為什麼我們注定會孤獨：英語精讀講義

There are a few more shameful confessions to make than that we are lonely.

很少有什麼坦白比承認自己孤獨更讓人感到羞恥。

The basic assumption is that no respectable person could ever feel isolated, 表達脈絡

人們的基本假設是，體面的人決不會感到孤立無援，

unless maybe they just moved country or been widowed. 用詞

除非他們剛搬到異國他鄉，或者剛剛喪偶。

Yet in truth, a high degree of loneliness 表達脈絡

但事實上，高度的孤獨感

is an inexorable part of being a sensitive, intelligent human. 片語搭配

是成為一個敏感、聰明的人不可避免的一部分。

It's a built-in feature of a complex existence.

這是複雜生存狀態的固有特徵。

There are several big reasons for this.

有幾個主要原因可以解釋這一點。

Much of what we need recognized and confirmed by others,

許多我們需要他人認可和確認的事情，

a lot of what it would be extremely comforting to share,

許多分享出來會讓我們感到極大安慰的事情，

is going to be disturbing to society at large. 片語搭配

在整個社會看來往往是令人不安的。

Many of the ideas in the recesses of our minds 慣用語

我們內心深處的許多想法

are too odd, contrary, subtle, or alarming 文法

都太古怪、太反叛、太微妙或太令人警惕，

to be safely revealed to anyone else.

以至於無法安全地向任何人透露。

We face a choice between honesty and acceptability, 片語搭配

我們在誠實與可被接受之間面臨抉擇，

and understandably, mostly choose the latter. 用詞

而可以理解的是，我們通常選擇後者。

It takes a lot of energy to listen to another person 文法

傾聽他人並對他們的經歷產生共鳴

and enter sympathetically into their experiences.

需要耗費大量的精力。

We shouldn't blame others for their failure to focus on who we are.

我們不應責怪別人沒能將注意力放在我們身上。

They may want to meet us,

他們可能想認識我們，

but we should accept the energy with which they will keep 文法

但我們應該接受他們在對話中投入的精力

the topic of their own lives at the center of the conversation.

總是圍繞著他們自己的生活打轉。

We must all die alone,

我們都必須獨自面對死亡，

which really means that our pain is for us alone to endure.

這其實意味著我們的痛苦只能由自己來承受。

Others can throw us words of encouragement,

別人可以對我們說些鼓勵的話，

but in every life, we are out on the ocean, drowning in the swell, 慣用語

但在人生的每個階段，我們都像在海面上，被巨浪淹沒，

and others, even the nice ones, are standing on the shore,

而其他人，即便是那些好心人，都站在岸上，

waving cheerily.

興高采烈地揮手。

It's deeply unlikely that we will ever find someone

我們極其不可能找到一個

on exactly the same page of the soul as us. 慣用語

在靈魂層面上與我們完全同頻的人。

We will long for utter congruity, 片語搭配

我們會渴望徹底的契合，

but there will be constant dissonance because we appeared on the earth at different times, 慣用語

但總會有持續的摩擦，因為我們出現在地球上的時間不同，

are the product of different families and experiences,

是不同家庭和經歷的產物，

and are just not made of quite the same fabric. 慣用語

並且根本就不是同一種材質做成的。

So, they won't be thinking just the same as us on coming out of the cinema, 文法

所以，當他們走出電影院，

and looking out at the night sky.

望著夜空時，他們的想法不會和我們完全一樣。

Just when we want them to say something high-flown and beautiful, 用詞

正當我們希望他們說些高深優美的話時，

they will perhaps be remembering a painfully banal

他們也許正回想著那些極其平庸、

and untimely detail from an area of domestic life,

且不合時宜的家庭生活瑣事，

or vice versa. 片語搭配

反之亦然。

It is almost comic.

這簡直有些滑稽。

We will almost certainly never meet the people

我們幾乎肯定永遠不會遇到

best qualified to understand us,

最能理解我們的人，

but they do exist. 文法

但他們確實存在。

Probably, they once walked past us in the street,

也許，他們曾在大街上與我們擦肩而過，

though neither of us had the slightest idea of the potential for connection. 片語搭配

儘管我們倆都絲毫沒有意識到彼此可能會有交集。

Or maybe, they died in Sydney 2 weeks ago,

或者也許，他們兩週前在雪梨去世了，

or wouldn't be born until the 22nd century. 文法

又或者要到22世紀才會出生。

It isn't a conspiracy.

這不是什麼陰謀。

We would just have needed a lot more luck. 文法

我們只是需要更多的運氣。

The problem is sure to get worse 文法

我們越是深思熟慮和敏銳，

the more thoughtful and perceptive we are.

這個問題就注定會變得越發嚴重。

There will simply be less people like us around. 文法

因為像我們這樣的人只會越來越少。

It isn't a romantic myth.

這不是什麼浪漫的神話。

Loneliness truly is a kind of tax 慣用語

孤獨真的是一種稅，

we have to pay to atone 片語搭配

是我們為了彌補

for a certain complexity of mind.

思維的某種複雜性而必須付出的代價。

The desire to undress someone

想要脫下某人衣服的慾望

is for a long time far more urgent

在很長一段時間裡，要比

than the desire for good conversation.

想要進行愉快交談的慾望迫切得多。

And so, we end up locked in relationships 片語動詞

因此，我們最終陷入了

with certain people we don't have much to say to 片語搭配

與某些無話可說的人的關係中，

because we were once fatefully interested in the shape of their nose

因為我們曾命中注定般地迷戀過他們鼻子的形狀，

or the color of their remarkable eyes.

或是他們那雙迷人眼眸的顏色。

And yet, despite all this, 表達脈絡

然而，儘管如此，

we shouldn't be frightened or discomfited by our pervasive loneliness. 用詞

我們不應被這無孔不入的孤獨感所驚嚇或感到不安。

At an exasperated moment near the end of his life,

在臨近生命盡頭的一個惱怒時刻，

the German writer Goethe, who appeared to have had a lot of friends, 文法

看似朋友眾多的德國作家 Goethe（歌德）

exploded bitterly,

曾痛苦地爆發：

"No one has ever properly understood me. 表達脈絡

「從來沒有誰真正理解過我。

I have never fully understood anyone.

我也從未完全理解過任何人。

No one understands anyone else."

沒有人理解別人。」

It was a helpful outburst from such a great man.

對於這樣一位偉人來說，這是一種有益的情感宣洩。

It isn't our fault.

這不是我們的錯。

A degree of distance and mutual incomprehension

一定程度的距離感和相互不理解

isn't a sign that life has gone wrong. 片語動詞

並不意味著生活出了差錯。

It's what we should expect from the very start.

這就是我們從一開始就該有的預期。

And when we do, benefits can follow. 文法

當我們這樣做時，好處便會隨之而來。

Once we accept loneliness, we can get creative. 文法

一旦接受了孤獨，我們就能變得富有創造力。

We can start to send out messages in a bottle. 慣用語

我們可以開始發送瓶中信。

We can sing, write poetry, produce books and blogs,

我們可以唱歌、寫詩、出書、寫部落格，

activities stemming from the realization 片語搭配

這些活動都源於一種認識：

that people around us won't ever fully get us, 用詞

我們周圍的人可能永遠無法完全理解我們，

but that others, separated across time and space, 文法

但那些跨越時空的人，

might just.

或許可以。

The history of art is the record of people

藝術史就是由那些

who couldn't find anyone in the vicinity to talk to.

在附近找不到說話對象的人所書寫的紀錄。

And we can take up the coded offer of intimacy, 慣用語

我們可以接受這種隱秘的親密邀請，

in say the words of a Roman poet who died in 10 BC,

比如死於公元前10年的羅馬詩人的字句，

or the lyrics of a singer who described just our blues

或者是1963年納許維爾的一張唱片中，

in a recording from Nashville in 1963.

一位恰好唱出我們憂傷的歌手的歌詞。

Loneliness makes us more capable of true intimacy,

孤獨讓我們更有能力建立真正的親密關係，

if ever better opportunities do come along. 文法

如果將來真的有更好的機會出現的話。

It heightens the conversations we have with ourselves.

它提升了我們與自己對話的質量。

It gives us a character.

它塑造了我們的性格。

We don't repeat what everyone else thinks.

我們不會鸚鵡學舌般重複別人的想法。

We develop a point of view.

我們會形成自己的觀點。

We might be isolated for now,

我們或許眼下是孤立的，

but we'll be capable of far closer,

但我們將有能力與

more interesting bonds

我們最終找到的任何人，建立更親密、

with anyone we do eventually locate.

更有趣的聯繫。

Loneliness renders us elegant and strangely alluring. 用詞

孤獨使我們變得優雅，且散發著奇特的魅力。

It suggests there's more about us to understand

它表明我們身上還有更多等待被理解的東西，

than the normal patterns of social intercourse can accommodate, 用詞

超出了常規社交模式所能容納的範疇，

which is something we can take pride in.

這是我們可以引以為傲的事情。

A sense of isolation truly is,

正如我們所懷疑的，但通常出於害怕顯得傲慢

as we suspect but usually prevent ourselves from feeling

而阻止自己去感受的那樣，

from fear of arrogance,

孤立感確實

a sign of depth.

是一種有深度的標誌。

When we admit our loneliness,

當我們承認自己的孤獨時，

we are signing up to a club 慣用語

我們就等同於加入了一個俱樂部，

that includes the people we know

裡面的成員包括那些我們透過

from the paintings of Edward Hopper, 文化背景

Edward Hopper（愛德華·霍普）的畫作、

the poems of Baudelaire,

Baudelaire（波特萊爾）的詩歌，

and the songs of Leonard Cohen.

以及 Leonard Cohen（李歐納·柯恩）的歌曲所認識的人。

Lonely, we enter a long and grand tradition. 文法

感到孤獨時，我們步入了一個悠久而宏大的傳統。

We find ourselves surprisingly in great company. 慣用語

我們會驚訝地發現自己正與偉大的靈魂為伴。

Enduring loneliness is almost invariably better

忍受孤獨，幾乎總是好過

than suffering the compromises of false community.

忍受虛偽群體的妥協。

Loneliness is simply a price we may have to pay

孤獨，只不過是我們為了堅持一種對友誼應當且可能是什麼樣的

for holding on to a sincere, ambitious view 片語動詞

真誠而抱負不凡的願景，

of what companionship must and could be. 文法

所必須付出的代價。