WITH A LITTLE more deliberation in the choice of their pursuits, all men would perhaps become essentially students and observers, for certainly their nature and destiny are interesting to all alike. In accumulating property for ourselves or our posterity, in founding a family or a state, or acquiring fame even, we are mortal; but in dealing with truth we are immortal, and need fear no change nor accident. The oldest Egyptian or Hindoo philosopher raised a corner of the veil from the statue of the divinity; and still the trembling robe remains raised, and I gaze upon as fresh a glory as he did, since it was I in him that was then so bold, and it is he in me that now reviews the vision. No dust has settled on that robe; no time has elapsed since that divinity was revealed. That time which we really improve, or which is improvable, is neither past, present, nor future.
在悉心考虑选择事业时,也许所有人都会成为学者与观察家,因为他们的性格和命运同样激人兴趣、引人好奇。在为自己和后代积财聚富,齐家立国,甚至成就盛名时,我们都是些凡夫俗子;但对待真理我们确是圣贤,无需畏惧变革与危机。远古时代埃及和印度的哲人曾揭起神像帷幔一角;法袍拂动,那幔帐至今依然漫卷,从我慑胆观想以他们昭示真理,而今真理又以我之口展现,我的凝望就一如最初瞻仰到他清新的荣光。那法袍之上不沾尘染。自神性被示现以来,时光并未流逝,我们真正利用抑或可利用的时间,不在过去,不在当前,也不在未来。
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参考译文: 译者 徐迟
如果更审慎地选择自己追逐的职业,所有的人也许都愿意主要做学生兼观察家,因为两者的性质和命运对所有的人都一样地饶有兴味。为我们自己和后代积累财富,成家或建国,甚或沽名钓誉,在这些方面我们都是凡人;可是在研究真理之时、我们便不朽了,也不必害怕变化或遭到意外了。最古的埃及哲学家和印度哲学家从神像上曳起了轻纱一角;这微颤着的袍子,现在仍是撩起的,我望见它跟当初一样的鲜艳荣耀,因为当初如此勇敢的,是他的体内的“我”,而现在重新瞻仰着那个形象的是我体内的“他”。袍子上没有一点微尘;自从这神圣被显示以来,时间并没有逝去。我们真正地改良了的,或者是可以改良的时间,既不是过去,又不是现在,也不是未来呵。