如是說999

2019-01-30

There is an ancient story: It is said that an old follower of Lao Tzu, who was 90 years old, was busy pulling water from the well, together with his young son.

有一个古老的故事：据说有一个老子的追随者，他90岁了，正跟他年轻的儿子一起，忙着从井里打水。

Confucius and Lao Tzu were contemporaries. There was as much difference between them as between Aristotle and Lao Tzu. Confucius’ way of thinking is Aristotalean, therefore. the West honoured Confucius very much these last 300 years. It is only now that Lao Tzu is rising in their esteem. This is because Science now finds itself in a strange predicament and is faced with great difficulty.

孔子和老子生于同一时代。他们两人之间的差别，跟亚里士多德与老子之间的差别一样大。所以，孔子的思考方式是很亚里士多德式的。过去300年来西方非常推崇孔子。现在人们才对老子慢慢有所尊敬。这是因为科学发现自己处在一个非常奇怪的困境之中，同时面临着极大的困难。

To continue our story: Confucius happened to pass by. He saw the old man and his young son, yoked together pulling water from the well. He was filled with compassion. He went up to the old man and said: “Do you not know, you foolish fellow, that now we harness horses or oxen to do this job? Why are you unnecessarily tiring yourself and this young boy?”

继续我们的故事：孔子碰巧经过。他看到老人及其年轻的儿子，一起从井里打水。孔子充满了慈悲。他走上前对老人说：“难道你不知道吗，你这个笨蛋，现在我们用马或牛来干这活？为何要毫无必要的折腾自己跟你年轻的儿子？”

The old man said, “Hush! Pray speak softly lest my son hears! Come after some time when my boy goes for lunch.” Confucius was perplexed. When the youth left, he asked the old man, “Why would you not let your son hear what I said?”

老人说，“嘘！请你说话小声点，别让我儿子听见！等我儿子去吃午饭的时候你再来。”孔子很困惑。年轻人离开后，孔子问那个老人，“为何你不想让你儿子听到我说的话？”

He replied, “I am 90 years old and yet I have the strength to work side by side with a youth of 30. If I engage horses to pull the water, my son will not have the same strength at 90, that I have now. So I pray to you, do not talk of this before my son. It is a question of his health. We have heard that in towns, the horses pull water from the well. We also know that there are machines that do this job as well. But then, what will my son do? What will happen to his health, his constitution?”

他答道，“我90了，但我仍然有力气跟一个30岁的年轻人一起干活。如果我用马打水，等我儿子到了90岁他就没有我这样的力气。所以请你不要在我儿子面前讲这种事。问题在于他的健康。我们在镇上听说过，人们用马从井里打水。我们也知道有机器可以干这活。那我儿子要干什么？他的健康，他的体魄会如何？”

What we do on one hand has an immediate effect on the other.

我们在一只手上做什么，会立刻影响另一只手。

If Lao Tzu is correct, the result will be disastrous. For example: We want to sleep soundly. He who wishes to sleep soundly, is certainly fond of rest. And he who does not toil, cannot sleep soundly. Lao Tzu says, “Work and rest are both united. If you wish to relax, toil hard.” Strive so hard that relaxation falls on you.

如果老子是正确的，那么结果会很惨。比如说：我们想要睡的好。那些想要睡的好的人，当然喜欢休息。那些不辛苦工作的人，没办法睡的好。老子说，“作与息（工作与休息）是合在一起的。如果你想要休息，就辛苦工作。”要非常努力，努力到放松降临在你身上。

Now if we think the Aristotalean way, work and rest are different and opposite. If I am fond of rest and comfort, and wish to sleep soundly, I shall just sit around the whole day and do nothing. But he who rests in the day, destroys his repose of the night. Rest has to be earned through labour. Or else, you shall have to pass a restless night.

现在如果我们用亚里士多德式的方式来思考，作与息是截然不同和相反的。如果我喜欢休息和舒服，想要睡的好，我就应该一整天坐着，什么也不干。但那些白天休息的人，毁了他晚上的休息。休息必须通过劳作来挣得。否则，你晚上就睡不安宁。

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