I do not mean to prescribe rules to strong and valiant natures, who will mind their own affairs whether in heaven or hell, and perchance build more magnificently and spend more lavishly than the richest, without ever impoverishing themselves, not knowing how they live—if, indeed, there are any such, as has been dreamed; nor to those who find their encouragement and inspiration in precisely the present condition of things, and cherish it with the fondness and enthusiasm of lovers—and, to some extent, I reckon myself in this number; I do not speak to those who are well employed, in whatever circumstances, and they know whether they are well employed or not;—but mainly to the mass of men who are discontented，and idly complaining of the hardness of their lot or of the times, when they might improve them. There are some who complain most energetically and inconsolably of any, because they are, as they say, doing their duty.I also have in my mind that seemingly wealthy, but most terribly impoverished class of all, who have accumulated dross, but know not how to use it, or get rid of it, and thus have forged their own golden or silver fetters.
I do not mean to prescribe rules to strong and valiant natures, who will mind their own affairs whether in heaven or hell, and perchance build more magnificently and spend more lavishly than the richest, without ever impoverishing themselves, not knowing how they live—if, indeed, there are any such, as has been dreamed; nor to those who find their encouragement and inspiration in precisely the present condition of things, and cherish it with the fondness and enthusiasm of lovers—and, to some extent, I reckon myself in this number; I do not speak to those who are well employed, in whatever circumstances, and they know whether they are well employed or not;—but mainly to the mass of men who are discontented，and idly complaining of the hardness of their lot or of the times, when they might improve them. There are some who complain most energetically and inconsolably of any, because they are, as they say, doing their duty.I also have in my mind that seemingly wealthy, but most terribly impoverished class of all, who have accumulated dross, but know not how to use it, or get rid of it, and thus have forged their own golden or silver fetters.
我沒有要給堅定果敢的人立什麼條條框框的意思，無論在天堂還是地獄，他們只在乎自己的事情，也許會建造比富豪們的還要闊氣的房子，花銷也大得驚人，並沒有因此而窮困潦倒，真不知道他們是怎樣過日子的——如果的確像人們夢想的那樣，有這樣的人，我也不會去建議他們一二，他們從現實境況中獲得鼓舞和靈感，對現狀愛得如膠似漆——且某種程度上，我認為自己也屬於這一類人；我不想對那些無論處於什麼境況都安於現狀的人說些什麼，反正人家知道自己的境況究竟如何——主要是對那些不滿足於現狀的人說，他們本可以改善自己的生活，但他們白白地把自己耗在了抱怨自己的命運不濟，時事艱難上。有些人苦兮兮地不知疲倦地抱怨一切事物，因為，他們——用他們自己的話說——應該這樣做。在我心目中，還有一種人表面看起來很富有，但實質上窮得很，他們積攢了一點廢銅爛鐵，卻不知道如何去運用，或者乾脆丟掉，就這樣不覺間給自己上了金鐐銬或者銀鐐銬。
I do not mean to prescribe rules to strong and valiant natures, who will mind their own affairs whether in heaven or hell, and perchance build more magnificently and spend more lavishly than the richest, without ever impoverishing themselves, not knowing how they live—if, indeed, there are any such, as has been dreamed; nor to those who find their encouragement and inspiration in precisely the present condition of things, and cherish it with the fondness and enthusiasm of lovers—and, to some extent, I reckon myself in this number; I do not speak to those who are well employed, in whatever circumstances, and they know whether they are well employed or not;—but mainly to the mass of men who are discontented，and idly complaining of the hardness of their lot or of the times, when they might improve them. There are some who complain most energetically and inconsolably of any, because they are, as they say, doing their duty.I also have in my mind that seemingly wealthy, but most terribly impoverished class of all, who have accumulated dross, but know not how to use it, or get rid of it, and thus have forged their own golden or silver fetters.
我沒有要給堅定果敢的人立什麼條條框框的意思，無論在天堂還是地獄，他們只在乎自己的事情，也許會建造比富豪們的還要闊氣的房子，花銷也大得驚人，並沒有因此而窮困潦倒，真不知道他們是怎樣過日子的——如果的確像人們夢想的那樣，有這樣的人，我也不會去建議他們一二，他們從現實境況中獲得鼓舞和靈感，對現狀愛得如膠似漆——且某種程度上，我認為自己也屬於這一類人；我不想對那些無論處於什麼境況都安於現狀的人說些什麼，反正人家知道自己的境況究竟如何——主要是對那些不滿足於現狀的人說，他們本可以改善自己的生活，但他們白白地把自己耗在了抱怨自己的命運不濟，時事艱難上。有些人苦兮兮地不知疲倦地抱怨一切事物，因為，他們——用他們自己的話說——應該這樣做。在我心目中，還有一種人表面看起來很富有，但實質上窮得很，他們積攢了一點廢銅爛鐵，卻不知道如何去運用，或者乾脆丟掉，就這樣不覺間給自己上了金鐐銬或者銀鐐銬。