On Reason and Passion

卡里·紀(jì)伯倫 / Kahlil Gibran

And the priestess spoke again and said： Speak us of reason and passion.

And he answered， saying：

Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield， upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against your passion and your appetite. Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul， that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody. But how shall I， unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers， nay， the lovers of all your elements？

Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either your sails or your rudder be broken， you can but toss and drift， or else be held at a standstill in midseas. For reason， ruling alone， is a force confining； and passion， unattended， is a flame that burns to its own destruction.

Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion， that it may sing； and let it direct your passion with reason， that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection， and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes.

I would have you consider your judgment and your appetite even as you would two loved guests in your house. Surely you would not honor one guest above the other； for he who is more mindful of one loses the love and the faith of both.

Among the hills， when you sit in the cool shade of the white poplars， sharing the peace and serenity of distant fields and meadows，—then let your heart say in silence， “God rests in reason.”

And when the storm comes， and the mighty wind shakes the forest， and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky， —then let your heart say in awe， “God moves in passion.”

And since you are a breath in God’s sphere， and a leaf in God’s forest， you too should rest in reason and move in passion.

女祭司開口說道：請(qǐng)給我們講講理性與熱情的事。

于是先知答道：

你們的心靈常常是個(gè)戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)，理性與判斷、熱情與渴望在上面交鋒。愿我成為你們心靈的和平使者，將你們本質(zhì)的一切沖突與對(duì)抗變?yōu)楹椭C的旋律。倘若你們自身不是和平使者，不是鐘愛自身本質(zhì)的人，我又該如何完成呢？

你們的理性與熱情，是你們遠(yuǎn)航之魂的舵與帆。如果你們的舵或帆斷了，你們就只能在海上顛簸漂浮，或者滯留在海中央。理性獨(dú)自掌權(quán)，是一種局限的力量；熱情不加束縛，則是自我焚燒的火焰。

所以，讓你們的靈魂將理性升華到熱情的極致，它將高唱；讓你們的靈魂用理性來引導(dǎo)熱情，這樣，你們的熱情才會(huì)歷經(jīng)每日的復(fù)活，宛如鳳凰從灰燼中展翅重生。

愿你們把自己的判斷和渴望當(dāng)做你們家中兩位摯愛的客人。當(dāng)然，你們不會(huì)厚此薄彼；因?yàn)槠珢燮渲幸粋€(gè)，便會(huì)使你同時(shí)失去兩者的愛和忠誠。

在群山之中，當(dāng)你們坐在白楊樹的陰涼下，享受著遠(yuǎn)處田野的安寧和草原的寧靜安詳時(shí)——讓你們的心在靜謐中說：“上帝憩于理性。”

當(dāng)暴風(fēng)雨來臨，狂風(fēng)震撼森林，雷電宣告天空的莊嚴(yán)肅穆時(shí)——讓你們的心在敬畏中說：“上帝行于熱情。”

既然你們是上帝領(lǐng)域中的一絲氣息、上帝森林里的一片樹葉，那你們也應(yīng)憩于理性，行于熱情。

1. Would that I_______be the peacemaker in your soul， that I might_______ the discord and the rivalry of your elements_______oneness and melody. But how shall I， unless_______yourselves be also the peacemakers， nay， the _______of all your elements？

2. Therefore_______your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion， that it_______sing； and let it direct your passion_______reason， that your passion may live through_______own daily resurrection， and like the phoenix rise_______its own ashes.

1. 理性與判斷、熱情與渴望在上面交鋒。

2. 愿我成為你們心靈的和平使者，將你們本質(zhì)的一切沖突與對(duì)抗變?yōu)楹椭C的旋律。

3. 讓你們的靈魂用理性來引導(dǎo)熱情，這樣，你們的熱情才會(huì)歷經(jīng)每日的復(fù)活，宛如鳳凰從灰燼中展翅重生。

1. If either your sails or your rudder be broken...

either... or：其一的；或者……或者……；不是……就是……

2. Then let your heart say in silence.

in silence：寂靜；無聲；沉默地