伯特兰•罗素《On Work》-中英对照

      The satisfaction of killing time and of affording some outlet, however modest, for ambition, belongs to most work, and is sufficient to make even man whose work is dull happier on the average than a man who has no work at all. But when work is interesting, it is capable of giving satisfaction of a far higher order than mere relief from tedium. The kinds of work in which there is some interest may be arranged in a hierarchy. I shall begin with those which are only mildly interesting and end with those that are worthy to absorb the whole energies of a great man.

    多数工作都能使人满意地消磨掉时问，而且给人们实现抱负提供某种途径．不论迷途径多么不起眼。一般说来这足以使一个即使干枯燥无味的工作的人也比没有事情的人快乐。但如果从事有趣的工作，便能给人以比仅仅是解闷要高级得多的满足。有兴趣的工作可以按其包含兴趣之多少顺序排列，我将先谈小有兴趣的工作，最后谈那些值得伟大的人物投入全部精力的工作。

     Two chief elements make work interesting: first, the exercise of skill, and second, construction.

    两个主要因素使工作有趣，一是需使用技巧，二是有建设性。

    Every man who has acquired some unusual skill enjoys exercising it until it has become a matter of course, or until he can no longer improve himself. This motive to actively begins in early childhood: a boy who can stand on his head becomes reluctant to stand on his feet. A great deal of work gives the same pleasure that is to be derived from games of skill. The work of a lawyer or a politician must contain in a more delectable form a great deal of the same pleasure that is to be derived from playing bridge.

    凡是掌握了不寻常的技巧的人都喜欢运用这技巧，直至成为不希奇的事或他再也不能提高时为止。这一想要表现灵巧的动力从儿童时代之初就开始存在了：一个能拿大顶的男孩不愿站着。许多工作和靠技艺取胜的游戏一样培人以同样的快乐。律师或政冶家的工作一定以更愉快的形式包台着许多和从打桥牌中得到的同样的快乐。

    Here of course there is not only the exercise of skill but the outwitting of a skilled opponent. Evenwhere this competitive element absent，however，the performance of difficult feats is agreeable．A man who can do stunts in an aeroplane finds the pleasure so great that for the sake of it he is willing to risk his life .I imagine that all able surgeon•,in spite of the painful circumstances in which his work is done，derives satisfaction from the exquisite precision of his operations .The same kind of pleasure,though in a less intensce form is to be derived from a great deal of work of a humbler kind .

    当然这里不仅运用了技巧，而且还在斗智上胜过了一个有奉事的对手。即使在不存在竞争因素的情况下，表演高难的绝技也是椿惬意事。会用飞机进行特技飞行的人从中获得巨大的快乐，以致甘愿为此冒生命危险。我想象尽管一个能干的外科医生进行工作时的气氛是痛苦的，他也能从精湛的手术中得到满足。从大量较为低下的工作中也能得到同样的、虽然在程度上没有那么强烈的快乐。

    AIl skilled work can be pleasurable，provided the skill required is either variable or capable of indefinite improvement .If these conditions are absent．it will cease to be interesting, when a man has acquired his maximum skill .

    只要工作中需要的技巧不是一成不变的，或存在着不断提高的余地，那么一切需要熟练技巧的工作都会是令人愉快的，但如不具备上述二条件，在人们技巧掌握到头了以后，这种工作便不再会是有趣的了。

      A man who runs three-mile races will cease to find pleasure ln this occupation when he passes the age at which he can beat his own previous record．Fortunately  there is a very considerable amount of work in which new circumstances call for new skilI and a man can go on improving,, at any rate until he has reached middle age .

    一个从事三英里长跑的人到了不能再打破自己的记录的年龄以后，就不会再从这职业中得到乐趣了。幸而有极大量的工作随新的情况麻需要新的技巧，人们可以不断提高自己的技巧，至少可以一直继续到中年以后。

      In some kinds of skilled work such as politics,for example，It seems that men are at their best between sixty and seventy，the reason being that in such occupations a wide experience of other men is essential. For this reason succsssful politicians are apt to be happier at the age of seventy than any other men of equal age .Their only competitors in this respect are the men who are the heads of big businesses．

     从事某些技巧工作的人，如政治工作，似乎是到六十岁至七十岁之间才能到炉火纯青的地步，原因是在这类职业中，他人的广泛的经验至共重要。因此有成就的政治家在七十岁时往往会比其它同龄人幸福。在这一点上唯一能与他们扰衡的是大公司的首脑。

    There is，however，another element possessed by tbe best work．which ls even nlore important as a gotu'ce oI happmess than is the exercise of skill.This is the element of In some work．though by means in most something is built up which remains as a monument when the work is completed．

    然而最好的工作还具有另一因素，是比运用技巧更为重要的能给人以幸福的因素，这便是建设性。有些工作在完成后会象纪念碑一样存留下去，尽管，并非多数工作都能如此。

   We may distinguish construction from destruction by the following criterion .In construction the initial slate of affairs is comparatively haphazardwhile the final state of affairs embodies a purpose in destruction the reverse is the case，the InitiaI state of affairs embodies a purpose，while the final slatce of affairs is haphazard．that is to sav，all that is intended by the destroyer is to  produce a state of affairs which does not embody a certain  purpose .

    我们可以用下列标准区分是建设还是破坏。如系建设，则初始阶段事情的状态较为缺少章法，而到最后阶段则体现出某个意图来。如为破坏，则正好相反，初始阶段体现出某个意图，而最后阶段则是缺少章法，也就是说，破坏者的唯一目的是制造出一个不体现某一意图的状态来。

    This eriterion applies in the most literal and obvious case,namely the construction  and destruction of buildings In consI ructing a building a previously made plan is carried out ,whereas in destroying it no one  decides exactly how the materials are to Iie when the demolition is completed.Destruction is of course neccessary very often as a preliminary to subsequent constructIon，In that case it is part of a whole which is constructive .

    这一标准适用于最具体而明显的一个例子，即建造和拆除房屋。在建造房屋时预先计划好的方案得到实施，而在拆除时没有人确切规定拆毁后残砖碎瓦应如何分布。当然破坏常常是随之而来的建设的必要准备，在这种状况下它便是整个建设的一部分。

   But not infrcquently a man will engage in activities of which the purpose is destructive without regard to any construcion that may come after.Frequently he will conceal this from himself by the belief that he is only sweeping away in order to build afresh，but it is generally possible to unmask this pretense ,when it is a pretense by asking him what the subsequcnt construction is to be.

    但有时人会从事旨在破坏而不考虑此后可能进行的任何建设的活动，他常常会用相信自己是为了重新建设才横扫一切的来对自己隐瞒这一点，但一般说来如果这是个借口，只要问他随后的建设是什么便可能揭穿他。

     On this subject it will be found that he will speak vaguely and without enthusiam ,whereas on the  preliminary destruction he has spoken precisely and with zest .This applies to not a few revolutionaries and militarists and other apostles of violence.

    人们会发现在这一个问题上他会说得很含糊而且毫无热情，但他对作为准备工作的破坏却已津津有味地谈得十分具体。不少的革命家、尚武分子及其它暴力的信徒们就是如此。

They are actuated ,usually without their own knowledge ,by hatred: the destruction of what they hate is their real purpose ,and they are comparatively indifferent to the question what is to come after it.Now I cannot deny that in the work of destruction as in the work of construction there may be joy .

    他们为仇恨所驱使，但往往自已还没意识到这一点。他们的真正目的已毁灭他们仇恨的事物，相对来说对随后应如何做的问题是不关心的。我无法否认在从事破坏性的工作中，和建设性的工作一样也可能有快乐。

   It is a fiereer joy ,perhaps at moments more intense ,but it is less profoundly satisfyig ,since the result is one in which little satisfaction is to be found .You kill your enemy ,and when he is dead your occupation is gone ,and the satisfaction that you derive from victory quickly fades.

   这是一种更为狂暴的快乐，也许有时更为强烈，但却没有那样能给人以深深的满足，因为从它的结果中找不到什幺满足。你杀死了敌人，他一死你的职业就不存在了，你从胜利中得来的满足很快就消失了。

     The work of construction ,on the other hand ,when completed is delightful to contemplate ,and moreover is never so fully completed that there is nothing further to do  about it.The most satisfactory purposes are those that lead on indefinitely from one success to another without ever coming to a dead end ;and in this respect it will be found that construction is a greater source of happiness than destruction .

    而建设性的工作在完成后一想到就令人愉快。而且永远也不会完成得彻底到再没有什幺可干的了。最令人满意的目标是那些能永无终止地从一个成功导向另一个成功而不会走进死胡同的目标，在这个方面人们会发现建设比破坏是幸福的更大源泉。

     Perhaps it would be more correct to say that those who find satisfaction in consrruction find in it greater satisfaction than the lovers of destruction find in destruction ,for if once you have become filled with hate you will  not easily derive from construction the pleasure which another man would derive from it.

   也许更正确的说法应该是．从建设中获得满足的人能从建设中比热爱破坏的人从破坏中得到更大的满足，因为你一旦变得充满了仇恨，就不会很容易地从建设中得到别的人可以从中得到的乐趣。