世界上最优美的散文--人生短篇-第13章
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r is not c ontent with any slight contribution to human welfare。he insists that his client shall be shampooed； manicured； massaged； steamed beneath boiling towels； cooled off by electric fans； and； while all this is going on； that he shall have his bo ots blacked。
have you never marveled at the patience of people in having so many things d one to them that they don't want； just to avoid hurting the feelings of professi onal people who want to do more than is expected of them。 you watch the stoical countenance of the passenger in a pullman car as he stands up to be brushed。 the chances are that he doesn't want to be brushed。 he would prefer to leave the du st on his coat rather than to be compelled to swallow it。 but he knows what is e xpected of him。 it is a part of the solemn ritual of traveling。 it precedes the offering。
the fact that every man desires to be somebody else explains many of the abe rrations of artists and literary men。 the painters； dramatists； musicians； poets ； and novelists are just as human as housemaids and railway managers and porters 。 they want to do “all the good they can to all the people they can in all the ways they can。〃 they get tired of the ways they are used to and like to try new combinations。 so they are continually mixing things。 the practitioner of one art tries to produce effects that are proper to another art。
a musician wants to be a painter and use his violin as if it were a brush。he would have us see the sunset glories that he is painting for us。 a painter want s to be a musician and paint symphonies； and he is grieved because the uninstruc ted cannot hear his pictures； although the colors do swear at each other。 anothe r painter wants to be an architect and build up his picture as if it were made o f cubes of brick。 it looks like brickwork； but to the natural eye it doesn't l ook like a picture。 a prosewriter gets tired of writing prose； and wants to be a poet。 so he begins every line with a capital letter； and keeps on writing pro se。
you go to the theatre with the simpleminded shakespearean idea that the pl ay's the thing。 but the playwright wants to be a pathologist。 so you discover th at you have dropped into a gruesome clinic。 you sought innocent relaxation； but you are one of the honelect and have gone to the place prepared for you。 you m ust see the thing through。 the fact that you have troubles of your own is not a sufficient claim for exemption。
or you take up a novel expecting it to be a work of fiction。but the novelist has other views。he wants to be your spiritual adviser。 he must do something to your mind； he must rearrange your fundamental ideas； he must massage your soul； and generally brush you off。 all this in spite of the fact that you don't want t o be brushed off and set to rights。 you don't want him to do anything to your mi nd。 it's the only mind you have and you need it in your own business。
人生苦短
佚名
你们有些人听任一些不幸的误会年复一年地继续存在，打算将来有一天再去澄清；你们 有些人听任一些可怜的争执继续为害，因为你们不能现在就下定决心牺牲自己的自尊，消除 那些争执；你们有些人在大街上遇见某些人的时候，由于某种愚蠢的怨恨，故意不同他们讲 话，但是你们自己心里也知道，如果在明天早晨听说其中的某个人离开了人世，自己的心中 一定会充满羞愧和悔恨之情；你们有些人吝惜一句感激或同情的话，因而使朋友在痛苦中等 待——只要你们突然间知道、看到或感觉到“人生苦短”，那你们的心胸就会豁然开朗，不 再沉『迷』于那些无谓的计较，你会马上去做一些如果现在不做以后也许就永远没有机会去做的 事情。
the time is short
anonymous
you who are letting miserable misunderstandings run on from year to year； me aning to clear them up some day； you who are keeping wretched quarrels alive bec ause you cannot quite make up your mind that now is the day to sacrifice your pr ide and kill them； you who are passing men sullenly upon the street； not speakin g to them out of some silly spite； and yet knowing that it would fill you with s hame and remorse if you heard that one of those men were dead tomorrow morning； you who are letting your friend's heart ache for a word of appreciation or sympa thy if only you could know and see and feel； all of a sudden； that “the time is short〃 how it would break the spell！ how you would go instantly and do the thin g which you might never have another chance to do！
人是为了别人而活着
阿尔伯特。爱因斯坦
阿尔伯特。爱因斯坦（1879—1955），美国籍犹太人，20世纪最伟大的科学家。1921年获 诺贝尔物理学奖。他一生崇尚科学与民主，追求真理和光明，毕生致力于国际和平事业。
人类在这个世界上的处境真是奇怪。我们每个人都是来做一次短暂的访问，不知道自己 为何而来，然而有时候却似乎推测出一种目的。
但是从日常生活的观点来看，有一件事情我们是肯定知道的，那就是人在这个世界上是 为了别人而活着——尤其为了那些我们自身幸福寄托在他们的微笑和福祉之上的人们，以及 那些由于同情之感而使我们同他们的命运联系起来的人们。每天都有很多次，我觉察到自己 的肉体生活和精神生活是如何建立在别人——包括生者和死者——的劳动之上，以及自己必 须如何地奋发努力，从而使我从别人那里取得多少东西，我也可以把同等数量的东西给予别 人，以此作为报答。我时常怀着一种忧郁的心情，觉得自己从别人的工作中承袭得太多，因 而心里惴惴不安。
没完没了地沉思着自己生存的理由或人生的意义，从客观的观点来看，我觉得这是近乎 愚蠢的行为。可是，每个人都有—些理想作为他的抱负和判断的指南针。经常在我的眼前闪 耀发光，并使我充满了快乐的理想，就是真、善、美。我从来没有以追求舒适和幸福作为生 活的目标，建立在这个基础上的一套伦理观念，只能满足一群牲畜的需要。
man is here for the
sake of other men
albert einstein
strange is our situation here upon earth。 each of us comes for a short visit ； not knowing why； yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose。
from the standpoint of daily life； however； there is one thing we do know th at man is here for the sake of other men — above all for those upon whose smile and wellbeing our own happiness depends； and also for the countless unknown s ouls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy。 many times a day i realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon 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 momen
