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The sea was very calm and there was hardly a ripple on the white sands. Around the wide bay, to the north, was the town, and to the south were palm trees, almost touching the water. Just visible beyond the bar were the fi rst of the sharks, and beyond them the fi shermen’s boats, a few logs tied together with stout rope. They were making for a little village south of the palm trees. The sunset was brilliant,not where one would expect it, bit in the east; it was a countersunset, and the clouds, massive and shapely, were lit with all the colours of the spectrum. It was really quite fantastic, and almost painful to bear. The waters caught the brilliant colours and made a path of exquisite light to the horizon.
From Chapter 13“Virtue”in Commentaries on Living First Series
大海非常平静，白色的沙滩上几乎没有一丝波纹。围绕着宽阔的海湾，北面是城镇，南面是棕榈树林，它们几乎触及了海面。远远的栅栏之外依稀可以看到鲨群的头领，更远处是渔夫的小船，还有几根圆木用结实的绳索绑在了一起。他们正朝棕榈树林以南的一个小村庄走去。晚霞光辉绚烂，并没有出现在人们预期的地方，而是稍稍偏向了东方，出现在相反的方向上；庞大而形状各异的云朵，被染上了七彩的光芒。这幅景象真是壮丽异常，承载起来几乎是痛苦的。海水捕捉到了绚丽的色彩，铺就了一道华美的光之路，一直延伸到海天相接之处。
摘自《生命的注释》第一卷第十三章“美德”
The sea was very calm that morning, more so than usual,for the wind from the south has ceased blowing, and before the north-easterly winds began, the sea was taking a rest. The sands were bleached by the sun and salt water,and there was a strong smell of ozone, mixed with that of seaweed. There wasn’t anyone yet on the beach, and one had the sea to oneself. Large crabs, with one claw much bigger than the other, moved slowly about, watching, with the large claw waving in the air. There were also smaller crabs, the usual kind, that raced to the lapping water,or darted into round holes in the wet sand. Hundreds of sea-gulls stood about, resting and preening themselves. The rim of the sun was just coming out of the sea, and it made a golden path on the still waters. Everything seemed to be waiting for this moment—and how quickly it would pass!The sun continued to climb out of the sea, which was as quiet as a sheltered lake in some deep woods. No woods could contain these waters, they were too restless, too strong and vast; but that morning they were mild, friendly and inviting.
那天早上海面非常平静，比平时还要平静，因为来自南方的风已经停止吹送，在东北风重新吹起之前，大海得到了片刻的歇息。沙滩被烈日和咸咸的海水漂白，空气里有一股强烈的臭氧气味，与海草的味道交织在一起。海滩上还没有人，此时只有你一人与大海相对。有一些硕大的海蟹，它们的一只蟹钳远远大过另一些，它们正缓慢地四处爬动，打量着四周，大蟹钳在空中挥舞着。还有一些小螃蟹，属于常见的品种，正争先恐后地冲向拍岸的海水，或者猛冲入潮湿的沙地上那些圆圆的小孔。成百上千只海鸥站在周围，在那里休息并整理着自己的羽毛。太阳的边缘刚刚露出海面，在安静的海水上铺出一条金光大道。万物似乎都在等待这一刻——而这一刻又是那么转瞬即逝！太阳继续爬出海面，此时的大海安静得像是深林里一面得到掩蔽的湖水。没有哪片树林能够容纳这些海水，它们太过不安，太过强大和广博；然而那天早上它们却非常温和，友好而又怡人。
Under a tree above the sands and the blue water, there was going on a life independent of the crabs, the salt water and the sea-gulls. Large, black ants darted about, not making up their minds where to go. They would go up the tree, then suddenly scurry down for no apparent reason. Two or three would impatiently stop, move their heads about, and then,with a fi erce burst of energy, go all over a piece of wood which they must have examined hundreds of times before;they would investigate it again with eager curiosity, and lose interest in it a second later. It was very quiet under the tree, though everything about one was very much alive.There was not a breath of air stirring among the leaves,but every leaf was abundant with the beauty and light of the morning. There was an intensity about the tree—not the terrible intensity of reaching, of succeeding, but the intensity of being complete, simple, alone and yet part of the earth. The colours of the leaves, of the few fl owers, of the dark trunk, were intensified a thousandfold, and the branches seemed to sustain the heavens. It was incredibly clear, bright and alive in the shade of that single tree.
From Chapter 18 “To Change Society You Must Break Away from It” in Commentaries on Living Third Series
在沙滩和蔚蓝海水之上的一棵树下，独立于海蟹、盐水和海鸥之外，有一种生活在热热闹闹地进行着。大大的黑蚂蚁四处奔忙，根本无须下定决心要去往哪里。它们会爬到树上，然后突然毫无因由地匆忙赶下来。有两三只会不耐烦地停下来，脑袋四处张望着，然后带着一股喷涌而出的劲头，绕着一小块木片团团转起来。它们以前必定已经检查过那块木片成百上千次了；它们会带着迫切的好奇心再把它审视一遍，然后在一秒钟之后就对它失去了兴趣。树下非常安静，尽管你周围的一切都异常活跃。树叶间没有一丝微风扰动，但每片树叶都充盈着美和晨光。那棵树身上有一股热切——不是求取、成功那类糟糕的热切，而是完满、简单、孑然独立而又作为大地一部分的那种热切。浓密的树叶、稀疏的花朵和黝黯树干的色彩，成千倍地浓郁起来，茂盛的树枝像是在支撑着天空。在这一棵树的树荫之下，天空令人难以置信地清澈、明亮和生机勃勃。
摘自《生命的注释》第三卷第十八章“若要改变社会，你就必须从中脱离出来”
It was hot and humid and the noise of the very large town fi lled the air. The breeze from the sea was warm, and there was the smell of tar and petrol. With the setting of the sun,red in the distant waters, it was still unyieldingly hot. The large group that fi lled the room presently left, and we went out into the street.
天气炎热潮湿，大城市的噪音充斥在空气之中。来自大海的微风也是温热的，带着一股焦油和汽油的味道。炽热的红日落入了遥远的海面，但天气依然不屈不挠地炎热着。之前满满一屋子的人一下子都离开了，我们也走出房间来到了街道上。
The parrots, like bright green fl ashes of light, were coming home to roost. Early in the morning they fl ew to the north,where there were orchards, green fi elds and open country,and in the evening they came back to pass the night in the trees of the city. Their fl ight was never smooth but always reckless, noisy and brilliant. They never fl ew straight like other birds, but were forever veering off to the left or the right, or suddenly dropping into a tree. They were the most restless birds in flight, but how beautiful they were with their red beaks and a golden green that was the very glory of light. The vultures, heavy and ugly, circled and settled down for the night on the palm trees.
鹦鹉们像是明亮的绿色闪电，正在回巢栖息。清晨它们早早地飞向北方，那里有果园、绿色的田野和开阔的乡间，到了傍晚它们又飞回来，在城里的树上过夜。它们的飞翔从来都不平缓，而是始终都粗心、嘈杂而又耀眼。它们从来不像其他鸟儿那样直直地飞行，而是永远都左突右闪地改变方向，或者突然落在一棵树上。它们是在飞行中最不安分的鸟儿，然而它们又是那么美丽，有着红色的尖喙和金光闪闪的一袭绿衣，那色彩正是光的荣耀。而那些秃鹫笨重又丑陋，盘旋着落下，然后夜晚就栖息在棕榈树丛上。
A man came along playing the flute; he was a servant of some kind. He walked up the hill, still playing, and we followed him; he turned into one of the side-streets,never ceasing to play. It was strange to hear the song of the fl ute in a noisy city, and its sound penetrated deep into the heart. It was very beautiful, and we followed the fl ute player for some distance. We crossed several streets and came to a wider one, better lighted. Farther on, a group of people were sitting cross-legged at the side of the road,and the flute player joined them. So did we; and we all sat around while he played. They were mostly chauff eurs,servants, night watchmen, with several children and a dog or two. Cars passed by, one driven by a chauffeur; a lady was inside, beautifully dressed and alone, with the inside light on. Another car drew up; the chauff eur got out and sat down with us. They were all talking and enjoying themselves, laughing and gesticulating, but the song of the fl ute never wavered, and there was delight.
有个人吹着笛子一路走来，他有着某种仆从的身份。他爬上山去，依然吹奏着，我们则跟在他后面；然后他转入了一条小巷，但从来没有停止吹奏。在一座嘈杂的城市里听到悠扬的笛声，真是一件奇妙的事情，它的声音摄人心魄。那笛声非常优美，我们跟随着吹笛人走了一段路程，然后穿过几条街来到了一条宽阔、灯光也明亮一些的街道上。更远处有一群人正盘腿坐在路边，那个吹笛人加入了他们，我们也加入了进去。他吹笛子的时候我们都坐在他的周围。这里的人多数是司机、仆人和守夜者，有着几个孩子和一两条狗。有汽车从旁边驶过，其中一辆由司机驾驶，车里的灯亮着，一位女士独自坐在车上，衣着靓丽。另一辆车开过来，司机下了车，和我们坐在一起。他们都在聊着天，大笑着，用手比画着，自得其乐，而那笛声从未停息过，有一种欢欣弥漫在四周。
Presently we left and took a road that led to the sea past the well-lit houses of the rich. The rich have a peculiar atmosphere of their own. However cultured, unobtrusive,ancient and polished, the rich have an impenetrable and assured aloofness, that inviolable certainty and hardness that is diffi cult to break down. They are not the possessors of wealth, but are possessed by wealth, which is worse than death. Their conceit is philanthropy; they think they are trustees of their wealth; they have charities, create endowments; they are the makers, the builders, the givers.They build churches, temples, but their god is the god of their gold. With so much poverty and degradation, one must have a very thick skin to be rich. Some of them come to question, to argue, to fi nd reality. For the rich as for the poor, it is extremely diffi cult to fi nd reality. The poor crave to be rich and powerful, and the rich are already caught in the net of their own action; and yet they believe and venture near. They speculate, not only upon the market, but upon the ultimate. They play with both, but are successful only with what is in their hearts. Their beliefs and ceremonies,their hopes and fears have nothing to do with reality, for their hearts are empty. The greater the outward show the greater the inward poverty.
From Chapter 7 “The Rich and the Poor ” in Commentaries on Living First Series
不久我们就离开了人群，走上了一条通往海边的路，路旁经过的是富人们灯火通明的宅邸。富人们身上有着一股他们特有的气息。无论多么有文化、多么谦逊、多么有古风、多么优雅，他们总是带着一股顽固的、骄傲的冷漠态度，那是一种很难打破的不可侵犯的确定和坚硬。他们并非财富的占有者，而是被财富所占有，可这比死亡还要糟糕。他们的自负来自他们的慈善活动，他们自以为是自己财富的掌管者；他们拥有慈善事业，四处捐赠；他们是缔造者、修建者、施予者。他们建造教堂、庙宇，而他们的神明是他们的财富之神。世上有着如此严重的贫穷和腐化，一个人必须厚颜无耻才能致富。他们之中有一些人前来质疑、争辩和寻找真相。对于富人来说，发现真相是极其困难的事情，就和穷人一样。穷人渴望得到财富和权势，而富人已经困在了自身行为的罗网中，但他们却依然抱持着信仰，依然趋近涉险。他们不仅在市场上投机，而且投机于那个终极之物。他们对两者都加以玩弄，但成功收获的只是他们内心的现状。他们的信仰和仪式，他们的希望和恐惧，都与真相无关，因为他们内心是空洞的。外在越是强大，说明内心就越贫乏。
摘自《生命的注释》第一卷第七章“富人与穷人”