WhatMakesMeFeelBig
?J.弗蘭克·多比/J.FrankDobie
「MymindisbigwhenIlookatyouandtalktoyou.」ChiefEagleofthePawneessaidtoGeorgeBirdGrinnellwhen,afteryearsofabsence,thatnoblewriterappearedathisfriend』stepee.
Itisverydifficultindrawingupacredotobeseverelyhonestaboutoneself,toavoidalltraditionalcant.Weactuallybelieveinwhatwevaluemost.Outsideoftherealmsofcarnalityandproperty,whichmenappearinginpublicgenerallypretendnottonotice,Ibelieveinanddrawnourishmentfromwhatevermakesme「feelbig」.
IbelieveinaSupremePower,unknowableandimpersonal,whosehandiworkthesoul-enlargingfirmamentdeclares.However,Ibelieveinquestionings,doubtings,searchings,skepticism,andIdiscreditcredulityorblindfaith.Theprogressofmanisbasedondisbeliefofthecommonlyaccepted.Thenoblestmindsandnaturesofhumanhistoryhavethoughtandsung,livedanddied,tryingtobudgethestatusquotowardsalargerandfullerstatus.Iamsustainedbyabeliefinevolution—theincreasingpurposeoflifeinwhichtherationalis,withgeologicalslowness,evolvingoutoftheirrational.Tobelievethatgoodnessandwisdomandrighteousness,inGardenofEdenperfection,liesomewherefaraheadinsteadoffartherandfartherbehind,givesmehopeandsomewhatexplainsexistence.Thisisalongview.Idonotpretendthatitisaviewalwayspresentinme.ItdoesraisemewhenIhaveit,however.
Ifeelnoresentmentsostronglyasthatagainstforceswhichmakemenandwomenafraidtospeakoutforthrightly.ThenoblestsatisfactionIhaveisinwitnessingtheupmovementofsuppressedindividualsandpeople.Imakenopretensetohavingridmyselfofallprejudices,butattimeswhenIhavediscoveredmyselffreedfromcertainprejudices,Ihavefeltrareexhilaration.
Forme,thebeautifulresidesinthephysical,butitisspiritual.Ihaveneverheardasermonasspiritualineitherphraseorfactas.
「Watersonastarrynightarebeautifulandfree.」
Nohymnliftsmyhearthigherthanthemorningcallofthebobwhiteorthelongflutingcryofsandhillcranesoutoftheskyatdusk.Ihaveneversmelledincenseinachurchasrefiningtothespiritasaspringbreezeladenwitharomafromafieldofbluebonnets.Notallhardtruthsarebeautiful.But「beautyistruth」.Itincorporatesloveandisincorporatedbylove.Itisthegoalofallgreatart.Itspresenceeverywheremakesitfreetoall.Itisnotsoabstractasjustice,butbeautyandintellectualfreedomandjustice,allincorporatingtruthandgoodness,areconstantsustainerstomymindandspirit.
在離開朋友波尼族印第安人首領雄鷹的獸皮帳篷幾年後,作家喬治·伯德·格林又回到那裡。這位首領對他高尚的朋友說:「凝視著你,與你交談,讓我感到心胸寬廣。」
我們很難為自己擬出一個既能嚴格遵守又能避免傳統教條的信念。事實上,我們最為珍視的東西便是我們的信仰。除了人們在公共場合總會假裝視而不見的俗念與財產之外,所有能讓我胸懷寬廣的都是我的信仰,它們是我力量的源泉。
我相信有一種至高無上且無法控制的未知力量,它的創造,宣告了靈魂擁有無限伸展的空間。然而,我也相信詢問、質疑、探索與懷疑,但拒絕輕信或盲從的信仰。人類的進步是基於對普遍接受的質疑。人類歷史上,擁有最高尚思想的人們曾經思考過、歌唱過、生活過,最終離去,他們也曾努力擴展並充實現狀。我始終相信進化論,即生活目的在不斷增加,而其中從非理性到理性的進化時間就像地質變化一樣漫長。我相信,伊甸園中完美的善良、智慧與正義就在遙遠的前方,給予我希望,並或多或少地解釋了生存的意義——這是一個長遠的觀點。我不會假裝認為自己始終擁有這樣的觀點。然而,當我擁有它時,我的靈魂的確得到了昇華。
使人不敢坦誠言論的勢力,是我最為憎恨的。當看到受壓迫的個人與民族奮起反抗時,我便會心生敬慕,感到滿足。我並不偽稱自己已經摒棄了所有的偏見,但有時當我發現自己擺脫了某些偏見時,我就會狂喜不已。
我認為,美雖然存在於肉體,卻屬於精神。我從未聽說過,有哪句布道詞能從言辭或事實上表現出這樣的精神美:
「夜晚繁星點點,湖水自由蕩漾。」
北美鳩清晨的鳴唱或黃昏時天空中沙丘鶴笛鳴般的長吟,是任何讚美詩都無法媲美的。柔和的春風中瀰漫著田野間矢車菊的芳香,讓我的靈魂也更加高尚,這是教堂中任何焚香都無法比擬的。並非所有堅定的真理都是美好的,但「美即是真」。所有偉大的藝術都追求這樣的目標,即美融合愛,也被愛所融合。它無處不在,唾手可得。它不像正義那樣抽像,但美、心智的自由及正義,都和真與善融合,這便是我的思想與精神的永恆支柱。
1.Weactuallybelievein_______wevaluemost.Outsideoftherealmsofcarnality_______property,whichmenappearingin_______generallypretendnottonotice,I______inanddrawnourishmentfromwhatever_______me「feelbig」.
2.Theprogressofmanis_______ondisbeliefofthecommonlyaccepted.Thenoblest_______andnaturesofhuman_______havethoughtandsung,livedand_______,tryingtobudgethestatusquotowardsalargerand_______status.
1.我們很難為自己擬出一個既能嚴格遵守又能避免傳統教條的信念。
2.我並不偽稱自己已經摒棄了所有的偏見,但有時當我發現自己擺脫了某些偏見時,我就會狂喜不已。
3.所有偉大的藝術都追求這樣的目標,即美融合愛,也被愛所融合。
1.Itisverydifficultindrawingupacredotobeseverelyhonestaboutoneself.
drawup:草擬;起草;制訂
2.Tryingtobudgethestatusquotowardsalargerandfullerstatus.
trytodo:試著做某事;盡量去做某事;努力去做某事;盡力去做