日志

施予

已有 459 次阅读2010-8-6 23:19

Giving

Then said a rich man, "Speak to us of Giving."
And he answered:
You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?
And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the over prudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself?
Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they have - and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.
Though the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding;
And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving
And is there aught you would withhold?
All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors'.
You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving."
The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.
They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving.
For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
And you receivers - and you are all receivers - assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;
For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother, and God for father.

施予第五

那时，一名富人说：‘向我们讲说施予吧！’

接着他说：

‘当你布施财物拥有，你仅是微行施予。
　当你布施自己本人，你才是真行施予[1]。

　因为啊！
　除了你为担忧来日之需，所保管守护的，又有什么是你所拥有呢？
　而来日！来日又要带来什么[2]，给那只过于算计的豿？
　─当它跟随朝圣者行赴圣城时，还埋藏骨头在无迹可寻的沙里！
　除了需求本身，又有什么对于需求的担忧呢？
　那不止的渴求！不就是在你泉源满溢时还恐惧干渴吗？

　有些人施予了他们富饶拥有中的微许─而且还是为了名闻报偿才施予。
　他们私隐的欲望，玷污了他们的施赠[3]。
　有些人仅有微许，而全部用来施予。
　这些人才是生命及生命慷慨的信徒，他们钱箱从不匮乏。

　有些人怀着喜悦去施予，那喜悦就是他们的报偿。
　有些人怀着痛苦去施予，那痛苦就是他们的洗礼。
　有些人去施予，既不觉痛苦，也不求喜悦，又不念念于善行。
　他们那施予，如同远方山谷里的桃金孃，吐露芬芳到虚空之中。
　藉由像他们那样的行动，神主正在言语。
　从由他们眼光之后，祂正对着凡尘微笑。
　
　因有请求而行施予，固然是好，
　但更好是，未有请求即行施予─基于了解而施予；
　对于慷慨出手[4]者而言，寻找一位应得受予之人，此种喜悦更胜施予。
　
　而有任何东西是你要保留的吗？
　一切你的所有，必有一天都要施出；
　所以现在就行施予！让那施予时机属于你，而非你的继承人。

　你时常说：“我要施予，但只给那值得受赠的人。”
　你果园里的树不那样说，你牧场的牲畜也不那样说。
　它们由于施予才能活命，若是有所保留就要灭亡。
　他既然配得一己生涯的日日夜夜，当然也就配得由你而予的其他一切。
　他既然已经该由那生命之洋领饮，也就该由你这微流来注满他的杯盏。
　要有怎样的干芜荒漠，才会如此广阔而超越了在接受施予上，
　那勇气、那自信、甚至是那慈善宽厚，的荒漠干芜[5]？
　而你是谁？竟要人们扯破胸襟而揭露自尊，
　让你可以看见他们的赤裸价值与无赧尊傲[6]！

　先看看你自己是否配作一名施予者、及一个施予器。
　因为事实上，那是生命在对生命施予─
　而自许为施予者的你，只不过是一名见证者。
　而你们这些受予者─你们全然是受予者─
　莫要承受那感恩的重担，否则就会为你自己，也为施予的他，套上枷轭。
　宁可同施予者一起，藉由他的施赠而升华，如同藉由羽翼而飞升[7]。
　因为啊！太过挂念你这负债，就是去怀疑他那慷慨─
　他那有宽宏[8]大地为母、有神主为父的慷慨。’

【译注】

[1] give of 意指“慷慨供给”，并非是如 give 仅指“给予”。为了要使 give 与
give of 在全文中能够意义连贯，所以我将 give 译为“施予”， give of 译为
“布施”，以“施”此字贯通两词。“布施”，或作“布施”，原是佛家所译词汇，
属于六度波罗密─布施、持戒、忍辱、精进、禅定、般若。

[2] shall 在此疑问句中，表示说者(先知)向听者(富人)的询问意见。“未来又要带来
什么”此句的完整意义，应是“你要我让未来又要带来什么”，但如此语气不是中文的
表达方式，所以未译出完整意涵。举例来说， Shall he open the door ? 可译为“要
他开门吗？”，但 shall 在此表达的完整意涵应是“你要我让他帮你开门吗？”。

[3] hidden desire 考虑上下文意，所以译为“私隐的欲望”。 gift 在此乃是对应
give ，作为 give 的名词意涵，所以译为“施赠”。

[4] open-handed 原意是指“摊开手掌的”，而又意味“大方慷慨的”。因为中文观念
里的“摊手”并不对应着“慷慨”的意涵，所以用“出手”而译为“慷慨出手的”。

[5] And what desert greater shall there be, than that which lies in the
courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving. 此句若解除问句倒
装，就是 And there shall be what desert greater than that which lies in the
courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving. 此句隐喻较深，所
以其中含摄的完整原意，很难用中文辞句直接表达。句中的 desert 是对应着上一句的
ocean 与 stream。上一句用“海洋”与“溪流”来比喻施予，而此句的第一个“沙漠”
是比喻“不愿施予的吝啬”，第二个“沙漠”(以 that which 代表)是比喻“缺乏”。
此句一开始的 And what desert greater shall there be 是先知在质问听者，用沙漠
广大做为譬喻，意谓说“你想要多么吝啬啊？”。接下来的 than that which lies in
，就是将这听者(施予者)在施予上的意愿缺乏，和那受予者在受予上的意愿缺乏，两者
相互比较。两者比较的意思是指，受予者接受施舍也是要放下面子，战胜自己的羞愧；
相较之下，难道施予者自心要战胜的吝啬，竟然还会更困难吗(沙漠还更大吗)？接下来
的 the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving. 就是指受予
者在接受施舍时，所要具备的自信、勇气、甚至是 charity。 Charity 本是指“慈善”
、“施舍”、“善行”，用在此处 charity of receiving ，是将“接受施舍”也当成
是一种施舍的善行，意谓着要放下自尊来接受他人施舍，也是另一种施舍的慈善行为。