Idleness¹ ， Bad Habit

There are some that profess Idleness in its full dignity， who call themselves the Idle， who boast² that they do nothing， and thank their stars that they have nothing to do; who sleep every night till they can sleep no longer， and rise only that exercise may enable them to sleep again; who prolong the reign of darkness by double curtains， and never see the sun but to \"tell him how they hate his beams\"; whose whole labor is to vary the postures of indulgence³ ， and whose day differs from their night but as a couch or chair differs from a bed.

These are the true and open votaries of Idleness， for whom she weaves⁴ the garlands of poppies， and into whose cup she pours the water of oblivion; who exist in a state of unruffled stupidity， forgetting and forgotten; who have long ceased to live， and at whose death the survivors can only say that they have ceased⁵ to breathe.

But Idleness predominates⁶ in many lives where it is not suspected; for being a vice which terminates in itself， it may be enjoyed without injury to others; and is therefore not watched like Fraud， which endangers property， or like Pride，which naturally seeks its gratifications in another's inferiority. Idleness is a silent and peaceful quality， that neither raises envy by ostentation， nor hatred by opposition; and therefore nobody is busy to censure or detest it.

There are others to whom Idleness dictates⁷ another expedient， by which life may be passed unprofitable away without the tediousness of many vacant hours. The art is， to fill the day with petty business， to have always something in hand which may raise curiosity， but not solicitude， and keep the mind in a state of action， but not of labor.

No man is so much open to conviction as the idler， but there is none on whom it operates so little. What will be the effect of this paper I know not: perhaps he will read it and laugh， and light the fire in his furnace; but my hope is that he will quit his trifles， and betake himself to rational and useful diligence.

注釋：

1 idleness n．懶散

2boast v.自夸，以有……而自豪

3 indulgence n．縱容

4 weave vt. 編織（排）

5 cease v. 睜止，終了

6 predominate vi主宰，支配

7 dictate vt．指示，口述，命令

有些人聲稱懶散高雅之至，自命“懶散之士”。他們以無所事事自炫于眾，感謝命運(yùn)之星讓他們無事可做。每晚，他們昏睡到無法再睡為止，起床也是為了再次入眠。他們蒙上雙重幕簾以延伸黑暗的主宰；每次見到太陽都會“告誡他，他們對陽光深惡痛絕”。他們所做的一切就是變換一下沉昏的體態(tài)。對于他們來說，白晝與黑夜的區(qū)別只不過相當(dāng)于沙發(fā)與床具的差異。

這些人是閑散女神公開的真正的崇拜者。閑散女神為他們佩戴罌粟的花環(huán)，在他們的杯子里傾倒忘卻之水。他們因而渾渾噩噩，度日窮年，忘卻了他人，也被他人所忘卻。他們早就停止了生活，他們死去時，活著的人只會說他們不再呼吸。

然而，懶散主宰了許多人的生活，而不為人所覺察。這種惡習(xí)僅作用于耽于其中的人，而無損于他人，因而人們對懶散不像對詐騙和驕傲那樣保持警惕。詐騙會危及他人財產(chǎn)；驕傲自然而然地在他人的自卑中尋求滿足。而懶散不顯山露水，既不會由于炫耀而招致嫉妒，也不會因?yàn)閷苟馊嗽骱蕖Ｕ蛉绱?，沒有人起而指責(zé)它、憎惡它。

對于其他一些人來說，懶散還有另一種表現(xiàn)形式。時光縱然白白流逝，而他們并沒有因?yàn)樵S多小時沒有做什么而感到無聊乏味。其辦法就是一天到晚忙于瑣事，手邊有的事或許會激發(fā)起好奇心，卻不會讓他們牽腸掛肚；大腦總是動個不停，卻不會讓他們勞神傷思。

沒有人像懶散的人那樣容易服理認(rèn)錯，但也沒有人像懶散的人那樣知錯不改。這篇短文能起到什么作用，我不知道。也許他讀了會一笑置之，又去生他的爐子。不過，我希望他不要再忙于瑣事，而應(yīng)理智地、勤勉地做些有用的事。