There Are Many Grades of Idleness

亨利·沃德·比徹 / Henry Ward Beecher

The bread which we solicit of God， he gives us through our own industry. Prayer sows it， and industry reaps it.

As industry is habitual activity in some useful pursuit， so， not only inactivity， but also all efforts without the design of usefulness， are of the nature of idleness. The supine sluggard is no more indolent than the bustling do nothing.

Men may walk much， and read much， and talk much， and pass the day without an unoccupied moment， and yet be substantially idle； because industry requires， at least the intention of usefulness. But gadding， gazing， lounging， mere pleasure-mongering， reading for the relief of ennui—these are as useless as sleeping， or dozing， or the stupidity of a surfeit.

There are many grades of idleness； and veins of it run through the most industrious life. We shall indulge in some descriptions of the various classes of idlers， and leave the reader to judge， if he be an indolent man， to which class he belongs.

Long ago the birds have finished their matins， the sun has advanced full high， the dew has gone from the grass， and labors of industry are far in progress， when our sluggard， awakened by his very efforts to maintain sleep， slowly merges to perform life’s great duty of feeding—with him， second only in importance to sleep.

It is yet early spring； there is ice in the north； and the winds are hearty： his tender skin shrinks from exposure， and he waits for milder days. He sleeps long and late， he wakes to stupidity， with indolent eyes sleepily rolling over neglected work； neglected because it is too cold in spring， and too hot in summer， and too laborious at all times，—a great coward in danger， and therefore very blustering in safety. His hands run to waste， his fences are dilapidated， a shattered house—this is the very castle of indolence.

Another idler as useless， but vastly more active than the last， attends closely to every one’s business， except his own. His wife earns the children’s bread， and his. He knows all the stories of all the families that live in the town. If he can catch a stranger at the tavern in a rainy day， he pours out a strain of information， a pattering of words， as thick as the rain-drops out of doors. He has good advice to everybody， how to save， how to make money， how to do everything； but alas！ But what useful thing do these busy buzzing idlers perform？

We introduce another idler. He follows no vocation； he only follows those who do. Sometimes he sweeps along the streets， with consequential gait； sometimes perfumes it with wasted odors of tobacco. He also haunts sunny benches， or breezy piazzas. His business is to see； his desire is to be seen； he gambles and swears， and fights but still he is a man of honor.

...

It would be endless to describe the wiles of idleness—how it creeps upon men， how much time it purloins from the scholar， from the professional man， and from the artisan. It steals minutes， it clips off the edges of hours， and at length takes possession of days. Where it has its will， it sinks and drowns employment； indolence makes labor heavy； scatters the attention； puts us to our tasks with wandering thoughts， with irresolute purpose， and with dreamy visions. Thus when it may， it plucks out hours and rules over them； and where this may not be， it lurks around them to impede the sway of industry， and turn her seeming toils to subtle idleness. Against so mischievous an enchantress， we should be duly armed. I shall， therefore， describe the advantages of industry， and the evils of indolence.

我們懇求上帝賜予我們面包，可他讓我們通過自己的勞動獲得。我們遵循上帝的安排，將種子播種，并收獲果實。

勤奮是一種習慣，只要我們堅持追求一些有益的東西。因此，停滯不前與設置無用計劃的人都是懶惰者。整日忙亂之人并不比游手好閑之人勤奮。

一個人行萬里路、讀萬卷書、談天下事，整日不得閑，卻還是一個懶惰者。因為勤奮要求我們將注意力集中在一些有益之事上，而不是漫無目的地做事。終日里閑逛，目光呆滯，懶洋洋地躺在某處、純粹的玩樂，以及為了打發時間的閱讀——這些與睡覺、打瞌睡或暴飲暴食一樣，都是愚蠢的做法。

可以通過懶惰者的生活將他們分為幾個等級。讀者可以隨意評議各個等級的懶惰者，他們自己也可以通過本文來“對號入座”。

當鳥兒早已鳴叫多時，太陽高高升起，小草上的露水也已經滑落時，勤勞的人們早已工作去了，懶惰者卻還賴在床上，不愿從睡夢中醒來。然而醒來后要做的最偉大的事就是吃飯，對他們來說，睡覺是排第二位的事。

早春時節，北方還有冰雪未融，風吹得還是很猛烈，懶惰者那柔嫩的皮膚經不起風吹，于是他們等待溫暖日子的到來。他們只是睡覺，再迷迷糊糊地醒來，慵懶的睡眼看不到未做的工作，理由是春天太冷、夏天太熱，所有時節都不適宜工作——大量工作堆積，致使生活受到嚴重威脅。雙手沒勁兒，柵欄也荒廢了，房子也成了殘垣斷壁——這就是懶惰者的“非常城堡”。

另一類懶惰者也屬無用之輩，盡管他比上一類人忙得多，關心每個人的每件事，除了他自己。甚至要他的妻子掌管他與孩子的生計，他知道鎮上所有家庭的事。如果雨天他在酒館見到了一個陌生人，他會將這件事以迅雷不及掩耳之勢傳播開來，密度之大就像打在門上的雨點。他熱衷于向每個人提意見，如怎樣掙錢，怎樣做事。但是，唉！整日為別人操勞的懶惰者又為自己做了什么有益的事呢？

我們再介紹一類懶惰者。他沒有工作，只會跟著別人做。有時，他邁著輕盈的步伐穿梭在大街小巷，嘴里叼著煙。他也會躺在長椅上沐浴陽光，或是在有微風拂過的廣場上散步。他的工作就是“看”，他的愿望就是“被關注”；他會去賭博，打架，但他仍自視為有尊嚴之人。

……

再這樣列舉下去，可能就沒有盡頭了——他怎樣接近他人，又是怎樣從學者、專家、技工那里竊取時間的。他讓時間慢慢流逝，失去了寶貴的歲月。哪里有這種惡習，哪里就有失業人員；懶惰會使工作更繁重，會分散注意力，使我們關注一些無用之事，并且猶豫不決，整日幻想不斷。因此，我們要抽出一些時間來摒棄這些惡習。他或許正在阻止你勤奮的蔓延，用一張無形的網罩住你。因此，我們要抗擊有害的“妖怪”，適時防衛。我們要進一步認識勤奮的益處與懶惰的危害。

1. As industry is habitual_______in some useful pursuit， so， not_______ inactivity， but also all efforts without the design_______usefulness， are of the nature of idleness. The supine sluggard is no more indolent_______the bustling do nothing.

2. There are_______grades of idleness； and veins of it run through the ——industrious life. We shall indulge in some descriptions of the_______ classes of idlers.

3. It_______be endless to describe the wiles of idleness—how it creeps upon_______， how much time it purloins from the scholar，_______the professional man， and from the artisan.

1. 我們懇求上帝賜予我們面包，可他讓我們通過自己的勞動獲得。

2. 勤奮是一種習慣，只要我們堅持追求一些有益的東西。

3. 他也會躺在長椅上沐浴陽光，或是在有微風拂過的廣場上散步。

1. As industry is habitual activity in some useful pursuit， so， not only inactivity， but also all efforts without the design of usefulness， are of the nature of idleness.

not only...but also...：不但……而且……

2. He sleeps long and late， he wakes to stupidity， with indolent eyes sleepily rolling over neglected work.

roll over：翻滾；轉存