《The Importance of Living》--《生活的艺术》（二）（中英文）
IV. THIS EARTH THE ONLY HEAVEN
by Lin Yutang(林语堂)
A sad, poetic[p?u'etik]（诗意的）touch is added to this inten[in'tens]（强烈的）love of life by the realization[,ri?lai'zei??n, ,ri:-, -li'z-]（领悟） that this life we have is esntially[i'n??li]（本质上）mortal['m?:t?l]（凡人）.
我们的生命总有一日会灭绝的，这种省悟，使那些深爱人生的人，在感觉上增添了悲哀的诗意情调。
Strange to say, this sad awareness [?'w??nis] of（意识到）our mortality [m?:'t?l?ti]（必死的命运）makes the Chine scholar's ['sk?l?]（学者）enjoyment of life all the more keen [ki:n] （敏锐的）and inten [in'tens]（强烈的）.
然而这种悲感却反使中国的学者更热切深刻地要去领略人生的乐趣。这看来是很奇怪的。
For if this earthly existence [iɡ'zist?ns]（存在）is all we have, we must try the harder to enjoy it while it lasts.
我们的尘世人生因为只有一个，所以我们必须趁人生还未消逝的时候，尽情地把它享受。
A vague [veiɡ]（不明确的）hope of immortality [,im?:'t?l?ti]（不朽的声名）detracts [di'tr?kt] （贬低）from our wholehearted ['h?ul'hɑ:tid]（一心一意的）enjoyment of this earthly ['?:θli]（尘世的）existence. As Sir Arthur Keith puts it with a typically ['tipik?li]（代表性地）Chine feeling,
如果我们有了一种永生的渺茫希望，那么我们对于这尘世生活的乐趣便不能尽情地领略了。基士爵士（Sir Arthur Keith）曾说过一句和中国人的感想不谋而合的话：
"For if men believe, as I do, that this prent ['prez?nt, pri'zent]（现在的）earth is the only heaven, they will strive [straiv]（努力）all the more to make heaven of it."
“如果人们的信念跟我的一样，认尘世是惟一的天堂，那么他们必将更竭尽全力把这个世界造成天堂。”
Su Tungp'o says, "Life pass like a spring dream without a trace（无影无踪地）,” and that is why he clung [kli?]（坚持）to it so fondly ['f?ndli]（天真地）and tenaciously. [ti'nei??sli]（坚持地）
苏东坡的诗中有“事如春梦了无痕”之句，因为如此，所以他那么深刻坚决地爱好人生。
It is this ntiment ['ntim?nt]（感情）of our mortal ['m?:t?l]（凡人的）existence [iɡ'zist?ns]（存在）that we run across again and again in Chine literature. ['lit?r?t??]（文学）
在中国的文学作品中，常常可以看到这种“人生不再”的感觉。
It is this feeling of the impermanence [im'p?:m?n?ns,-n?nsi]（无常）of existence [iɡ'zist?ns]（存在）and the evanescence [,i:v?'nes?ns]（逐渐消失）of life, this touch of sadness, which overtakes [,?uv?'teik]（突然来袭）the Chine poet and scholar always at the moment of his greatest feasting [fi:st]（享受）and merrymaking ['meri,meiki?]（寻欢作乐）, a sadness that is expresd in（在(某种形式)中表达）the regret that "the moon cannot always be so round and the flowers cannot forever look so fair（美丽的）" when we are watching the full moon in the company of（与……一起）beautiful flowers.
中国的诗人和学者在欢娱宴乐的时候，常被这种“人生不再” “生命易逝”的悲哀感觉所烦扰，在花前月下，常有“花不常好，月不常圆”的伤悼。
It was in that poem commemorating [k?'mem?reit]（庆祝）a gorgeous ['ɡ?:d??s]（华丽的）feast on（享受美食）"A Spring Night amidst [?'midst]（在…当中）Peach [pi:t?]（桃
子）Blossoms" that Li Po penned the favorite ['feiv?rit]（最喜爱的）line: "Our floating life is like a dream; how many times can one enjoy one's lf?"
李白在《春夜宴桃李园序》一篇赋里，有着两句名言：“浮生若梦，为欢几何？”
And it was in the midst of（在…中）a gay reunion [,ri:'ju:nj?n]（重聚）of his happy and illustrious [i'l?stri?s]（著名的）friends that Wang Hsichih wrote that immortal [i'm?:t?l]（不朽的）little essay ['ei, e'i]（散文）, "The Orchid ['?:kid]（兰花）Pavilion [p?'vilj?n]（亭子）", which gives, better than anything el, this typical ['tipik?l]（典型的）feeling about the evanescence [,i:v?'nes?ns]（逐渐消失）of life:
王羲之在和他的一些朋友欢宴的时候，曾写下《兰亭集序》这篇不朽的文章，它把“人生不再”的感觉表现得最为亲切：
The Chine love of leisure['l???]（安逸）aris from（由…引起）a combination of caus.
中国人之爱悠闲，有着很多交织着的原因。
It came from a temperament['temp?r?m?nt]（性情）, was erected[i'rekt]（建造 ）into a literary['lit?r?ri]（文学的） cult, [k?lt]（礼拜） and found its justification[,d??stifi'kei??n]（认为有理）in a philosophy. [fi'l?s?fi, f?-]（哲学）
中国人的性情，是经过了文学的熏陶和哲学的认可的。
It grew out of an inten[in'tens]（强烈的）love of life, was actively['?ktivli]（积极地）sustained[s?'steind]（持续的）by an underlying[,?nd?'laii?]（根本的）current['k?r?nt]（
趋势）of literary romanticism[r?u'm?ntisiz?m]（浪漫主义）throughout[θru:'aut]（自始至终）the dynasties['din?sti, 'dai-]（朝代）, and was eventually[i'vent?u?li]（ 最后）pronounced [pr?u'naunst]（显著的）right and nsible['ns?bl]（ 明智的）by a philosophy of life, which we may, in the main, describe[di'skraib]（ 描述） as Taoistic.
这种爱悠闲的性情是由于酷爱人生而产生，并受了历代浪漫文学潜流的激荡，最后又由一种人生哲学——大体上可称它为道家哲学——承认它为合理近情的态度。
The rather general acceptance[?k'pt?ns]（接受）of this Taoistic view of life is only proof[pru:f]（证明）that there is Taoistic blood in the Chine temperament.
中国人能囫囵地接受这种道家的人生观，可见他们的血液中原有着道家哲学的种子。
No, the enjoyment of an idle life doesn't cost any money.
没有金钱也能享受悠闲的生活。
The capacity[k?'p?s?ti]（ 能力 ）for true enjoyment of idleness['aidlnis]（闲散 ） is lost in the moneyed class and can be found only among people who have a supreme[sju'pri:m, s?-]（最重要的）contempt[k?n'tempt]（轻视）for wealth.
有钱的人不一定能真真领略悠闲生活的乐趣，那些轻视钱财的人才真真懂得此中的乐趣。
It must come from an inner['in?]（内心的）richness of the soul in a man who loves the simple ways of life and who is somewhat['s?mhw?t, -hw?t]（几分）impatient（不耐心的） with the business of making money. There is always plenty of life to enjoy for a man who is determined to（下定决心）enjoy it.
他须有丰富的心灵，有简朴生活的爱好，对于生财之道不大在心，这样的人，才有资格享受悠闲的生活。如果一个人真的要享受人生，人生是尽够他享受的。
