生命的韵律美 Human Life Like a Poem

佚名/Anonymous

I think that, from a biological standpoint, human life almost reads like a poem. It has its own rhythm and beat, its internal cycles of growth and decay. It begins with innocent childhood, followed by awkward adolescence trying awkwardly to adapt itself to mature society, with its young passions and follies, its ideals and ambitions; then it reaches a manhood of intense activities, profiting from experience and learning more about society and human nature; at middle age, there is a slight easing of tension, a mellowing of character like the ripening of fruit or the mellowing of good wine, and the gradual acquiring of a more tolerant, more cynical and at the same time a kindlier view of life; then in the sunset of our life, the endocrine glands decrease their activity, and if we have a true philosophy of old age and have ordered our life pattern according to it, it is for us the age of peace and security and leisure and contentment; finally, life flickers out and one goes into eternal sleep, never to wake up again. One should be able to sense the beauty of this rhythm of life, to appreciate, as we do in grand symphonies, its main theme, its strains of conflict and the final resolution.

The movements of these cycles are very much the same in a normal life, but the music must be provided by the individual himself. In some souls, the discordant note becomes harsher and harsher and finally overwhelms or submerges the main melody. Sometimes the discordant note gains so much power that the music can no longer go on, and the individual shoots himself with a pistol or jumps into a river. But that is because his original leitmotif has been hopelessly over-shadowed through the lack of a good self-education. Otherwise the normal human life runs to its normal end in a kind of dignified movement and procession.

No one can say that a life with childhood, manhood and old age is not a beautiful arrangement; the day has its morning, noon and sunset, and the year has its seasons, and it is good that it is so. There is no good or bad in life, except what is good according to its own season. And if we take this biological view of life and try to live according to the seasons, no one but a conceited fool or an impossible idealist can deny that human life can be lived like a poem.

从生物学的角度来看，我想，人类的生命解读起来似乎是一首诗，有自己的韵律和节拍，有成长与消亡的内在周期。人类从无知的孩童开始拉开自己生命的帷幕；涩涩的青春期紧随其后，它笨拙地使涩涩的生命去适应成人的社会，带着年轻的热情和荒谬，带着理想和抱负；之后，它迈入活力充沛的成年时期，从经历中吸取教训，更了解社会与人类的本性；人到中年，压力稍有减轻，性格也像成熟的水果或佳酿一般得以成熟、圆滑，这个时期，人渐渐变得更加宽容、世故、有城府，同时对生活的态度也更加和善；接着，人到暮年，内分泌减缓，如果你对年老有一种正确、冷静的态度，并在这段时间里为生命的格局作好安排，那这段时期对我们来说，就是平和、安全、安逸和满足的；最后，生命的灯火熄灭，人永远地进入了梦乡，再也不能醒来。人应该能够感知这种生命的韵律美。欣赏它，就像欣赏盛大的交响曲，欣赏其主旋律、高潮与尾声。

循环过程中的这些运转，在普通人的生命中都是如此，但每个人生命的乐曲是由自己去谱写的。在一些人的灵魂中，不悦耳的音符越来越刺耳，直到最终淹没了主旋律。有时，不和谐的音符会变得很强大，以至于音乐无法再进行下去，有人就将自己击毙或溺死。那是因为缺乏良好的自我教育，使他最初的主题绝望地失色。否则，普通人的人生会在一种庄严的乐章和进程中正常地完结。

没有人会说，由童年、成年和老年构筑的人生不完美。正如一天当中有早晨、中午和晚上，一年当中有美妙的春、夏、秋、冬四季更迭，生命也同样精彩。人生无优劣之分，适合自己就好。如果我们接受这种生物学上的人生观，尽力去和着节拍生活，除了自以为是的愚人和令人无法忍受的理想主义者，没有人会否认人类可以生活得像诗一样。

W 词汇笔记

standpoint[ˈstændˌpɔɪnt]n.立场，观点

例 From my standpoint, this thing is just ridiculous.

依我看来，这件事简直荒唐。

decay[diˈkeiˈ]n.衰败；衰退；衰落

例 This industry has been in decay for some time.

这一行业进入衰败期已有一段时间。

mellow[ˈmeləu]v.（使）成熟

例 She's mellowed over the years.

这些年来，他变得成熟了。

dignified[ˈdiɡnəˌfaid]adj.有尊严的；高贵的；显得高尚的；庄严的

例 He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend.

他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

S 小试身手

人到中年，压力稍有减轻，性格也像成熟的水果或佳酿一般得以成熟、圆滑。

译___________________________________________

人应该能够感知这种生命的韵律美。欣赏它，就像欣赏盛大的交响曲，欣赏其主旋律、高潮与尾声。

译___________________________________________

正如一天当中有早晨、中午和晚上，一年当中有美妙的春、夏、秋、冬四季更迭，生命也同样精彩。

译___________________________________________

P 短语家族

It begins with innocent childhood, followed by awkward adolescence trying awkwardly to adapt itself to mature society.

adapt to：适应；（使）适应；改编

造___________________________________________

Sometimes the discordant note gains so much power that the music can no longer go on.

go on：继续下去；发生；继续

造___________________________________________