第10章 忙碌的人生

Extreme Busyness

罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森 / Robert Louis Stevenson

Extreme busyness， whether at school or college， kirk or market， is a symptom of deficient vitality； and a faculty for idleness implies a catholic appetite and a strong sense of personal identity. There is a sort of dead-alive， hackneyed people about， who are scarcely conscious of living except in the exercise of some conventional occupation. Bring these fellows into the country， or set them abroad ship， and you will see how they pine for their desks or their study. They have no curiosity； they cannot give themselves over to random provocations； they do not take pleasure in the exercise of their faculties for its own sake； and unless necessity lays about them with a stick， they will even stand still.

It is no good speaking to such folk： they cannot be idle， their nature is not generous enough； and they pass those hours in a sort of coma， which are not dedicated to furious moiling in the gold-mill. When they do not require to go to the office， when they are not hungry and have no mind to drink， the whole breathing world is a blank to them. If they have to wait an hour or so for a train， they fall into a stupid trance with their eyes open. To see them， you would suppose there was nothing to look at and no one to speak with； you would imagine they were paralyzed or alienated； and yet very possibly they are hard workers in their own way， and have good eyesight for a flaw in a deed or a turn of the market.

They have been to school and college， but all the time they had their eyes on the medal； they have gone about in the world and mixed with clever people， but all the time they were thinking of their own affairs. As if a man’s soul were not too small to begin with， they have dwarfed and narrowed theirs by a life of all work and no play； until here they are at forty， with a listless attention， a mind vacant of all material of amusement， and not one thought to rub against another， while they wait for the train. Before he was breeched， he might have clambered on the boxes， when he was twenty， he would have stared at the girls； but now the pipe is smoked out， the snuff-box empty， and my gentleman sits bolt upright upon a bench， with lamentable eyes. This does not appeal to me as being successful in life.

无论在中学还是在大学，在教会还是在市场，忙忙碌碌都是欠缺生命力的一种表现。闲散的本领意味着广泛的兴趣与对个性的强烈意识。这些无精打采、陈腐之人，除了一些常规的工作外，几乎没有生存的意识。如果把他们带到乡村，或是让他们乘船到国外去，你们就会看到他们是多么渴望办公桌和书房了；他们全无好奇心，也不会任由自己宣泄怒气；他们不会在展现自己本领的活动上开心或是独自陶醉；除非紧急情况，例如用棒子打他，他们才会前行。

与这些朋友根本无法交谈：他们不会放松，天生不懂豪放；他们只会昏沉地度过那些时间，他们不会倾注全力在碾金厂里。当他们不想工作时，当他们不感到饥饿、不打算饮酒时，这个生机勃勃的世界对他们来说就是空白的。如果他们必须要等一个小时的火车，他们就会睁着眼睛陷入恍惚之中。看到他们，你就会猜到没有什么可看的，也没有人可以交流；你能够想象得到他们已经麻痹或是与世隔绝了。然而，他们很可能以自己的方式成为勤奋的工作者，而且眼光锐利，可以看出一张契约上的瑕疵或是市场行情的变化。

他们在中学和大学读书，但目光始终盯着奖章；他们外出活动，与聪明之人交往，但是他们始终惦记着自己的事情。好像一个人嫌自己的灵魂太大，他们一生中只有工作，没有娱乐，致使灵魂萎缩并缩小了；直到40岁时，他们注意力分散，头脑中缺乏一切有关娱乐的东西，对于其他想法全然不知，他们等候火车时就是这个样子。他没穿裤子的时候，也许可以在箱子上爬来爬去，20岁时，可以盯着女孩看；但是烟抽完了，鼻烟壶空了，我的这位阁下，在长椅上正襟危坐，目光哀伤。我认为，这不是成功的人生。

1. Bring these fellows_______the country， or set them abroad ship， and you_______see how they pine for their desks or their_______. They have no curiosity； they cannot give themselves over to random provocations；_______do not take pleasure in the exercise of their faculties_______its own sake； and_______necessity lays about them with a stick， they will even stand still.

2. To see them， you would suppose there was_______to look at and no one to speak with； you would imagine they_______paralyzed or alienated； and yet very possibly they are_______workers in their own way， and have_______eyesight for a flaw in a deed or a_______of the market.

1. 无论在中学还是在大学，在教会还是在市场，忙忙碌碌都是欠缺生命力的一种表现。

2. 当他们不想工作时，当他们不感到饥饿、不打算饮酒时，这个生机勃勃的世界对他们来说都是空白的。

3. 他们很可能以自己的方式成为勤奋的工作者，而且眼光锐利，可以看出一张契约上的瑕疵或是市场行情的变化。

1. There is a sort of dead-alive， hackneyed people about， who are scarcely conscious of living except in the exercise of some conventional occupation.

a sort of：一种；有点儿；所谓的

2. You will see how they pine for their desk or their study.

pine for：渴望