痴
随手翻阅2008年最后一期《英语学习》，其中杂文英译『别活得太“痴”』（E.L.L. December 2008 No.12）读来颇有点意思。作者对“痴”的解析，译者对关键词“痴”的英译均见地不凡。
“满纸荒唐言，一把辛酸泪。都云作者痴，谁解其中味？”《红楼梦》中的这个“痴”不知杨宪益他们作何翻译？该不会等同于CRAZE？
别活得太『痴』 星竹 文
如今是一个竞争激烈的世界，为此，人们都在受着如何努力的鞭策和教育。于是，三岁的孩子就会弹钢琴，五岁的孩子就能上台演出，六岁的孩子就能倒背千家诗，十三四岁的孩子就上了大学。这样的事，如今天下真是太多了。人们已经大大提前了做事谋生的时间和手段。人人都在拼命。
仔细想想，这的确是一个让人发狂发疯的世界。有句老话，叫做“不成疯魔，不成活”。为了终能疯魔，过上好日子，就得与人去竞争。于是，人在娘胎里就开始被加紧培养着，一出世，便开始学习如何拼命如何追求的本领了。
人的追求如果到了一定份上，俨然就是一种“痴”的表现了。有人说，人必须达到痴的程度才能把事情做好。也只有到了痴的程度，人们才能达到那种忘我的程度，忘掉自己，似乎也就做成了大事。大概是这样一个过程。因此，如今的痴人遍地都是。
在这个世间，确有许多事，会让人去发痴。痴情是让人羡慕的，痴心也是让人敬佩的。人要追求，常常不得不达到一种“痴”的程度。人痴了，就忘了钟点，忘了吃饭，忘了睡觉，甚至忘了活着到底是为了什么。
早些年，知识分子读书，读得痴了，就往电线杆子上撞。工人干活，干得痴了，就躺在机器边上睡，结果发生了事故。开车的跑得痴了，就把车开进了马路沟里。“痴”人不犯错的不多。这大概也是一个规律。
早些年我也痴过，觉得为神圣的事物，每个人都应该去痴一把。现在我才知道，真到了“痴”的分上，也是一种坑人害己，是一种大苦。读书要是读得痴了，就成了傻子，整天和人家抬杠较真，不识时务。看歌星、看影星看得多了，也要犯痴了，整天傻乎乎的追着人家屁股后面，追星族一旦到了“痴”的份上，就让人难以忍受。
球迷看球看成了痴人，就落入了苦恼，就生气，就摔自己家的东西。甚至打老婆，骂孩子撒邪火。如果挣钱，挣到了痴的份上，就会忘了法律，结果什么都想干。据对监狱犯人的统计，如今许多经济犯罪，都是到了一种“痴”的程度，忘了自己是在犯罪。生活中，人是不能太痴的。痴了就固执，就傻，就迷，就出错。世上再好的事，也应该有张有弛，劳逸结合。而痴是一种极限，很多人到了“痴”的程度，也就到了生命的极限。如今很多猝死，累死，不知怎么就死了的人，都是和“痴”有关。
人一旦犯“痴”往往就会钻牛角尖，神神叨叨，不够正常，更不客观。
说话做事，都爱一根筋。神经兮兮、疯疯癫癫的。痴人自己很难把握自己，经常不撞南墙不回头，不到黄河不死心！
所谓的“痴”，就是过度、过头、过量。往往是一种人生的偏离。在痴的路上走得过长，好事早晚也要变成坏事。结果往往是损害了自己，妨碍了别人。
中国几千年的文化史，最深刻的东西，就是让人不要犯“痴”。要平静、平实、平凡、平安。不左不右地度过自己的一生。
世上做什么事，都不会犯“痴”的人，大概才是一种境界。人不犯“痴”，遇事才能随时拔脚，才能明辨、明察、明白。因此，也就不会失态、不会迷惑、不会受损。在当今的社会里，也就不容易落入各种陷阱。
人活在这个世上，如能活到万事都不“痴”的程度，也就接近了彻悟。这样的人，才活得清爽，活得自在。细细想想，佛家道家的修炼，说到头，其实也不过如此。让大家一生一世都不要“痴”。
Too Much “Craze”Makes Life No Life
Translated by Wang Weidong
In this fiercely competitive world, everyone is driven or taught to work for all we are worth. Small wonder children are seen playing the piano at three, performing on the stage at five, reciting A thousand Masters' Poems eloquently at six and going to university at thirteen or fourteen. Things like these just happen too often nowadays. We start battling for a place in the working world by learning various skills at an incredibly younger age than before. Everybody seems caught in the rate race.
When we think more about it, ours is a frantic world indeed. Our ancestors have left us a saying:"No passions kindled, no work fulfilled." To eventually excel like hell and live well, we must compete hard. Hence the training we receive even during prenatal months. Once born, we are told simply to claw all our way to success. We're so obsessed with our endeavors that our mind becomes warped. "You can do something well only if you fall in love with it," some people would say. According to them, only an obsession to the extent of craziness would make one oblivious to all else, transforming him or her into a super-achiever. As if to support that claim, crazy people can be found everywhere.
The world has a cornucopia of attractions to keep us occupied. Obsession, therefore, can be an admirable state of being-- it can even inspire respect. With a goal in mind, we are naturally more willing to work. We would neglect the passing of time, skip our meals and sleep-- even forget what we live for. That is where our trouble begins. Years ago, a "crazy" intellectual once bumped against a wire pole in the street while concentrating on the problem has was trying to solve. Factory workers fell asleep on running machines due to excessive devotion to work, causing accidents to happen. Drivers drove their vehicles into ditches by the roadside because they were too self-absorbed. Things tend to go wrong with overly obsessed people--this is a largely universal truth.
In my early years I myself used to be such a person, taking it for granted that a man ought to stake everything on a so-called "noble" occupation. Now I realize that such wishful thinking only brings huge suffering to others as well as myself. A priggish bookworm makes a nuisance of him- or herself by squabbling all the time without regard to discretion or propriety. Fans of singing or movie stars become unbearable if they keep on pestering their idol. A football fan easily gets peevish with frustration, smashing household articles, beating his wife or even "letting off steam" on his children. Then there are those who can go to any lengths in their scramble for money, giving no heed to the laws. According to prison statistics, many of today's economic crimes stem from such a crazy sense of restlessness as seizes those go-getters, making them unaware of their wrongdoing. In our life, we should never be carried away with fond fantasies. Otherwise, we will become stubborn, foolish, befuddled and erratic. Even the finest things in the world should be approached with moderation. Work is enjoyable only if it alternates with leisure. Unbridled craze is a lethal drug--if we become addicted to it, we will reach the limit of our lives too soon. Not a few people nowadays die suddenly, from overwork or without any apparent reason, largely because of such frenzy.
Crazy people are often inflexible, eccentric, perverse and hopelessly willful, easily lapsing into a one-track mentality. They are nervy and nutty, not knowing how to behave within their limits. They would remain unconvinced until stark facts of life loom over them. As the Chinese proverbs put it, "A fool would rather crash headlong into a screen wall than shrink from it";"mulish people won't cry until they actually see the coffin." Unbridled craze, essentially equivalent to "pushing too far" or "biting off much more than one can chew," is a deplorable deviation from life's normal path. The most profound lesson of the millennia-old Chinese culture is its aversion to exactly that. It teaches us the value of inner peace, poise, plainness and propriety, urging us to adhere to the "golden mean" throughout our lives.
Freedom from fanatical fascination is a blessed state of mind. Such a state enable us switch from one possibility to another, compare the merits and demerits of different pursuits and see things in their true perspective. It will prevent us from losing the grip on ourselves, feeling perplexed or being harmed. In today's society, that helps minimize the danger of our falling into various traps. For those who stay off from being too crazy, total enlightenment cannot be far beyond their reach, making it possible to live an unhurried, graceful life. To contemplate about it, practitioners of Buddhism or Taoism should be cultivating their mind for the same purpose-a lifelong vigilance against too much craze.
“满纸荒唐言，一把辛酸泪。都云作者痴，谁解其中味？”《红楼梦》中的这个“痴”不知杨宪益他们作何翻译？该不会等同于CRAZE？
别活得太『痴』 星竹 文
如今是一个竞争激烈的世界，为此，人们都在受着如何努力的鞭策和教育。于是，三岁的孩子就会弹钢琴，五岁的孩子就能上台演出，六岁的孩子就能倒背千家诗，十三四岁的孩子就上了大学。这样的事，如今天下真是太多了。人们已经大大提前了做事谋生的时间和手段。人人都在拼命。
仔细想想，这的确是一个让人发狂发疯的世界。有句老话，叫做“不成疯魔，不成活”。为了终能疯魔，过上好日子，就得与人去竞争。于是，人在娘胎里就开始被加紧培养着，一出世，便开始学习如何拼命如何追求的本领了。
人的追求如果到了一定份上，俨然就是一种“痴”的表现了。有人说，人必须达到痴的程度才能把事情做好。也只有到了痴的程度，人们才能达到那种忘我的程度，忘掉自己，似乎也就做成了大事。大概是这样一个过程。因此，如今的痴人遍地都是。
在这个世间，确有许多事，会让人去发痴。痴情是让人羡慕的，痴心也是让人敬佩的。人要追求，常常不得不达到一种“痴”的程度。人痴了，就忘了钟点，忘了吃饭，忘了睡觉，甚至忘了活着到底是为了什么。
早些年，知识分子读书，读得痴了，就往电线杆子上撞。工人干活，干得痴了，就躺在机器边上睡，结果发生了事故。开车的跑得痴了，就把车开进了马路沟里。“痴”人不犯错的不多。这大概也是一个规律。
早些年我也痴过，觉得为神圣的事物，每个人都应该去痴一把。现在我才知道，真到了“痴”的分上，也是一种坑人害己，是一种大苦。读书要是读得痴了，就成了傻子，整天和人家抬杠较真，不识时务。看歌星、看影星看得多了，也要犯痴了，整天傻乎乎的追着人家屁股后面，追星族一旦到了“痴”的份上，就让人难以忍受。
球迷看球看成了痴人，就落入了苦恼，就生气，就摔自己家的东西。甚至打老婆，骂孩子撒邪火。如果挣钱，挣到了痴的份上，就会忘了法律，结果什么都想干。据对监狱犯人的统计，如今许多经济犯罪，都是到了一种“痴”的程度，忘了自己是在犯罪。生活中，人是不能太痴的。痴了就固执，就傻，就迷，就出错。世上再好的事，也应该有张有弛，劳逸结合。而痴是一种极限，很多人到了“痴”的程度，也就到了生命的极限。如今很多猝死，累死，不知怎么就死了的人，都是和“痴”有关。
人一旦犯“痴”往往就会钻牛角尖，神神叨叨，不够正常，更不客观。
说话做事，都爱一根筋。神经兮兮、疯疯癫癫的。痴人自己很难把握自己，经常不撞南墙不回头，不到黄河不死心！
所谓的“痴”，就是过度、过头、过量。往往是一种人生的偏离。在痴的路上走得过长，好事早晚也要变成坏事。结果往往是损害了自己，妨碍了别人。
中国几千年的文化史，最深刻的东西，就是让人不要犯“痴”。要平静、平实、平凡、平安。不左不右地度过自己的一生。
世上做什么事，都不会犯“痴”的人，大概才是一种境界。人不犯“痴”，遇事才能随时拔脚，才能明辨、明察、明白。因此，也就不会失态、不会迷惑、不会受损。在当今的社会里，也就不容易落入各种陷阱。
人活在这个世上，如能活到万事都不“痴”的程度，也就接近了彻悟。这样的人，才活得清爽，活得自在。细细想想，佛家道家的修炼，说到头，其实也不过如此。让大家一生一世都不要“痴”。
Too Much “Craze”Makes Life No Life
Translated by Wang Weidong
In this fiercely competitive world, everyone is driven or taught to work for all we are worth. Small wonder children are seen playing the piano at three, performing on the stage at five, reciting A thousand Masters' Poems eloquently at six and going to university at thirteen or fourteen. Things like these just happen too often nowadays. We start battling for a place in the working world by learning various skills at an incredibly younger age than before. Everybody seems caught in the rate race.
When we think more about it, ours is a frantic world indeed. Our ancestors have left us a saying:"No passions kindled, no work fulfilled." To eventually excel like hell and live well, we must compete hard. Hence the training we receive even during prenatal months. Once born, we are told simply to claw all our way to success. We're so obsessed with our endeavors that our mind becomes warped. "You can do something well only if you fall in love with it," some people would say. According to them, only an obsession to the extent of craziness would make one oblivious to all else, transforming him or her into a super-achiever. As if to support that claim, crazy people can be found everywhere.
The world has a cornucopia of attractions to keep us occupied. Obsession, therefore, can be an admirable state of being-- it can even inspire respect. With a goal in mind, we are naturally more willing to work. We would neglect the passing of time, skip our meals and sleep-- even forget what we live for. That is where our trouble begins. Years ago, a "crazy" intellectual once bumped against a wire pole in the street while concentrating on the problem has was trying to solve. Factory workers fell asleep on running machines due to excessive devotion to work, causing accidents to happen. Drivers drove their vehicles into ditches by the roadside because they were too self-absorbed. Things tend to go wrong with overly obsessed people--this is a largely universal truth.
In my early years I myself used to be such a person, taking it for granted that a man ought to stake everything on a so-called "noble" occupation. Now I realize that such wishful thinking only brings huge suffering to others as well as myself. A priggish bookworm makes a nuisance of him- or herself by squabbling all the time without regard to discretion or propriety. Fans of singing or movie stars become unbearable if they keep on pestering their idol. A football fan easily gets peevish with frustration, smashing household articles, beating his wife or even "letting off steam" on his children. Then there are those who can go to any lengths in their scramble for money, giving no heed to the laws. According to prison statistics, many of today's economic crimes stem from such a crazy sense of restlessness as seizes those go-getters, making them unaware of their wrongdoing. In our life, we should never be carried away with fond fantasies. Otherwise, we will become stubborn, foolish, befuddled and erratic. Even the finest things in the world should be approached with moderation. Work is enjoyable only if it alternates with leisure. Unbridled craze is a lethal drug--if we become addicted to it, we will reach the limit of our lives too soon. Not a few people nowadays die suddenly, from overwork or without any apparent reason, largely because of such frenzy.
Crazy people are often inflexible, eccentric, perverse and hopelessly willful, easily lapsing into a one-track mentality. They are nervy and nutty, not knowing how to behave within their limits. They would remain unconvinced until stark facts of life loom over them. As the Chinese proverbs put it, "A fool would rather crash headlong into a screen wall than shrink from it";"mulish people won't cry until they actually see the coffin." Unbridled craze, essentially equivalent to "pushing too far" or "biting off much more than one can chew," is a deplorable deviation from life's normal path. The most profound lesson of the millennia-old Chinese culture is its aversion to exactly that. It teaches us the value of inner peace, poise, plainness and propriety, urging us to adhere to the "golden mean" throughout our lives.
Freedom from fanatical fascination is a blessed state of mind. Such a state enable us switch from one possibility to another, compare the merits and demerits of different pursuits and see things in their true perspective. It will prevent us from losing the grip on ourselves, feeling perplexed or being harmed. In today's society, that helps minimize the danger of our falling into various traps. For those who stay off from being too crazy, total enlightenment cannot be far beyond their reach, making it possible to live an unhurried, graceful life. To contemplate about it, practitioners of Buddhism or Taoism should be cultivating their mind for the same purpose-a lifelong vigilance against too much craze.
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