On Pleasure

論快樂
伊壁鳩魯（公元前342-前270年）是古希臘著名哲學家，創立了伊壁鳩魯學派。在古希臘文明晚期，城邦民主政治瓦解，社會趨于混亂，個人無所適從。伊壁鳩魯于是教導人們，幸福即安寧，保持身體健康與心平氣和即可進入快樂境界。他認為，快樂乃至高的善，趨樂避苦是人的本性，但重要的是快樂的持久度而不是強度，是心靈無憂慮，身體無痛苦，而不是感官的不斷刺激。快樂的生活人人可以享受，為此人們必須清除不必要的欲望，遠離政治，多交朋友。同時，他強調只有通過研究哲學，探求知識，人們才能認識快樂的本源。必須指出，伊壁鳩魯的快樂哲學具有明顯的消極、禁欲色彩，但有助于我們認識古希臘文明晚期的價值轉向。伊氏主要著作有《論自然》、《準則學》、《論目的》等，本文選自他的書信集。

Since pleasure is the first good and natural to us, for this very reason we do not choose every pleasure, but sometimes we pass over many pleasures, when greater discomfort accrues to us as the result of them: and similarly we think many pains better than pleasures, since a greater pleasure comes to us when we have endured pains for a long time. Every pleasure then because of its natural kinship to us is good, yet not every pleasure is to be chosen; even as every pain also is an evil, yet not all are always of a nature to be avoided. Yet by a scale of comparison and by the consideration of advantages and disadvantages we must form our judgment on all these matters. For the good on certain occasions we treat as bad, and conversely the bad as good.
...
　　We must consider that of desires some are natural, others vain, and of the natural some are necessary and others merely natural; and of the necessary some are necessary for happiness, others for the repose of the body, and others for very life....

　　Unhappiness comes either through fear or through vain and unbridled desire; but if a man curbs these, he can win for himself the blessedness of understanding.... Of desires, all that do not lead to a sense of pain, if they are not satisfied, are not necessary, but involve a craving which is easily dispelled, when the object is hard to procure or they seem likely to produce harm. . . . Wherever in the case of desires which are natural, but do not lead to a sense of pain, if they are not fulfilled, the effort is intense, such pleasures are due to idle imagination, and it is not owing to their own nature that they fail to be dispelled, but owing to the empty imaginings of the man....

　　The disturbance of the soul cannot be ended nor true joy created either by the possession of the greatest wealth or by honor and respect in the eyes of the mob or by anything else that is associated with causes of unlimited desires.... We must not violate nature, but obey her; and we shall obey her if we fulfill the necessary desires and also the natural, if they bring no harm to us, but sternly reject the harmful.... The man who follows nature and not vain opinions is independent in all things. For in reference to what is enough for nature every possession is riches, but in reference to unlimited desires even the greatest wealth is not riches but poverty.

　　Insofar as you are in difficulties, it is because you forget nature; for you create for yourself unlimited fears and desires. It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and a rich table and be full of trouble.

快樂于我們乃至善且自然之追求，正因為此，我們并不選擇每一種快樂，而是偶爾放棄多種快樂，因為這些快樂會帶來更大的不安；同樣，我們認為許多痛苦優于快樂，因為當我們長期忍受痛苦之后，更大的快樂便隨之而來。就其與我們之自然聯系而言，每一種快樂都是善的，然而并非每一種快樂都是可取的；同理，雖然每一種痛苦都是惡的，但并非每一種痛苦從本質上都應當加以躲避。不過，我們必須依據某種鑒別的尺度，通過權衡利弊來形成對一切事物的判斷。因此我們有時將好事視為壞事，反之則將壞事視為好事。

……

　　必須看到，有些欲望是自然的，而另一些欲望則是無益的；在自然的欲望之中，有些是必需的，而另一些純屬自然而已；在必需的欲望之中，有些是幸福之所需，有些是身體安康之所需，而另一些則旨在維持生計。……

　　苦惱或源于恐懼，或源于無益的毫無節制的欲望。然而，倘若一個人能克制欲望，他便為自己贏得了徹悟人生的至福。……在種種欲望之中，所有那些即使無法滿足也并不導致痛苦者，均屬不必需之列；而當其所求之目標難以實現或似乎有可能帶來危害時，此類欲望隨即煙消云散。……有些自然的欲望即使無法實現也并不帶來痛苦之感，而人們卻求之不舍，此類快樂均源于無聊的想象，其所以未能驅散，并非本質使然，實乃根因于人之幻想。……

　　無論是擁有巨額財富，還是榮譽，還是紜紜眾生的仰慕，或任何其他導致無窮欲望的身外之物，都無法了結心靈的煩擾，更不能帶來真正的快樂。……我們不可悖逆天性，而應順性而為；而所謂順性，乃是去滿足必需的欲望，以及自然的欲望，如果后者并不帶來危害，反之則應嚴加抵御。……順性而不為妄言蠱惑者，可獨立于天地之間。凡滿足天性者，一點一滴便足以使人富有；而若是填補欲壑，縱然是萬貫家財，所帶來的也不是富有，而是貧困。

　　你之所以困難重重，乃因為忘卻天性；是你為自己設置了無窮的恐懼與欲望。與其錦衣玉食卻憂心忡忡，不如粗茶淡飯卻無憂無慮。

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