On Good & Evil

And one of the elders of the city said, "Speak to us of Good and Evil."

And he answered:

Of the good in you I can speak, but not of the evil.

For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?

Verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts, it drinks even of dead waters.

You are good when you are one with yourself.

Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil.

For a divided house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house.

And a ship without rudder may wander aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink not to the bottom.

You are good when you strive to give of yourself.

Yet you are not evil when you seek gain for yourself.

For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast.

Surely the fruit cannot say to the root, "Be like me, ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance."

For to the fruit giving is a need, as receiving is a need to the root.

You are good when you are fully awake in your speech,

Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without purpose.

And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue.

You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.

Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping.

Even those who limp go not backward.

But you who are strong and swift, see that you do not limp before the lame, deeming it kindness.

You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good,

You are only loitering and sluggard.

Pity that the stags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.

In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you.

But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea, carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest.

And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore.

But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are you slow and halting?"

For the truly good ask not the naked, "Where is your garment?" nor the houseless, "What has befallen your house?"

善与恶

　　城中的一位老人说，请给我们讲讲善与恶吧。

　　他答道：

　　我能谈论你们身上的善，但却无法说恶。

　　因为恶不就是被自己的饥渴所折磨的善么？

　　的确，当善饿了，它甚至会到黑暗的洞穴中寻找食物；当它渴了，它甚至会从死水中取饮。

　　当你们和自己同一时，你们是善的。

　　但当你们和自己并非同一时，你们也不是恶的。

　　因为一间分开的房子并不就是贼窝，它只是一间分开的房子。

　　即使没有舵，船只也只是在险岸边漂摇不定，而不会沉沦海底。

　　当你们力求奉献自己时，你们是善的。

　　但当你们力求为自己谋利时，你们也不是恶的。

　　因为当你们力求为己获益时，你们不过是紧紧附着土地尽情吸她乳汁的根而已。

　　显然，果实不会对报说："跟我学，成熟而丰满，总是奉献自己的丰裕。"

　　因为对果实而言，给予是一种必需，正如接受对于根是一种必需。

　　当你们在言谈中保持清醒时，你们是善的。

　　但当你们在睡梦中舌头盲目地摇动时，你们也木是恶的。

　　因为即使是含混不清结结巴巴地讲话，也会强健虚弱的舌头。

　　当你们阔步而坚定地向目标前进时，你们是善的。

　　但当你们蹒跚而行时，你们也不是恶的。

　　因为蹒跚而行的人并没有倒退。

　　不过强壮敏捷的人何I，你们不要在残疾者面前破行，以为那是善行。

　　你们的善展示于各个方面，在你们不善时，你们也不是恶的，

　　你们只是闲散或怠情罢了。

　　遗憾的是，奔鹿无法教会乌龟敏捷。

　　你们的善寓于你们对自己的"大我"的渴求中；你们每个人都有这种渴求。

　　但你们中有些人的渴望，是咆哮着奔向大海的激流，载着山峦的秘密和森林的歌曲。

　　而在其他人那里，这渴望是一道平缓的溪水，在抵达海岸前，就已在蜿蜒或回转中松懈下来。

　　但渴望丰裕的人不要对清心寡欲的人说："你们何以如此迟缓而踌躇呢？"

　　因为真正的善者不会问赤身裸体的人："你的衣服呢？"也不会间无家可归的人："你的房屋怎样了？"
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