Excerpt：塞內卡的《論人生短暫》

學習無用的東西總比什麼都不學習好。
——塞內卡
“Satius est supervacua discere, quam nihil.”—Seneca
‘Tis better to learn more than necessary than nothing at all.

從蒙田的《隨筆集》多次看到他引用塞內卡的格言，足見其思想的一脈相傳。

〈塞內卡論人生短暫〉已是第二次閱讀不同的譯文，但閱讀經驗上的感受依然銳利。

以下摘要分享。

https://www.books.com.tw/products/0010916943
論人生短暫：古羅馬斯多噶學派經典人生智慧書，關於心緒寧靜、時間與錢財
ON THE SHORTNESS OF LIFE: Life is Long if You Know How to Use It
作者：塞內卡
譯者：柯宗佑
出版社：遠流
出版日期：2022/02/24

本書收入斯多噶學派代表人物塞內卡的三部重要著作，透過他睿智的觀察以及流暢的文字，從身、心、靈三個角度給予當代讀者實用的哲學思維。

書中完整呈現斯多噶學派的智慧系統，內容包含生活中的各個面向，以最實用的觀點、充滿智慧的金句及平易近人的生活實例，告訴讀者每日所需的人生智慧。

【Excerpt】
〈塞內卡論人生短暫〉

I.
保利努斯（Paulinus）啊，大部分的凡人都愛埋怨上天，覺得上天對他們不公，因為人生太短了，而且能用的時間倏忽即逝，除了少數人之外，多數人都是等到真的打算認真過生活了，才發現生命早已步入盡頭。
其實會抱怨人生苦短的，並不限於不愛動腦的普通人，這反而是所有人的通病，即使是鼎鼎大名的人物，也免不了要怨個幾聲。正因如此，天底下最優秀的醫生才會說「人生苦短，技術耗時」(另譯為“人生苦短，藝術恆久。” life is short, art is long)；也正因如此，亞里斯多德在控訴自然時，才會有失智者風範。後者的說詞是，上天總是獨厚動物，給某些動物長於人類五倍、十倍的生命，反觀為了追求成就而生的人類，能活的時間卻這麼短暫。
但老實說，人生並沒有那麼短，問題出在我們浪費了太多時間。上天已經夠慷慨了，光就追求成就這件事來說，只要投入足夠時間，一定能達成目標。反之，我們如果態度散漫，一味揮霍光陰，不做半點有意義的事，到最後，我們才會驚覺時間已經悄悄溜走了。
(It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested. But when it is squandered in luxury and carelessness, when it is devoted to no good end, forced at last by the ultimate necessity we perceive that it has passed away before we were aware that it was passing.)
總之，我們的人生並不算短，害人生變短的都是我們自己；我們其實不缺時間，只是時間都被自己浪費掉了。打個比方，不懂理財的人一旦獲得萬貫財富，就會立刻把錢花光；反觀理財有方的人，即使起初只拿到一點點錢，都能慢慢讓數字成長。所以說，只要懂得規劃人生，就不會覺得人生苦短了。
(So it is—the life we receive is not short, but we make it so, nor do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it. Just as great and princely wealth is scattered in a moment when it comes into the hands of a bad owner, while wealth however limited, if it is entrusted to a good guardian, increases by use, so our life is amply long for him who orders it properly.)


II.
我們何必埋怨上天？上天已經很仁慈了，只要你懂得如何過活，人生絕對夠長。但有人總是貪婪不知足，或是只會浪費體力做白工；有人酗酒，有人成天發懶；有人做起事來總是在乎別人的眼光，弄得自己心力交瘁；有人雲遊四海到處從商，期盼某天能發大財；有人熱愛戰爭，不是一天到晚想壓迫別人，就是為了各種險境而算計。有人甘願服侍大人物，不顧對方從未表示感激；很多人一生汲汲營營，想的都是取得別人的财富，或者抱怨自己的財產不夠多：還有很多人心中沒有明確目標，總是四處飄蕩、反反覆覆，卻又因此感到不滿，做事永遠三分鐘熱度；有些人缺乏原則，不懂做人處事的道理，在發懶和打呵欠的同時，就被命運奪走性命了。
這些事確實會發生，我向來不懷疑，就像大詩人說過的神諭式金句：「人真正活過的時間，其實不長。一我們沒活過的部分都不能視為人生，頂多算是經歷一段時間而已。惡在我們四周起伏盤旋，會妨礙我們積極行動、洞察真理，讓我們成為慾望的傀儡，使我們萬劫不復。被惡吞噬的人，永遠無法找回真正的自己；就算這些人能喘口氣，也像是經歷暴風雨之後不斷起伏的深海水流，天天受到欲望挑撥，永無寧日。
(so surely does it happen that I cannot doubt the truth of that utterance which the greatest of poets delivered with all the seeming of an oracle: "The part of life we really live is small."5 For all the rest of existence is not life, but merely time. Vices beset us and surround us on every side, and they do not permit us to rise anew and lift up our eyes for the discernment of truth, but they keep us down when once they have overwhelmed us and we are chained to lust. Their victims are never allowed to return to their true selves; if ever they chance to find some release, like the waters of the deep sea which continue to heave even after the storm is past, they are tossed about, and no rest from their lusts abides.)
……

VIII.
每當我發現有人想佔用別人的時間，或是有人心甘情願被別人佔用時間，我都會大吃一驚。雙方只注意到自己花了時間做了什麼事，對時間本身卻毫不在乎；時間成了無足輕重的事物，任人予取予求。時間本來是世間最珍貴的事物，但人們總是輕率以對，因為時間看不見摸不著，容易被人忽視，淪為無足輕重的事物，甚至變得毫無價值。
(I am often filled with wonder when I see some men demanding the time of others and those from whom they ask it most indulgent. Both of them fix their eyes on the object of the request for time, neither of them on the time itself; just as if what is asked were nothing, what is given, nothing. Men trifle with the most precious thing in the world; but they are blind to it because it is an incorporeal thing, because it does not come beneath the sight of the eyes, and for this reason it is counted a very cheap thing—nay, of almost no value at all.)
人們一向只在乎養老金和救濟金，為了領到這些錢，大家甘願供人差遣，耗費心力服務別人。時間不被人當一回事，彷彿像是免費的東西一樣，被大家盡情揮霍。不過，當這些人生病了 或是命在旦夕時，他們才想要跪求醫生幫忙。他們就像被判了死刑，為了活命，就算傾家蕩產也在所不惜。這些人一前一後的反應，實在落差太大了。
其實，如果每個人都能像知道自己已經活了幾年一樣，知道自己還剩下沒幾年可活，豈不是會更提心弔膽、珍惜時間？自己能牢牢掌握的事物，即使價值再小，珍惜起來總是不太難；但真正不該大意的，其實是無意間就消失無蹤的事物。
然而，如果你以為這些人不知道時間多珍貴，那你就錯了。這些人會說，希望自己能把壽命分給親愛的人；其實他們早給了，只是自己沒察覺而已。但問題是，即使他們確實折了壽，最愛的人卻沒有變得更長壽，而且這些人根本不知道自己白白浪費了生命。既然沒感覺，他們也覺得無所謂。
可惜，沒有人能讓時光倒流，失去的光陰也討不回來。生命會順著時間的軌跡向前奔去，沒有倒退或停止的一天，一切都默默進行著，時間不會出聲提醒你。就算國王發號施令、人民鼓掌喝采，時間也不會為了他們而延長，只會繼續朝最初的方向行進，不會有一絲偏移或拖沓。結果呢？你的一生只會庸庸碌碌，光陰卻匆匆飛逝。很快地，死亡就會來到你面前，不管你願不願意，你都得告別這庸碌的一生。

IX.
有些人的想法真的很蠢，不是嗎？我指的是那些自以為有遠見的人。他們總是忙東忙西，想辦法改善生活品質；換句話說，他們一輩子都在為過活做準備！這些人做的計劃，都和遙遠的未來息息相關，但拖拖拉拉才是最浪費生命的行為。每拖拉一次，就相當於浪費了一天；每次想把事情拖到未來，就離現實越來越遠。人生最大的阻礙，就是一味寄望將來、等待明日，今朝卻蹉跎不前。你一心想控制由命運掌控的事物，卻不好好把握你手中的東西。你的眼光望向何方？你想朝哪個方向走？還沒發生的事，全都是未知數；還是把握當下，努力生活吧！最偉大的詩人，不也像是獲得神明指示，說出了底下這些話：
(Can anything be sillier than the point of view of certain people—I mean those who boast of their foresight? They keep themselves very busily engaged in order that they may be able to live better; they spend life in making ready to live! They form their purposes with a view to the distant future; yet postponement is the greatest waste of life; it deprives them of each day as it comes, it snatches from them the present by promising something hereafter. The greatest hindrance to living is expectancy, which depends upon the morrow and wastes to-day. You dispose of that which lies in the hands of Fortune, you let go that which lies in your own. Whither do you look? At what goal do you aim? All things that are still to come lie in uncertainty; live straightway! See how the greatest of bards cries out, and, as if inspired with divine utterance, sings the saving strain:)

在凡人的生命裡，最美好的日子最先消失。
(The fairest day in hapless mortals life
Is ever first to flee.)

詩人問：「你在拖延什麼？蹉跎什麼？如果你不把握當下，時光就溜走了。」就算你把握了當下，時光還是會照樣溜走，你必須妥善利用時間，才能與飛逝的時光搏鬥。湍急的流水不會靜靜流淌，想取一瓢飲動作要快。對於不斷拖延的行為，這幾句詩文猶如暮鼓晨鐘，而且詩人的說法是「最美好的日子」，而非「最美好的年代」。你奢望讓壽命變長，自己卻年復一年、月復一月不斷拖延，從來不將時光飛逝放在心上？所以詩人才把重心放在「日子」上，在他看來，每個日子都會瞬間消逝。
("Why do you delay," says he, "Why are you idle? Unless you seize the day, it flees." Even though you seize it, it still will flee; therefore you must vie with times swiftness in the speed of using it, and, as from a torrent that rushes by and will not always flow, you must drink quickly. And, too, the utterance of the bard is most admirably worded to cast censure upon infinite delay, in that he says, not "the fairest age," but "the fairest day." Why, to whatever length your greed inclines, do you stretch before yourself months and years in long array, unconcerned and slow though time flies so fast? The poet speaks to you about the day, and about this very day that is flying.)

那些成天庸庸碌碌的凡人，他們生命中最先消逝的日子，難道不是最美好的日子嗎？某天，他們會驚覺自己年華老去，但他們的心智仍未成熟，可是面對這番劇變，他們並沒有任何因應之道。這些人沒料到老年步步進逼，直到自己迎面撞上了，才會大夢初醒。就好比旅人在旅途中忙著交談、閱讀、沉思，不小心迷了路，直到抵達目的地的那一刻，才會發覺旅途終結了。
不管我們是睡是醒，步伐是快是慢，當我們走在人生的道路上，時光都會飛快消逝。這樣的道理，那些庸碌人士到最後一刻才能領悟。
(Is there, then, any doubt that for hapless mortals, that is, for men who are engrossed, the fairest day is ever the first to flee? Old age surprises them while their minds arae still childish, and they come to it unprepared and unarmed, for they have made no provision for it; they have stumbled upon it suddenly and unexpectedly, they did not notice that it was drawing nearer day by day. Even as conversation or reading or deep meditation on some subject beguiles the traveller, and he finds that he has reached the end of his journey before he was aware that he was approaching it, just so with this unceasing and most swift journey of life, which we make at the same pace whether waking or sleeping; those who are engrossed become aware of it only at the end.)

【英譯參考資料】
http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/seneca_younger/brev_e.html
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
On the Shortness of Life
translated by John W. Basore, Loeb Classical Everymans LibraryLondon: William Heinemann, 1932