本书简介：
《沉思录》是古罗马皇帝奥勒留写给自己的书，内容大部分是他在鞍马劳顿中写成的。作品来自奥勒留对身羁宫廷的自己和自己所处混乱世界的感受，追求一种冷静而达观的生活。这部著作是斯多葛学派的一个里程碑，亦是温总理放在枕边，读了不下百遍的书。
本书原文由古希腊文而作，英文版选择比较权威的George Long的版本，中文版选择何怀宏的版本作参考。笔记中的英文释义摘自《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》

 作者简介：
马可•奥勒留（Marcus Aurelius，公元121—180年），著名的“帝王哲学家”，古罗马帝国皇帝，在希腊文学和拉丁文学、修辞、哲学、法律、绘画方面受过很好的教育，晚期斯多葛学派代表人物之一。奥勒留也许是西方历史上唯一的一位哲学家皇帝。他是一个比他的帝国更加完美的人，他的勤奋工作最终并没有能够挽救古罗马，但是他的《沉思录》却成为西方历史上的伟大名著。

卷五02

5.3 One man, when he has done a service to another, is ready to set it down to his account as a favour conferred. Another is not ready to do this, but still in his own mind he thinks of the man as his debtor, and he knows what he has done. A third in a manner does not even know what he has done, but he is like a vine which has produced grapes, and seeks for nothing more after it has once produced its proper fruit. As a horse when he has run, a dog when he has tracked the game, a bee when it has made the honey, so a man when he has done a good act, does not call out for others to come and see, but he goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season.- Must a man then be one of these, who in a manner act thus without observing it?- Yes.- But this very thing is necessary, the observation of what a man is doing: for, it may be said, it is characteristic of the social animal to perceive that he is working in a social manner, and indeed to wish that his social partner also should perceive it.- It is true what thou sayest, but thou dost not rightly understand what is now said: and for this reason thou wilt become one of those of whom I spoke before, for even they are misled by a certain show of reason. But if thou wilt choose to understand the meaning of what is said, do not fear that for this reason thou wilt omit any social act.

5.4 Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou bast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which thou returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus thou wilt not fail to obey reason, and thou wilt repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only the things which thy nature requires; but thou wouldst have something else which is not according to nature.- It may be objected, Why what is more agreeable than this which I am doing?- But is not this the very reason why pleasure deceives us? And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when thou thinkest of the security and the happy course of all things which depend on the faculty of understanding and knowledge?

 Notes：
drench [v][often passive] ~sb/sth (in/with) to make sb/sth completely wet 
           e.g.:We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin.
 

 先尝试自己翻译一下吧，参考译文见下：

中文翻译：
5.3 有一个人，当他为另一个人做了一件好事，就准备把它作为一种施惠记到他的账上，还有一个人不准备这样做，但还是在心里把这个人看做是他的受惠者，而且他记着他做了的事情。第三个人在某种程度上甚至不知道他所做的，他就像一株生产葡萄的葡萄藤一样，在它一旦结出它应有的果实以后就不寻求更多的东西。一匹马在它奔跑时，一只狗在它追猎过，一只蜜蜂在它酿造蜜以后也是这样，所以一个人在他做了一件好事之后，也不应要求别人来看，而是继续做另一件好事，正像一株葡萄藤在下一个季节继续结果一样。－那么一个人必须以某种方式如此行动且不注意它吗？－是的。－但这也是必要的，即观察一个人正在做的事情。因为，可以说，察知他正以一种有益社会的方式工作，并的确希望他的社会同伴也察知它是社会动物特征。－你说得对，但你并没有理解现在所说的：因此你将成为我前面说过的那些人中的一个，因为甚至他们也因理性的某种展示而误入歧途。但如果你愿意理解现在所说的话的意义，就不要害怕你将因此忽略任何有益社会的行为。

5.4 如果你根据正确的原则没有做成一切事时，不要厌恶，不要沮丧，也不要不满；而是在你失败时又再回去从头做起，只要你所做的较大部分事情符合于人的本性，就满足了，热爱你所回到的家园，但不要回到哲学仿佛她是一个主人，而是行动得仿佛那些眼疼的人用一点海绵和蛋清，或者像另一个人用一块膏药，或用水浸洗一样。因为这样你将不在遵守理性方面失败，你将在它那里得到安宁。记住，哲学仅要求你的本性所要求的事情，而你却有那不符合本性的别的什么东西。－你可能反对说，为什么那件事比你正做的这件事更使人愉悦呢？－但这不正是因为快乐在欺骗我们吗？再考虑是否慷慨、自由、朴素、镇静、虔诚不更令人愉悦。当你想到那依赖于理解和认识能力的一切事物的有保障和幸福的过程，有什么比智慧本身更令人愉悦呢？

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