Prosperity is often viewed as the time when we receive gifts from her and adversity as

繁榮往往被看作是我們接受她的饋贈，而逆境則被看作是

the time when we lose them.

當我們失去他們的時候。

Prosperous times can inflate us and make us feel as if we're flying over the entire

繁榮的時代會讓我們膨脹，讓我們覺得自己彷彿飛過了整個

world.

岍。

Adversity can deflate us and make us feel like the weight of the whole world is on our

逆境會讓我們洩氣，讓我們覺得整個世界的重量都壓在我們身上。

backs.

背部。

Seneca, a Stoic philosopher, believes that this prosperity/adversity dichotomy is an

斯多葛派哲學家塞涅卡認為，這種繁榮/逆境的二元對立是一種。

illusion.

幻覺。

Prosperity isn't always good.

繁榮不一定是好事。

It can inflate you so much that, like Icarus, you fly too close to the sun and ultimately

它能讓你膨脹到像伊卡洛斯一樣，飛得離太陽太近，最終導致

fall towards doom when your wings melt off.

當你的翅膀融化的時候，就會走向滅亡。

Adversity isn't always bad.

逆境並不總是壞事。

Carrying a little bit of weight can strengthen you and, like the Greek titan Atlas, you do

攜帶一點重量可以增強你的力量，就像希臘的泰坦阿特拉斯一樣，你做到了

a lot of good for others by bearing what they can't.

為別人承擔了很多好處，承擔了自己不能承擔的東西。

A little bit of prosperity can give way to adversity and a little adversity to prosperity.

小康可以讓位於逆境，小康可以讓位於繁榮。

Seneca wants us to see the world more clearly.

塞內加希望我們能更清楚地看到這個世界。

He wants us to overcome this illusion, and that begins by understanding the Stoic concepts

他希望我們克服這種錯覺，而這要從理解斯多葛派的概念開始。

of Nature, Fortune, and virtue.

的自然、財富和美德。

You can imagine the world as a giant organism called Nature which we're all tiny pieces

你可以把世界想象成一個巨大的有機體，叫做大自然，而我們只是其中的一小部分。

of.

的：

You're simultaneously apart of Nature and apart from it—like a circle within a circle.

你既是自然的一部分，又是自然的一部分，就像圓中之圓。

There's you and everything that's not you.

有你和一切不是你的東西。

You're always in a negotiation with the rest of Nature: you both give and take from

你總是在與大自然的其他部分進行談判：你既要給予，又要接受

each other.

彼此。

You act on it, and it acts on you.

你對它採取行動，它也對你採取行動。

Lady Fortune oversees the negotiation between the two of you.

幸運女神監督你們兩個人的談判。

What she gives to you, she takes from the rest of Nature.

她給你的東西，她從大自然的其他地方拿走。

What she takes from you, she gives back to the rest of Nature.

她從你身上拿走的東西，會還給大自然的其他部分。

Regardless of how we intend to act, the way our actions manifest themselves in the world

不管我們打算如何行動，我們的行動在世界中的表現方式

is dependent on Fortune.

是依靠財富。

We can aim our bow perfectly, but the wind can still blow our arrow away from the target.

我們可以完美地瞄準我們的弓，但風仍然可以把我們的箭吹離目標。

Even the fruits of our labor are subject to the winds of Fortune.

即使是我們的勞動成果，也會受到財富之風的影響。

Sometimes, they blow right past us into the hands of another.

有時，它們就從我們身邊吹到了另一個人的手裡。

Fortune is chaotic, impulsive, and unpredictable.

財運混亂，衝動，不可預知。

She brings things into and out of our lives, and often, we don't know why.

她把東西帶進我們的生活，又帶出我們的生活，而我們往往不知道為什麼。

The Stoic realizes that anything that can be given or taken by Fortune was never theirs

斯多亞人意識到，任何能被命運給予或拿走的東西都不是他們的

in the first place: it was merely rented out to them.

首先：它只是租給了他們。

If we get too attached to specific gifts that are given to us, we'll feel poorer when

如果我們太過執著於具體的禮物，我們會覺得自己比較窮，當

she decides to take them back.

她決定帶他們回去。

The Stoic must learn to be indifferent to the whims of Fortune and focus on what's

斯多亞人必須學會對命運的奇思妙想無動於衷，而專注於什麼。

truly valuable: their relationship with the rest of Nature.

真正有價值的是：它們與大自然其他部分的關係。

Everywhere we go, the rest of the universe is there.

無論我們走到哪裡，宇宙的其他地方都在那裡。

Our relationship with Nature is constant but dynamic—like a marriage we can't get out

我們與大自然的關係是恆久的，但又是動態的，就像我們無法擺脫的婚姻一樣。

of.

的：

We always have the ability to take what we've been given to improve the world around us.

我們總是有能力把我們所得到的東西用來改善我們周圍的世界。

And, as a citizen of the world, everything that's truly good for it is also good for

而作為世界公民，一切真正對它有利的東西，也都是對它有利的

us.

我們：

When we can't improve the world, we're challenged to improve ourselves.

當我們不能改善這個世界時，我們就要挑戰自己，改善自己。

And, what truly benefits us also benefits the world.

而且，真正有利於我們的，也有利於世界。

Remember, in the Stoic view, we're all a part of a greater whole called Nature—we're

記住，在斯多葛派的觀點中，我們都是一個叫自然的更大整體的一部分--我們是

all interconnected.

都是相互聯繫的。

By making their relationship with Nature their highest value, the Stoic can actually overcome

通過把與自然的關係作為自己的最高價值，斯多葛派實際上可以克服

Fortune by seeing everything that she does as a gift.

將她所做的一切視為禮物，從而獲得財富。

Even if she were to take a loved one or all of our wealth, a gift is still given: misery.

即使她要帶走親人或我們所有的財富，也會得到一份禮物：痛苦。

Misery is a bitter medicine.

痛苦是一劑苦藥。

It's a violent surgery — an amputation — required to save the whole body.

這是一個暴力的手術--截肢，需要拯救整個身體。

Misery can cure us of deceptive thoughts and incorrect ways of viewing the world.

痛苦可以治癒我們的欺騙性思想和不正確的看待世界的方式。

It's a chance to rethink our core beliefs, approach life with a better perspective, and

這是一個重新思考我們的核心信念的機會，用更好的視角來對待生活，並。

overcome ourselves.

克服自己。

And, once we overcome our own misery, we may be able to help others do the same.

而且，一旦我們克服了自己的痛苦，我們也許就能幫助別人做到這一點。

The Stoics encourage us not to place too much value on the gifts of Fortune: they're always

斯多葛派鼓勵我們不要太看重財富的饋贈：它們總是

in flux.

變化中。

But, wherever you go, two things always remain: your character and the universe around you.

但是，無論你走到哪裡，有兩樣東西始終存在：你的性格和你周圍的宇宙。

You can always act on the world to improve it, and it can always act on you to improve

你可以隨時對世界採取行動來改善它，它也可以隨時對你採取行動來改善。

you—if you let it.

如果你讓它。

The person who can turn everything Fortune gives them, even when it's misery, into

能將財富賦予他們的一切，即使是痛苦，也能轉化成的人。

a benefit for themselves, and the world around them, is virtuous.

為自己和周圍的世界帶來好處，是有德行的。

The virtuous person overcomes Fortune.

賢者勝財。

No such thing as a loss can exist for them.

對他們來說，不可能有損失這種事情存在。

Everything that they've been given becomes everything that they need to better themselves

他們所得到的一切都變成了他們所需要的一切，他們需要更好的自己。

and the world around them.

和周圍的世界。

In a sense, the one who overcomes Fortune becomes Fortune and gains the ability to create

從某種意義上說，戰勝財富的人就會成為財富，獲得創造的能力。

their own good luck.

自己的好運氣。