第18章 赫拉克勒斯的选择 The Choice of Hercules
佚名/Anonymous
In his famous choice of labor over pleasure, Hercules sees a distinction far too many fail to discern. He sees that to choose labor is to choose virtue, and thereby happiness. It is important to note, however, that happiness is not his goal; it is rather a result of his dedication to labor. It's a crucial point. Many people pursue pleasure as an end because they believe, as the personification of pleasure says in this story, that ease is the state in which“you shall not want for anything that makes life joyous”. But even if you attain that kind of pleasure, something fundamental is missing—the satisfaction of the soul that comes only through human striving. We know true happiness will come to Hercules as we see him set off down the road of Virtue and Labor.
When Hercules was a fair-faced youth, and life was all before him, he went out one morning to do an errand for his stepfather. But as he walked his heart was full of bitter thoughts; and he murmured because others no better than himself were living in ease and pleasure, while for him there was naught but a life of labor and pain.
As he thought upon these things, he came to a place where two roads met; and he stopped, not certain which one to take.
The road on his right was hilly and rough. There was no beauty in it or about it, but he saw that it led straight toward the green mountains in the far distance.
The road on his left was broad and smooth, with shade trees on either side, where sang an innumerable choir of birds; and it went winding among green meadows, where bloomed countless flowers. But it ended in fog and mist long before it reached the wonderful green mountains in the distance.
While the lad stood in doubt as to these roads, he saw two fair women coming toward him, each on a different road. The one who came by the flowery way reached him first, and Hercules saw that she was as beautiful as a summer day.
Her cheeks were red, her eyes sparkled; she spoke warm, persuasive words.“O noble youth,”she said,“be no longer bowed down with labor and sore trials, but come and follow me. I will lead you into pleasant paths, where there are no storms to disturb and no troubles to annoy. You shall live in ease, with one unending round of music and mirth; and you shall not want for anything that makes life joyous — sparkling wine, or soft couches, or rich robes, or the loving eyes of beautiful maidens. Come with me, and life shall be to you a daydream of gladness.”
By this time the other fair woman had drawn near, and she now spoke to the lad.“I have nothing to promise you,”said she,“save that which you shall win with your own strength. The road upon which I would lead you is uneven and hard, and climbs many a hill, and descends into many a valley and quagmire. The views which you will sometimes get from the hilltops are grand and glorious, but the deep valleys are dark, and the ascent from them is toilsome. Nevertheless, the road leads to the green mountains of endless fame, which you see far away on the horizon. They cannot be reached without labor; in fact, there is nothing worth having that must not be won by toil. If you would have fruits and flowers, you must plant them and care for them; if you would gain the love of your fellow men, you must love them and suffer for them; if you would enjoy the favor of heaven, you must make yourself worthy of that favor; if you would have eternal fame, you must not scorn the hard road that leads to it.”
Then Hercules saw that this lady, although she was as beautiful as the other, had a countenance pure and gentle, like the sky on a balmy morning in May.
“What is your name?”he asked.
“Some call me Labor,”she answered,“but others know me as Virtue.”
Then he turned to the first lady.“And what is your name?”he asked.
“Some call me Pleasure,”she said, with bewitching smile,“but I choose to be known as the Joyous and Happy One.”
“Virtue,”said Hercules,“I will take thee as my guide! The road of labor and honest effort shall be mine, and my heart shall no longer cherish bitterness or discontent.”
And he put his hand into that of Virtue, and entered with her upon the straight and forbidding road which led to the fair green mountains on the pale and distant horizon.
赫拉克勒斯在做出选择劳作而非享乐这一著名选择时，他明白了大多数人都不能发现的一点。他明白，选择劳作就是选择了美德，也选择了幸福。然而，值得注意的是，幸福并不是他的目标，而更像是对他辛勤劳作的一种回报。这一点至关重要。许多人视追求快乐为终极目标，是因为他们相信，正如这个故事中快乐的化身所说的那样，安逸是一种“为享受生活无所求”的状态。但是，即使你得到了这样的快乐，你也失去了一些基本的东西——人类只有通过拼搏争取才能获得的精神满足感。我们知道，当赫拉克勒斯走上美德和劳作的道路时，真正的幸福就会来到他身边。
当赫拉克勒斯还是个英俊的小伙子时，他就要自己面对生活了。一天早晨，他出门为继父办事。但是，越走他心里的酸楚就越多。他埋怨起来，因为那些并不比他好的人都安逸而快乐地生活着，而他却一无所有，只能天天辛劳而痛苦地过活。
想着这些，他来到了一个交叉路口。他停了下来，不确定应该选择哪条路。
他右面的那条路，崎岖陡峭，沿途也没有漂亮的景色，但他看到这条路直通远方的绿色山脉。
他左面的道路，宽阔平坦，道路两旁绿树成荫，有无数鸟儿在那里歌唱。道路在绿色的草地上蜿蜒，草地上开满了无数的花朵，但是这条通向绿色山脉的路看不到尽头。
就在他站在那里犹豫时，他看到每条路上都有一个漂亮的女人向他走来。有鲜花的那条路上的女人最先来到他面前。赫拉克勒斯发现，她像夏日的天气一样热情艳丽。
她面颊绯红，眼睛灼灼有光，言辞热情且具有说服力。“哦，高贵的年轻人，”她说，“跟我走吧，别再弯腰劳作，别在小道上跋涉了。我会带你走上一条快乐之路。那里没有风暴袭扰，没有烦恼扰心。在永恒的音乐和欢笑的陪伴下，你将快乐地生活。人要享受生活的快乐，你什么也不会缺少——飘香的美酒、柔软的睡椅、华美的衣服，或美丽少女爱慕的目光。跟我来吧，生活会像快乐的白日梦一般美好。”
就在这时，另一个美丽的女人也走近他的身旁。她告诉这位少年说：“除了你通过自己的努力理应获得的东西以外，我不能对你承诺什么。我要带你走的路崎岖而又陡峭，需要翻越很多座山，穿过很多峡谷和沼泽。有时，你从小山顶上看到的景色雄伟而又壮观。可峡谷的谷底幽暗漆黑，从深谷里往上爬更是艰辛。但这条路通向享有无限盛名的绿色山峰，在那里，你能看到地平线上更遥远的地方。不经过艰辛的付出，是不可能看到这些景物的。事实上，若非艰辛的劳作换取的成果，都毫无价值。如果你想得到鲜花和果实，你必须栽种它们、培育它们；如果你想得到同伴的关爱，你必须关爱他们，为他们受苦；如果你想得到上天的宠爱，你必须让自己有资格享受这种宠爱；如果你想得到不朽的名望，就不能忽略通往名望的艰难之路。”
尽管这个女人和另一个女人一样美丽，但赫拉克勒斯看到她的面庞纯真而文雅，就像五月里温和清晨的天空。
“该如何称呼你呢？”他问。
“有些人叫我劳作，”她回答，“还有另一些人叫我美德。”
年轻人又转向第一个女人。“那么，你又叫什么名字？”他问道。
“有些人叫我快乐，”她带着迷人的微笑说，“但我更愿意被人称作愉快和幸福。”
赫拉克勒斯说：“美德，我选择你做我的向导！付出劳动和诚实的努力才是我要走的路。我的内心将不再怀有苦楚与不满。”
他把手放到美德的手中，和她一起踏上了艰难之旅，那条路将直通向遥远而又模糊的地平线上的美丽的绿色山峰。
记忆填空
1.Many people pursue____________as an end because they believe, as the personification of pleasure____________in this story, that ease is the state in which“you shall not____________for anything that makes life joyous.”even if you attain that kind of pleasure, something fundamental is missing — the satisfaction of the soul that____________only through human striving.
2.Nevertheless, the____________leads to the green mountains of endless fame,____________you see far away on the horizon. They cannot be reached without____________; in fact, there is nothing worth having that must not be____________by toil.
佳句翻译
1.他右面的那条路，崎岖陡峭，沿途也没有漂亮的景色，但他看到这条路直通远方的绿色山脉。
译___________________________________________________
2.除了你通过自己的努力理应获得的东西以外，我不能对你承诺什么。
译___________________________________________________
3.如果你想得到鲜花和果实，你必须栽种它们、培育它们。
译___________________________________________________
短语应用
1.But it ended in fog and mist long before it reached the wonderful green mountains in the distance.
in the distance：在远处；远距离
造___________________________________________________
2....be no longer bowed down with labor and sore trials, but come and follow me.
no longer：不再
造___________________________________________________