It is a great folly4 to sadden the present, in looking back upon the past, as though it had been darkened by no shadow of a cloud. The sorrows which nature sends us in infancy, resemble spring showers, the traces of which are effaced5 by a passing breeze. The pains and alarms of each age have been chiefly the work of men. Who cannot remember the violent palpitations which he felt, when, exposed to the searching eye of his companions, he went forward to excuse his not having prepared his task, his translation or theme, at school? I have seen situations more perilous6, since that time, but no misfortunes have awakened7 more bitterness, than the preference granted by the professor to the theme of another over mine. The beautiful age, for a frivolous8 being, is youth; for the ambitious, maturity9; for the recluse10, old age; for a reasonable man, each age: for heaven has reserved peculiar11 pleasures for each.
The second sentiment I experience, in contemplating12 life, is, regret to see the moments so rapidly gliding13 away. Time flies, and days and years steal away as rapidly as hours. Still, some complain of the burden of time, and endure cruel suffering from not knowing how to employ it.
To prolong my days, I will neither ask the elixir14 of life from alchymists, nor precepts15 from physicians. A severe regimen tends to abridge16 life. Multiplied privations give a sadness to the spirit, more noxious17 than the prescribed remedies are salutary. Besides, what is physical without moral life; that is to say, improvement and enjoyment18? Physicians vaunt the miracles of abstinence[165] and a careful regimen in the case of Cornaro, the Venetian, who was born dying, and yet spun19 out the thread of life with so much care that he vegetated20 a century. To attain21 this result, he weighed his aliment, and marked every hour of the day, with the most minute exactness. Bacon cites the case, but jests upon a man who believed himself living, because, in fact, he was not dead.
Moderation, cheerfulness and the happy employment of time furnish the best means of living as many days as nature permits; and the regimen of philosophic22 moralists has an effect more certain than that of physicians.[57]
Every one has observed that a year in youth presents a long perspective; and that the further we advance in our career, the more the course of time seems to accelerate. Let us strive to investigate the causes which so modify our judgments23, with a view, if it be possible, to avoid them.
There is one inevitable24 cause—experience. At sixteen, what an illimitable prospective25 space is seen in the sixteen years that are to succeed! The termination of the latter period is lost to vision in the future, as the commencement of the first years are effaced from the memory of the past. But, in touching26 the goal which seemed so distant, we have discovered a scale by which the mind’s eye measures the future. Impatient youth, burning to overleap the interval27 which separates the object from the desires, strives to accelerate the tardy28 hours. In mature age, on the contrary, seeing every day bringing us nearer the termination of our career, we begin to regret the want of power to arrest the march of time. Thus our weakness hastens the flight which we[166] desire to delay. Let us be less fearful of the uncertain future, and the hours will lose their desolating29 swiftness.
Finally, in our youth, all objects being new, produce the vivid impression of novelty. Every instant is filled with landmarks30 of memory, because in every instant a new sensation is produced, and a new link in the chain of the succession of ideas. As we advance in time, objects imperceptibly cease to excite our curiosity. We pass by beautiful objects and striking events which once filled us with transport or surprise, with a carelessness which fails to fix them in our memory. We return mechanically to the occupations of the preceding day, scarcely noting the transit31 of those monotonous32 periods which were rendered remarkable33 neither by ennui34 nor pleasure. Let us avoid this mental carelessness, which gives new speed to the flight of time, and is so fatal to happiness. Friends of humanity, of literature, of the arts and true enjoyment, let us preserve the mind in its freshness, the imagination in its youthful brilliancy. Let us thus arrest the happy moments; and let us preserve the enthusiasm of youth enlightened by the taste of mature age, for everything which merits our admiration35.[58]
If we desire that our days should not be abridged36, we must love retreat. The immediate37 result of this shelter is to keep off a crowd of officious and indolent people. There are those who would not think of taking our money, and who yet will steal hours and days from us without scruple38. They seem not to realize the value of these fractions of time which are the material of life.
But while the idle rob us of hours, we ourselves sacrifice years. A great portion of our race, deafened39 by[167] the clamor of the passions, agitated40 by feverish41 dreams, are scarcely conscious of existence; and, awakening42 for a moment, at death, regret that they have been long on the earth and yet have not lived. A few others, after having been long swept onward43 by the torrent44, taught at last by experience, resist, land and fix their sojourn45 far from the tumult46; and, finally, begin to taste the pleasant consciousness of existence. Why not prolong these final hours to the utmost? If our pursuits interdict47 us from the independent command of our time, we may, at least, consecrate48 portions of every evening to retreat, in order to review the past, pause on the present, and prepare for the future. Thus, making every day count in accumulating the pleasant stores of memory, we add it to the happy days of the past, and no longer allow life to vanish like a dream.
It is, more than all, in converse49 with ourselves that we give a right direction to the mind, elevation50 to the soul, and gentleness and firmness to the character. Life is a book in which we every day read a page. We ought to note down every instructive incident that passes.
The admirable Marcus Aurelius took delight in converse with himself; and learned to find enjoyment in the present by extracting from the past lessons for the future. I never fail to be affected51 when I read the account which he gives of all those persons whose cares had concurred52 to form his character and his manners. ‘I learned,’ says he, ‘of my grandfather Verus, to be gentle and complaisant53.
‘The reputation which my father left, and the memory of his good actions which has been preserved,[168] taught me modesty54. My mother formed me to piety55, taught me to be liberal, and not even to meditate56, still less, to do a wrong.
‘I owe it to my governor that I am patient of labor57, indulge few wants, know how to work with my own hands, meddle58 with no business that does not concern me, and give no encouragement to informers.
‘Diognetus taught me not to be amused with frivolities, to yield no credit to charlatans59 and enchanters, and to have no faith in conjurations, demons60 and superstitions61 of that sort. I learned of him to permit every one to speak to me with entire freedom, and to apply myself wholly to philosophy.
‘Rusticus made me perceive that I needed to correct my manners, that I ought to avoid the pride of the sophists, and not use effort to inspire the people with admiration of my patience and austerity of life; to be always ready to pardon those who had offended me, and to receive them kindly62 whenever they were disposed to resume their former intercourse63.
‘I learned of Apollonius to be at the same time frank and firm in my designs, to follow no guide but my reason, even in the smallest matters, and to be always composed, even under the most acute sufferings. By his example I was instructed that it is possible to be at once severe and gentle.
‘Sextus taught me to govern my house as a good father, to preserve a simple gravity without affectation, to attempt to divine and anticipate the wishes and necessities of my friends; to endure, with calmness and patience, the ignorant and presumptuous64 who speak without thinking what they say; and to sustain relations of kindness with all.
[169]
‘I learned from Alexander, the grammarian, in disputation to use no injurious words in reply to my antagonist65.
‘Fronto taught me to know that kings are surrounded by the envious66, by knaves67 and hypocrites.
‘Alexander, the Platonist, instructed me never to say or to write to any person interceding68 for my interest, “I have had no time to attend to your affairs;” nor to allege69, as an excuse, “I have been overwhelmed with business;” but to be always prompt to render all those good offices which the bonds of society demand.
‘I owe to my brother Severus, the love which I have for truth and justice. From him I derived70 the desire to govern my states by equal laws, and to reign71 in such a manner as that my subjects might possess perfect liberty.
‘I thank the Divinity for having given me virtuous72 ancestors, a good father, a good mother, a good sister, good preceptors and good friends; in a word, all the good things I could have desired.’[59]
A crowd of useful thoughts cannot but flow from such self-converse. Hold every day one of these solitary73 conversations with yourself. This is the way in which to attain the highest relish74 of existence; and, if I may so say, to cast anchor in the river of life.
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1
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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effaced
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| v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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recluse
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| n.隐居者 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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elixir
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| n.长生不老药，万能药 | |
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precepts
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| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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abridge
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| v.删减，删节，节略，缩短 | |
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noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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vegetated
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| v.过单调呆板的生活( vegetate的过去式和过去分词 )；植物似地生长；（瘤、疣等）长大 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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judgments
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| 判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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tardy
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| adj.缓慢的，迟缓的 | |
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desolating
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| 毁坏( desolate的现在分词 )； 极大地破坏； 使沮丧； 使痛苦 | |
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landmarks
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| n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址） | |
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transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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abridged
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| 削减的，删节的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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deafened
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| 使聋( deafen的过去式和过去分词 )； 使隔音 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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interdict
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| v.限制；禁止；n.正式禁止；禁令 | |
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48
consecrate
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| v.使圣化，奉…为神圣；尊崇；奉献 | |
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49
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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50
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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51
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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52
concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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53
complaisant
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| adj.顺从的，讨好的 | |
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54
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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56
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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57
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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58
meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
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charlatans
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| n.冒充内行者，骗子( charlatan的名词复数 ) | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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64
presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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knaves
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| n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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interceding
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| v.斡旋，调解( intercede的现在分词 )；说情 | |
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allege
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| vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言 | |
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70
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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71
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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74
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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