Today, we remain deeply impressed by the idea of charity, but often from a distance,

現今，我們能深深地謹記著這樣「慈善」的想法，但是，通常只有淺薄的認知

without probing the concept too deeply, with little attempt to practise it systematically.

而沒有仔細地探究這樣的思想與實際地行動

It’s something we might have recourse to when we’re moved by a documentary on TV

我們可能有這樣的想法是當我們轉到電視上播放的紀錄片

or have some loose change left over after the holidays. At its most basic,

或是在假日後所剩的零錢。基本上

charity means: giving someone something they need but can’t get for themselves. And normally

慈善指的是：給予某人所需而無法取得的物品。通常

that’s understood to mean something material. We overwhelmingly associate charity with giving money.

這指的是物質性的資助。我們理所當然地將慈善以及金錢聯想在一起

The heroes of Christianity are exemplars of such charity. Outside the city, Saint Francis

基督教的偉人就是此慈善的楷模。在Saint Francis城市外

comes across a poor man. His garments are thin and ragged. Winter is coming on and coats are expensive.

遇到一個貧窮的人。他的衣著既薄又破爛的，而冬天又快來了，卻買不起昂貴的外套

The saint is moved to charity. But, at its core, charity goes far beyond finance.

於是聖徒施予了慈善。但是，慈善的中心思想並不只是有關金錢而已

It is about recognising that a person needs help with something that they can’t do for themselves –

而是關於了解到一個人的所需以及他們無法取得的需要

and that their helplessness is not a sign of wickedness or sin, but is part of the human condition.

但，他們的無助並不是來自懦弱或是罪惡。而是一種人類所需情況

We freely give because we appreciate how often we wouldn’t have made it if other people had not –

我們無私地給予因為我們與他人感同身受

at key points, in different contexts – cut us some slack.

在關鍵時刻，不同的時刻－施捨我們一些你們所擁有的

It is in relationships that charity becomes particularly necessary.

慈善在人與人的關係中更是成了不可忽視的

Here we don’t generally require the charity of money, cloaks and free meals.

通常我們不需要慈善的金錢、斗篷、或是免費的餐點

What we are short of is charity of interpretation: that is, a charitable perspective on our weaknesses,

我們所缺乏的是對慈善的詮釋。也就是說，一個慷慨的角度來審視我們的缺點、

eccentricities, anxieties and follies – failings that we are unable to explain or win sympathy for,

怪異行為、焦慮、以及瘋狂－我們無法解釋或是贏得同情心的挫敗感

that we merely act out, with immaturity and hurt. It might be that one person in a couple

還有我們不成熟以及傷害人的行為。可能是在夫妻中的其中一位

has badly messed up in their professional life. They made a significant decision at work that played out badly.

無法勝任職場的職位。他們在工作中有了重大的決策，但，卻沒有預期的成果

They got severely criticised; there was talk of court action.

他們則受到了嚴厲的責罵，甚至是收到了法庭的告訴

For months, they were very agitated, and hard to live with. They couldn’t articulate their fears.

幾個月下來，他們會非常的焦慮以及難以生活安穩。他們無法指出他們所恐懼的

They were sullen and irascible. Their partner might have added stern admonitions to those of the regulator,

他們因而燜燜不樂以及暴躁不堪。另一半可能會幫倒忙地嚴格指責那些管理者

the senior management and people on Twitter… They could have concluded

高層的管理部或是在Twitter上的人們．．．他們甚至可能會認為

that their partner was inept, greedy, maybe a bit unprincipled. But instead,

他們的伴侶是笨拙、貪婪、以及有點沒同情心的。但是，不同於這些人的則是

a charitable soul does the work the partner has not been able to do. They do the explaining for them.

有個慈愛的伴侶能做另一半無法做到的事，他們能為另一半解釋開導

They understand enough about their past to have a picture of where their impatience and over-ambition come from.

他們了解另一半的過去，並且讓他們知道他們為什麼如此的焦慮以及強烈的野心

They hold in mind what happened with their parents and with the move to another country

他們會銘記著他們父母親的經歷、移居到另一個國家的經歷、

and with the brother who died too young. They lend a picture of who the ‘beggar’ is

以及一位年幼死去的兄弟。他們闡釋出一張圖，誰是乞求者

is sufficiently generous and complex as to make them more than just the ‘fool’ or ‘weirdo’

有著豐富的以及複雜的著畫方式使得他們看起來不僅是「愚人」或是「怪人」

they could so easily have been dismissed as.

他們這些人輕易地就可被認出

The genuinely charitable person gives generously from a sense that they too stand in need of charity.

真誠慈善的人有著慷慨的感知能夠給予他人，同樣的他們也是需要他人的幫忙

Not right now, not over this, but in some other area. They know that self-righteousness

不是現在，也不是待會，但是，在其他的一些事情。他們知道自以為是

is merely the result of a faulty memory, an inability to hold in mind –

只是一個錯誤的記憶，無法深固人心的

at moments when one is totally right – how often one has been deeply and definitively in the wrong of the contexts.

在正確的時刻－一個人多少次鐵定會犯下嚴重錯誤

Charity remembers how there might still be goodness amidst a lot of evil. Charity keeps in mind that

慈善家知道怎麼在邪惡環境下保持著美德。慈善謹記在心

if someone is tired and stressed, they are liable to behave appallingly.

如果有人精神憔悴的，他們的行為則會較於異於常人的

Charity is aware that when someone shouts an insult they are not usually revealing the secret truth about their feelings.

慈善明白一個人大聲怒罵的同時，他們通常不會透露出自己的真實感受

They are trying to wound the other person because they feel they have been hurt –

他們只是想要傷害他人，因為他們覺得他們自己受傷了－

usually by someone else, whom they don’t have the authority to injure back.

通常是發生在那些沒有能力反抗的人身上

Charity is interested in mitigating circumstances; in bits of the truth that can cast a less catastrophic light on our follies.

慈善利於減輕困境；減輕悲慘的愚蠢事

In financial matters, charity tends always to flow in one direction.

從資金的角度來看，慈善總是較於單方向流動

The philanthropist may be very generous, but usually they stay rich;

慈善家可能很大器，但，他們通常都是一直是有錢人

they are habitually the giver rather than the recipient. But in life as a whole,

他們習慣當施予者而不是接受者。但是，在人的一生中

and especially in relationships, charity is unlikely ever to end up being one-sided:

特別在雙方的關係中，慈善很難脫離這樣既有的單方面流動：

who is weak and who is powerful changes rapidly and frequently.

弱者與強者既快速且平凡的對換

You are likely to be, as it were, a patron in one area and a beggar in another. So we must be kind

你們可能在一方面為資助者，而另一方面則為乞求者。所以，我們一定要善待他人

not only because we are touched by the suffering of others but because we properly understand that

對他人要有所感同身受，而且我們能適當地了解到

we too will soon be in urgent need of an equally vital dose of charity in some other part of our lives.

在未來，我們其他面向的生活中，同樣也會需要他人的慈善幫助