15)On Reason and Passion理智和熱情

The Prophet(先知)
Kahlil Gibran(哈利勒‧紀伯倫)

15)On Reason and Passion理智和熱情

And the priestess spoke again and said: Speak to us of Reason and Passion.
接著一位女傳教士又說︰跟我們談一談理性和熱情吧。
And he answered, saying:
他回答說︰
Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield,
你的靈魂經常是戰場，
upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against your passion and your appetite.
而你的理智和判斷跟你們的熱情和慾望不時交戰著。
Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul,
願我能作你的心靈的和事佬，
that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.
願我能把你本性中那些不諧調與敵對化為一致而且調和。
But how shall I,
但我怎能做到？
unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers,
除非你們自己也做自己的和事佬，
nay, the lovers of all your elements?
甚或愛你們所有的特質。
Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul.
你們的理智和你們的熱情是你們遠航之心的舵與帆。
If either your sails or your rudder be broken,
萬一你們的帆或舵損壞了其中一個，
you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas.
你只能隨波逐流，或是滯留在海上。
For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining,
因為只是理智支配你時，便成為限制的力量；
and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.
而熱情若不加拘束，將成為自焚其身的火焰。
Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion; that it may sing;
因此，讓你的靈魂提升你的理智和熱情到相同的高度，使它可以歡唱；
And let it direct your passion with reason,
讓靈魂以理智去引導熱情，
that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection,
使你的熱情能日日復活，
and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes.
就像那從它自己的灰燼中升起的鳳凰。
I would have you consider your judgment and your appetite
我願你把你的理智與慾望，
even as you would two loved guests in your house.
視為家裡的兩位嘉賓對待。
Surely you would not honour one guest above the other;
當然，你對他們不要厚此薄彼，
for he who is more mindful of one loses the love and the faith of both.
因為偏愛任何一位客人，就會同時失去兩個人的愛與信任。
Among the hills, when you sit in the cool shade of the white poplars,
當你們坐在山間白楊樹的涼蔭下，
sharing the peace and serenity of distant fields and meadows –
享受遠處田野和草原的靜謐時，
then let your heart say in silence, "God rests in reason."
讓你的心默默地說︰「上帝長留在理性中。」
And when the storm comes, and the mighty wind shakes the forest,
當暴風驟起，狂風撼動森林，
and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky, --
雷電交加宣示天威時，
then let your heart say in awe, "God moves in passion."
讓你的心在敬畏中說︰「上帝活動於熱情中。」
And since you are a breath in God's sphere,
你們既然是上帝領域中的一個生息，
and a leaf in God's forest,
是上帝森林中的一片葉子，
you too should rest in reason and move in passion.
你們也應休息在理智中，活動在熱情裡。