Ambition

約瑟夫·愛潑斯坦 / Joseph Epstein

It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition. It would probably be a kinder world： without demands， without abrasions， without disappointments. People would have time for reflection. Such work as they did would not be for themselves but for the collective. Competition would never enter in. Conflict would be eliminated， tension would become a thing of the past. The stress of creation would be at an end. Art would no longer be troubling， but purely celebratory in its functions. The family would become superfluous as a social unit， with all its former power for bringing about neurosis drained away. Longevity would be increased， for fewer people would die of heart attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor. Anxiety would be extinct. Time would stretch on and on， with ambition long departed from the human heart.

Ah， how unrelievedly boring life would be！

There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth， and ambition therefore a sham. Does this mean that success does not really exist？ That achievement is at bottom empty？ That the efforts of men and women are of no significance alongside the force of movements and events？ Now not all success， obviously， is worth esteeming， nor all ambition worth cultivating. Which are and which are not is something one soon enough learns on one’s own. But even the most cynical secretly admit that success exists； that achievement counts for a great deal； and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless. To believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging. It is， in its implications， to remove all motives for competence， interest in attainment， and regard for posterity.

We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch， the country of our birth or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not， most of us， choose to die； nor do we choose the time or conditions of our death. But within all this realm of choicelessness， we do choose how we shall live： courageously or in cowardice， honorably or dishonorably， with purpose or in drift. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. But no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions， these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose， so are our lives formed. In the end， forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.

假如世界上的每個人都沒有抱負(fù)，會怎么樣呢？不難想象，或許這個世界會更加和善，無欲無求，沒有紛爭摩擦，人們有充裕的時間反思；工作不是為了個人私欲，而是為了集體的利益；世間再無競爭，沖突也會消除，緊張的生活將成為歷史，壓力將不復(fù)存在；藝術(shù)不再讓人厭煩，其功能將純粹是為了舉辦慶典；作為社會單位的家庭及其所帶來的精神傷痛也將蕩然無存；人們也會愈加長壽，很少人會死于因過度勞累而引發(fā)的心臟病或中風(fēng)；焦慮將遠離人們的生活；時間將無止境地延長，因為人們不再胸懷抱負(fù)。

啊，那樣的人生該多么的乏味空虛啊！

如今，人們都說，成功是一個神話，所以抱負(fù)更是虛幻無形。這難道是說成功非真實存在？而成就也只是一場空？與星體運轉(zhuǎn)和宇宙事件相比，全人類的種種努力都是微不足道的嗎？顯然，不是所有的成功都值得稱道，不是所有的雄心壯志都應(yīng)得到滋養(yǎng)。一個人很快就能自然學(xué)會選擇，哪些值得，哪些不值得。然而，就連最憤世嫉俗的人也承認(rèn)成功的確存在；成就的意義舉足輕重；真正的神話存在于那些碌碌無為者的無用之舉。否認(rèn)成功的存在，就等于接受了一種容易讓人混淆的觀點。這種觀點實際上暗含著，要根除所有提高能力的動機，泯滅追求成功的興趣，并消除對子孫的關(guān)注。

我們無法選擇出身和父母，也無法選擇出生的歷史時期、國家或成長環(huán)境。我們中的大部分人都不能選擇死亡，更不能選擇死亡的時間或者條件。但是，在這些無法選擇的領(lǐng)域，我們可以選擇怎樣活著：是勇敢無畏地活著，還是戰(zhàn)戰(zhàn)兢兢地生存；是活得光明磊落，還是卑鄙無恥；是目標(biāo)堅定，還是得過且過。我們要權(quán)衡生活中的輕重緩急，選擇讓生命更具意義的事，決定要做或拒絕做的事。但是，不論世界如何漠視我們所作出的選擇，那些的確都是我們自己作出的決定。總之，我們的抉擇，構(gòu)成了我們的生活，我們命運的構(gòu)筑正取決于抱負(fù)的全部內(nèi)容。

1. People would have_______for reflection. Such work as they did would not be_____themselves but for the collective. Competition would_______enter in. Conflict would be eliminated， tension become a_______of the past.

2. There is a strong_______that holds that success is a myth， and ambition therefore a sham. Does this_______that success does not really exist？ That achievement is at bottom empty？

3. But no_______how indifferent the universe_______be to our choices and decisions， these choices and decisions are ours to_______. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and_______， so are our lives formed. In the _______， forming our own destiny is what ambition is_______.

1. 焦慮將遠離人們的生活；時間將無止境地延長，因為人們不再胸懷抱負(fù)。

2. 那樣的人生該多么的乏味空虛啊！

3. 總之，我們的抉擇，構(gòu)成了我們的生活，我們命運的構(gòu)筑正取決于抱負(fù)的全部內(nèi)容。

1. It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition.

short of：缺乏

2. To believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging.

on a point of：關(guān)于……的問題