At long last I have come to a rather simple point as to what I believe. I believe in what I choose to call “The Law of the Heart”.
最终,我明白可以将自己的信仰总结为一点,即所谓的“心脏定律”。
In the medical world this phrase, The Law of the Heart, means the great discovery by Professor Ernest Henry Starling of the precise method by which the heart accelerates and retards1 itself through the heart muscle; also the manner in which it accomplishes the vital twoway exchange of fluids between the bloodstream and the body tissues.
这个短语是医学界欧内斯特•亨利•斯塔林教授的一项伟大发现,是证明心脏跳动在心肌作用下加快和减弱的精确方法;同时,他还发现,心脏进行的血液和体液相互渗透,对生命的存活而言是极其重要。人与人之间需要有重要的情感双向交流,这是我的人生观。
In my view of life there is also supremely2 needful a vital twoway exchange of heart qualities between human beings. Without it the human spirit and relationship to other spirits is lifeless and dangerous. Dependence3 on head qualities is mechanical and empty, just as we have discovered that babies do not thrive, even with technically4 expert nursing care, without mother love.
如果没有这种交流,那么一个人的灵魂及与他人的关系就会死气沉沉,危机重重。依赖理智会使人变得机械而空虚,正如我们发现的缺乏母爱的婴儿,即使在专业的技术护理下,也无法茁壮成长。
The Law of the Heart, in my belief, then, means that I can achieve greatest physical and mental health, and have the most constructive5 relations with life and people, if my matured emotional self dominates my motives6 and actions. When, after due consultation7 with my head, the true heart speaks, it is the finest and most mellowed8 judgment9 that I, human creature, am capable of. Man is indivisible, I believe; he is a whole; mind, spirit, body—but with only one real, fully10 representative voice—the voice of the heart.
我认为,心脏定律的涵义就是,如果我的感情成熟到可以支配自己的动机和行为,那就能达到身心健康的最佳状态,也就可以在生活中与他人建立最具建设性的关系。在与头脑适当地协商后,我所表达出的真正心声便是我作为人所能做出的最绝妙、最成熟的判断。我坚信,人是一个不可分割的整体,是由心灵、精神、肉体构成的一个整体,但唯有心灵之声才是充分代表人类思想的真实声音。
There is, in my belief, very suggestive symbolism in the means by which the Law of the Heart operates. We know that man needs to give others weaker, less fortunate, a transfusion11 of his blood as proof of fellowship. We know that hearts and arteries12 which are hard and unresponsive can bring the retribution of sudden death. We know that hearts which beat in unison13 with the problems, pains, miseries14 and needs of others know celestial15 music which can never be known to those who do not.
在我看来,心脏定律的作用方式充满了启发性与象征性。我们知道,为证明我们对其他虚弱、不幸之人的友善,我们需要给他们输血。我们了解,心脏和动脉僵硬且毫无反应时,就会导致猝死。我们明白,当心脏随着他人的困难、痛苦、不幸与需求而跳动时
We know that hearts capable of quickened pulse at the sight of beauty and nobility, courage and sacrifice, love and tenderness, a child or a sunset, achieve intensities16 of living—a song in their hearts—unknown to others. We know that those who choke off the heart’s native impulses will likely bring on a coronary thrombosis of obstructed17 emotion which can cripple.
我们就能领略到无此善心者所无从知晓的天籁之音;面对美丽、高贵、勇敢、奉献、关爱、温暖、孩子或夕阳时,心跳就会加快,并因此获得了生活的激情。那是他们的心灵之歌。是他人所不得而知的事物。我们都知道,人若是抑制心灵本能的冲动,就很可能会因内心情感的压抑,而导致冠心病的突发,甚至造成残废。
The first Law of the Heart, I feel sure, is to pulsate18, to love. To fail to pulsate and love is swift and certain spiritual death. There are far, far too many of us who seem obsessed19 with self, unable or unwilling20 to love. The second Law of the Heart, I believe, is to give, and forgive, to sacrifice. The heart is the great supplier and giver to every remote atom in the body. The heart muscle is the strongest in the whole body.
我确信,心脏定律的第一条便是心跳,是爱。没有了心跳,不再去爱,精神无疑就会迅速衰竭。我们当中有太多的人总是以自我为中心,不能或不愿意去爱。我坚信,心脏定律的第二条是付出、宽恕和牺牲。心脏是身体每一个微小细胞原的能量供给中心,而整个身体中,最强韧的部分便是心肌。
These things I know and believe, and they provide me with the foundation of what I call my humanistic philosophy of life. It works for me. I feel close to the earth with it. Yet face uplifted. The heart is closer to everlasting21 reality, although I am fully aware that I must not let raw emotion masquerade as a heart quality, and that the immature22 heart can make serious errors. The educated, matured heart is, to my belief, not only the noblest thing in man but also the great hope of the world.
我的人道主义生活哲学正是基于这些我所知道并相信的知识。它们为我所用。也正因为有它,我才感觉自己能更接近现实,昂首面对生活。我的心更接近永恒的现实,虽然我完全明白,不能将虚伪的粗俗情感当成心灵的特质,而且心灵不成熟便易于导致严重的错误。我相信,拥有良好的教育及成熟的心灵,不仅是人类最为高贵的品质,也是世界的伟大希望。
1 retards [rɪˈtɑ:dz] 第8级 | |
使减速( retard的第三人称单数 ); 妨碍; 阻止; 推迟 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 supremely [su'pri:mli] 第7级 | |
adv.无上地,崇高地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 dependence [dɪˈpendəns] 第8级 | |
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 technically [ˈteknɪkli] 第8级 | |
adv.专门地,技术上地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 constructive [kənˈstrʌktɪv] 第8级 | |
adj.建设的,建设性的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 motives [ˈməutivz] 第7级 | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 consultation [ˌkɒnslˈteɪʃn] 第9级 | |
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 mellowed [ˈmeləud] 第10级 | |
(使)成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 ); 使色彩更加柔和,使酒更加醇香 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 judgment ['dʒʌdʒmənt] 第7级 | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 fully [ˈfʊli] 第9级 | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 transfusion [trænsˈfju:ʒn] 第9级 | |
n.输血,输液 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 arteries ['ɑ:tərɪz] 第7级 | |
n.动脉( artery的名词复数 );干线,要道 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 unison [ˈju:nɪsn] 第9级 | |
n.步调一致,行动一致 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 miseries [ˈmizəriz] 第7级 | |
n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 );痛苦的事;穷困;常发牢骚的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 celestial [səˈlestiəl] 第9级 | |
adj.天体的;天上的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 intensities [inˈtensitiz] 第7级 | |
n.强烈( intensity的名词复数 );(感情的)强烈程度;强度;烈度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 obstructed [əb'strʌktɪd] 第7级 | |
阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 ); 堵塞; 阻碍; 阻止 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 pulsate [pʌlˈseɪt] 第11级 | |
vi.有规律的跳动 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 obsessed [əb'ses] 第8级 | |
adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 unwilling [ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ] 第7级 | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 everlasting [ˌevəˈlɑ:stɪŋ] 第7级 | |
adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|