美国语文第六册 第277期:不满(1)
第八十一课 不满
It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species,
这是苏格拉底著名的思想，如果人类所有的不幸都可以归咎于国债，这样就可以平均分配到所有人头上，
those who now think themselves the most unhappy,
那么那些现在认为自己非常郁闷的人，
would prefer the share they are already possessed of before that which would fall to them by such a division.
宁愿选择先前已经属于自己的那一份。
Horace has carried this thought a great deal farther, and supposes that the hardships or misfortunes we lie under, are more easy to us than those of any other person would be,
霍勒斯将这个思想又向前推进了一大步，他认为一旦我们改变其他人的处境的话，
in case we could change conditions with him.
我们遭受的艰难困苦和不幸要比其他人的更容易承受。
As I was ruminating on these two remarks, and seated in my elbowchair, I insensibly fell asleep,
我坐在扶手椅里，对这两句话思之再三，竟然不知不觉地进入梦乡，
when, on a sudden, methought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities, and throw them together in a heap.
猛然间，我想起朱庇特有一个断言，即每个逝者都会带走他的悲伤和灾难，然后将其放在一起。
There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the center of it,
这一说法在很大程度上就是出于这个目的。我站在中间，
and saw, with a great deal of pleasure, the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads,
怀着极大的快感，目视所有的人一个接一个地从我面前走过，将他们身上的负重卸下，
which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds.
只见那些东西马上就堆成一座巨大的高山，上面似乎直达云端。
