雙語對照 ● Finding What You Do Not Seek 探尋未知的美好
Finding What You Do Not Seek 探尋未知的美好
◎ Orison Marden
Dining one day with Baron James Rothschild, Eugene Delacroix, the famous French artist, confessed that, during some time past, he had vainly sought for a head to serve as a model for that of a beggar in a picture which he was painting; and that, as he gazed at his host’s features, the idea suddenly occurred to him that the very head he desired was before him. Rothschild, being a great lover of art, readily consented to sit as the beggar. The next day, at the studio, Delacroix placed a tunic around the baron’s shoulders, put a stout staff in his hand, and made him pose as if he were resting on the steps of an ancient Roman temple. In this attitude he was found by one of the artist’s favorite pupils, in a brief absence of the master from the room. The youth naturally concluded that the beggar had just been brought in, and with a sympathetic[88]look quietly slipped a piece of money into his hand. Rothschild thanked him simply, pocketed the money, and the student passed out. Rothschild then inquired of the master, and found that the young man had talent, but very slender means.
一天，在詹姆士·羅斯柴爾德爵士家的宴會上，法國著名藝術(shù)家歐仁·德拉克洛瓦當(dāng)場向我袒露心聲：在過去的一段時間里，他一直苦苦地為自己正在創(chuàng)作的畫作找尋一位乞丐模特。當(dāng)他的目光停在爵士的身上時，腦中突然閃現(xiàn)一個靈感——他夢寐以求的模特就在眼前。作為一個狂熱的藝術(shù)愛好者，羅斯柴爾德欣然答應(yīng)了扮演一名乞丐模特。第二天，在畫室里，德拉克洛瓦拿了一件束腰外套披在爵士的肩上，讓爵士手拿一根短棍，并擺出一個造型，就像是正在一座古羅馬神廟前的階梯上休息一樣。接著，德拉克洛瓦便離開了畫室一小會兒。這時，他最得意的一名學(xué)生進(jìn)來看到了爵士的乞丐造型。這位年輕人自然而然地認(rèn)為這個乞丐是剛來到畫室的，于是，他顯現(xiàn)出充滿同情的表情，一聲不響地把一些錢塞進(jìn)他的手里。羅斯柴爾德只是輕輕地道了一聲謝謝，就把錢放進(jìn)兜里。那個學(xué)生走出了畫室。后來，羅斯柴爾德從畫家那兒得知，這個年輕人其實很有繪畫天賦，但就是缺少處世經(jīng)驗。
Soon after, the youth received a letter stating that charity bears interest, and that the accumulated interest on the amount he had given to one he supposed to be a beggar was represented by the sum of ten thousand francs, which was awaiting his claim at the Rothschild office.
不久，那個年輕人就收到了一封信，信的內(nèi)容大概是這樣的：由于他的善良本性，把錢給了一個他認(rèn)為是乞丐的人。為此，他將得到一萬法郎的獎賞，他可以隨時到羅斯柴爾德的辦公室領(lǐng)取。
This illustrates well the art to cheerful amusement even if one has great business cares—the entertainment of the artist, the personation of a beggar, and an act of beneficence toward a worthy student.
這件事充分說明了藝術(shù)有著令人愉快的魅力，即使是富人也不另外——畫家的靈感、假扮的乞丐和可敬的學(xué)生的善意之舉。
It was said by Wilhelm von Humboldt, that “it is worthy of special remark that when we are not too anxious about happiness and unhappiness, but devote ourselves to the strict and unsparing performance of duty, then happiness comes of itself.”
威廉·馮·洪堡曾經(jīng)說過：“當(dāng)我們不再為是否快樂而憂心，而是全心全意地嚴(yán)格履行自己的職責(zé)時，快樂自然就會來臨?！?
Are not buoyant spirits like water sparkling when it runs? “I have found my greatest happiness in labor,” said Gladstone. “I early formed a habit of industry, and it has been its own reward. The young are apt to think that rest means a cessation from all effort, but I have found the most perfect rest in changing effort. If brain-weary over books and study, go out into the blessed sunlight and the pure air, and give heartfelt exercise to the body. The brain will soon become calm and rested. The efforts of Nature are ceaseless[89]. Even in our sleep the heart throbs on. I try to live close to Nature, and to imitate her in my labors. The compensation is sound sleep, a wholesome digestion, and powers that are kept at their best; and this, I take it, is the chief reward of industry.”
快樂的感覺不就像是水光蕩漾的河水嗎？格拉德斯頓曾經(jīng)說過：“勞作給了我最大的快樂。我從小就養(yǎng)成了勤奮的習(xí)慣，并因此受益匪淺。年輕人總是覺得休息就意味著停止一切努力，但我認(rèn)為最好的休息就是轉(zhuǎn)變成為另一種努力。如果過重的學(xué)習(xí)壓力使你頭昏腦脹，那就出去曬一些溫暖的陽光，呼吸一下新鮮的空氣，好好放松放松身心。那樣的話，大腦就能很快恢復(fù)平靜并得到充足的休息。天性的努力是永無休止的，即使睡覺時，我們的心臟也會不停地跳動著。我試著讓自己的生活順應(yīng)天性，并在勞動中盡力模仿。于是，我得到了：舒適的睡眠、健康的消化能力和旺盛的精力。而我所得到的這些都是勤奮的主要回報?！?
Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness. “The most delicate, the most sensible of all pleasures,” says La Bruyre, “consists in promoting the pleasures of others.”
只有那些把精力集中在某個目標(biāo)上，而不是執(zhí)著于個人幸福的人，才能獲得真正的快樂。拉·布魯耶爾曾經(jīng)說過：“最美妙、最明智的快樂是和他人共同分享快樂?！?
And Hawthorne has said that the inward pleasure of imparting pleasure is the choicest of all.
霍桑也曾經(jīng)說過，與人分享的快樂才是最頂級的快樂。
There was once a king who loved his little boy very much, and took a great deal of pains to please him. So he gave him a pony to ride, beautiful rooms to live in, pictures, books, toys without number, teachers, companions, and everything that money could buy or ingenuity devise; but for all this, the young prince was unhappy. He wore a frown wherever he went, and was always wishing for something he did not have. At length a magician came to the court. He saw the scowl on the boy’s face, and said to the king: “I can make your son happy, and turn his frowns into smiles, but you must pay me a great price for telling him this secret.”
從前有個國王，他十分寵愛自己的小兒子，他想盡辦法讓小兒子開心。因此，國王買來小馬給小兒子騎；建造漂亮的房間給他住；還有圖畫、書本、數(shù)不清的玩具、給他上課的老師、玩伴和其他一切可以用錢能做得到的事情?？蛇@一切都無法讓小王子感到快樂。無論走到哪，他總是一副愁眉苦臉的樣子，他總想著得到自己沒有的東西。直到一位魔術(shù)師來到宮里，這一切才有所改變。魔術(shù)師看到愁眉苦臉的小男孩后，他對國王說道：“我能讓您的兒子快樂起來，將他的苦臉變成笑臉。但你必須用大筆的錢向我買下這個秘密?！?
“All right,” said the king, “whatever you ask I will give.” The magician took the boy into a private room. He wrote something with a white substance on a piece of paper. He gave the boy a candle, and told him to light it and hold it under the paper, and then see what he could read. Then the magician went away. The boy did as he had been told, and the white letters turned into a beautiful blue. They formed these words: “Do a kindness to some one every day.” The prince followed the advice, and became the happiest boy in the realm.
“好吧，”國王答道，“不管你要什么，我都會答應(yīng)的?！庇谑牵g(shù)師把小男孩帶到一個單獨的房間里。他用一個白色的東西在一張紙上寫了些東西。然后，他遞給小男孩一根蠟燭，并叫他把這張紙點燃后，再放到蠟燭的上方，看看能讀到什么東西。說完這些話，魔術(shù)師就離開了房間。小男孩照他說的話做了，只見白色的字母變成了美麗的藍(lán)色，并組成了一句話：“每天為他人做一件好事?！毙⊥踝咏邮芰诉@個建議，成了王國里最快樂的人。
Happy is he who has no sense of discord with the harmony of the universe, who is open to the voices of nature and of the spiritual realm, and who sees the light that never was on sea or land. Such a life can but give expression to its inward harmony. Every pure and healthy thought, every noble aspiration for the good and the true, every longing of the heart for a higher and better life, every lofty purpose and unselfish endeavor, makes the human spirit stronger, more harmonious, and more beautiful.
真正快樂的人，他絲毫不會覺得自己和宇宙之間是不和諧的；他會敞開心扉傾聽來自天性和精神世界里的聲音；他能看見天地間從未展現(xiàn)過的光芒。只有這樣的生命才能表達(dá)出內(nèi)心的和諧。每一個純潔健康的思想，每一種對善良和真理的崇高向往，每一顆渴望更高尚、更美好生活的心，每一個崇高的目標(biāo)和每一次無私的努力，都讓人類的精神變得更堅強、更和諧、更美好。
美麗語錄
If you want a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.
如果你想過得快樂，把生活跟目標(biāo)聯(lián)系在一起，而不是跟某個人或某些事。
