本书简介:
《沉思录》是古罗马皇帝奥勒留写给自己的书,内容大部分是他在鞍马劳顿中写成的。作品来自奥勒留对身羁宫廷的自己和自己所处混乱世界的感受,追求一种冷静而达观的生活。这部著作是斯多葛学派的一个里程碑,亦是温总理放在枕边,读了不下百遍的书。
本书原文由古希腊文而作,英文版选择比较权威的George Long的版本,中文版选择何怀宏的版本作参考。笔记中的英文释义摘自《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》

 作者简介:
马可•奥勒留(Marcus Aurelius,公元121—180年),著名的“帝王哲学家”,古罗马帝国皇帝,在希腊文学和拉丁文学、修辞、哲学、法律、绘画方面受过很好的教育,晚期斯多葛学派代表人物之一。奥勒留也许是西方历史上唯一的一位哲学家皇帝。他是一个比他的帝国更加完美的人,他的勤奋工作最终并没有能够挽救古罗马,但是他的《沉思录》却成为西方历史上的伟大名著。

卷三:享受那你认为是最好的东西的快乐01
 小编语:到第三卷啦!

3.1 WE OUGHT to consider not only that our life is daily wasting away and a smaller part of it is left, but another thing also must be taken into the account, that if a man should live longer, it is quite uncertain whether the understanding will still continue sufficient for the comprehension of things, and retain the power of contemplation which strives to acquire the knowledge of the divine and the human. For if he shall begin to fall into dotage, perspiration and nutrition and imagination and appetite, and whatever else there is of the kind, will not fail; but the power of making use of ourselves, and filling up the measure of our duty, and clearly separating all appearances, and considering whether a man should now depart from life, and whatever else of the kind absolutely requires a disciplined reason, all this is already extinguished. We must make haste then, not only because we are daily nearer to death, but also because the conception of things and the understanding of them cease first.

 Notes:
haste [n]speed in doing something, especially because you do not have enough time

3.2 We ought to observe also that even the things which follow after the things which are produced according to nature contain something pleasing and attractive. For instance, when bread is baked some parts are split at the surface, and these parts which thus open, and have a certain fashion contrary to the purpose of the baker's art, are beautiful in a manner, and in a peculiar way excite a desire for eating. And again, figs, when they are quite ripe, gape open; and in the ripe olives the very circumstance of their being near to rottenness adds a peculiar beauty to the fruit. And the ears of corn bending down, and the lion's eyebrows, and the foam which flows from the mouth of wild boars, and many other things- though they are far from being beautiful, if a man should examine them severally- still, because they are consequent upon the things which are formed by nature, help to adorn them, and they please the mind; so that if a man should have a feeling and deeper insight with respect to the things which are produced in the universe, there is hardly one of those which follow by way of consequence which will not seem to him to be in a manner disposed so as to give pleasure. And so he will see even the real gaping jaws of wild beasts with no less pleasure than those which painters and sculptors show by imitation; and in an old woman and an old man he will be able to see a certain maturity and comeliness; and the attractive loveliness of young persons he will be able to look on with chaste eyes; and many such things will present themselves, not pleasing to every man, but to him only who has become truly familiar with nature and her works.

 Notes:
adorn [vt]to make something/somebody look more attractive by decorating it or them with something.
         advorn sth/sb (with sth)

 看了笔记注释之后,先尝试自己翻译一下吧,参考译文见下:
中文翻译:
3.1 我们不仅应当考虑到我们的生命每日每时都在耗费,剩下的部分越来越少,而且应当考虑另一件事情,即如果一个人竟然活得久些,也没有多大把握说理解力还能继续足以使他领悟事物,还能保持那种努力获得有关神和人的知识和思考能力。因为他将在排泄、营养、想像和胃口或别的类似能力衰退之前,就开始堕入老年性昏聩,而那种运用我们自己的能力,满足我们义务标准的能力,清晰地区分各种现象的能力,考虑一个人是否应当现在辞世的能力诸如此类的能力绝对需要一种训练有素的理性,而这种性整个地已经衰退了。所以我们必须抓紧时间,这不仅是因为我们在一天天地接近死亡,而且因为对事物的观照和理解力将先行消失。

3.2 我们也应当注意到:甚至在那合乎自然地产生的事物之后出现的事物也令人欣悦和有吸引力。例如,当面包在烘烤时表面出现了某些裂痕,这些如此裂开的部分有某种不含面包师目的的形式,但在某种意义上仍然是美的,以一种特殊的方式刺激着食欲。再如无花果,当它们熟时也会裂开口;成熟的橄榄恰在它们接近腐烂时给果实增加了一种特殊的美。谷穗的低垂,狮子的睫毛,从野猪嘴里流出的泡沫,以及很多别的东西,一个人如果孤立地考察它们,虽然会觉得它们是不够美的,但由于它们是自然形成的事物的结果,所以它们还是有助于装饰它们,使心灵愉悦。所以,如果一个人对宇宙中产生的事物有一种感觉和较深的洞察力,那些作为其结果出现的事物在他看来就几乎都是以某种引起快乐的方式安排的。所以,他在观察真正的野兽的张开的下颚时,并不比看画家和雕刻家所模仿的少一些快乐,他能在一个老年人那里看到某种成熟和合宜,能以纯净的眼光打量年青人的魅力和可爱。很多这样的事情都要出现,它们并不使每个人愉悦,而是使真正熟稔自然及其作品的人愉悦。

回顾:《沉思录》读书笔记系列>>