A man came along playing the flute; he was a servant of some kind. He walked up the hill, still playing, and we followed him ; he turned into one of the side-streets, never ceasing to play. It was strange to hear the song of the flute in a noisy city, and its sound penetrated deep into the heart. It was very beautiful, and we followed the flute player for some distance. We crossed several streets and came to a wider one, better lighted.
有个人吹着笛子一路走来，他有着某种仆从的身份。他爬上山去，依然吹奏着，我们则跟在他后面；然后他转入了一条小巷，但从来没有停止吹奏。在一座嘈杂的城市里听到悠扬的笛声，真是一件奇妙的事情，它的声音摄人心魄。那笛声非常优美，我们跟随着吹笛人走了一些路程，然后穿过几条街来到了一条宽阔一些、灯光也明亮一些的街道上。
Farther on, a group of people were sitting cross-legged at the side of the road, and the flute player joined them. So did we; and we all sat around while he played. They were mostly chauffeurs, servants, night watchmen, with several children and a dog or two. Cars passed by, one driven by a chauffeur; a lady was inside, beautifully dressed and alone, with the inside light on. Another car drew up; the chauffeur got out and sat down with us. They were all talking and enjoying themselves, laughing and gesticulating, but the song of the flute never wavered, and there was delight.
更远处有一群人正盘腿坐在路边，那个吹笛人加入了他们，我们也加入了进去。他吹笛子的时候我们都坐在他的周围。这里的人多数是司机、仆人和守夜人，有着几个孩子和一两条狗。有汽车从旁边驶过，其中一辆由司机驾驶，车里的灯亮着，一位女士独自坐在车上，衣着靓丽。另一辆车开过来，司机下了车，和我们坐在一起。他们都在聊着天，大笑着，用手比划着，自得其乐，而那笛声从未停息过，有一种欢欣弥漫在四周。
Presently we left and took a road that led to the sea past the well-lit houses of the rich. The rich have a peculiar atmosphere of their own. However cultured, unobtrusive, ancient and polished, the rich have an impenetrable and assured aloofness, that inviolable certainty and hardness that is difficult to break down. They are not the possessors of wealth, but are possessed by wealth, which is worse than death.
不久我们就离开了人群，走上了一条通往海边的路，路旁经过的是富人们灯火通明的宅邸。富人们身上有着一股他们特有的气息。无论多么有文化、多么谦逊、多么有古风、多么优雅，他们总是带着一股顽固的、骄傲的冷漠态度，那是一种很难打破的不可侵犯的确定和坚硬。他们并非财富的占有者，而是被财富所占有，可这比死亡还要糟糕。
Their conceit is philanthropy; they think they are trustees of their wealth; they have charities, create endowments; they are the makers, the builders, the givers. They build churches, temples, but their god is the god of their gold. With so much poverty and degradation, one must have a very thick skin to be rich. Some of them come to question, to argue, to find reality. For the rich as for the poor, it is extremely difficult to find reality.
他们的自负来自于他们的慈善活动，他们自以为是自己财富的掌管者；他们拥有慈善事业，四处捐赠；他们是缔造者、修建者、施与者。他们建造教堂、庙宇，而他们的神明是他们的财富之神。世上有着如此严重的贫穷和腐化，一个人必须厚颜无耻才能致富。他们之中有一些人前来质疑、争辩和寻找真相。对于富人来说，发现真相是极其困难的事情，就和穷人一样。
The poor crave to be rich and powerful, and the rich are already caught in the net of their own action; and yet they believe and venture near. They speculate, not only upon the market, but upon the ultimate. They play with both, but are successful only with what is in their hearts. Their beliefs and ceremonies, their hopes and fears have nothing to do with reality, for their hearts are empty. The greater the outward show the greater the inward poverty.
穷人渴望得到财富和权势，而富人已经困在了自身行为的罗网中，但他们却依然抱持着信仰，依然涉险趋近。他们不仅在市场上投机，而且投机于那个终极之物。他们对两者都加以玩弄，但成功收获的只是他们内心的现状。他们的信仰和仪式，他们的希望和恐惧都与真相无关，因为他们内心是空洞的。外在越是强大，说明内心就越贫乏。
That Benediction is Where You Are, Excerpts from Writings
《生命的所有可能》之“作品节录”
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