第1634期:人为什么不快乐?
I often joke, “Why are cats and dogs happier than human beings? Because cats and dogs don’t read the news.”
这是玩笑,但我自从不看新闻以后,真的快乐了很多。
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昨天读到一段很棒的话,跟你分享。
Three temptations torture people:
Sexual desire
Pride
Lust for wealth
All the misfortunes of mankind come from these three cravings. Without them, people would live in happiness.
– F. Robert de Lamennais(羅貝爾·德拉梅內), French Catholic priest, philosopher and political theorist (June 19, 1782 – Feb 27, 1854.)
这位法国神父不出名,但这番话说得相当棒,把人类受苦的源头总结得很好。大多数人一生都被这三样东西驱使着,纠缠着,折磨着,不是吗?
这三样东西都是人的想法和执念:
Sexual desire 性欲(万恶淫为首,色胆包天,好理解。)
Pride 荣誉(自尊心、面子。)
Lust for wealth 贪财、爱财。
中国古人说“酒色财气”是人生四戒(冯梦龙甚至称之为“人生四害”),也暗合了这段英文中提到的那三样东西。
酒 – wine/liquor/alcohol
色 – sex
财 – avarice
气 – temper
人生四戒/四害 – the four cardinal vices
*元·马致远《黄粱梦》第四折:“一梦中十八年,见了酒色财气,人我是非,贪嗔痴爱,风霜雨雪。”
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其实pride这个词挺难翻译的,内涵很丰富,不同语境下意思不同。昨天恰好在重读《傲慢与偏见》时读到了Jane Austen的一段话,叹为观止,正好可以当作对pride的一个绝妙的注解。
Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.
A person may be proud without being vain.
Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity to what we would have others think of us. – Jane Austen “Pride and Prejudice”
自尊心更多指的是我们对自己的看法,而虚荣心是我们希望别人怎样看我们。(佛老 草译)
多经典!