Good and Evil

善与恶
纪伯伦

And one of the elders of the city said, "Speak to us of Good and Evil."
城里一位长者说，“给我们讲讲善与恶吧。”

And he answered:
他答道：

Of the good in you I can speak, but not of the evil.
我可以谈你们心中的善，但却不能谈恶。

For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?
因为，恶为何物？ 它不正是善受自身饥渴折磨所造成的吗？

Verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts, it drinks even of dead waters.
事实上，善在饥饿不堪时，不惜到暗穴里觅食；而在口干舌燥时，善甚至喝死水。

You are good when you are one with yourself.
你与自己统一时，你是善良的。

Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil.
你与自己不合时，也并不邪恶。

For a divided house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house.
因为，一个分裂的家并非贼窝；只是个分裂的家罢了。

And a ship without rudder may wander aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink not to the bottom.
一只无舵之船漫无目的漂游于险恶的岛屿间，还不至于沉入水底。

You are good when you strive to give of yourself.
你尽力付出自己时，是善良的。

Yet you are not evil when you seek gain for yourself.
你为自己谋利时，也并非邪恶。

For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast.
因为，你竭力获益时，你不过是树根，依附大地，吮吸她的乳汁。

Surely the fruit cannot say to the root, "Be like me, ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance."
果实当然不能告诉树根，“象我一样，成熟，饱满，永远奉献你的富庶。”

For to the fruit giving is a need, as receiving is a need to the root.
因为，对于果实，奉献是需求；而对于树根，接受则是需求。

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.
你谈吐完全清醒时，你是善良的，
你睡着时，舌头毫无意识地胡言癔语，你也并非邪恶。

And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue.
即使结结巴巴的言辞也会强化软弱的舌头。

You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.
你坚定果敢地迈向目标时，你是善良的。

Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping.
你跛足而行时，也并非邪恶。

Even those who limp go not backward.
即使那些跛行者，也没有倒着走。

But you who are strong and swift, see that you do not limp before the lame, deeming it kindness.
但是，强健而敏捷的你，可别当着瘸子的面跛行，反倒以为那是好心。

You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good,
You are only loitering and sluggard.
你在许多方面是善良的，而你不善良时，也并非邪恶，你只是闲散惰懈而已。

Pity that the stags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.
真遗憾，牡鹿无法教会乌龟快走。

In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you.
你渴望自身强大，这体现了你的善：你们所有人都有这样的愿望。

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.
但是，在你们某些人心中，渴望是一股膨湃的激流，载着山坡的秘密和森林的歌声，奔向大海。

And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore.
而在其它人心中，渴望只是一条平缓的溪流，在蜿蜒迂回中迷失了自己，踌躇徘徊，才抵达海边。

But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are you slow and halting?"
但是，渴望重重的人可不要去质问心无所求的人，“你因何步履缓慢，走走停停？”

For the truly good ask not the naked, "Where is your garment?" nor the houseless, "What has befallen your house?"
因为，真正善良的人不会问裸体的人，“你的衣裳在哪里？”
也不会这么问无家可归的人，“你的房子出了什么事？”