we are apt to miss what an extraordinary  and complicated achievement it is to feel  

我們很容易忽略了這是一個多麼不平凡而複雜的成就，讓人覺得

mentally well. A mind in a healthy state is,  in the background, continually performing  

精神狀態良好。處於健康狀態的心態，在後臺不斷地進行著

a near-miraculous set of manoeuvres that underpin  our moods of clear-sightedness and purpose.

一套近乎神奇的手法，支撐著我們明哲保身的心情和目標。

To appreciate what mental health might be  

瞭解心理健康可能是什麼

(and therefore what its opposite  involves), we might take a moment  

(是以，它的反面涉及到什麼)，我們可以花點時間

to consider some of what will be going on in  the folds of an optimally-functioning mind:

來考慮在一個功能最優化的心靈的褶皺中會發生的一些事情。

First and foremost, a healthy mind is an  editing mind, an organ that manages to sieve,  

首先，健康的心態是一種編輯心態，是一種管理篩選的器官。

from thousands of stray, dramatic, disconcerting  or horrifying thoughts, those particular ideas and  

從成千上萬個遊離的、戲劇性的、令人不安的或恐怖的想法中，那些特殊的想法和

sensations that actively need to be entertained  in order for us to direct our lives effectively.

的感覺，主動需要被娛樂化，以便我們有效地指導生活。

Partly this means keeping at bay punitive  and critical judgements that might want to tell  

部分原因是，這意味著要保持懲罰性和批判性的判斷，這些判斷可能會想告訴你

us repeatedly how disgraceful and appalling we  are - long after harshness has ceased to serve  

any useful purpose. When we are interviewing  for a new job or taking someone on a date,  

任何有用的目的。當我們在面試新工作或帶人約會時。

a healthy mind doesn't force  us to listen to inner voices  

心無旁騖

that insist on our unworthiness. It allows us  to talk to ourselves as we would to a friend.

堅持認為我們不值得的。它讓我們能夠像對朋友一樣自言自語。

At the same time, a healthy mind  resists the pull of unfair comparisons.  

同時，健康的心態能抵禦不公平比較的拉扯。

It doesn't constantly allow the achievements  and successes of others to throw us off course  

它不會不斷地讓別人的成就和成功把我們甩開。

and reduce us to a state of bitter inadequacy.  

並使我們陷入苦不堪言的狀態。

It doesn't torture us by continually comparing  our condition to that of people who have,  

不斷地把自己的狀況與有的人的狀況進行比較，這並不是在折磨我們。

in reality, had very different upbringings and  trajectories through life. A well-functioning  

在現實中，有著截然不同的成長經歷和人生軌跡。一個功能完善的

mind recognises the futility and cruelty of  constantly finding fault with its own nature.

心裡認識到不斷地對自己的本性找茬是徒勞的，是殘酷的。

Along the way, a healthy mind keeps  a judicious grip on the faucet of fear.  

一路走來，健康的心態讓人對恐懼的龍頭有了判斷力。

It knows that, in theory, there is an endless  number of things that we could worry about:  

它知道，從理論上講，我們可以擔心的事情數不勝數。

a blood vessel might fail, a scandal might erupt,  the plane's engines could sheer from their wings…  

血管可能會破裂 醜聞可能會爆發 飛機的引擎可能會從機翼上脫落... ...

But it has a good sense of the distinction between  what could conceivably happen and what is in fact  

但它對可能發生的事情和事實上的事情之間的區別有很好的認識。

likely to happen - and it is able to leave us in  peace as regards the wilder eventualities of fate,  

有可能發生--而它能夠讓我們平靜地看待命運的野性偶發事件。

confident that awful things will either not  unfold or could be dealt with ably enough  

堅信壞事不會發生，或者說可以很好地處理。

if ever they did so. A healthy mind avoids  catastrophic imaginings: it knows that there  

如果他們曾經這樣做的話。健康的心態會避免災難性的想象：它知道有

are broad and stable stone steps, not a steep and  slippery incline, between itself and disaster.

是寬闊穩定的石階，而不是陡峭溼滑的斜坡，介於自身與災難之間。

A healthy mind has compartments with heavy  doors that shut securely. It can compartmentalise  

健康的心靈有隔間，有重重的門，關得很牢。它可以分門別類

where it needs to. Not all thoughts belong at  all moments. While talking to a grandmother,  

在它需要的地方。不是所有的思想都屬於所有的時刻。在和一個老奶奶哈拉的時候。

the mind prevents the emergence of images of  last's nights erotic fantasies; while looking  

腦子裡防止出現昨晚的色情幻想的畫面；而看一看。

after a child, it can repress its more cynical  and misanthropic insights. Aberrant thoughts about  

生完孩子後，會壓抑自己更憤世嫉俗、厭世的見解。畸形的想法

jumping on a train line or harming oneself with  a sharp knife can remain brief peculiar flashes  

跳車、尖刀傷人，會留下短暫的異樣閃光

rather than repetitive fixations. A healthy  mind has mastered the techniques of censorship.

而不是重複性的固定。健康的心靈已經掌握了審查的技巧。

A healthy mind can quieten its own buzzing  preoccupations in o rder, at times, to focus on  

一個健康的心態可以讓自己嗡嗡作響的心事安靜下來，有時，專注於自己的工作。

the world beyond itself. It can be present and  engaged with what and who is immediately around.  

超越自身的世界。它可以存在並參與到緊鄰周圍的事物和人中。

Not everything it could feel has to be felt  at every moment. It can be a good listener.

並不是每時每刻都能感受到它的一切。它可以是一個好的傾聽者。

A healthy mind combines an  appropriate suspicion of certain people  

健康的心態結合了對某些人的適當懷疑。

with a fundamental trust in humanity.  

以對人類的基本信任。

It can take an intelligent risk with a stranger.  It doesn't extrapolate from life's worst moments  

它可以和一個陌生人一起承擔智慧的風險。 它不會從生活中最糟糕的時刻中推斷出來

in order to destroy the possibility of  anything good emerging with a new acquaintance.

以此來破壞新認識的人出現好東西的可能性。

A healthy mind knows how to hope;  

健康的心態知道如何希望。

it identifies and then hangs on tenaciously to a  few reasons to keep going. Grounds for despair,  

它確定了，然後頑強地堅持幾個理由，繼續前進。絕望的理由。

anger and sadness are, of course, all around. But  the healthy mind knows how to bracket negativity  

憤怒和悲傷當然就在身邊。但健康的心態知道如何將負面情緒包圍起來。

in the name of endurance. It clings to  evidence of what is still beautiful and kind.  

以忍耐的名義。它緊緊抓住了仍然美麗和善良的證據。

It remembers to appreciate; it can - despite  everything - still look forward to a hot bath,  

它記得欣賞；它可以--儘管一切都在，但仍然期待著洗個熱水澡。

some dried fruit or dark chocolate, a chat with a  friend, or a satisfying day of work. It refuses to  

一些乾果或黑巧克力，與朋友哈拉，或滿足一天的工作。它拒絕

let itself be silenced by all the many sensible  arguments in favour of rage and despondency.

讓自己被所有支持憤怒和沮喪的許多合理論點壓制住。

Outlining some of the features of a healthy  mind helps us to identify what can go awry  

概述健康心態的一些特徵，有助於我們識別可能出錯的地方。

when we fall ill. We should acknowledge the extent  to which mental illness is ultimately as common,  

當我們生病的時候。我們應該承認，精神疾病終究有多普遍。

and as essentially unshameful,  as its bodily counterpart.  

並像其身體的對應物一樣，本質上是不可恥的。

True mental health involves a frank acceptance  

真正的心理健康需要坦然接受

of how much ill health there will have to be in  even the most ostensibly competent and meaningful  

即使是表面上最有能力和最有意義的人，也會有多少不健康的情況。

life. And we should be no more reluctant to  seek help than we are when we develop a chest  

的生活。我們不應該像患胸腔疾病時那樣不願意尋求幫助。

infection or a sore knee - and should consider  ourselves no less worthy of love and sympathy.