Greek Wisdom About Living Well

∷那零 選 溫純 注 / 秋葉 評

The Greeks have one of the oldest cultures in the world (not to mention the first known democracy),and to this day, we turn to the wellspring of Greek wisdom for guidance on living well.1. 希臘人擁有世界上最古老的文化之一（更不用說是世界上第一個建立民主制度的國家），直至今天，我們?nèi)钥梢越梃b希臘智慧作為源泉來引導我們的生活。not to mention： 更不用說，無需提；wellspring： 水源，源泉。With both an ancient tradition of introspection and ethical inquiry, and also to one of the most heart-healthy diets in the world, the Greeks know a thing or two about how to live a good life.2.希臘人擁有每日三省吾身和道德探究的古老傳統(tǒng)，還有世界上最有利于心臟健康的飲食習慣，希臘人知曉幸福生活的真諦。introspection： 反省，內(nèi)?。籩thical： 倫理的，道德的；inquiry： 探究，探索。

“你幸福嗎？”央視記者在街上追著路人問這個問題，誰又能為我們回答“如何幸?！钡膯栴}？關于幸福，擁有世界上最古老的文明之一的希臘人有太多可以教導我們。希臘人的幸福秘籍其實很簡單：吃得健康，睡得充足，拋棄無謂的憂愁，常與家人朋友鄰居歡樂相聚，放慢生活節(jié)奏去享受細小的生活樂趣……我們一起來向希臘人取經(jīng)吧！

But it’s not just ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle who unlocked the secrets to a meaningful life.3. Plato： 柏拉圖，希臘著名哲學家，其學說和著作成為西方哲學不可或缺的一部分。曾師從希臘大哲學家蘇格拉底（Socrates），在蘇格拉底被處死之后的十多年時間里四處周游?；氐较ＥD以后，他創(chuàng)辦了著名的哲學學?！皩W園”（the Academy），亞里士多德曾在那里就讀。Aristotle： 亞里士多德，希臘的哲學家和科學家。曾在柏拉圖的“學園”就讀并任教，之后開辦了自己的學?！獏慰税簩W院（the Lyceum）。亞里士多德論著豐富，除了哲學方面，自然歷史和科學方面的論著也甚多。The health habits and leisure rituals of modern Greece also have a lot to teach the rest of the world about health and happiness.4. 現(xiàn)代希臘的養(yǎng)生習慣和休閑模式足以教給世界其他地方的人很多關于健康和幸福的東西了。ritual：（宗教等的）儀式，例行公事，規(guī)矩。

Greeks believe firmly in many things, and afternoon naps are one of them. In some of the smaller towns and villages,businesses commonly shut down in the mid-afternoon for the Greek siesta5. siesta：（尤指在氣候炎熱國家的）午睡，午后小睡。time and open again around 5 p.m.

“Napping is a response, an adaptation to the hot climate,”Dimitrios Trichopoulos, a Greek researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, told NPR6. NPR： 全稱為National Public Radio，即美國國家公共電臺，成立于1970年，以新聞及綜述類節(jié)目為主。. “Siesta is a very pleasant habit. In a way, it doubles your day. Because you start all over again at 5 o’clock and you can go on until 11 or 12 o’clock which is not uncommon at all in our part of the world.”

During the warmer months, small villages and towns in Greece turn to the daily tradition of volta (translated as stroll or outing).7. 在比較暖和的月份，希臘小村莊和城鎮(zhèn)的人們就會重拾“volta”（可翻譯為“閑逛”或“散步”）的每日慣例。stroll： 閑逛，漫步；outing： 短途旅游，散步。When the sun goes down, Greek families will take leisurely walks up and down the main streets of small towns,and on the islands, they’ll enjoy a leisurely stroll along the shore.

The Greek philosophical tradition is one of the oldest and arguably8. arguably： 可論證地，可商榷地。the richest in the world. Philosophical inquiry thrived in the culture of ancient Greek, and philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Epicurus and Epictetus asked the big questions: How do we live a good life? How should the city be governed? What is morality and how should we treat others?9. 哲學探討在古希臘文化中非常盛行，柏拉圖、亞里士多德、柏羅丁、伊壁鳩魯和愛比克泰德等哲學家提出各種宏大的問題：“如何過上幸福的生活？”“如何治理城市？”“什么是道德以及我們應該如何對待他人？”thrive： 興盛，興隆；Plotinus： 柏羅丁，羅馬帝國時期哲學家，新柏拉圖主義（Neo-Platonism）的創(chuàng)始人。柏羅丁認為哲學不僅是一種抽象思考，也是一種生活方式。他的著作極大地影響了早期的基督教神學；Epicurus： 伊壁鳩魯，古希臘哲學家、無神論者，伊壁鳩魯學派（Epicureanism）的創(chuàng)始人，在希臘設立了“花園學?！保╰he Garden）。在倫理學方面，他認為善和快樂是一致的，至上之善和身心愉悅的終極目標相一致；Epictetus： 愛比克泰德，希臘哲學家。本身并無著作，其學說由學生傳述。他認為真正完全屬于個人的只有意志或決心，人們對其思想不能負責，但對于如何利用這些思想?yún)s要負完全責任。

In many ways, we owe the tradition of living the“examined life” to the ancient Greeks.10. 在很多方面，我們應該把這種“檢視生活”的傳統(tǒng)歸功于古希臘人。As Aristotle once wrote, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”11. 正如亞里士多德寫道：“認識自己是一切智慧的開端。”

Greek hospitality goes as far back as Odysseus12. Odysseus： 奧德修斯，荷馬（Homer）史詩《奧德賽》（Oddesey）中的主人公。在荷馬的作品里，他是一個機智多謀和堅毅的人，他獻上木馬計讓希臘攻下特洛伊，結束了長達十年之久的戰(zhàn)爭。之后他又經(jīng)過九年的流浪和冒險回到家里與家人團聚。,and it’s been embedded in Greek culture and families to this day. (Ever seenMy Big Fat Greek Wedding?13. My Big Fat Greek Wedding：《我盛大的希臘婚禮》，是2002年出品的一部浪漫喜劇片，影片講述了一名希臘婦女摒棄家庭傳統(tǒng)，嫁給了非希臘裔人士所引起的風波和家庭矛盾以及由此而引發(fā)的一系列喜劇和鬧劇。). This generosity and welcoming spirit derives from the word filoxenia, which translates to “l(fā)ove of foreigners.”14. 這種慷慨大方和熱情好客的精神源自于“ filoxenia”，可以翻譯成“對外來人的愛”。generosity： 慷慨，大方。Historically, it has referred to the hospitality of villagers and residents of small towns who would take in travelers passing through,offering a meal and a bed, whereas now it generally refers to the hospitality offered to friends, family or acquaintances.15. 最初它是指村莊和小鎮(zhèn)居民熱情地招待路過的游人， 為他們提供飲食住宿，不過現(xiàn)在泛指熱情對待朋友、家人和泛泛之交。

The little Mediterranean island of Ikaria has one of the healthiest, longest-living populations in the world.16. Mediterranean： 地中海的，地中海沿岸地區(qū)的；Ikaria：伊卡里亞島（位于希臘）。Ikarian men are nearly four times as likely as American men to reach the age of 90, and often in better health, according to a 2012New York Timesarticle, “The Island Where People Forget To Die.”17. 根據(jù)2012年《紐約時報》發(fā)表的文章《被死神忘記的小島》，伊卡里亞島的居民活到90歲的幾率是美國人的近四倍，并且通常他們的身體比美國人更加健康。They also have lower rates of depression and dementia18. dementia： 癡呆癥。. Their secrets to long life? A fresh, healthy Mediterranean diet, lots of outdoor and leisure time,strong families and communities and plenty of sleep.

Another longevity19. longevity： 長壽，壽命長。secret of the Ikarians?They live by “island time.”

“Have you noticed that no one wears a watch here? No clock is working correctly,”Leriadia said. “When you invite someone to lunch, they might come at 10 a.m. or 6 p.m.We simply don’t care about the clock here.”

But taking time to savor life’s little pleasure isn’t limited to Ikaria; Greeks are known for having a slower pace of life, which allows them to linger over and savor family activities,long meals and small pleasures.20. 不過花時間享受生活點點滴滴的小樂趣并非伊卡里亞島人的專屬，希臘人的生活節(jié)奏之慢廣為人知，這讓他們能夠慢條斯理地進行和享受家庭活動、漫長的用餐和生活小樂趣。linger over： 慢慢進行。As aManchester Evening Newstravel writer advises visitors to the Greek isles:

Take a stroll along the waterfront where the fishermen are mending their nets and unloading their catches.21. waterfront： 海濱，江邊；catch： 捕魚總量。Pause for a coffee. Buy fresh-fromthe-oven22. fresh-from-the-oven： 剛從烤爐拿出來的，新鮮出爐的。bread. Enjoy breakfast. Then let the day unfold. Slow your pace of life to that of the locals,philosophise, read a good book, bathe, snooze.23. Philosophise： 推究哲理，哲理性思維或推理，進行理論研究；snooze： 小睡，打盹兒。

The rich tradition of Greek mythology24. Greek mythology： 希臘神話，一切關于古希臘人的神、英雄、自然和宇宙歷史的傳說。當今所知的希臘神話或傳說大多數(shù)來源于希臘文學，如荷馬史詩《伊利亞特》和《奧德賽》等。希臘神話是西方文明極為重要的組成部分。is alive and strong in the culture today. Through these classic tales of gods and mortals, children learn classic wisdom and moral values.25. 通過這些神和凡人的經(jīng)典故事，小孩子學習到傳統(tǒng)智慧和道德價值。mortal： 凡人，人類。Traditionally, it is through stories—which our brains use to give our lives structure and meaning—that the Greeks have made sense of their world.26. 傳統(tǒng)而言，我們的大腦通過故事來構建生活的架構和意義，而希臘人也正是通過故事去理解這個世界。make sense of： 理解，明白。

Greeks love food, and they love gathering with family, friends and community members.So naturally, it’s a Greek tradition to bring people together for healthy meals.

Stoicism was one of the ancient Greek schools of philosophy founded in Athens that remains relevant to this day.27. 斯多葛哲學學派建立于雅典，是至今仍具有實質(zhì)性意義的古希臘哲學流派之一。Stoicism： 斯多葛哲學，古希臘和羅馬時期興起的一個哲學流派。斯多葛哲學約公元前300年由芝諾在雅典建立。它強調(diào)責任；認為通過理智，人類能夠認識到宇宙是基本正常的，是由命運而不是表面現(xiàn)象掌控的；并覺得通過制約自己的生活，學會堅定平靜地接受事實，建立崇高的道德價值觀，人類就能夠變得沉靜而有序。relevant： 有重大意義的，有實質(zhì)性作用的。The Stoics believed that stress and unhappiness are not the result of external events, but rather the product of our own internal judgments, and therefore that happiness, too,can only be found within. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said that the one way to happiness was to look within; to “cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will”.28. 斯多葛學派哲學家愛比克泰德說，獲得幸福的唯一途徑就是向內(nèi)心尋求，“不要擔心我們的能力或意志之外的事情”。

“Stoicism took off because it offered security and peace in a time of warfare and crisis,” Jimmy Soni wrote in his bookRome’s Last Citizen, a biography of noted Stoic, Cato the Younger.29.“斯多葛哲學的盛行是因為它為戰(zhàn)亂和危機時期的人們提供了安全感和內(nèi)心寧靜?！奔住に髂嵩谥苟喔鹬髁x者小加圖傳記《羅馬最后的公民》中寫道。take off： 突然成功，流行；Cato the Younger： 小加圖。小加圖是羅馬共和國末期的政治家和演說家, 是一個斯多葛學派的追隨者。他因為其堅忍和固執(zhí)而聞名, 他不受賄，誠實，厭惡當時普遍的政治腐敗?！癟he Stoic creed didn’t promise material security or a peace in the afterlife; but it did promise an unshakable happiness in this life.”30. creed： 教義，信條；afterlife： 來世，來生。