学会摆脱自负 Learning to Get Out of the Way

　　作者简介：奥尔德斯·赫胥黎，是伟大的科学家托马斯·赫胥黎的孙子，生于英格兰的萨里郡，现住在洛杉矶，是一名多产作家。

　　Learning to Get Out of the Way

　　学会摆脱自负

　　In every one of the higher religions there is a strain of infinite optimism on the one hand,and on the other,of a profound pessimism.In the depths of our being,they all teach,there is an inner high--but an inner Light which our egotism keeps,for most of the time,in a state of more of less eclipse.

　　If,however,it so desires,the ego can get out of the way,so to speak,can dis--eclipse the Light and become identified wiht its divine source.Hence the unlimited optimmism of the traditional religions.There pessinism springs from the observed fact that,though all are called,few are chosen--for the sufficient reason that few choose to be chosen.

　　在每种高级宗教的信仰中既包含无穷的乐观精神，又有一种深奥的悲观论。它们都告诫我们，在我们生命深处有一道内在的光芒——而这道光芒大多时候多多少少被我们自负的阴影所遮盖。

　　然而，如果愿意，自负可以离开，或者说可以让这道光芒重新闪耀，并与创造它的神相融合，于是产生了传统宗教无尽的乐观主义，而其悲观论源于人们观察到的事实，即尽管人人皆受到召唤，却只有极少数人受到垂青——全因几乎无人愿受到垂青。

　　To me,this older conception of man's nature and destiny seems more realistic,more nearly in accord with the given facts,than any form of modern utopianism.

　　In the Lord's Prayer we are taught to ask for the blessing which consists in not being led into temptation.The reason is only too obvious.Whe temptations are very great or unduly prolonged,most persons succumb on them.To devise a perfect social order is probably beyond our powers,but I believe that it is perfectly possible for us to reduce the number of dangerous temptations to a level far below that which is tolerated at the present time.