大学英语四六级经典阅读：The Road to Happiness 幸福之道

 

There are a great many people who have all the material conditions of happiness, i.e. health and a sufficient income, and who, nevertheless, are profoundly unhappy. In such cases it would seem as if the fault must lie with a wrong theory as to how to live. In one sense, we may say that any theory as to how to live is wrong. We imagine ourselves more different from the animals than we are. Animals live on impulse, and are happy as long as external conditions are favorable. 

 

很多人具备获得幸福的所有物质条件，即健康的身体和丰厚的收入，可是他们并不快乐。就这种情况来说，似乎问题出于一种错误的生活理论上。从某种意义上讲，任何关于生活的理论都是不正确的。我们和动物的区别并没有我们想像的那么大。动物是凭本能的冲动生活的，只要客观条件有利，它们就会很快乐。 

 

In civilized societies, especially in English-speaking societies, this is too apt to be forgotten. People propose to themselves some one paramount objective, and restrain all impulses that do not minister to it. A businessman may be so anxious to grow rich that to this end he sacrifices health and private affections. When at last he has become rich, no pleasure remains to him except harrying other people by exhortations to imitate his noble example. 

 

在文明社会中，特别是在讲英语的社会中，这一点很容易被忘却。人们给自己定下一个至高无上的目标，对一切不利于现实这一目标的冲动都加以克制。生意人可能因为急切盼望发财以致不惜牺牲健康和爱情。有朝一日终于发了财，他除了苦苦劝人效法他的好榜样而搅得别人心烦外，并没有得到快乐。 

 

The whole subject of happiness has, in my opinion, been treated too solemnly. It had been thought that man cannot be happy without a theory of life or a religion. Perhaps those who have been rendered unhappy by a bad theory may need a better theory to help them to recovery, just as you may need a tonic when you have been ill. But when things are normal a man should be healthy without a tonic and happy without a theory. It is the simple things that really matter. 

 

在我看来，人们一直都太过于严肃地对待关于快乐的话题。过去一直有这样的看法：如果没有一种生活的理论或者宗教信仰，人是不可能幸福的。也许那些由于生活理论不佳而导致不快乐的人需要一种更好的理论帮助他们重新快活起来，就像你生病需要吃补药一样。但是，正常情况下，一个人不吃补药也应当是健康的；没有生活的理论也应当是幸福的。真正有关系的是一些简单的事情。 

 

Man is an animal, and his happiness depends on his physiology more than he likes to think. This is a humble conclusion, but I cannot make myself disbelieve it. Unhappy businessmen, I am convinced, would increase their happiness more by walking six miles every day than by any conceivable change of philosophy. 

 

人是动物，他的幸福更多的时候取决于其生理状况而非思想状况。这是一个很庸俗的理论，然而我无法使自己怀疑它。我确信，不幸福的商人与其寻找可能的理论来使自己幸福，还不如每天步行六英里更见效。 

 

词汇注释 

 

impulse n. 冲动 

 

paramount adj. 最重要的 

 

exhortation n. 劝告，训词 

 

solemnly adv. 严肃地，庄严地 

 

tonic n. 补药 

 

philosophy n. 哲学，哲理