高中英语教学：THE END OF LIFE

THEENDOFLIFE

LinYutang

InthegeneralsurveyofChineseartandChineselife,theconviction

musthavebeenforceduponusthattheChinesearepastmastersin

theartofliving.Thereisacertainwhole-heartedconcentrationonthe

materiallife,acertainzestinliving,whichismellower,perhaps

deeper,anywayjustasintenseasintheWest.

InChinathespiritualvalueshavenotbeenseparatedfromthe

materialvalues,butratherhelpmaninakeenerenjoymentoflifeas

itfallstoourlot.Thisaccountsforourjovialityandourincorrigible

humor.

Aheathencanhaveaheathenishdevotiontothelifeofthepresent

andenvelopbothspiritualandmaterialvaluesinoneoutlook,whichit

isdifficultforaChristiantoimagine.Welivethelifeofthesensesand

thelifeofthespiritatthesamemoment,andseenonecessary

conflict.

Forthehumanspiritisusedtobeautifylife,toextractitsessence,

perhapstohelpitovercomeuglinessandpaininevitableintheworld

ofoursenses,butnevertoescapefromitandfinditsmeaninginalife

hereafter.

WhenConfuciussaidinreplytoaquestionbyadiscipleondeath,

''Don'tknowlife—howknowdeath?”heexpressedtherea

somewhatbourgeois,unmetaphysicalandpracticalattitudetoward

theproblemsoflifeandknowledgewhichhascharacterizedour

nationallifeandthinking.

Thisstandpointestablishesforusacertainscaleofvalues.Inevery

aspectofknowledgeandofliving,thetestoflifeholds.Itaccountsfor

ourpleasuresandourantipathies.Thetestoflifewaswithusaracial

thought,wordlessandneedingnodefinitionorgivingofreasons.

Itwasthattestoflifewhich,instinctivelyIthink,guidedustodistrust

civiccivilizationandupholdtheruralidealinart,lifeandletters,

todislikereligioninourrationalmoments,toplaywithBuddhismbut

neverquiteacceptitslogicalconclusions,andtohatemechanical

ingenuity.

Itwasthatinstinctivetrustinlifethatgaveusarobustcommonsense

inlookingatlife'skaleidoscopicchangesandthemyriadvexatious

problemsoftheintellectwhichwerudelyignored.Itenabledustosee

lifesteadilyandseelifewhole,withnogreatdistortionsofvalues.

Ittaughtussomesimplewisdom,likerespectforoldageandthejoys

ofdomesticlife,acceptanceoflife,ofsex,andofsorrow.Itmadeus

layemphasisoncertaincommonvirtues,likeendurance,industry,

thrift,moderation,andpacificism.

Itpreventedthedevelopmentoffreakishextremetheoriesandthe

enslavingofmanbytheproductsofhisownintelligence.Itgaveusa

senseofvalues,andtaughtustoacceptthematerialaswellasthe

spiritualgoodsoflife.

Ittaughtusthat,afterallissaidanddone,humanhappinessisthe

endofallknowledge.Andwearrangeourselvestomakeourlives

happyonthisplanet,underwhatevervicissitudesoffortune.

Weareanoldnation.Theeyesofanoldpeopleseeinitspastandin

thischangingmodernlifemuchthatissuperficialandmuchthatisof

truemeaningtoourlives.Wearealittlecynicalaboutprogress,and

wearealittlebitindolent,asarealloldpeople.Wedonotwantto

raceaboutinafieldforaball;weprefertosaunteralongwillowbanks

tolistentothebird'ssongandthechildren'slaughter.

Lifeissoprecariousthatwhenweknowsomethingtrulysatisfiesus,

weholdontoittight,asamotherhugsherbabyclosetoherbreastin

adark,stormynight.

WehavereallynodesireforexploringtheSouthPoleorscalingthe

Himalayas.WhenWesternersdothat,weask,''Whatdoyoudothat

for?DoyouhavetogototheSouthPoletobehappy?”

Wegotothemoviesandtheaters,butintheheartofourheartswe

feelthatarealchild'slaughtergivesusasmuchrealjoyand

happinessasanimaginarychild'slaughteronthescreen.We

comparethetwoandstayathome.

Wedonotbelievethatkissingone'sownwifeisnecessarilyinsipid,

andthatotherpeople'swivesarenecessarilymorebeautifulbecause

theyareotherpeople'swives.Wedonotachetoreachthefootofthe

mountainwhenweareinthemiddleofthelake,andwedonotache

tobeatthetopofthehillwhenweareatitsfoot.

Wedrinkwhatwinethereisinthepotandenjoywhatscenery

thereisbeforeoureyes.

Somuchoflifeismerelyafarce.Itissometimesjustaswelltostand

byandlookatitandsmile,perhapsbetterthantotakepartinit.Like

adreamerawakened,weseelife,notwiththeromanticcolor

ofyesternight'sdream,butwithasanervision.

Wearemorereadytogiveupthedubious,theglamorousandthe

unattainable,butatthesametimetoholdontothefewthingsthatwe

knowwillgiveushappiness.Wealwaysgobacktonatureasan

eternalsourceofbeautyandoftrueanddeepandlastinghappiness.

Deprivedofprogressandofnationalpower,weyetthrowopenour

windowsandlistentocicadasortofallingautumnleavesandinhale

thefragranceofchrysanthemums,andoverthetopthereshinesthe

autumnmoon,andwearecontent.

Forwearenowintheautumnofournationallife.Therecomesatime

inourlives,asnationsandasindividuals,whenwearepervadedby

thespiritofearlyautumn,inwhichgreenismixedwithgoldand

sadnessismixedwithjoy,andhopeismixedwithreminiscence.

Therecomesatimeinourliveswhentheinnocenceofspringisa

memoryandtheexuberanceofsummerasongwhoseechoesfaintly

remainintheair,whenaswelookoutonlife,theproblemisnothow

togrowbuthowtolivetruly,nothowtostriveandlaborbuthowto

enjoythepreciousmomentswehave,nothowtosquanderour

energybuthowtoconserveitinpreparationfortheconningwinter..

Asenseofhavingarrivedsomewhere,ofhavingsettledandhaving

foundoutwhatwewant.Asenseofhavingachievedsomethingalso,

preciouslittlecomparedwithitspastexuberance,butstillsomething,

likeanautumnforestshornofitssummerglorybutretainingsuchof

itaswillendure

Ilikespring,butitistooyoung.Ilikesummer,butitistooproud.So

Ilikebestofallautumn,becauseitsleavesarealittleyellow,itstone

mellower,itscolorsricher,anditistingedalittlewithsorrowanda

premonitionofdeath.

Itsgoldenrichnessspeaksnotoftheinnocenceofspring,norofthe

powerofsummer,butofthemellownessandkindlywisdomof

approachingage.Itknowsthelimitationsoflifeandiscontent.From

aknowledgeofthoselimitationsanditsrichnessofexperience

emergesasymphonyofcolors,richerthanall,itsgreenspeakingof

lifeandstrength,itsorangespeakingofgoldencontent,anditspurple

ofresignationanddeath.

Andthemoonshinesoverit,anditsbrowseemswhitewithreflection,

butwhenthesettingsuntouchesitwitha