骄傲的劲敌On Idleness（1/2）

Uand these new words before you read this article.

1. disguise[disɡaiz]n. 伪装

2. degrade[diɡreid]v. 贬低

3. obstate[?bst?n?t]adj. 顽固的

4. predoate[pr?d??,]v. 支配

5. turbule?:bj?l?ns]n. 骚乱，动**

5. eently[?e?ntli]adv. 突出地，显著地

Many oralists have rearked, that Pride has of all huan vices the widest doion, appearsthe greatest ultiplicity of fors, and lies hid uhe greatest variety of disguises; of disguises, which, like the oon’s veil htness, are both its ster and its shade, aray it to others, though they hide it fro ourselves.

It is not y tention to degrade Pride fro this preeence of ischief, yet I know not whether Idleness ay not ata a very doubtful and obstate petition.

There are so that profess Idlenessits full dignity, who call theselves the Idle, as Biristhe py“calls hiself the Proud”; who boast that they do nothg, and thank their stars that they have nothg to do; who sleep every night till theysleep no longer, and rise only that exercise ay ehe to sleep aga; who prolong the reign of darkness by double curtas, and never see the sun but to“tell hi how they hate his beas”; whose whole bor is to vary the postures of dulgence, and whose day differs fro their night but as a uch or chair differs fro a bed.

These are the true and open votaries of Idleness, for who she weaves the garnds of poppies, and to whose cup she pours the waters of oblivion; who exista state of unruffled stupidity, fettg and fotten; who have long ceased to live, and at whose death the survivorsonly say, that they have ceased to breathe.

But Idleness predoatesany lives where it is not spected; f a vice which teratesitself, it ay be enjoyed without jury to others; and is therefore not watched like Fraud, whidangers property, or like Pride, whiaturally seeks its gratificationsanother’s feriority. Idleness is a silent and peaceful quality, that her raises envy by ostentation, nor hatred by opposition; and therefore nobody is by to sure or detect it.

As Pride sotis is hid under huility, Idleness is often vered by turbulence4 and hurry. He that s his known duty and real eploynt, naturally endeavors to crowd his d with sothg that ay bar out the rebrance of his own folly, and does anythg but what he ought to do with eager diligehat he ay keep hiselfhis own favor.

So are alwaysa state of preparation, oupiedprevio asures, f pns, auutg aterials, and providg for the a affair. These are ils and lors.

There are others to who Idleness dictates another expedient, by which life ay be passed unprofitably away without the tedioness of any vat hours. The art is, to fill the day with petty bess, to have always sothghand which ay raise curiosity, but not solicitude, ahe da state of a, but not of bor.

This art has for any years been practiced by y old friend Sober, with wonderful suess. Sober is a an of strong desires and quick iagation, so exactly banced by the love of ease, that theyseldo stiute hi to any difficult uakg; they have, however, so uch power, that

they will not suffer hi to lie quite at rest, and though they do not ake hi suffitly eful to others, they ake hi at least weary of hiself.

Mr. Sober’s chief pleasure is ion; there is no end of his talk or his attention; to speak or to hear is equally pleasg; for he still fahat he is teachg or learng sothg, and is free for the ti fro his own reproaches.

But there is oi at night whe go ho, that his friends ay sleep; and aithe , when all the world agrees to shut out terruption. These are the onts of which poor Sober trebles at the thought. But the isery of these tireso tervals, he has any ans of alleviatg. He has persuaded hiself that the anual arts are undeservedly overlooked; he has observedany trades the effects of close thought, and jt ratiocation. Fro speh he still o eploy, as he fds oasion.

He has attepted at other tis the crafts of the shoeaker, tan, pber, and potter;all these arts he has failed, and resolves to qualify hiself for the by better ration. But his daily aent is cheistry. He has a sall furnace, which he eploysdistiltion, and which has lohe soce of his life. He draws oils and waters, and essences and spirits, which he knows to be of no e; sits and unts the drops as they e fro his retort, ahat, whilst a drop is fallg, a ont flies away.

Poor Sober! I have often teased hi with reproof, and he has often proised reforation; for no an is so uch open to nvi as the Idler, but there is none on who it operates so little. What will be the effect of this paper I know not; perhaps he will read it and ugh, and light the firehis furnace; but y hope is that he will quit his trifles, aake hiself to rational and eful diligence.

很多德育家指出,骄傲是人类所有恶习中影响力最为广泛的。它的表现形式繁杂多样,隐藏方式也多种多样。就如同天边月儿晶莹透明的面纱,伪装既有光彩之处又有隐晦之所。虽然遮盖，亦可一眼望穿。

诚然，我无意降低骄傲的危害程度，但不知道闲散是否会成为它的劲敌。

然而有些人高声赞叹闲散是高雅之事，以“闲散之士”自居，正如布西里斯在剧中自称为“骄傲之士”一样。他们炫耀自己无需做事,感谢命运之神没有给他们安排事情。他们每晚睡觉睡到自然醒，起床活动活动也只是为了更好地入睡。为了延长黑夜的主宰，他们拉起厚厚的双层窗帘，终日不见阳光，除了“告诉他，他们十分憎恶他的光芒”。不断地变换享受的姿势就是他们所有的劳动。对他们而言，昼夜的分别就在于长沙发、椅子和床的不同。

他们是一群真正的并且公开的闲散女神崇拜者。女神为其编织美丽的罂粟花环,把遗忘水倒入他们的杯中。他们生活在平静的愚蠢状态中，长久没有生命的气息。而死去时，生者只会说，他们停止了呼吸。

然而，不经意间，闲散主宰着多数人的生命。这种恶习仅限于散漫者自身，不会危及他人，因而就不同于欺诈和傲慢。前者危及财产安全；后者在他人的自卑中寻求满足。闲散是一种静默平和，既不会因他人之夸耀而心存妒忌,也不会因抗衡而产生敌意。正因为如此，他们不会惨遭责难。

就像傲慢时而藏于谦卑，闲散常掩于絮乱和匆忙。一个人疏于本职工作，自然就可能极力想

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