最苦与最乐

作者：梁启超    译者：陈雪峰

The Bitterest and the Happiest

Written by Liang Qichao;   translated by Chen Xuefeng 

人生什么事最苦呢？贫吗？不是；失意吗？不是；老吗？死吗？都不是。我说人生最苦的事，莫苦于身上背着一种未来的责任。人若能知足，虽贫不苦；若能安分（不多作分外希望），虽失意不苦；老、病、死，乃人生难免的事，达观的人看得很平常，也不算什么苦。独是凡人生在世间一天，便有一天应该做的事，该做的事没有做完，便像是有几千斤重担子压在肩头，再苦是没有的了。为什么呢？因为受那良心责备不过，要逃躲也没处逃躲呀。 

What's the bitterest thing in one's life? Is it poverty? No, it isn't. Is it one hasn't achieved his ambition? No, neither it is. Is it either one becoming old or facing death? No, neither of them is right. The bitterest thing in one's life, I say, is a duty for the future, which is also relying on his body. If one is content with one's lot, he will not feel hardship though in poverty. If one is happy to lead a simple virtuous life--or one doesn't expect more out of his share, he will still be happy in his chillness. Aged, illnesses, death--all are unavoidable things in one's life. However, an optimist will regard it quite normal, but not the so-called hardship. But as long as a man is living for one day in the world, he should do things assigned to him. And provided that he hasn't done those things he ought to do, he will be in great distress, like a heavy burden of several thousands kilograms pressing on his shoulders. Why?    You may ask. Since he will be suffered most from the blame of his conscience, he can not even find a place for running away or hiding himself.  

答应人办一件事没有办，欠了人的钱没有还，受了人的恩惠没有报答，得罪了人没有赔礼，这就连这个人的面也几乎不敢见他；纵然不见他的面，睡里梦里都像有他的影子来缠着我。为什么呢？因为觉得对不住他呀，因为自己对于他的责任还没有解除呀。不独是对于一个人如此，就是对于家庭，对于社会，对于国家，乃至对于自己，都是如此，凡属我受过他好处的人，我对于他便有了责任。凡属我应该做的事，而且力量能够做得到的，我对于这件事便有了责任。凡属我自己打主意要做一件事，便是现在的自己和将来的自己立了一种契约，便是自己对于自己加一层责任。有了这责任，那良心便时时刻刻监督在后头，一日应尽的责任没有尽，到夜里头便是过的苦痛日子。一生应尽的责任没有尽，便死也是带着苦痛往坟墓里去。这种苦痛却比不得普通的贫、病、老、死，可以达观排解得来。所以我说，人生没有苦痛便罢；若有苦痛，当然没有比这个更加重的了。 

You have promised doing one thing for a person, but you fail to do it at all; you have owed a person's money but don't give it pack; you have received other's benefaction but don't pay it back; you have offended another one but don't apologize to him. Then you will nearly not dare to meet any of them mentioned above. Even if you don’t face him, his shadow will still be haunting in your dreams. Why these happen? Because you feel guilty towards him, and you don't release yourself from the liabilities for him. Not only it is so toward a single person, but also it is the same to the family, society, nation, or even to yourself. 

I have my responsibilities for anyone who has given me advantages. I also have my obligations for anything which is under my responsibilities, and which can be completed within my strength. As soon as I have made my determination to do one thing, a contract will then be signed between two selves--the temporary one and the future one. Then it seems that I have added another burden on myself. After I have such a burden, I will always be supervised at any time by my conscience. In the evening, I will feel much agony as long as I haven’t completed my duties in that day. Even the distress will accompany me to my tomb as far as I haven't accomplished all my duties. Not like those ordinary sufferings such as poverty, illnesses, ageing or death, this kind of affliction can’t be released by optimism. Therefore, I can say so,

“it will be okay if there isn't any  hardship in one's life; otherwise, no suffering can be more heavier than that one.” 

翻过来看，什么事最快乐呢？自然责任完了，算是人生第一件乐事。古语说得好，“如释重负”；俗语亦说的是，“心上一块石头落了地”。人到这个时候，那种轻松、愉快，真是不可以言语形容。责任越重大，负责的日子越久长，到责任完了时，海阔天空，心安理得，那快乐还要加几倍哩。大抵天下事，从苦中得来的乐，才算是真乐，人生须知道负责任的苦处，才能知道有尽责任的乐处。这种苦乐循环，便是这有活力的人间一种趣味。可是不尽责任，受良心责备，这些苦都是自己找来的。一翻过来，处处尽责任，便处处快乐；时时尽责任，便时时快乐。快乐之权，操之在己。孔子所以说“无入而不自得”，正是这种作用。 

On the contrary， what is the happiest thing in one's life? Certainly it is the top pleasure in one's life after the completion of his liabilities. There is an good ancient saying, “it seems you have discharged your heavy burden.”And three is also another folksay, “the stone in your heart has already fallen down on the ground.”At that moment, people will become quite easy and happy, not being able to be described by words. The heavier the burden is, the longer the days for obligations become. As soon as the liabilities have been completed, one will be quite unrestrained and far-ranging. He is so contented that his happiness may be added by several times. Generally speaking, the pleasure pursued from hardship can only be called the true happiness. Only does he know the hardship when one is taking charge of duties, then he knows the happiness while one is answering for liabilities. Such circulation of bitter and joy is one interesting thing in this vigorous world. However, if you do not completely answered for your duties, you will be blamed by your conscience--those agonies are all found by yourself. On the other hand, you will be happy at any place provided that you have completed your duties; you will be joyous at any time if only you have answered for your liabilities. The power of pleasure is in your hands. Hence Confucius said so, “I am in self-congratulation at any place.”His speaking had told us its function.  

然则为什么孟子又说“君子有终身之忧”呢？因为越是圣贤、豪杰，他负的责任便越是重大；而且他常要把种种责任来揽在身上，肩头的担子，从没有放下的时节。曾子还说哩：“任重而道远……死而后已，不亦远乎？”那仁人、志士的忧民、忧国，那诸圣、诸佛的悲天、悯人，虽说他是一辈子感受苦痛，也都可以。但是他日日在那里尽责任，便日日在那里得苦中真乐。所以他到底还是乐，不是苦呀。 

Yet，why Mencius spoke，“a man of honor has his worry in his whole life”？For the more he likes a oracle or a hero, the heavier his burden will become. Moreover, he is usually charged with all kinds of responsibilities. The burden on his shoulders will never be laid down. And Zengzi also had said so, “my burden is so heavy，while my way is so distant....I will not take care of myself until my death. How noble-minded I am.” Just look at those persons of ideals and integrity，who are worrying about the people and the nation； and look at all sages and Buddhas，who are concerning the world and the human beings. In spite of his sufferings in all the life, he is still composed. But he may enjoy his real pleasure out of the hardship all the time as far as he presides over his obligations for every day. Thus he is eventually in happiness instead of bitterness.

有人说：“既然这苦是从负责任而生的，我若是将责任卸却，岂不是就永远没有苦了吗？”这却不然。责任是要解除了才没有，并不是卸了就没有。人生若能永远像两三岁小孩，本来没有责任，那就本来没有苦。到了长成，那责任自然压在你头上，如何能躲？不过有大小的分别罢了。尽得大的责任，就得大快乐；尽得小的责任，就得小快乐。你若是要躲，倒是自投苦海，永远不能解除了。（选自《饮冰室合集》，中华书局1989年影印本） 

“Since the sorrow has been produced from my taking charge of duties，”somebody may say，“I will be free forever from any suffering if I discharge my duties.” But it is not so. The duties can only be disappeared by elimination; but it will still be existing after being discharged. A person will essentially have no agony if there isn't any liability at all in his life, like that of a child around two to there years old. And after you have become an adult, those duties will surely fall on your head. How can you hind yourself from it? Only differences--the big and the small--may exist. You receive better happiness after you have fulfilled more obligations; and you acquire small enjoyment when you have finished less responsibilities. On condition that you want to avoid yourself from duties, you will like diving yourself into a miserable sea, in which you will never set yourself free.

（Abstracted from The Collected Edition of Ice-drinking Room，photocopied by Chung Hwa Book Co., Ltd. in 1989）