哲學 - 斯多葛學派：英語精讀講義

This is a film about Stoicism and why you need more of it in your life

這部短片是關於斯多葛學派，以及為什麼你的生活中需要更多的斯多葛主義，

because as people seldom tell you but we will quietly.

因為人們很少告訴你，但我們會悄悄告訴你。

Stoicism was a philosophy that flourished for 480 years in ancient Greece and Rome

斯多葛主義是一種在古希臘和古羅馬繁榮了480年的哲學，

and was popular with everyone from slaves to the aristocracy 文法

它在從奴隸到貴族的各個階層中都很受歡迎，

because unlike so much philosophy it was helpful.

因為與許多其他哲學不同，它是很有用的。

Helpful when we panic, want to give up, despair and rage at existence.

當我們恐慌、想放棄、絕望和對存在感到憤怒時，它很有用。

We still honor this philosophy

我們至今仍在致敬這種哲學，

whenever we think of someone as brave

每當我們認為某人很勇敢時，

and without perhaps quite knowing why

也許並不完全知道為什麼，

call them stoic. 用詞

就會稱他們為「斯多葛」。

There are two great philosophers of Stoicism.

斯多葛學派有兩位偉大的哲學家。

The first is the Roman writer and tutor to Nero, Seneca.

第一位是羅馬作家兼尼祿的導師，塞內卡。

He lived between AD 4 and AD 65.

他生活在公元4年到65年之間。

That's right, tutor to Nero,

沒錯，尼祿的導師，

the infamous dictator who slept with his own mother,

那個臭名昭著的獨裁者，與自己的母親亂倫，

raped young boys

強暴小男孩，

and just because he felt like it 片語搭配

而且僅僅因為他一時興起，

asked his old tutor Seneca to commit suicide

就要求他的老導師塞內卡自殺，

in front of his own family.

就在塞內卡自己的家人面前。

And our other guide to Stoicism is

而我們的另一位斯多葛主義導師是

the kind and magnanimous Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius

仁慈而寬宏大量的羅馬皇帝馬可·奧理略，

AD 121 to 180

公元121年到180年，

who was forced to spend most of his reign

他被迫將統治的大部分時間

on the edges of the empire

花在帝國邊緣，

fighting off invincible Germanic hordes 片語動詞

抵禦不可戰勝的日耳曼部落，

but found time to write one of the greatest works of philosophy 片語搭配

卻在夜間的帳篷裡

the Meditations

抽空寫下了最偉大的哲學著作之一，

in his tent at night.

《沉思錄》。

There are two problems Stoicism can help us with in particular.

斯多葛主義尤其能幫我們解決兩個問題。

The first is anxiety.

第一個是焦慮。

When you're feeling anxious about something

當你對某事感到焦慮時，

most people are maddening.

大多數人的反應令人抓狂。

They believe it's their duty to cheer you up. 講解

他們認為讓你高興起來是他們的責任。

However intelligent they might otherwise be. 文法

無論他們平時有多聰明。

They say things like "It'll be okay. Don't worry."

他們會說「會好起來的。別擔心。」

Even "Cheer up."

甚至說「開心點。」

The Stoics were appalled.

斯多葛學派對此感到震驚。

They hated any kind of consolation

他們討厭任何旨在

that aims to give the listener hope.

給傾聽者希望的安慰。

Hope is the opium of the emotions 慣用語

希望是情感的鴉片，

and must be stamped out conclusively 片語動詞

必須被徹底根除，

for a person to stand any chance of inner peace 片語搭配

一個人才有機會獲得內心的平靜，

because hope only lifts you up higher 慣用語

因為希望只會把你捧得更高，

for the eventual fall.

最終摔得更慘。

The Stoics advised us to take a different path.

斯多葛學派建議我們走另一條路。

To be calm

為了保持平靜，

one has to tell oneself something very dark. 文法

一個人必須告訴自己一些非常黑暗的事情。

It will be terrible.

事情會變得很糟糕。

I might have to go to prison.

我可能得去坐牢。

The lump really could be malignant.

那個腫塊真的可能是惡性的。

I probably will be fired and humiliated.

我很可能會被解僱並受到羞辱。

My friends almost certainly will succeed.

我的朋友們幾乎肯定會成功。

But a huge consoling stoic but one must keep in mind that one will nevertheless 片語搭配

但一個巨大的、令人安慰的斯多葛式轉折是，你必須記住，無論如何

be okay.

你都會沒事的。

Okay because in the end

沒事，因為到最後，

as Marcus Aurelius said

正如馬可·奧理略所說，

we are each of us stronger than we think.

我們每個人都比自己想像的更堅強。

Prison won't be fun

坐牢不會好玩，

nor will losing one's job 文法

丟掉工作也不會，

or being made a laughing stock 慣用語

成為笑柄也不會，

but one will get through it. 片語動詞

但你終會熬過去的。

Stoicism emboldens us against the worst fate can throw at us. 慣用語

斯多葛主義使我們有勇氣面對命運能拋給我們的最壞情況。

And if you really really can't take it

如果你真的真的無法承受，

suicide is always an option.

自殺永遠是一個選擇。

The Stoics mentioned this repeatedly.

斯多葛學派反覆提到這一點。

Here is Seneca.

這裡是塞內卡的話。

Can you no longer see a road to freedom?

你是否已看不到通往自由的路？

It's right in front of you.

它就在你面前。

You need only turn over your wrists. 文法

你只需翻轉你的手腕。

To build up an impression of one's own resilience

為了建立對自己韌性的認知，

the Stoics suggested one regularly rehearse worst case scenarios. 片語搭配

斯多葛學派建議人們定期排練最壞的情況。

For example twice a year

例如，每年兩次，

one should take off one's smart clothes,

一個人應該脫下體面的衣服，

get into some dirty rags,

換上髒兮兮的破布，

sleep on a rug in the kitchen floor

睡在廚房地板的墊子上，

and eat only stale bread and rainwater from an animal's bowl.

只吃不新鮮的麵包，喝動物碗裡的雨水。

And thereby you'll make an amazing discovery.

由此你會有一個驚人的發現。

As Marcus Aurelius put it 片語搭配

正如馬可·奧理略所說，

almost nothing material is needed for a happy life

對於一個理解了存在的人來說，

for he who has understood existence.

幸福的生活幾乎不需要任何物質。

Another subject of interest to the Stoics was anger.

斯多葛學派感興趣的另一個主題是憤怒。

Romans were a bad tempered lot. 用詞

羅馬人脾氣很暴躁。

The Stoics wanted to calm them down 片語動詞

斯多葛學派想讓他們平靜下來，

but they did so by an unusual route

但他們通過一種不尋常的途徑，

by intellectual argument.

即理性的辯論。

They proposed that getting angry isn't something you do by nature

他們提出，生氣並不是你的本性，

because you have a Latin temper

不是因為你有拉丁人的脾氣，

or are somehow inherently hot blooded. 慣用語

或者天生就熱血沸騰。

It's the result of being stupid,

它是愚蠢的結果，

of having the wrong ideas about life.

是對生活有錯誤認知的結果。

Anger stems when misplaced hope smashes into unforeseen reality. 慣用語

憤怒源於錯位的希望撞上了不可預見的現實。

We don't shout every time something bad happens to us 文法

我們不會在每次發生壞事時大喊大叫，

only when it's bad and unexpected.

只有當它是壞事且出乎意料時才會。

For example, you'd never shout just because it started raining

例如，你絕不會因為開始下雨就大喊大叫，

even though rain can be horrible

儘管下雨可能很糟糕，

because you've learned to expect rain.

因為你已經學會了預料到會下雨。

The same should apply to everything. 片語搭配

同樣的道理也應適用於一切事物。

Don't only expect rain,

不要只預期下雨，

expect betrayal, infamy, sadism, theft, humiliation, lust, greed, spite.

還要預期背叛、臭名昭著、施虐、偷竊、羞辱、色慾、貪婪、怨恨。

One will stop being so angry

當一個人了解了生活悲慘的真相時，

when one learns the true facts of the misery of life.

就會停止如此憤怒。

The wise person should aim to reach a state 文法

智者應該致力於達到這樣一種狀態：

where simply nothing could suddenly disturb their peace of mind. 片語搭配

簡直沒有什麼能突然擾亂他們內心的平靜。

Every tragedy should already be priced in. 慣用語

每一場悲劇都應該已經被預料在內。

We're going to leave you with the most beautiful remark that Seneca made 表達脈絡

我們想用塞內卡說過的一句最美的話作為結尾，

just as Nero's guards were grabbing him and shoving him into a bathroom

就在尼祿的守衛抓住他，把他推入浴室時，

where he was meant to take a sharp knife and kill himself. 文法

他本應在那裡拿一把鋒利的刀自殺。

His wife Paulina and two children were panicking, weeping, clinging to his cloaks

他的妻子保利娜和兩個孩子恐慌、哭泣，緊緊抓住他的斗篷，

but Seneca turned to them, pulled a weary smile at them and simply said

但塞內卡轉向他們，對他們擠出一個疲憊的微笑，簡單地說道：

"What need is there to weep over parts of life? 文法

「何必為生活中的某些部分哭泣？

The whole of it calls for tears." 片語動詞

它的全部都值得落淚。」

We have much to learn from the Stoics.

我們可以從斯多葛學派那裡學到很多。