Riches 論財(cái)富
?-By Henry Blair Graybilt亨
But I warm you against thinking that riches necessarily confer happiness; or that poverty confers unhappiness. Do not begin life supposing that you shall be heart-rich when you are purse-rich. A man's happiness depends primarily upon his disposition. If that be good, riches will bring pleasure; but only vexation if that be evil.
To lavish money upon shining trifles, to make an idol of one's self for fools to gaze at, to rear mansions beyond our wants, to garnish them for display and not for use, to chatter through the heartless rounds of pleasure, to lounge, to gape, to simper and giggle-can wealth make vanity happy by such folly?…
But riches indeed bless that heart whose almoner is benevolence. If the taste is refined, if the affections are pure, if conscience is honest, if charity listens to the needy, and generosity relieves them; if the public-spirited hand fosters all that embellishes and all that ennobles society - then is the rich man happy.
參考中文譯文
作者:利·布菜爾·格雷比爾
我要警告你:別以為財(cái)富一定會(huì)帶來(lái)幸福,貧窮必定會(huì)招致不幸。不要以為生活是荷包滿(mǎn)滿(mǎn),就會(huì)稱(chēng)心如意。人的幸福主要取決于其性格。如果秉性善良,財(cái)富自會(huì)帶來(lái)快樂(lè);如果生性邪惡,財(cái)富只會(huì)造成苦惱。
把金錢(qián)浪費(fèi)在富麗堂皇而無(wú)益的瑣物上;把自己打扮得像神像一般,吸引愚者的目光;興建超過(guò)需求的豪宅,加以裝潢修飾,不為實(shí)用,只求炫耀;浸淫于安逸享樂(lè)之中,悠閑懶散、渾噩懵懂,嘻嘻哈哈——財(cái)富可以借此愚行駛喋喋不休、浮夸虛榮的人快樂(lè)嗎?……??
可是財(cái)富確實(shí)能為仁慈而慷慨的人帶來(lái)好運(yùn)。如果品味高雅,情感真摯,心境磊落,對(duì)有需要的人提供慈愛(ài),并且慷慨濟(jì)助;如果熱心公益之手從事于美化社會(huì)的事業(yè),促使社會(huì)更加高尚——那么富人才是快樂(lè)的。
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