愛好

Hobbies

愛好

Winston Churchill

溫斯頓.丘吉爾

作者簡介

溫斯頓.丘吉爾（Winston Churchill，1874—1965），英國政治家、演說家、作家，曾兩度任英國首相，被認為是20世紀最重要的政治領袖人物之一。

丘吉爾以“二戰(zhàn)”中的傳奇事跡最為人熟知。他的演講極富魅力，在大戰(zhàn)的艱難時期給無數(shù)人帶來了希望。此外，他還是位成就卓著的作家，代表作有《河上的戰(zhàn)爭》（The River War）、《世界危機》（The World Crisis）等。1953年，瑞典文學院將諾貝爾文學獎頒予丘吉爾，并盛贊他為“具有西塞羅文才的凱撒大帝”。諾貝爾文學獎從不授予在政府任職的作家，故此次破例使丘吉爾成了唯一獲得該獎的政治家。

本文原為演講稿，選自丘吉爾1932年出版的散文集《思想與冒險》（Thoughts and Adventures）。作為英國首相，丘吉爾公務繁忙，肩頭責任重大，卻仍能著作等身。他緩解壓力的秘密便是閱讀。至于如何利用書籍放松緊繃的神經(jīng)、保持頭腦的活力，看完這篇短文，讀者自能找到答案。

Many remedies are suggested for the avoidance of worry and mental overstrain by persons who, over prolonged periods, have to bear exceptional responsibilities and discharge duties upon a very large scale. Some advise exercise, and others, repose. Some counsel travel, and others, retreat. Some praise solitude, and others, gaiety. No doubt all these may play their part according to the individual temperament. But the element which is constant and common in all of them is Change.

Change is the master key. A man can wear out a particular part of his mind by continually using it and tiring it, just in the same way as he can wear out the elbows of his coat. There is, however, this difference between the living cells of the brain and inanimate articles: one cannot mend the frayed elbows of a coat by rubbing the sleeves or shoulders; but the tired parts of the mind can be rested and strengthened, not merely by rest, but by using other parts. It is not enough merely to switch off the lights which play upon the main and ordinary field of interest; a new field of interest must be illuminated. It is no use saying to the tired mental muscles—if one may coin such an expression—“I will give you a good rest,” “I will go for a long walk,” or “I will lie down and think of nothing.” The mind keeps busy just the same. If it has been weighing and measuring, it goes on weighing and measuring. If it has been worrying, it goes on worrying. It is only when new cells are called into activity, when new stars become the lords of the ascendant, that relief, repose, refreshment are afforded.

對長期背負特殊職責、操勞過度的人來說，避免焦慮和精神緊張的方法很多。有人建議鍛煉，有人提議休息；有人建議旅行，有人提議療養(yǎng)；有人說獨處好，有人稱狂歡妙。無疑，針對不同性格，每種方法各有作用。但它們有個共同點，即“變化”。

變化是關鍵。人若過度用腦，大腦某一區(qū)域便會疲憊不堪。這與外衣肘部最易磨損是同一個道理。然而，鮮活的腦細胞與無生命的物體畢竟不同：外衣肘部磨損，無法依靠摩擦衣袖和肩部加以修補；大腦某一區(qū)域疲勞，不僅能靠休息緩解，還可通過調動腦部其他區(qū)域加以調節(jié)。只關閉大腦主要的活躍區(qū)域還不夠，還要激發(fā)新的活躍區(qū)域。如果對疲勞的大腦說“你好好休息一下”，“我出去散個步”或“我要睡一覺，什么都不想”根本沒有用。大腦仍會忙個不停，該揣度還是揣度，該擔憂還是擔憂。只有激活新的腦細胞，讓新的星體成為命宮的主宰，大腦才會得到休息，人才能恢復精力。

A gifted American psychologist has said, “Worry is a spasm of the emotion; the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go.” It is useless to argue with the mind in this condition. The stronger the will, the more futile the task. One can only gently insinuate something else into its convulsive grasp. And if this something else is rightly chosen, if it is really attended by the illumination of another field of interest, gradually, and often quite swiftly, the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and repair begins.

The cultivation of a hobby and new forms of interest is therefore a policy of the first importance to a public man. But this is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly improvised by a mere command of the will. The growth of alternative mental interests is a long process. The seeds must be carefully chosen; they must fall on good ground; they must be sedulously tended, if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when needed.

一位頗有天賦的美國心理學家說過：“焦慮是情緒的突然發(fā)作，源于頭腦糾結某事，難以釋懷。”在此情況下，與大腦爭執(zhí)只是徒勞——意志力越強，就越是白費力氣。唯一的解決方法，是把其他東西悄悄塞進混亂的大腦。如果選擇了正確的替代品，而且確實激發(fā)了新的活躍區(qū)域，那么大腦就會漸漸得到調節(jié)與放松。這一過程通常十分迅速。

因此，對公眾人物而言，培養(yǎng)一種業(yè)余愛好和新的興趣，可謂頭等大事。然而，此事不能一蹴而就，也不以意志為轉移。培養(yǎng)興趣是個漫長的過程。只有仔細選種，培以沃地，精心照料，才能在所需時收獲豐美的果實。

To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real. It is no use starting late in life to say: “I will take an interest in this or that.” Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort. A man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected with his daily work, and yet hardly get any benefit or relief. It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do. Broadly speaking, human beings may be divided into three classes: those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death and those who are bored to death. It is no use offering the manual labourer, tired out with a hard week’s sweat and effort, the chance of playing a game of football or baseball on Saturday afternoon. It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man, who has been working or worrying about serious things for six days, to work or worry about trifling things at the weekend.

As for the unfortunate people who can command everything they want, who can gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every object of desire—for them a new pleasure, a new excitement is only an additional satiation. In vain they rush frantically round from place to place, trying to escape from the avenging boredom by mere clatter and motion. For them discipline in one form or another is the most hopeful path.

要想獲得真正的愉悅安然，至少得有兩三種實實在在的愛好。人上年紀了才說“我要培養(yǎng)點興趣”，這種嘗試毫無用處，只會加劇精神緊張。一個人可能精通與日常工作無關的某些領域，卻難以從中獲得收益和慰藉。光做自己喜歡的事毫無用處，你得喜歡自己手頭做的事。大致說來，人可分為三類：累死的、煩死的、無聊死的。體力勞動者連干了一周的苦活，讓他們周六下午踢足球或打棒球，可謂徒勞無功。政客、專家、商人操心了六天公務，讓他們周末還加班干活、為瑣事煩惱，同樣毫無用處。

還有一些不幸的人，他們可以隨心所欲，每個奇想都能得到滿足，幾乎每個愿望都能實現(xiàn)。對這種人來說，新的愉悅和刺激只會增加厭膩。他們四處狂奔亂跑，想用談笑和運動來解悶，卻白費力氣。對他們而言，條理、規(guī)矩才是擺脫煩惱的最佳途徑。

It may also be said that rational, industrious, useful human beings are divided into two classes: first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are one. Of these the former are the majority. They have their compensations. The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward, not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms. But Fortune’s favoured children belong to the second class. Their life is a natural harmony. For them the working hours are never long enough. Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays when they come are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation. Yet to both classes the need of an alternative outlook, of a change of atmosphere, of a diversion of effort, is essential. Indeed, it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their mind.

也可以說，理智且勤奮的有用之人可分為兩類：一類人將工作和娛樂截然分開，另一類人則將二者融為一體。大多數(shù)人屬于前者。他們會得到補償——在辦公室或工廠里長時間的勞作為他們帶來了報酬。這不僅是他們維生的手段，還讓他們熱切渴望哪怕是最簡單、最適度的娛樂。真正的幸運兒是第二類人。他們的生活自然和諧，總覺工作時間太短，每天都是假日。真正的假日來臨，他們反而抱怨干擾了工作。然而，這兩類人都要轉換思維，改變氣氛，轉移注意力。說實話，以工作為樂的人，最需要時不時不想工作，換換腦子。

The most common form of diversion is reading. In that vast and varied field millions find their mental comfort. Nothing makes a man more reverent than a library. “A few books,” which was Lord Morley’s definition of anything under five thousand, may give a sense of comfort and even of complacency. But a day in a library, even of modest dimensions, quickly dispels these illusory sensations. As you browse about, taking down book after book from the shelves and contemplating the vast, infinitely-varied store of knowledge and wisdom which the human race has accumulated and preserved, pride, even in its most innocent forms, is chased from the heart by feelings of awe not untinged with sadness. As one surveys the mighty array of sages, saints, historians, scientists, poets and philosophers whose treasures one will never be able to admire—still less enjoy—the brief tenure of our existence here dominates mind and spirit.

Think of all the wonderful tales that have been told, and well told, which you will never know. Think of all the searching inquiries into matters of great consequence which you will never pursue. Think of all the delighting or disturbing ideas that you will never share. Think of the mighty labours which have been accomplished for your service, but of which you will never reap the harvest. But from this melancholy there also comes a calm. The bitter sweets of a pious despair melt into an agreeable sense of compulsory resignation from which we turn with renewed zest to the lighter vanities of life.

最常見的消遣方式是閱讀。數(shù)百萬人從書海中得到了精神慰藉。書房最能令人變得虔誠。莫利勛爵說，5000冊以下的藏書只算“少許書”[1]。而這些書已能讓人得到安慰和滿足。不過，只要在書房待一天，即便是普通大小的書房，也會讓這種虛幻的滿足感迅速化為泡影。瀏覽架上群書，逐一取下翻閱，面對人類積累的無限知識與智慧，你的自豪，哪怕是最無邪的自豪，都會被略帶感傷的敬畏取代。環(huán)視智者、圣人、史學家、科學家、詩人、哲人的一排排巨著，你難免感慨人生苦短。因為你永遠無法遍覽人類知識寶庫，更談不上充分享受了。

試想，多少美妙的故事你未及知曉，多少重大的問題你未及探索，多少令人欣喜、發(fā)人深省的思想你未及分享；多少人為你付出勞動，你卻未能有所收獲。不過，這種惆悵也會帶來一絲平靜。絕望中苦澀的甜蜜，化作坦然面對的心態(tài)——你會重拾閱讀興致，看輕世間繁華。

“What shall I do with all my books?” was the question; and the answer, “Read them,” sobered the questioner. But if you cannot read them, at any rate handle them and, as it were, fondle them. Peer into them. Let them fall open where they will. Read on from the first sentence that arrests the eye. Then turn to another. Make a voyage of discovery, taking soundings of uncharted seas. Set them back on their shelves with your own hands. Arrange them on your own plan, so that if you do not know what is in them, you at least know where they are. If they cannot be your friends, let them at any rate be your acquaintances. If they cannot enter the circle of your life, do not deny them at least a nod of recognition.

It is a mistake to read too many books when quite young. A man once told me that he had read all the books that mattered. Cross-questioned, he appeared to have read a great many, but they seem to have made only a slight impression. How many had he understood? How many had entered into his mental composition? ... It is a great pity to read a book too soon in life. The first impression is the one that counts; and if it is a slight one, it may be all that can be hoped for. A later and second perusal may recoil from a surface already hardened by premature contact. Young people should be careful in their reading, as old people in eating their food. They should not eat too much. They should chew it all.

有人問：“我有這么多書，要怎么辦？”這個答案會讓他清醒：“讀吧?！比缛魺o暇細讀，至少要捧書把玩，隨意翻看，任其敞開?？吹礁信d趣的句子，徑直讀下去便是。然后再換另一句。在書海開啟發(fā)現(xiàn)之旅，探索未知的海域。親手把書擺回架上，按自己的想法排列。如此一來，即使你不了解書中內(nèi)容，至少知道書在何處。書即使無法成為你的朋友，至少也該是個熟人；即使無法融入你的生活圈，至少值得你點頭致意。

幼時讀太多書是個錯誤。有人告訴我，他已讀遍重要典籍。幾經(jīng)詢問，我才發(fā)現(xiàn)，他確實讀過不少書，但印象不深。他究竟理解了多少？又有多少成了他自己的思想？……讀書太早是件憾事。讀書時第一印象最關鍵——如果第一印象不深，以后大概也沒指望了。哪怕重讀，也難以改變原有印象。年輕人讀書須謹慎。這正如老年人進食，不宜貪多，須細嚼慢咽。

書即使無法成為你的朋友，至少也該是個熟人；即使無法融入你的生活圈，至少值得你點頭致意。

Winston Churchill 溫斯頓?丘吉爾

[1] 董橋先生在《今朝風日好》中的《丘吉爾的背景》一文中提及，丘吉爾那一代人愛書、讀書是習性，書房里藏書不足五千部算不得藏書，只算是“少許書”。