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LESSON 81 DISCONTENT (AN ALLEGORY)
第八十一課 不滿
It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species,
這是蘇格拉底著名的思想，如果人類所有的不幸都可以歸咎于國債，這樣就可以平均分配到所有人頭上，
those who now think themselves the most unhappy,
那么那些現在認為自己非常郁悶的人，
would prefer the share they are already possessed of before that which would fall to them by such a division.
寧愿選擇先前已經屬于自己的那一份。
Horace has carried this thought a great deal farther, and supposes that the hardships or misfortunes we lie under, are more easy to us than those of any other person would be,
霍勒斯將這個思想又向前推進了一大步，他認為一旦我們改變其他人的處境的話，
in case we could change conditions with him.
我們遭受的艱難困苦和不幸要比其他人的更容易承受。
As I was ruminating on these two remarks, and seated in my elbowchair, I insensibly fell asleep,
我坐在扶手椅里，對這兩句話思之再三，竟然不知不覺地進入夢鄉，
when, on a sudden, methought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities, and throw them together in a heap.
猛然間，我想起朱庇特有一個斷言，即每個逝者都會帶走他的悲傷和災難，然后將其放在一起。
There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the center of it,
這一說法在很大程度上就是出于這個目的。我站在中間，
and saw, with a great deal of pleasure, the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads,
懷著極大的快感，目視所有的人一個接一個地從我面前走過，將他們身上的負重卸下，
which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds.
只見那些東西馬上就堆成一座巨大的高山，上面似乎直達云端。
