世界上最优美的散文--人生短篇-第22章
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ireland and yelling all the usual musty quotations from the prehomerule gladstone and sir william harcou rt。 not once did i use an original argument； for i knew none。 i was merely an in furiated parrot； speaking out of the richest store of ignorance conceivable。 sig ns of distress on his patient face could not stop me； but one day； driven beyond endurance； he turned to me with a slight flush and said quietly：“my god； what a bore you are！〃now no one likes to be thought a bore； and it is difficult to g o on arguing with a man who tells you that you are boring him。to realize that on e is boring somebody is to become a pricked balloon。 i certainly did。 la roche foucauld tells us that “we can forgive those who bore us； but we cannot forgi ve those whom we bore；〃 yet； after the first moment of shock； i never liked my f riend the less for his candour。 since then i must have bored many people； but o utside the family circle no one has since told me that i was boring them。 i have to study the expression on their faces to know。
无知常乐
罗伯特。林德
普通人只会使用电话，却无法解释电话的工作原理。他把电话、火车、铸造排字机、飞 机都看作自然而然的事情，就像我们的祖父一代将福音书里的奇迹故事视为理所当然一样。 对于这些事，他既不产生怀疑，也不去了解。我们每个人真正下工夫去了解、弄清楚的似乎 只是很小范围内的某几件事。大多数人把日常工作以外的一切知识都当作花哨无用的东西。 然而，我们还是时时抗拒着我们的无知。我们有时振作起来，进行思索。我们信手拈来一个 什么题目，思考它，甚至入『迷』——关于死后的生命，或者关于某些据说亚里士多德也『迷』『惑』不 解的问题，例如：“打喷嚏，从中午到子夜则吉，从子夜至中午则凶，是什么原因呢。”为 求知识而陷入无知，这是人类所欣赏的最大乐事之一。归根结底，无知的极大乐趣在于提出 问题。一个人，如果丧失了这种提问的乐趣，或者把它换成了教条的答案，并且以此为乐， 那么，他的头脑已经开始僵化了。裘伊这样的勤学好问的人是我们所羡慕的，他到了六十多 岁居然还能坐下来研究生理学。我们大多数人还没到他这么大的岁数就早已不再有自己无知 的感觉了。我们甚至对自己一点浅薄的知识感到沾沾自喜，而把与日俱增的年龄看作是培养 无所不知的天然学堂。我们忘记了：苏格拉底之所以智慧名垂后世，并不是因为他无所不知 ，而是因为他在70岁高龄时还明白自己依然一无所知。
ignorance make one happy
robert lynd
the average man who uses a telephone could not explain how a telephone works 。 he takes for granted the telephone； the railway train； the linotype； the airpl ane； as our grandfathers took for granted the miracles of the gospels。 he neithe r questions nor understands them。 it is as though each of us investigated and ma de his own only a tiny circle of facts。 knowledge outside the day's work is rega rded by most men as a gewgaw。 still we are constantly in reaction against our ig norance。 we rouse ourselves at intervals and speculate。 we revel in speculations about anything at all — about life after death or about such questions as that which is said to have puzzled aristotle；“why sneezing from noon to midnight wa s good； but from night to noon unlucky。〃 one of the greatest joys known to man i s to take such a flight into ignorance in search of knowledge。 the great pleasur e of ignorance is； after all； the pleasure of asking questions。 the man who has lost this pleasure or exchanged it for the pleasure of dogma； which is the pleas ure of answering； is already beginning to stiffen。 one envies so inquisitive a m an as jewell； who sat down to the study of physiology in his sixties。 most of us have lost the sense of our ignorance long before that age。 we even become vain of our squirrel's hoard of knowledge and regard increasing age itself as a schoo l of omniscience。we forget that socrates was famed for wisdom not because he was omniscient but because he realized at the age of seventy that he still knew not hing。
盐
亨利。凡。戴克
本文节选自亨利。凡。戴克1898年6月在哈佛大学发表的著名演说《盐》。
“你们是世上的盐。”《马太福音》，5：13。
这是个平凡而且发人深省的比喻。盐可以用来调味，又可以用来清洁、防腐。盐是一种 奢侈品，像某位伟大的法国才子所称颂的那样是“头等必需品”。在人类历史刚刚开始的时 候，盐就被认为有很高的价值，并开始在山洞和海滩采集它。盛产盐的国家曾被视为富国。 在原始部落里，一袋盐比一个人还要珍贵。犹太人尤其珍视盐，因为他们居住的地方气候炎 热，很难储藏食物。此外，他们的宗教特别强调清洁，在向上帝献祭时需要用大量的盐。
当基督对他的门徒说“你们是世上的盐”时，选用了一个人们都熟悉的事物来做比喻。 他用这个比喻来说明他认为众门徒应该肩负的使命和应该发生的影响。他们到世上来就是要 净化、美化他们所生活的世界，使它免于腐败，给人们的生活以清新的、健康的气息。他们 的作用不是消极的，而是积极的。他们活动的范围是当下的生活，他们不必把盐省下来带到 天国去，那里不需要盐。盐的使命是渗入、调剂与净化尘世的事物。
……
salt
henry van dyke
“ye are the salt of the earth。” matthew 5： 13。
this figure of speech is plain and pungent。 salt is savory； purifying； prese rvative。 it is one of those superfluities which the great french wit defined as “things that are very necessary〃。 from the very beginning of human history men have set a high value upon salt and sought for it in caves and by the seashore。 the nation that had a good supply was counted rich。 a bag of salt； among the bar barous tribes； was worth more than a man。 the jews prized it especially； because they lived in a warm climate where food was difficult to keep； and because thei r religion laid particular emphasis on cleanliness； and because salt was largely used in their sacrifices。
christ chose an image which was familiar； when he said to his disciples； “y e are the salt of the earth。〃 this was his conception of their mission； their in fluence。 they were to cleanse and sweeten the world in which they lived； to keep it from decay； to give a new and more wholesome flavor to human existence。 thei r function was not to be passive； but active。 the sphere of its action was to be this present life。 there is no use in saving salt for heaven。 it will not be ne eded there。 its mission is to permeate； season； and purify things on earth…
择 友
佚名
好友胜于财富，因为财富买不到基本的品德，而正是这些基本品德使人们之间的交往成 为一件幸事。最好的朋友就是比我们更睿智、更出『色』的人，我们可以被他的智慧和美德所激 励，从而使我们的行为更加高尚。他们才智比我们更杰出，情『操』比我们更高尚，从而能使我 们在精神和道德的境界得到提高。
“观察一个人所结交的朋友，就可以知道他是什么样的人”这句话总是对的。高层次的 交友对于『性』情的培养特别有力。在交往中，『性』情对于『性』情的影响胜过其他一切因素。近朱者 赤，近墨者黑，这一事实告诉人们，在年轻时代，择友甚至比选择老师和监护人更为重要。
不可否认的是，有些朋友总是我们无法选择的。有些人是由于生意和各种社会关系的缘 故被硬塞给我们的。我们没有选择他们，我们也不喜欢他们，但是我们必须或多或少地跟他 们交往。如果我们坚守内心的原则，承受一些压力，这样的经历并非完全没有补偿。但总的 来说，朋友可以选择，也必须选择。如果没有事先的掂量或明确的目的，一个年轻人就随便 与张三、李四或王五交往，那是不妥当、不必要的。一些确定的交友之道应该被遵守。这一 点应放在思想最重要的位置，并时时检点自己。
无论是有益的或者有害的友谊，都是一种教育；无论对男对女，它都可以滋养高尚或卑 微的人格；它可以使灵魂升华，也可以使之堕落；它可以滋生美德，也可以催生邪恶。它的 影响没有折中之道。友谊，如果使人高尚，就会使人如天使般庄重；如果使人堕落，就会使 人如魔鬼般邪恶。它可以有力地拯救一个人，也可以轻易地毁掉一个人。世上没有什么比这 更确定无疑的事了。播种美德，收获的就是美德；播种邪恶，收获的就是邪恶。好的朋友可 以帮助我们播种美德，坏的朋友促使我们播种邪恶。
choice of companions
anonymous
a good companion is better than a fortune； for a fortune cannot purchase tho se elements of character which make companionship a blessing。 the best companion is one who is wiser and better than ourselves； for we are inspired by his wisdo m and virtue to nobler deeds。 greater wisdom and goodness than we possess lifts us higher mentally and morally。
“a man is known by the companion he keeps。〃 it is always true。 companionshi p of a high order is powerful to develop character。 character makes character in the associations of life faster than anything else。 purity begets purity； like begets like； and this fact makes the choice of companions in early life more imp ortant even than that of teachers and guardians。
it is true that we cannot always choose all of our companions。 some are thru st upon us by business and the social relations of life。 we do not choose them； we do not enjoy them； and yet； we have to associate with them more or less。 the experience is not altogether without compensation； if there be principle enough in us to bear the strain。 still； in the main； choice of companions can be made； and must be made。 it is not best or necessary for a young person to associate wi th “tom； dick and henry〃 without forethought or purpose。 some fixed rules about the company he or she keeps should be observed。 the subject should be uppermost in the thoughts； and canvassed often。
companionship is education； good or bad； it develops manhood or womanhood； h igh or low； it lifts the soul upward or drags it downward； it ministers to virtu e or vice。 there is no half way work about its influence。 if it ennobles； it doe s it grandly； if it demoralizes； it does it devilishly。 it saves o
