光明將至的榮耀(2)

我相信自己可以死而復(fù)生。像許多我的前輩一樣，我經(jīng)歷過“不朽的暗示”。這種體驗(yàn)，只有一粒褐色的種子成長(zhǎng)為一棵鮮花盛開的大樹的經(jīng)歷才能解釋清楚：隆冬時(shí)節(jié)深深埋在泥土里，極度的刺激和焦慮恰似一種生長(zhǎng)的痛苦，持續(xù)到六月。

　　As to orthodox belief, I am an Episcopalian, like my family before me. I can repeat the Creed without asking too much margin for personal interpretation. To me it is a pattern, like the sonnet form in poetry, for the compact expression of faith. There are other patterns for other people, and I have no quarrel with these. By many paths we reach the single goal.

　　I believe in the good intentions of others, and I trust people instinctively. My trust has often been betrayed in petty ways, and once or twice gravely. I cannot stop trusting people, because suspicion is contrary to my nature. Nor would I, because the number of people who have justified my trust are ten to one to those who have abused it. And I know that on occasion I have myself, perhaps inadvertently, failed to live up to some trust reposed in me.

　　說到正統(tǒng)信仰，和父輩一樣，我是一名圣公會(huì)教徒，可以重復(fù)教條的教義而不太走樣。在我看來，這些教條的精義是一種模式，如同詩歌中十四行詩的形式，以凝練的方式表達(dá)信仰。他人有另外的模式，我對(duì)此無異議，因?yàn)?ldquo;我們殊途同歸”。

　　我相信他人的善意，并且本能地信任人。盡管信任的人常常背叛我，讓我十分不快，有一兩次他們非常卑鄙地背叛了我，我仍然相信人，因?yàn)閼岩刹皇俏业奶煨?，我也不愿意這樣。畢竟值得我信任與辜負(fù)我信任的人數(shù)目之比為10：1，并且我知道，也許在無意之中，我自己也辜負(fù)了別人對(duì)我的信任。

　　That the universe has a purposeful movement toward spiritual perfection seems to me logical, unless we are all cells in the brain of an idiot. A belief in spiritual as well as physical evolution has sustained me in an optimism still unshaken by cynics. There may be setbacks of a century or even centuries, but they seem small reverses when measured against the vast prospect of human progress or even the record of it up to this point.

　　I am blessed with a buoyant temperament and enjoy the pleasures of this earth. For daily living, I would say: one world at a time. I do not wish my life to be cluttered with material things; on the other hand, I do not wish to anticipate, by fanatical self-denial, the raptures to come. Sufficient unto the day is the good thereof.

　　世界朝著精神完美的目標(biāo)行進(jìn)，這一觀點(diǎn)在我看來是符合邏輯的，否則我們都成了白癡的腦細(xì)胞。精神和肉體都在進(jìn)化，這一信仰使我十分樂觀，憤世嫉俗者也沒有動(dòng)搖這種樂觀主義。也許在一個(gè)世紀(jì)甚至幾個(gè)世紀(jì)里會(huì)出現(xiàn)挫折，但與人類進(jìn)步的遠(yuǎn)大前程或與人類發(fā)展至今的歷史相比，這些挫折不過是小小的失敗。

　　我很幸運(yùn)有開朗的性格，會(huì)享受這個(gè)世界的快樂。對(duì)于日常生活，我想說：世界每時(shí)每刻都在變化。我不希望生活充斥著物質(zhì)追求;另一方面，我也不愿盲目否定自我以期待神賜喜悅的來臨。一天的快樂一天當(dāng)就夠了。