25 Ambition

Joseph Epstein

It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition. It would probably be a kinder world: without demands, without abrasions , without disappointments. People would have time for reflection. Such work as they did would not be for themselves but for the collectivity. Competition would never enter in. Conflict would be eliminated, tension become a thing of the past. The stress of creation would be at an end. Art would no longer be troubling, but purely celebratory in its functions. Longevity would be increased, for fewer people would die of heart attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor. Anxiety would be extinct. Time would stretch on and on, with ambition long departed from the human heart.

Ah, how unrelieved boring life would be!

There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth, and ambition therefore a sham. Does this mean that success does not really exist? That achievement is at bottom empty? That the efforts of men and women are of no significance alongside the force of movements and events? Now not all success, obviously, is worth esteeming , nor all ambition worth cultivating. Which are and which are not is something one soon enough learns on one's own. But even the most cynical secretly admit that success exists; that achievement counts for a great deal; and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless. To believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging . It is, in its implications, to remove all motives for competence, interest in attainment , and regard for posterity .

We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch , the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose the time or conditions of our death. But within all this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we shall live: courageously or in cowardice, honorably or dishonorably, with purpose or in drift. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. But no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed. In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.

难词释义

abrasion [əˈbreɪʒn] n. 磨损；摩擦

tumultuous [tuːˈmʌltʃuəs] adj. 嘈杂的；动荡的

esteem [ɪˈstiːm] v. 尊重；敬重

derange [dɪˈreɪndʒ] v. 使精神错乱；使混乱

attainment [əˈteɪnmənt] n. 成就；造诣

posterity [pɑːˈsterəti] n. 后代；后裔

epoch [ˈepək] n. 时代；纪元；时期

抱负

约瑟夫·艾本斯坦

不难想象缺乏抱负的世界是什么样子。或许那将是一个更加友善的世界：没有诉求，没有摩擦，没有失望。人们将有时间来反思。人们工作不再是为自己，而是为集体。世上将不再有纷争，冲突将消失无踪，紧张的生活将成为过眼浮云。创造的压力也将得以终结。艺术不再惹人心烦，其功能将纯粹是用于庆祝。人们的寿命将会更长，因过度劳累引发心脏病或中风导致的死亡率将越来越少。焦虑将会消失。光阴继续流逝，抱负也早已远离人心。

啊，那一成不变的生活将会是多么单调乏味！

有一种很盛行的观点认为，成功纯属谬论，抱负因此亦属虚幻。意思是说成功并不真实存在？成就实际上是一场空？与众多活动和事件的力量相比，人们的努力微不足道？显然，不是所有的成功都值得敬仰，不是所有的抱负都值得追求。哪些值，哪些不值，人们自身很快便能了解。但就算是最愤世嫉俗的人也暗自承认，成功确实存在，成就非常重要，真正的谬论是把人们的努力视为无用功。不相信成功真实存在相当于接受了一种可能会造成混乱的观点。这种观点的本意是消除所有提高能力的动机、对成就的兴趣以及对子孙后代的关注。

我们无法选择是否出生。我们无法选择父母。我们无法选择出生的历史时期与国家，以及我们生长的环境。我们中的大多数无法选择死亡，无法选择死亡的时间或条件。但是在众多的无法选择之中，我们确实可以选择如何生活：是勇敢无畏还是胆小怯懦，是光明磊落还是卑鄙恶劣，是目标坚定还是得过且过。我们决定生活中的轻重缓急。我们决定通过什么来彰显我们存在的意义，即选择做什么或拒绝做什么。但是无论这个世界如何漠视，这些选择和决定都是我们自己做出的。我们来决定，我们来选择。当我们做这些决定和选择时，我们的生活也在成形。最终构建我们命运的正是抱负的意义之所在。