把罗素那篇文章附录于此。 How to grow old Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is ajustification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that theywill be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that theyhave been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old manwho has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was inhim to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way toovercome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make yourinterests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls ofthe ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universallife.
An individual human existence should be like a river—smallat first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately pastboulders and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banksrecede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visiblebreak, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individualbeing. The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not sufferfrom the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if,with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will benot unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that otherswill carry on what I can no longer do, and content in the thought that what waspossible has been done.
——Bertrand Russell 怎样做老人 一些老年人被死亡的恐惧所折磨。青年们有这种感觉是有理由的。青年人有理由害怕在战场上阵亡,当想到他们被骗走了生活所能提供的最好的东西时,有理由感到伤心。但是作为一个老年人,他经历过人类的忧伤和喜悦,而且完成了他份内要做的所有工作,怕死就有点儿卑鄙和不光彩了。克服这一点的最好方法——至少在我看来是这样——就是使你所关心的事情逐步地变得更广泛和跳出个人圈子,直至自我之墙逐渐远离,这样,你的生活就会日益汇合于人类全体的生活之中。
个人的存在应该象一条河流——开始很小,狭窄地处在河的两岸之内;以后汹涌奔腾,经过巨石,越过瀑布。渐渐地河面变得宽阔,两岸后撤,河水流动更为平静;最终,滔滔不绝汇入大海,并且毫无痛苦地失去独自的存在。上了年纪而能这样看待生活的人,就不会遭受死亡恐惧的痛苦,因为他所关怀的事物将继续下去。同时,如果疲倦随着生命力的衰退而增长,由此而有休息的想法也并不令人讨厌。明知别人将继续我未竟的事业,可我倒愿意工作不息,死而后已,同时想到凡是可能做到的事我都已做了而心满意足。
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