擁有一個不快樂的青春期有多重要：英語精讀講義

Being unhappy is never wholly to be recommended. 文法

不開心絕不是什麼值得提倡的事。

But if there is any period of life in which the mood may be justified and in certain ways judged important, 文法

但如果人生中有一段時期，這種情緒是情有可原，甚至在某種程度上被認為是重要的，

then it is roughly between the ages of 13 and 20.

那大概就是13歲到20歲這段時間。

It is hard to imagine going on to have a successful or even somewhat contented next six decades 片語動詞

很難想像，一個人在接下來的六十年裡能夠過上成功甚至稍微滿足的生活，

if one has not been the beneficiary of a good deal of agonizing introspection 講解

如果他沒有在這一時期受益於大量的痛苦反省，

and intense dislocation in this period.

以及強烈的迷惘與脫節感。

At the root of adolescent sorrow and rage 文法

青春期悲傷與憤怒的根源，

is the recognition that life is hugely harder, 文法

在於認識到生活要艱難得多，

more absurd, and less fulfilling

荒謬得多，成就感也少得多，

than one could ever hitherto have suspected or had been led to suppose 片語搭配

比他們迄今為止可能懷疑或被引導去設想的，

by kindly representatives of the adult world.

從那些友善的成人世界的代表那裡。

The sentimental protection of childhood falls away 片語動詞

童年溫情的保護層褪去，

and a range of searingly malevolent but profoundly important realizations strike.

一系列令人痛苦卻極其重要的領悟襲來。

For a start, one recognizes that no one understands. 表達脈絡

首先，人們會意識到沒有人理解自己。

That isn't quite true, but of course

這並不完全正確，但顯然，

the more complicated any human being is, 文法

一個人越是複雜，

the less likely they are to be easily and immediately understood.

他就越不可能被輕易且迅速地理解。

Therefore, as a child develops into an adult,

因此，隨著孩子長大成人，

the chances of those around them exactly sympathizing with

周圍人能完全體諒，

and swiftly grasping their inner condition necessarily decreases sharply.

並迅速掌握他們內心狀況的機會必然急遽下降。

The first response of the teenager is to think themselves uniquely cursed, 文法

青少年的第一反應是認為自己受到了獨特的詛咒，

but the better eventual insight is that true connection with another person

但最終更深刻的認識是，與另一個人建立真正的連結

is possible yet astonishingly rare.

是可能的，但卻驚人地罕見。

This leads one to a number of important moves.

這會引導人們邁出幾個重要步伐。

Firstly, to a heightened and more appropriate gratitude

首先，會對任何真正理解自己的人，

towards anyone who does understand.

產生更強烈且更適當的感激之情。

Secondly, to greater efforts to make oneself understood. 文法

其次，會更加努力地讓別人理解自己。

The sullen grunts of early adolescence

青春期早期的悶哼，

can give way to the enormous eloquence of the poetry, 片語動詞

可以讓位給青春期後期詩歌中展現的極大口才、

diaries, and songs of later teenagehood.

日記和歌曲。

The most beautiful pieces of communication humanity has ever produced

人類有史以來最美好的溝通作品，

have largely been the work of people who couldn't find anyone in the vicinity

很大程度上是由那些在周圍找不到任何

they could talk to.

可以說話的人所創作出來的。

And lastly, the sense that one is different from other people,

最後，感覺自己與眾不同的想法，

though it may be searingly problematic at the time, 文法

儘管當時可能會引發嚴重的問題，

represents a critical moment

卻代表了一個關鍵時刻：

when a new generation starts to probe at and selectively improve upon the existing order. 片語動詞

新一代人開始探索並有選擇地改善現有的秩序。

To be 16 and find everything perfect just as it is

16歲時若覺得一切都很完美，

would be a terrifyingly sterile position to adopt.

這將是一種令人感到恐懼的極度空虛的立場。

A refusal to accept the folly, error, and evil of the world

拒絕接受世界的愚蠢、錯誤和邪惡，

is a precondition of later achievement. 用詞

是日後取得成就的先決條件。

There really seems no alternative but to be miserable in mid-adolescence 文法

看來除了在青春期中期感到痛苦之外別無選擇，

if one is to stand any chance of making a go of the rest of one's life. 講解

如果一個人想要在餘生中獲得成功的機會。

Another key realization of adolescence is that one hates one's parents.

青春期的另一個重要認識是，人會討厭自己的父母。

Yet it is truly an enormous tribute to the love and care of parents 片語搭配

然而，這實際上是對父母之愛和照顧的極大讚頌，

if their teenage children turn around and tell them at the top of their voice 講解

如果十幾歲的孩子們轉過身，扯著嗓子告訴父母

that they loathe them.

他們有多討厭他們。

It isn't a sign that something has gone wrong, 表達脈絡

這不是什麼出了問題的跡象，

it's evidence that the child knows they are loved.

這是孩子知道自己被愛的證據。

The really worrying teenagers aren't those who misbehave around their parents

真正令人擔憂的青少年並不是那些在父母面前行為不端、

and take out their random misery on them. 片語動詞

並把無端痛苦發洩在他們身上的人。

It's those who are so worried about not being loved 文法

而是那些因為太擔心不被愛，

they can't afford to put a foot wrong. 慣用語

以至於不敢犯一點錯的人。

To develop proper trust in other human beings,

為了對其他人建立適當的信任，

it can be deeply important to be able to test a few examples,

能夠去測試幾個例子是非常重要的，

to tell them the very worst things one can think of,

告訴他們你能想到的最糟糕的事情，

and then watch them stick around and forgive one. 片語動詞

然後看著他們留下來並原諒你。

You have to have a few goes at breaking love to believe it can be solid. 片語搭配

你必須經歷幾次打破愛的嘗試，才能相信愛是堅固的。

And of course, one's parents really are rather annoying in many ways,

確實，父母在很多方面也是相當令人煩躁的，

but that too is an important realization.

但這同樣是一個重要的認識。

We would never leave home and become parents ourselves

我們永遠不會離家並自己成為父母，

if we weren't at some level compensating for the problems, mistakes, and vices 片語搭配

如果我們在某種程度上不是為了彌補我們在十四歲半時，

we had first identified in our own parents at the age of 14 and a half.

在自己父母身上最先發現的問題、錯誤和惡習。

Another source of teenage sorrow is how many big questions suddenly fill one's mind,

青春期悲傷的另一個來源是，腦海中突然充滿了許多大問題，

not least what is the point of it all? 講解

尤其是，這一切的意義何在？

This questioning too is vital.

這種質疑也是至關重要的。

The sort of questions that adolescents raise tend to get a bad name, 慣用語

青少年提出的那些問題往往名聲不佳，

but that's more to do with how they answer them 文法

但這更多是因為他們回答問題的方式，

than with the questions themselves.

而不是因為這些問題本身。

What is the meaning of life?

生命的意義是什麼？

Why is there suffering?

為什麼會有痛苦？

Why does capitalism not reward people more fairly?

為什麼資本主義不能更公平地回報人們？

Adolescents are natural philosophers.

青少年是天生的哲學家。

The true end point of adolescence is not, as it's sometimes suggested,

青春期的真正終點，並不像有時被認為的那樣，

that one stops asking huge questions and just gets on with the day-to-day. 片語動詞

是人們不再提出大問題並只是繼續過好每一天。

It's that one acquires the resources and intelligence to build an entire life 片語搭配

而是人們獲得了資源和智慧來構建一生，

around the sort of big questions that first obsessed one at 17.

去圍繞那些在17歲時首先讓人著迷的大問題。

Lastly, and most poignantly, teenagers tend to hate themselves.

最後，也是最令人心酸的一點，青少年往往討厭自己。

They hate the way they look, how they speak, 文法

他們討厭自己的長相、說話的方式、

the way they come across. 片語動詞

給人留下的印象。

It feels like the opposite of being loved, 表達脈絡

這感覺就像是被愛的反面，

but in fact these isolated, self-hating moments are the start of love.

但事實上，這些孤立的、自我憎惡的時刻是愛的開始。

These feelings are what will one day be the bedrock of the ecstasy 慣用語

這些感覺有一天將成為某種狂喜的基石，

we'll feel in the presence of that rare partner who can accept and desire us back.

當我們遇到那個能夠接受並回應我們渴望的罕見伴侶時。

Tenderness will mean nothing to us 文法

溫柔對我們來說將毫無意義，

unless we first spent many nights alone crying ourselves to sleep. 文法

除非我們首先經歷了許多獨自哭著入睡的夜晚。

Nature appears to have so arranged things 文法

大自然似乎做出了這樣的安排，

that we really can't get to certain insights without suffering.

讓我們不經歷痛苦就無法獲得某些見解。

The real distinction is between suffering with a purpose and suffering in vain. 文法

真正的區別在於有目的的痛苦和徒勞的痛苦。

For all the horrors of adolescence, one of its glories 文法

儘管青春期充滿恐怖，但它的榮耀之一，

is that the suffering it inflicts is largely securely rooted 片語搭配

在於它所施加的痛苦很大程度上，深深植根於

in some of the most crucial developments and realizations of adulthood.

成年後一些最關鍵的成長和領悟中。

These fascinatingly miserable few years should be celebrated

這迷人而痛苦的幾年應該被慶祝，

for offering us suffering at its best. 表達脈絡

因為它為我們提供了最美好形式的痛苦。

Thank you for watching, liking, and subscribing.

感謝您的觀看、按讚和訂閱。

If you want more, why not visit us in person

如果您想了解更多，何不親自拜訪我們，

and attend a class or take a look at our shop at the link on your screen now.

參加一門課程，或者現在點擊螢幕上的連結看看我們的商店。