeing a crowd collecting； sent his little g irl out to
