LESSON 81

DISCONTENT

_{(AN ALLEGORY)}

不 满

Joseph Addison, 1672-1719, the brilliant essayist and poet, has long occupied an exalted place in English literature. He was the son of an English clergyman, was born in Wiltshire, and educated at Oxford; he died at “Holland House” (the property of his wile, to whom he had been married but about two years), and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Several years of his life were spent in the political affairs of his time, he held several public offices, and was, for ten years, a member of Parliament. His fame as an author rests chiefly upon his “Hymns,” his tragedy of “Cato,” and his “Essays” contributed principally to the “Tatler” and the “Spectator.” The excellent style of his essays, their genial wit and sprightly humor, made them conspicuous in an age when coarseness, bitterness, and exaggeration deformed the writings of the most eminent: and these characteristics have given them an unquestioned place among the classics of our language.

Mr. Addison was shy and diffident, but genial and lovable; his moral character was above reproach, excepting that he is said to have been too fond of wine.

It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy, would prefer the share they are already possessed of before that which would fall to them by such a division. Horace has carried this thought a great deal farther, and supposes that the hardships or misfortunes we lie under, are more easy to us than those of any other person would be, in case we could change conditions with him.

As I was ruminating on these two remarks, and seated in my elbowchair, I insensibly fell asleep; when, on a sudden, methought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities, and throw them together in a heap. There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the center of it, and saw, with a great deal of pleasure, the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads, which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds.

There was a certain lady of a thin, airy shape, who was very active in this solemnity. She carried a magnifying glass in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose, flowing robe, embroidered with several figures of fiends and specters, that discovered themselves in a thousand chimerical shapes as her garment hovered in the wind. There was something wild and distracted in her looks. Her name was Fancy. She led up every mortal to the appointed place, after having officiously assisted him in making up his pack, and laying it upon his shoulders. My heart melted within me to see my fellow-creatures groaning under their respective burdens, and to consider that prodigious bulk of human calamities which lay before me.

There were, however, several persons who gave me great diversion upon this occasion. I observed one bringing in a fardel, very carefully concealed under an old embroidered cloak, which, upon his throwing it into the heap, I discovered to be poverty. Another, after a great deal of puffing, threw down his luggage, which, upon examining, I found to be his wife.

There were multitudes of lovers saddled with very whimsical burdens, composed of darts and flames; but, what was very odd, though they sighed as if their hearts would break under these bundles of calamities, they could not persuade themselves to cast them into the heap, when they came up to it; but, after a few faint efforts, shook their heads, and marched away as heavy loaden as they came.

I saw multitudes of old women throw down their wrinkles, and several young ones who stripped themselves of a tawny skin. There were very great heaps of red noses, large lips, and rusty teeth. The truth of it is, I was surprised to see the greatest part of the mountain made up of bodily deformities. Observing one advancing toward the heap with a larger cargo than ordinary upon his back, I found, upon his near approach, that it was only a natural hump, which he disposed of with great joy of heart among this collection of human miseries.

There were, likewise, distempers of all sorts, though I could not but observe that there were many more imaginary than real. One little packet I could not but take notice of, which was a complication of all the diseases incident to human nature, and was in the hand of a great many fine people. This was called the spleen. But what most of all surprised me was, that there was not a single vice or folly thrown into the whole heap: at which I was very much astonished, having concluded within myself that everyone would take this opportunity of getting rid of his passions, prejudices, and frailties.

I took notice in particular of a very profligate fellow, who, I did not question, came loaden with his crimes, but upon searching into his bundle, I found that instead of throwing his guilt from him, he had only laid down his memory. He was followed by another worthless rogue, who flung away his modesty instead of his ignorance.

When the whole race of mankind had thus cast their burdens, the phantom which had been so busy on this occasion, seeing me an idle spectator of what passed, approached toward me. I grew uneasy at her presence, when, of a sudden, she held her magnifying glass full before my eyes. I no sooner saw my face in it, but was startled at the shortness of it, which now appeared to me in its utmost aggravation. The immoderate breadth of the features made me very much out of humor with my own countenance, upon which I threw it from me like a mask. It happened very luckily that one who stood by me had just before thrown down his visage, which, it seems, was too long for him. It was, indeed, extended to a most shameful length; I believe the very chin was, modestly speaking, as long as my whole face. We had both of us an opportunity of mending ourselves; and all the contributions being now brought in, every man was at liberty to exchange his misfortunes for those of another person.

As we stood round the heap, and surveyed the several materials of which it was composed, there was scarcely a mortal in this vast multitude who did not discover what he thought pleasures and blessings of life, and wondered how the owners of them ever came to look upon them as burthens and grievances. As we were regarding very attentively this confusion of miseries, this chaos of calamity, Jupiter issued out a second proclamation, that everyone was now at liberty to exchange his affliction, and to return to his habitation with any such other bundle as should be delivered to him. Upon this, Fancy began again to bestir herself, and, parceling out the whole heap with incredible activity, recommended to everyone his particular packet. The hurry and confusion at this time was not to be expressed. Some observations, which I made upon the occasion, I shall communicate to the public.

A venerable, gray-headed man, who had laid down the colic, and who, I found, wanted an heir to his estate, snatched up an undutiful son that had been thrown into the heap by an angry father. The graceless youth, in less than a quarter of an hour, pulled the old gentleman by the beard, and had liked to have knocked his brains out; so that meeting the true father, who came toward him with a fit of the gripes, he begged him to take his son again, and give him back his colic; but they were incapable, either of them, to recede from the choice they had made. A poor galley slave, who had thrown down his chains, took up the gout in their stead, but made such wry faces that one might easily perceive he was no great gainer by the bargain.

The female world were very busy among themselves in bartering for features; one was trucking a lock of gray hairs for a carbuncle; and another was making over a short waist for a pair of round shoulders; but on all these occasions there was not one of them who did not think the new blemish, as soon as she had got it into her possession, much more disagreeable than the old one.

I must not omit my own particular adventure. My friend with the long visage had no sooner taken upon him my short face, but he made such a grotesque figure in it, that as I looked upon him, I could not forbear laughing at myself, insomuch that I put my own face out of countenance. The poor gentleman was so sensible of the ridicule, that I found he was ashamed of what he had done. On the other side, I found that I myself had no great reason to triumph, for as I went to touch my forehead, I missed the place, and clapped my finger upon my upper lip. Besides, as my nose was exceedingly prominent, I gave it two or three unlucky knocks as I was playing my hand about my face, and aiming at some other part of it.

I saw two other gentlemen by me who were in the same ridiculous circumstances. These had made a foolish swap between a couple of thick bandy legs and two long trapsticks that had no calves to them. One of these looked like a man walking upon stilts, and was so lifted up into the air, above his ordinary height, that his head turned round with it, while the other made such awkward circles, as he attempted to walk, that he scarcely knew how to move forward upon his new supporters. Observing him to be a pleasant kind of a fellow, I stuck my cane in the ground, and told him I would lay him a bottle of wine that he did not march up to it on a line that I drew for him, in a quarter of an hour.

The heap was at last distributed among the two sexes, who made a most piteous sight, as they wandered up and down under the pressure of their several burthens. The whole plain was filled with murmurs and complaints, groans and lamentations. Jupiter, at length taking compassion on the poor mortals, ordered them a second time to lay down their loads, with a design to give everyone his own again. They discharged themselves with a great deal of pleasure; after which, the phantom who had led them into such gross delusions, was commanded to disappear. There was sent in her stead a goddess of a quite different figure: her motions were steady and composed, and her aspect serious but cheerful. She every now and then cast her eyes toward heaven, and fixed them upon Jupiter. Her name was Patience. She had no sooner placed herself by the Mount of Sorrows, but, what I thought very remarkable, the whole heap sunk to such a degree that it did not appear a third part so big as it was before. She afterward returned every man his own proper calamity, and, teaching him how to bear it in the most commodious manner, he marched off with it contentedly, being very well pleased that he had not been left to his own choice as to the kind of evil which fell to his lot.

Beside the several pieces of morality to be drawn out of this vision, I learnt from it never to repine at my own misfortunes, or to envy the happiness of another, since it is impossible for any man to form a right judgment of his neighbor’s sufferings; for which reason, also, I have determined never to think too lightly of another’s complaints, but to regard the sorrows of my fellow-creatures with sentiments of humanity and compassion.

【中文阅读】

这是苏格拉底著名的思想，如果人类所有的不幸都可以归咎于国债，这样就可以平均分配到所有人头上，那么那些现在认为自己非常郁闷的人宁愿选择先前已经属于自己的那一份。霍勒斯将这个思想又向前推进了一大步，他认为一旦我们改变其他人的处境的话，我们遭受的艰难困苦和不幸要比其他人的更容易承受。

我坐在扶手椅里，对这两句话思之再三，竟然不知不觉地进入梦乡。猛然间，我想起朱庇特有一个断言，即每个逝者都会带走他的悲伤和灾难，然后将其放在一起。这一说法在很大程度上就是出于这个目的。我站在中间，怀着极大的快感，目视所有的人一个接一个地从我面前走过，将他们身上的负重卸下，只见那些东西马上就堆成一座巨大的高山，上面似乎直达云端。

有一位苗条的妇人，像空气一样飘忽不定，她在这个严肃的场合显得非常活跃。他手上捧着一只很大的杯子，穿着宽松像水一样流动的袍子，上面绣着几个魔鬼和幽灵形象，衣服随风盘旋时这些魔鬼和幽灵变幻出万千奇异的形态。她的神情中隐含着野性和令人意乱情迷的异样。她的名字叫幻觉。她将每一个人都举到那个指定的地方，在过于殷勤地帮这人整理行装后，将行装放到他肩膀上。目睹我的同类在各自肩上的行装重压下呻吟不止，一想到眼前人类的灾难竟然如此巨大，我的心不禁纠结到了一起。

然而，有几个人的情形将我的注意力几乎都吸引了过去。我注意到有一个人在一件很旧的绣花披风非常小心地遮掩下，拿着一个包，然后举起这个包扔向那一大堆东西，我发现此人原来是穷人。随着“噗”的一声，另一个人扔掉行李，待仔细辨认后我发现是那人的妻子。

有很多对夫妇身上负着非常古怪的重物，里面有标枪还喷着火焰。可是，非常奇怪的是，尽管他们唉声叹气，仿佛这些灾难把他们折磨得心都要碎了，不过他们还是无法说服自己将这些东西扔到那个大堆里。在做了几次似无太大效果的努力后，他们摇摇头，驮着重物继续行进。

我瞧见许多老年人将自己的皱纹也揭了下来，有几个年轻人则揭开自己的黄褐色皮肤。有好几大堆红鼻子、大嘴唇和稀疏的牙齿。事实上，我真正震惊的是看到最大的山一样的东西，竟是由血淋淋的残肢堆成的。我注意到，有一个人身上的重物要比别人的多，朝那个山堆走去，走近一看我才发现他只不过是驼背而已，置身于人类这些苦难之中，他满心欢喜地忙着处理和收拾。

同样，所有的东西都显得异样，尽管我不会看不出想象的要比实际的更多。我注意到有一个很小的包裹，这是人类偶然生的所有疾病的一种并发症，许多健康的人手上都拎着它。这个小包裹被称为怨气。但最令我惊讶的是，竟然没有一种恶行或愚蠢的行为被扔到这堆东西里。尤其令我惊愕的是，我自己下了这样一个结论，每个人都应该把握住这个借此抛掉自己的情感、偏见和缺点的机会。

我特别注意到有一个非常放荡的家伙，我一点也不怀疑此人罪恶累累，可是待我上前查看他的包裹，我发现与将他的罪行扔到大堆里恰恰相反的是，他只是将自己的记忆放下来，紧随着他的是一个不足道的无赖，他扔掉的是谦逊，而不是无知。

当全体人类一一卸下背上的重负时，在这个场合一直忙得不可开交的幽灵，见我就像一位懒惰的旁观者，朝我走过来。一见她，我愈发不舒服。突然，她将手上满满一大杯东西举到我眼前，刹那间，我见自己的脸装进了杯里，不过我被里面空间之短小给惊呆了，现在我觉得情形愈发严重。这只大杯子不适宜的宽度令我顿生滑稽之感，于是我把它像面具似的推开。非常幸运的是，站在我旁边的那人刚刚扔掉他的脸，可是脸似乎太长了。确实，那张脸被拉抻到了不体面的长度。我觉得那脸虽然长可是很薄，谦虚地讲，薄到与我整个脸一样长的程度。我们两人都有机会纠正我们的脸，现在所有的捐献都到齐了，每个人都心甘情愿拿自己的不幸与别人交换。

我们站在这个大山堆一旁，查看到底都是些什么东西时，在这个没有发现他认为的生活之快乐和上帝的恩赐的庞然大物上，竟然几乎没有凡世的景象，我们好奇的是这些东西的所有者竟然也把这些东西看做是负担，心怀怨恨。正当我们非常专注地盯着这堆乱七八糟的大杂烩——混乱的灾难时，朱庇特发布了第二项声明，现在每个人都可以自由交换自己的不幸，带着本应转交付给他的任何其他负担回到自己的住处。有鉴于此，幻觉又开始不安生了，令人难以置信地将整个大山堆分成若干小份儿，劝大家装进各自的小包裹。这次，场面的匆忙和混乱出乎意料。我在这一场合所观察到的，会向公众披露的

一个年事已高，头发灰白的男人因为疝气痛得倒下了，我发现他希望找一个人来继承他的财产，于是夺下一个被他父亲扔进大山堆的不孝之子。不到一刻钟的工夫，这个没规矩的年轻人就拽住这位老绅士的胡须，想把他脑浆子打出来。为了见到这位真正的父亲，他手捂着肚子朝这边走过来，他乞求能再次原谅他的儿子，然后又把疝气还给了他。可是他们两个人谁都无法收回已经做出的选择。一位在船上做厨房苦工的穷苦人，将手上的锁链扔到地上，做了他们的替代品，将通风捡了起来。他做了个鬼脸，那样子很做作，以至于轻易就能看出来他不会从这种交换中获得多少好处。

女性们都忙着交换相貌。有一个人正在红宝石上缠一绺灰色头发，另一个人一双浑圆的肩膀，可是腰身很短。不过，他们当中没有一个人想到新的瑕疵，一旦为自己所有，再不满意也强过原先的自己。

我当然不会遗漏我自己的奇遇。我那位长着长脸的朋友一凑近我的短脸，马上就浮出一脸奇怪的神情，我抬头打量着他，无法忍受他对我的嘲笑，就这样我对自己的脸无法做到镇定自若了。这位可怜的绅士对讥笑非常敏感，我发现他对自己的所作所为颇感羞愧。另一方面，我发现自己没有多少理由庆幸，因为我摸前额时才知道摸错了地方，我的手指触到了上唇。还有，我的鼻子特别突出。我摸自己脸时，敲打了几下，五官位置都变了。

我瞧身边的其他绅士处境也很滑稽。这些人做了个愚蠢的交换，用两条捆在一起的粗腿来换两条没有腿肚子的长腿。其中一人看上去就像行走的高跷似的，在空中荡着，超过他的正常高度，以至于他的头来回转动。另一个人在那儿笨拙地转圈，他尝试走时，却不晓得如何借助自己的新支撑向前挪步。我注意到他是那种很快乐的人，我用藤条撑着地，告诉他我用一瓶葡萄酒打赌，在一刻钟内他走不到我画的线那儿。

最后，这个大堆在两个性别之间进行分配。他们在身上的负担重压下踉踉跄跄，发出一声最令人怜悯的叹息。整个平地到处都是小声嘟囔声和抱怨声，还有呻吟和悲叹声。最终，朱庇特对这些可怜人表示同情，下令让他们第二次卸下身上的重负，打算再次还给每个人属于他自己的东西。他们非常高兴地放下身上背的东西，稍后，让他们产生如此大错觉的幽灵，在朱庇特的命令下消失不见了。替代她的是一位形象完全不同的女神：她举止安详，泰然自若，她的神情虽然很严肃，但令人愉快。她不时举目仰望上空，然后凝视着朱庇特。她的名字是耐心。她一来到“大悲山”旁，奇异的情形出现了，整个山堆下陷得非常突然，不及原先的三分之一了。稍后，她将灾难归还给所有人，并教给他们如何才能以最舒服的方式背负这些灾难。结果，人们都满意地背着灾难出发了，对自己没有将选择权交给能让他的负重减轻的好心的魔鬼感到非常庆幸。

除了从这个幻觉能归纳出道德问题以外，我学会了绝对不要对自己的不幸埋怨，绝对不要妒忌他人的幸福，因为对任何人而言要想对他人的遭遇做出正确的判断，都是不可能的事情。而且，出于某种原因，我决定绝对不能看轻他人的抱怨，要用充满人情味的情感和怜悯对待自己同类的悲伤。