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。

卷一:品质闪烁在良好的传承中(8)
 小编语:在卷一中,奥勒留回忆自己身边之人所教会自己的东西,George Long的翻译十分精炼,有些看起来也许不成句子,仅仅是一些词组和短语,但就在字里行间,我们可以感受到作者的思考与自省。
今天的笔记是卷一的最后一部分内容了,这段是总分的结构。先总起表达奥勒留对众神明的感恩,感谢神明的恩赐让自己的周围有这么多优秀的人,然后分说概括每一个人物的品质。因为篇幅的关系,只是节选了原文的一点点内容,大家可以找来原文,一边看,一边是否也能回忆起自己接触过的人们身上所具有的美好的品质。

1.16(1) To the gods I am indebted for having good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good. Further, I owe it to the gods that I was not hurried into any offence against any of them, though I had a disposition which, if opportunity had offered, might have led me to do something of this kind; but, through their favour, there never was such a concurrence of circumstances as put me to the trial.
 Notes:
indebted [adj]
      1. ~ (to sb) (for sth) (formal) grateful to sb for helping you
      2. (of countries, governments, etc.) owing money to other countries or organizations
         e.g.: a list of the fifteen most heavily indebted nations 十五个负债最重的国家名单
concurrence [n] (formal)
      1. agreement
        e.g.: The doctor may seek the concurrence of a relative before carrying out the procedure. 医生可以征得亲属的同意后再施行此项手术。
      2. an example of two or more things happening at the same time.

1.16(2) Though it was my mother's fate to die young, she spent the last years of her life with me; that, whenever I wished to help any man in his need, or on any other occasion, I was never told that I had not the means of doing it; and that to myself the same necessity never happened, to receive anything from another; that I have such a wife, so obedient, and so affectionate, and so simple; that I had abundance of good masters for my children.
 Notes:
obedient [adj] ~ (to sb/sth) doing what you are told to do; willing to obey
      e.g.: He was always obedient to his father’s wishes. 他一向顺从父亲的意愿。
    [opp] disobedient

 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:

1.16(1) 我为我有好的祖辈、好的父母、好的姐妹、好的教师、好的同伴、好的亲朋和几乎好的一切而感谢神明。我也为此而感谢神明:我没有卷入对他们任何一个的冒犯。虽然我有这样一种气质,如果有机会是可能使我做出这种事情的,但是,由于他们的好意,还没有这种机缘凑巧使我经受这种考验。

1.16(2)虽然我母亲不能尽其天年而终,但她最后的年月是与我在一起的;在我希望帮助任何需要帮助的人的时候,或在任何别的场合,我都不感到我缺乏这样做的手段;而对我自己来说却不会有同样的需要:即需要从别人那里得到的东西;我有一个十分温顺、深情和朴实的妻子;我有许多优秀的教师来教育我的孩子。

回顾:《沉思录》读书笔记系列>>