翻译中不时碰到某些领域的词汇，甚至是核心词汇，但若将其他人的翻译代入，人云亦云，就会觉得很别扭。比如下面这一小段。

 For Spinoza, the conatusis what we term will when associated with the mind alone. This becomes appetite when linked with both the mind and the body. Then, when the appetite is consciously experienced, that becomes desire.

－The Art of Decision Making: How We Move from Indecision to Smart Choices, Joseph Bikart, Watkins, 2019, P112

 它涉及17世纪哲学家巴鲁克·斯宾诺莎（Baruch Spinoza）的will－appetite－desire序列，但三个单词的汉译并不统一，特别是appetite和desire。

will的争议性不大，一般译为“意志”，will也有“想要”的意思，按照刘清平的说法：任何基于意志（will）的行为者既想要（will）获得自己认为有益的，又想去除自己认为有害的，没有例外（《怎样界定善恶概念－兼论无价值学与规范价值学的区别》，人文杂志，2016.3）。

对appetite和desire的解释见于《伦理学》（Ethics）的第三部分：On the Origin and Nature of the Emotions。

李健版本的英文如下：

Note. This endeavor, when referred solely to the mind, is called will, when referred to the mind and body in conjunction it is called appetite; it is, in fact, nothing else but man's essence, from the nature of which necessarily follow all those results which tend to its preservation; and which man has thus been determined to perform.

Further, between appetite and desire there is no difference, except the term desire is generally applied to men, in so far as they are conscious of their appetite, and may accordingly be thus defined: desire is appetite with consciousness thereof.

－李健编译，《伦理学》，陕西人民出版社，P108

怀特（W. H. White）版的译文如下：

Scholium. This effort, when it is related to the mind alone, is called will, but when it is related at the same time both to the mind and the body, is called appetite, which is therefore nothing but the very ensure of man, from the nature of which necessarily follow those things which promote his preservation, and thus he is determined to do those things. Hence there is no difference between appetite and desire, unless in this particular, that desire is generally related to men in so far as they are conscious of their appetite, and it may therefore be defined as appetite of which we are conscious. …

－Ethics, Benedict Spinoza, Wordsworth Classics of World Literature, PP106-107

简而言之，appetite和desire本来没有区别，appetite主要指和身体有关的欲望，如食欲、性欲，等等，二者的惟一区别在于：当不仅仅表示身体的欲望，而是同时指身、心的欲望或某种愿望时，appetite就成了desire。比如“复仇的愿望”就译成the desire for revenge。

总之一：appetite和desire非常接近，但desire比appetite的内涵更广。

总之二：desire是意识到的appetite。

翻译之难就在于此。

搜索可见，appetite主要译为：欲望、欲求和冲动。有人将appetite译为“欲望”，相应地将desire译成“欲求”，而有人正好相反，将appetite译成“欲求”，而把desire译为“欲望”；我倾向于将desire译为“欲望”，如此译比较普遍，另外，我的一位编辑朋友看到此文后告诉我：desire与“欲望”之间的纽带最坚固，那么，appetite就不能译为“欲望”了，只能是“欲求”“冲动”或其他什么译名。

根据《斯宾诺莎的实践哲学》（冯炳昆译，商务印书馆，2005）第60页的译者注，appetite的拉丁原文为appetitus，贺麟在其译的《伦理学》前半部（第三部分命题二以前）和洪汉鼎在《斯宾诺莎书信集》中都译作“欲望”。但是，从《伦理学》第三部分命题九开始，因为与désir对称，贺麟的译文均改作“冲动”。

我感觉为了与desire区分开，将appetite译为“冲动”有点偏了。“冲动”更多用于表示情绪（emotion）或性格（character, nature）。

“冲动”可以排除。

如果将desire译为“欲望”，在没有更好译法的情况下，appetite只能是“欲求”了。我理解，appetite既是“欲”，也是“生理需求”，二者结合一下，反倒彰显了“欲求”的可取性。

谁把appetite译为“欲求”呢？

我在《形而上学》中见过，作者鲁伊吉·博格里奥罗，黑龙江人民出版社2005年出版，朱东华和詹文杰译，王晓朝审校。