Unit8KnowledgeandWisdom课文翻译综合教程三.docx

Unit8KnovledgeandWisdoa(abridged)BertrandRusselI1Mostpeoplewouldagreethat,althoughouragefarsurpassesallpreviousagesinknowledge,therehasbeennocorrelativeincreaseinwisdom.Butagreementceasesassoonasweattempttodefine“wisdom“andconsidermeansofpromotingit.Iwanttoaskfirstwhatwisdomis,andthenwhatcanbedonetoteachit.2Thereare,Ithink,severalfactorsthatcontributetowisdom.OftheseIshouldputfirstasenseofproportion:thecapacitytotakeaccountofal1theimportantfactorsinaproblemandtoattachtoeachitsdueweight.Thishasbecomemoredifficultthanitusedtobeowingtotheextentandcomplexityofthespecializedknowledgerequiredofvariouskindsoftechnicians.Suppose,forexample,thatyouareengagedinresearchinscientificmedicine.Theworkisdifficultandis1ikelytoabsorbthewholeofyourintellectualenergy.Youhavenottimetoconsidertheeffectwhichyourdiscoveriesorinventionsmayhaveoutsidethefieldofmedicine.Yousucceed(letussay),asmodernmedicinehassucceeded,inenormouslyloweringtheinfantdeath-rate,notonlyinEuropeandAmerica,butalsoinAsiaandAfrica.Thishastheentirelyunintendedresultofmakingthefoodsupplyinadequateandloweringthestandardoflifeinthemostpopulouspartsoftheworld.Totakeanevenmorespectacularexample,whichisineverybody*smindatthepresenttime:Youstudythecompositionoftheatomfromadisinteresteddesireforknowledge,andincidentallyplaceinthehandsofpowerfullunaticsthemeansofdestroyingthehumanrace1.Insuchwaysthepursuitofknowledgemaybecomeharmfulunlessitiscombincdwithwisdom;andwisdominthesenseofcomprehensivevisionisnotnecessarilypresentinspecialistsinthepursuitofknowledge.3Comprehensivenessalone,however,isnotenoughtoconstitutewisdom.Theremustbe,also,acertainawarenessoftheendsofhumanlife.Thismaybeillustratedbythestudyofhistory.Manyeminenthistorianshavedonemoreharmthangoodbecausetheyviewedfactsthroughthedistortingmediumoftheirownpassions.HcgelhadaphiIosophyofhistorywhichdidnotsufferfromanylackofComprehensiveness,sinceitstartedfromthecarliesttimesandcontinuedintoanindefinitefuture.Butthechieflessonofhistorywhichhesoughttoinculcatewasthatfromtheyear400ADdowntohisowntimeGermanyhadbeenthemostimportantnationandthestandard-bearerofprogressintheworld.PerhapsonecouldstretchtheComprehensivenessthatconstituteswisdomtoincludenotonlyintellectbutalsofeeling.11isbynomeansuncommontofindmenwhoseknowledgeiswidebutwhosefeelingsarenarrow.SuchmenlackwhatIcal1wisdom.4Itisnotonlyinpublicways,butinprivatelifeequally,thatwisdomisneeded.Itisneededinthechoiceofendstobepursuedandinemancipationfrompersonalprejudice.Evenanendwhichitwouldbenobletopursueifitwereattainablemaybepursuedunwiselyifitisinherentlyimpossibleofachievement.Manymeninpastagesdevotedtheir1ivestoasearchforthephilosopher'sstoneandtheelixiroflife.Nodoubt,iftheycouldhavefoundthem,theywouldhaveconferredgreatbenefitsuponmankind,butasitwastheirliveswerewasted.Todescendtolessheroicmatters,considerthecaseoftwomen,Mr.andMr.B,whohateeachotherand,throughmutualhatred,bringeachothertodestruction.SupposeyougotoMr.andsay,"WhydoyouhateMr.B?”HewillnodoubtgiveyouanappallinglistofMr.B'svices,partlytrue,partlyfalse.AndnowsupposeyougotoMr.B.HewillgiveyouanexactlysimiIarlistofMr.A,sviceswithanequaladmixtureoftruthandfalsehood.SupposeyounowcomebacktoMr.Aandsay,44Youwi11besurprisedtolearnthatMr.Bsaysthesamethingsaboutyouasyousayabouthim”,andyougotoMr.BandmakeasimiIarspeech.Thefirsteffect,nodoubt,willbetoincreasetheirmutualhatred,sinceeachwillbesohorrifiedbytheother'sinjustice.Butperhaps,ifyouhavesufficientpatienceandsufficientpersuasiveness,youmaysucceedinconvincingeachthattheotherhasonlythenormalshareofhumanwickedness,andthattheirenmityisharmfultoboth.Ifyoucandothis,youwillhaveinstilledsomefragmentsofwisdom.5Ithinktheessenceofwisdomisemancipation,asfaraspossible,fromthetyrannyofthehereandnow.Wecannothelptheegoismofoursenses.Sightandsoundandtouchareboundupwithourownbodiesandcannotbeimpersonal.Ouremotionsstartsimilarlyfromourselves.Aninfantfeelshungerordiscomfort,andisunaffectedexceptbyhisownphysicalcondition.Graduallywiththeyears,hishorizonwidens,and,inproportionashisthoughtsandfeelingsbecomelesspersonalandlessconcernedwithhisownphysicalstates,heachievesgrowingwisdom.Thisisofcourseamatterofdegree.NoonecanVieWtheworldwithcompleteimpartiality;andifanyonecould,hewouldhardlybeabletoremainalive.Butitispossibletomakeacontinualapproachtowardsimpartiality,ontheonehand,byknowingthingssomewhatremoteintimeorspace,andontheotherhand,bygivingtosuchthingstheirdueweightinourfeelings.Itisthisapproachtowardsimpartialitythatconstitutesgrowthinwisdom.论学问及才智我们的时代在学问方面远远超过过去全部时代，在才智方面却没有得到相应的增加，这是大多数人都会同意的看法。但一旦我试图定义“才智”并思索增进它的方法，人们就会有不同看法了。我想问的问题首先是何为才智，其次是传授才智的方法。我想，构成才智有几种要素，其中须置于首位的是比例感：将问题的全部重要因素都考虑进去井掂量每个因素应有的重量的实力。鉴于各类技术员所需的特地学问的范围和困难程度，这种实力变得比过去更难具备。比如，假设你从事医科，这份工作本身很难做，可能会耗费你的全部智能。你没有时间去考虑你的发觉或独创可能带来的医学领域以外的影响.你胜利了（我们假设），正如现代医学所做到的：婴儿死亡率不仅在欧美而且在亚非也大大降低了。但完全非你所愿的结果产生了：在世界人口最为稠密的地区，食物供应匮乏，生活水平下降。再举一个甚至更为引人注目的例子，当前人们都在关注此事：你渴望探求学问，不带功利性地去探讨原子结构，却意外地将摧毁人类的手段置于狂人手中。因此，学问假如不及才智同在，对学问的追求就能变得有危害性：就全方位来看，追求学问的专家们并不肯定具备才智。然而，仅有综合实力还不足以构成才智，还必需加上对人生目的的某种意识。这一点可以在历史探