小说园

第21章 人生最好的奖励6（第1页）

s当我们不作休息，不停地走向幻想时，一幅奇异的画面展现出来：不知疲倦、勇于冒险的先锋。是的，我们永远不会达到目标，甚至目的地根本就不存在。即使活上几百年，具有神的力量，我们也会觉得没有接近目标多少。啊，辛苦的双手！啊，不知疲倦的双脚，并不知道走向何方！你总是觉得，一定能登上某个光辉的山顶，在夕阳下，看到不远的前方黄金国那尖尖的塔。你是处于幸福当中却没有察觉，奋斗胜过得到，真正的成功就是奋斗。

Itseemsasifagreatdealwereattainableinaworldwheretherearesomanymarriagesanddecisivebattles，andwhereweall，atcertainhoursoftheday，andwithgreatgustoanddisatch，stowaortionofvictualsfinallyandirretrievablyintothebagwhichcontainsus。Anditwouldseemalso，onahastyview，thattheattainmentofasmuchasossiblewastheonegoalofman’scontentiouslife。Andyet，asregardsthesirit，thisisbutasemblance。Weliveinanascendingscalewhenwelivehaily，onethingleadingtoanotherinanendlessseries。Thereisalwaysanewhorizonforonward-lookingmen，andalthoughwedwellonasmalllanet，immersedinettybusinessandnotenduringbeyondabrieferiodofyears，wearesoconstitutedthatourhoesareinaccessible，likestars，andthetermofhoingisrolongeduntilthetermoflife。Tobetrulyhayisaquestionofhowwebeginandnotofhowweend，ofwhatwewantandnotofwhatwehave。Anasirationisajoyforever，aossessionassolidasalandedestate，afortunewhichwecanneverexhaustandwhichgivesusyearbyyeararevenueofleasurableactivity。Tohavemanyoftheseistobesirituallyrich。Tothosewhohaveneitherartnorscience，theworldisamerearrangementofcolors，oraroughfootwaywheretheymayverywellbreaktheirshins。Itisinvirtueofhisowndesiresandcuriositiesthatanymancontinuestoexistwithevenatience，thatheischarmedbythelookofthingsandeole，andthathewakenseverymorningwitharenewedaetiteforworkandleasure。Desireandcuriosityarethetwoeyesthroughwhichheseestheworldinthemostenchantedcolors：itistheythatmakewomenbeautifulorfossilsinteresting：andthemanmaysquanderhisestateandcometobeggary，butifhekeesthesetwoamuletsheisstillrichintheossibilitiesofleasure。Suosehecouldtakeonemealsocomactandcomrehensivethatheshouldneverhungeranymore；suosehim，ataglance，totakeinallthefeaturesoftheworldandallaythedesireforknowledge；suosehimtodothelikeinanyrovinceofexerience—wouldnotthatmanbeinaoorwayforamusementeverafter？

Onewhogoestouringonfootwithasinglevolumeinhisknasackreadswithcircumsection，ausingoftentoreflect，andoftenlayingthebookdowntocontemlatethelandscaeortherintsintheinnarlour；forhefearstocometoanendofhisentertainment，andbeleftcomanionlessonthelaststagesofhisjourney。AyoungfellowrecentlyfinishedtheworksofThomasCarlyle，windingu，ifwerememberarightwiththetennote-booksuonFredericktheGreat。“What！”criedtheyoungfellow，inconsternation，“IstherenotmoreCarlyle？AmIlefttothedailyaers？”AmorecelebratedinstanceisthatofAlexander，whowetbitterlybecausehehadnomereworldstosubdue。AndwhenGibbonhadfinishedtheDeclineandFall，hehadonlyafewmomentsofjoy；anditwaswitha“sobermelancholy”thatheartedfromhislabours。

Hailyweallshootatthemoonwithineffectualarrows；ourhoesaresetoninaccessibleElDorado；wecometoanendofnothingherebelow。Interestsareonlyluckedutosowthemselvesagain，likemustard。Youwouldthink，whenthechildwasborn，therewouldbeanendtotrouble；andyetitisonlythebeginningoffreshanxieties；andwhenyouhaveseenitthroughitsteethinganditseducation，andatlastitsmarriage，alas！Itisonlytohavenewfears，newquiveringsensibilities，witheveryday；andthehealthofyourchildren’schildrengrowsastouchingaconcernasthatofyourown。Again，whenyouhavemarriedyourwife，youwouldthinkyouweregotuonahillto，andmightbegintogodownwardbyaneasysloe。Butyouhaveonlyendedcourtingtobeginmarriage。Fallinginloveandwinningloveareoftendifficulttaskstooverbearingandrebellioussirits；buttokeeinloveisalsoabusinessofsomeimortance，towhichbothmanandwifemustbringkindnessandgoodwill。Thetruelovestorycommencesatthealtar，whenthereliesbeforethemarriedairamostbeautifulcontestofwisdomandgenerosity，andalifelongstruggletowardsanunattainableideal。Unattainable？Ay，surelyunattainable，fromtheveryfactthattheyaretwoinsteadofone。

“Ofmakingbooksthereisnoend，”comlainedthePreacher，anddidnoterceivehowhighlyhewasraisinglettersasanoccuation。Thereisnoend。Indeed，tomakingbooksorexeriments，ortotravel，ortogatheringwealth。Problemgivesrisetoroblem。Wemaystudyforever，andweareneveraslearnedaswewould。Wehavenevermadeastatueworthyofourdreams。Andwhenwehavediscoveredacontinent，orcrossedachainofmountains，itisonlytofindanotheroceanoranotherlainuonthefurtherside。Intheinfiniteuniversethereisroomforourswiftestdiligenceandtosare。ItisnotliketheworksofCarlyle，whichcanbereadtoanend。Eveninacornerofit，inarivateark，orintheneighborhoodofasinglehamlet，theweatherandtheseasonskeesodeftlychangingthatalthoughwewalkthereforalifetimetherewillbealwayssomethingnewtostartleanddelightus。

Thereisonlyonewishrealizableontheearth；onlyonethingthatcanbeerfectlyattained：Death。Andfromavarietyofcircumstanceswehavenoonetotelluswhetheritbeworthattaining。