内容导读
人至老年，难免会有所恐慌，因为死亡的气息逼近。然而尝遍人生的酸甜苦辣，历经世间的万千变化，对于生命而言，已然完成使命。所以，老年人不必过分缅怀从前，亦不必试图从年轻一代身上攫取生命的活力。踏入老年，只管安然接受岁月沉淀出的那份美好。
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英文正文
Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age.One of these is undue absorption in the past.It does not do to live in memories,in regrets for the good old days,or in sadness about friends who are dead.One's thoughts must be directed to the future and to things about which there is something to be done.This is not always easy:one's own past is gradually increasing weight.It is easy to think to oneself that one's emotions used to be more vivid than they are,and one's mind more keen.If this is true it should be forgotten,and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.
The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality.When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives,and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young,you are likely to become aburden to them,unless they are unusually callous.I do not mean that one should be without interest in them,but one's interest should be contemplative and,if possible,philanthropic,but not unduly emotional.Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves,but human beings,owing to the length of infancy,find this difficult.
I think that asuccessful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities.It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful,and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive.It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes,both because they will not believe you,and because mistakes are an essential part of education.But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests,you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren.In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material service,such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers,you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.
Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death.In the young there is ajustification for this feeling.Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer.But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows,and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do,the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble.The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal,until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede,and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life.An individual human existence should be like ariver—small at first,narrowly contained within its banks,and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls.Gradually the river grows wider,the banks recede,the waters flow more quietly,and in the end,without any visible break,they become merged in the sea,and painlessly lose their individual being.The man who,in old age,can see his life in this way,will not suffer from the fear of death,since the things he cares for will continue.And if,with the decay of vitality,weariness increases,the thought of rest will not be unwelcome.I should wish to die while still at work,knowing that others will carry on what Ican no longer do and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.
中文译文
怎样活到老——伯特兰·罗素
从心理方面来说，到了老年，有两种危险倾向需要注意防止。一是过分地怀念过去。老想着过去，总觉得过去怎么好，或者总是为已故的朋友而忧伤，这是不妥的。一个人应当考虑未来，考虑一些可以有所作为的事情。要做到这一点是不大容易；自己过去的经历就是一个越来越沉重的包袱。人们往往会对自己说，我过去感情多么丰富，思想多么敏锐，现在不行了。如果真是这样的话，那就不要去想它，而如果你不去想它，情形就很可能不是这样了。
另一件需要避免的事就是老想着和年轻人待在一起，希望从青年的活力中汲取力量。孩子们长大之后，就希望独立生活，如果你还像在他们年幼时那样关心他们，你就会成为他们的累赘，除非他们特别麻木不仁。我不是说一个人不应当关心孩子，而是说这种关心主要应该是多为他们着想，可能的话，给他们一些接济，而不应该过分地动感情。动物，一旦它们的后代能够自己照料自己，它们就不管了；但是人，由于抚养子女的时间长，难以这样做。
我认为，如果老年人对个人以外的事情怀有强烈的兴趣，并参加适当的活动，他们的晚年最容易过得好。在这一方面，他们由于阅历深，是能够真正做得卓有成效的，也正是在这一方面，他们从经验中得出的智慧既可以发挥作用，又不至于使人感到强加于人。告诫成年的子女不要犯错误，那没有用，一来他们不听你的，二来犯错误本身也是受教育的一个重要方面。但是如果你这个人对个人以外的事情不感兴趣，就会感到生活空虚，除非你老惦记着儿孙。在这种情况下，你可要明白，虽然你还可以在物质方面给他们以帮助，比如给他们零用钱，或者为他们织毛衣，但决不要指望他们会喜欢跟你做伴。
有些老年人因怕死而惶惶不安。年轻人有这种情绪情有可原。如果青年人由于某种原因认为自己有可能在战斗中死去，想到生活所能提供的最美好的东西自己全都无法享受，觉得受了骗而感到痛苦，这无可指责。但对老年人来说，他经历了人生的酸甜苦辣，自己能做的事情都做到了，怕死就未免有些可鄙、有些不光彩了。要克服这种怕死的念头，最好的办法——至少在我看来——就是逐渐使自己关心更多的事情，关心那些不跟自己直接有关的事情，到后来，自我的壁垒就会慢慢消退，个人的生活也就越来越与宇宙的生命相融合。人生好比一条河，开头河身狭窄，夹在两岸之间，河水奔腾咆哮，流过巨石，飞下悬崖。后来河面逐渐展宽，两岸离得越来越远，河水也流得较为平缓，最后流进大海，与海水浑然一体，看不出任何界线，从而结束其单独存在的那一段历程，但毫无痛苦之感。如果一个人到老年能够这样看待自己的一生，他就不会怕死。因为他所关心的一切将会继续下去。如果随着精力的衰退日见倦怠，就会觉得长眠未尝不是一件好事。我就希望在工作时死去，知道自己不再能做的事有人会继续做下去，并且怀着满意的心情想到，自己能做的事都已完成。
（庄绎传 译）
词汇速记
undue adj. 过度的，过分的
callous adj. 无情的；麻木的
contemplative adj. 沉思的；冥想的
philanthropic adj. 博爱的；仁慈的
ignoble adj. 不光彩的；卑鄙的
recede v. 后退；减弱
merge v. 合并；使合并
美句欣赏
① It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful,and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive.在这一方面，他们由于阅历深，是能够真正做得卓有成效的，也正是在这一方面，他们从经验中得出的智慧既可以发挥作用，又不至于使人感到强加于人。
② An individual human existence should be like ariver—small at first,narrowly contained within its banks,and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls.人生好比一条河，开头河身狭窄，夹在两岸之间，河水奔腾咆哮，流过巨石，飞下悬崖。