Howtogrowold英汉对照如何安度晚年

1、HowtoGrowOldByBertrandRussellInspiteofthetitle,thisarticlewillreallybeonhownottogrowold,which,atmytimeoflife,isamuchmoreimportantsubject.Myfirstadvicewouldbetochooseyourancestorscarefully.Althoughbothmyparentsdiedyoung,Ihavedonewellinthisrespectasregardsmyotherancestors.Mymaternalgrandfather,itistru

2、e,wascutoffintheflowerofhisyouthattheageofsixty-seven,butmyotherthreegrandparentsalllivedtobeovereighty.OfremoterancestorsIcanonlydiscoveronewhodidnotlivetoagreatage,andhediedofadiseasewhichisnowrare,namely,havinghisheadcutoff。Agreatgrandmotherofmine,whowasafriendofGibbon,livedtotheageofninety-two,a

3、ndtoherlastdayremainedaterrortoallherdescendants.Mymaternalgrandmother,afterhavingninechildrenwhosurvived,onewhodiedininfancy,andmanymiscarriages,assoonasshebecameawidow,devotedherselftowomanshighereducation.ShewasoneofthefoundersofGirtonCollege,andworkedhardatopeningthemedicalprofessiontowomen.Sheu

4、sedtorelatehowshemetinItalyanelderlygentlemanwhowaslookingverysad.Sheinquiredthecauseofhismelancholyandhesaidthathehadjustpartedfromhistwograndchildren.“Goodgracious”,sheexclaimed,“Ihaveseven-twyograndchildren,andifIweresadeachtimeIpartedfromoneofthem,Ishouldhaveadismalexistence!”“Madresnaturale,”he

5、replied.Butspeakingasoneoftheseventy-two,Ipreferherrecipe.Aftertheageofeightyshefoundshehadsomedifficultyingettingtosleep,soshehabituallyspentthehoursfrommidnightto3a.m.inreadingpopularscience.Idonotbelievethatsheeverhadtimetonoticethatshewasgrowingold.This,Ithink,isproperrecipeforremainingyoung.Ify

6、ouhavewideandkeeninterestsandactivitiesinwhichyoucanstillbeeffective,youwillhavenoreasontothinkaboutthemerelystatisticalfactofthenumberofyearsyouhavealreadylived,stilllessoftheprobablebrevityofyoufuture.AsregardshealthIhavenothingusefultosaysinceIhavelittleexperienceofillness.IeatanddrinkwhateverIli

7、ke,andsleepwhenIcannotkeepawake.Ineverdoanythingwhateveronthegroundthatitisgoodforhealth,thoughinactualfactthethingsIlikedoingaremostlywholesome.Psychologicallytherearetwodangerstobeguardedagainstinoldage.Oneoftheseisundueabsorptioninthepast.Itdoesnotdotoliveinmemories,inregretsforthegoodolddays,ori

8、nsadnessaboutfriendswhoaredead.Onesthoughtsmustbedirectedtothefuture,andtothingsaboutwhichthereissomethingtobedone.Thisisnotalwayseasy;onesownpastisagraduallyincreasingweight.Itiseasytothinktooneselfthatonesemotionsusedtobemorevividthantheyare,andonesmindmorekeen.Ifthisistrueitshouldbeforgotten,andi

9、fitisforgottenitwillprobablynotbetrue.Theotherthingtobeavoidedisclingingtoyouthinthehopeofsuckingvigourfromitsvitality.Whenyourchildrenaregrownuptheywanttolivetheirownlives,andifyoucontinuetobeasinterestedinthemasyouwerewhentheywereyoung,youarelikelytobecomeaburdentothem,unlesstheyareunusuallycallou

10、s.Idonotmeanthatoneshouldbewithoutinterestinthem,butonesinterestshouldbecontemplativeand,ifpossible,philanthropic,butnotundulyemotional.Animalsbecomeindifferenttotheiryoungassoonastheiryoungcanlookafterthemselves,buthumanbeings,owingtothelengthofinfancy,findthisdifficult.Ithinkthatasuccessfuloldagei

11、seasiestforthosewhohavestrongimpersonalinterestsinvolvingappropriateactivities.Itisinthisspherethatlongexperienceisreallyfruitful,anditisinthisspherethatthewisdombornofexperiencecanbeexercisedwithoutbeingoppressive.Itisnousetellinggrownupchildrennottomakemistakes,bothbecausetheywillnotbelieveyou,and

12、becausemistakesareanessentialpartofeducation.Butifyouareoneofthosewhoareincapableofimpersonalinterests,youmayfindthatyourlifewillbeemptyunlessyouconcernyourselfwithyourchildrenandgrandchildren.Inthatcaseyoumustrealisethatwhileyoucanstillrenderthemmaterialservices,suchasmakingthemanallowanceorknittin

13、gthemjumpers,youmustnotexpectthattheywillenjoyyourcompany.Someoldpeopleareoppressedbythefearofdeath.Intheyoungtherethereisajustificationforthisfeeling.Youngmenwhohavereasontofearthattheywillbekilledinbattlemayjustifiablyfeelbitterinthethoughtthattheyhavebeencheatedofthebestthingsthatlifehastooffer.B

14、utinanoldmanwhohasknownhumanjoysandsorrows,andhasachievedwhateverworkitwasinhimtodo,thefearofdeathissomewhatabjectandignoble.Thebestwaytoovercomeitsoatleastitseemstomeistomakeyourinterestsgraduallywiderandmoreimpersonal,untilbitbybitthewallsoftheegorecede,andyourlifebecomesincreasinglymergedintheuni

15、versallife.Anindividualhumanexistenceshouldbelikeariversmallatfirst,narrowlycontainedwithinitsbanks,andrushingpassionatelypastrocksandoverwaterfalls.Graduallytherivergrowswider,thebanksrecede,thewatersflowmorequietly,andintheend,withoutanyvisiblebreak,theybecomemergedinthesea,andpainlesslylosetheiri

16、ndividualbeing.Themanwho,inoldage,canseehislifeinthisway,willnotsufferfromthefearofdeath,sincethethingshecaresforwillcontinue.Andif,withthedecayofvitality,wearinessincreases,thethoughtofrestwillnotbeunwelcome.Ishouldwithtodiewhilestillatwork,knowingthatotherswillcarryonwhatIcannolongerdoandcontentin

17、thethoughtthatwhatwaspossiblehasbeendone.WORDS:附在.上，坚守.，抓住.生机，生命力undueclingtovitalitycallouscontemplative好沉思的philanthropic博爱的，慈善的sphere范围，领域render给予，提供justifiably正当地，无可非议地abject卑下的，可怜的ignoble不体面的，可耻的recede退去，收回部分参考译文：如何安度晚年BA罗素从心理上说，老年时期要防止两种危险。其一是过分沉湎于过去。生活于回忆之中，为以往的好时光而抱憾，或因朋友作古而悲伤，这些皆无济于事。人的思想必须朝

18、着未来，朝着还可以有所作为的方面。这并非总是容易做到；因为一个人的过去是一份不断加重的负担。人们容易认为自己的感情，过去比现在充沛，自己的思想，过去比现在敏锐。如果这是事实，就应该忘掉它。如果它被忘掉，那它也许将不成其为事实。另一件要避免的事是紧拽着年轻人，希望从他们的生机中吸取活力。当你的孩子们已经长大，他们就要过他们自己的生活，如果你还是想他们小时侯那样对他们关心备至，你就可能成为他们的包袱，除非他们特别麻木不仁。我不是说他们应该不闻不问，但是你所给予的关心应当是理性的，解囊相助的(如果可能的话)，而非过于感情冲动。动物在自己的后代一旦能够生活自理时，便不再给予关怀，但是人类，由于幼年时期

19、太长，很难做到这一点。我想一个人能做到对合适的活动兴趣盎然、不计较个人得失，那么，他就极易享有成功的晚年，因为长期积累的经验在此可以结出累累硕果，而由经验产生的在此时既有用武之地，而又不至咄咄逼人。叫已经成人的孩子不要犯错误是没有益处的，因为他们不会相信你，同时也因为犯错误是接受教育的不可少的一环。但假如你做不到不计个人得失，那么，不将心放在孙儿身上，你便会觉得生活空虚无望。假使如此，你必须明白：虽然你还能给他们物质上的帮助，诸如给点补贴或织几件毛衣，但你千万不要指望他们会喜欢和你在一起。有些老人为死的恐惧所困扰。如果年轻人有这种恐惧，那倒无可厚非。年轻人有理由害怕战死沙场；当他们想到被骗走了生命所能给予的美好生活，他们有理由愤愤不平。但对于一个备尝人生甘苦，业已完成该做的一切的老人来说，怕死就有点不大可取了。克服这种恐惧的最好方法是至少在我看来如此使你的兴趣逐渐扩大，越来越超出