Epicurus was an Ancient Greek born in 341 BC.

伊比鳩魯，古希臘人，生於西元前341年

What made him famous was that he spent all his life trying to work out the largest puzzle there is:

他最有名的，是花了一輩子的時間研究一個問題：

what makes people happy?

什麼事物能讓人真正快樂 ?

Philosophers before him had discussed at length what could make people good

在此之前，哲學家普遍專注研究 "善" (Good)

Epicurus preferred to look at what is fun

伊比鳩魯卻認真探討 "什麼是有趣的、快樂的"

Unfortunately, the world was bitter and bitchy even then

不幸的是，這世界從古希臘時期就充滿挖苦和惡意

and when people heard that Epicurus had set up a school to study happiness

當人們聽到伊比鳩魯創辦了一所 "學習快樂" 的學校時，

the rumors went off the scale

流言傳得滿城風雨

There were tales that the school hosted ten course feasts, and orgies every night

甚至有謠傳說，這學校舉辦豐盛的酒席、夜夜笙歌

Epicurus was said, by one critic, to have orgasmed 18 times in a single evening in a bed full of virgins

有人還批評伊比鳩魯在滿是處女的床上一晚高潮了18次!

It wasn't true

這當然不是真的。

Epicurus and his team were studying happiness, but they were doing it very soberly

伊比鳩魯和他的友人，是以一種嚴肅的態度在研究快樂

The philosopher owned only two cloaks, and lived on bread, olives, and for a treat, an occasional slice of cheese

這位哲學家只有兩件斗篷，賴以維生的是麵包、橄欖、 和請客時偶爾才有的起司

As for the bedroom, he merely responded demurely that he'd married philosophy

至於臥室，他端莊地回應說，他寧願與哲學共結連理。

Having patiently studied happiness for many years

在多年來耐心地研究快樂之後，

Epicurus came to a set of remarkable and revolutionary conclusions about what we actually need to be happy

伊比鳩魯對於 "快樂生活真正需要哪些事物? " 提出了一組不同凡響的答案。

He proposed that we typically make 3 mistakes when thinking about happiness:

他首先指出，人們思考 "快樂" 時，通常犯了3個錯誤：

Firstly, we think happiness means having romantic, sexual relationships

1. 我們以為快樂是擁有浪漫美好的性關係

but Epicurus looked around and saw so many unhappy couples

但伊比鳩魯環顧四周，看到了太多不快樂的情侶

their unions marred by jealousy, misunderstanding, cheating, and bitterness

他們的結合被嫉妒、誤解、背叛、痛苦所破壞

at the same time, he observed how much nicer friendships are:

同時，他卻觀察到"友誼"相較之下美好多了：

How people tend to be so decent and unpossessive with their friends

和朋友在一起時，人們更容易舉止合宜、大方無私

Friendship seemed to be where human nature was at its sweetest

友誼，似乎是人性最甜美的時刻

The only problem Epicurus noted was that we don't see our friends enough

他認為唯一的問題只有：我們與朋友相處的時間不夠

The next thing we ordinary think that we need to be happy is a lot of money

2. 另一個普遍的想法是，我們需要非常多錢才會快樂

but we tend not properly to factually the unbelievable sacraficies we gotta have to make to get this money:

但我們通常未能適當地認清事實， 那就是要做出多大的犧牲才能換得這些財富：

The jealousy, the backbiting, the long hours

那些嫉妒、誹謗、以及大量的時間。

What makes work really satisfying, Epicurus believed, ins't money

伊比鳩魯相信，工作真正讓人感到滿足的原因，不是錢

but it was able to work alone, or in small groups, like in a bakery, or boat repair shop

而是當我們能獨立工作、或是在小群體中工作， 比如在麵包店、修船廠

and when we feel we helping others

以及當我們感受到自己正在幫助他人，

in our own, minor way improving the world

用我們自己微薄的方式改善這個世界。

Isn't really large sums or status

我們內心真正想要的，

that we want deep down

並不是大量的收入或很高的地位，

Its a sense of making a diference

而是一種 "讓世界有所不同" 的成就感。

and lastely

3. 最後一點，

Epicurus observes how obsessive we are with luxury

伊比鳩魯觀察到人們有多沉迷於奢華

especially involving houses and beautiful serene locations

尤其是豪宅與美景

but beneath our love of luxury there is really something else we trying to get out

但在喜愛奢華的背後，其實是另一個我們渴求的事物：

What we want is a feeling of calm

我們真正想要的，是感受到內心的平靜。

We want our minds pure, free...

我們希望我們的心靈純淨、自由，

Not full of the normal boredom and chaos

而不是充斥著日常的無聊與混亂。

But the great question is: Does luxury actually make us calm?

然而最大的問題在於：奢華真的能為我們帶來平靜嗎?

Epicurus wasn't so sure...

這伊比鳩魯就不確定了

Having looked happiness in depth

在深入檢視 "快樂" 之後，

Epicurus anounces a revolution reset of insights

伊比鳩魯發表了革命性的洞見：

That we really need only three things to be happy in this life

想擁有快樂生活，我們真正需要的只有3件事。

Firstly

1. 你需要有朋友在身邊

You need your friends around

不需要性、不需要狂歡，只需要你的好朋友。

No sex, no orgy, just your mates

不只是偶爾與朋友見見面，

Enough of seen them only now and then

而要是頻繁、定期的聯繫才算。

Its regularity of contact that counts

所以伊比鳩魯做了一件我們也許都曾夢想這麼做、

So he did that thing that most of us ocasionally dream of doing

但從沒真正實行過的事，

but never actualy get around do

他買了一棟大房子，開始與他的朋友們一起生活。

He bought a big house and start living with all his friends

每個人都有屬於自己的房間，但也有愉快的公共空間

Everyone had your own quarters and there was pleasant share areas too

廚房裡總是有好朋友能與你聊天

There's always someone nice to talk to you in the kitchen

2. 每個人在工作上降低一個層級

Secondly

和伊比鳩魯同住的朋友們全都不再為他人工作，

Everyone downshifted

雖然薪水大減，但換得的是只需為自己工作。

All the members of the comune stop working for other people

有些人耕種、有些人下廚、有些人繪畫、有些人寫作

They took big pay cuts in return for doing their own stuff

3. 伊比鳩魯和朋友都不再認為欣賞美景就能帶來平靜，

some farming, some cooking, some potring or writing

他們致力於從自己的思想中尋求平靜，

And thirdly

花時間獨處、反思、寫作、讀書、沉思。

Epicurus and his friends stop thinking you could be calm just by having a beautiful view to look out to

這個實驗非常成功，伊比鳩魯和朋友們都過得非常快樂

They devote themselfes to finding calm in their own minds

因此這個想法如火如荼地傳開了。

To spending time on their own, reflecting, writing stuff down, reading things, meditating

地中海一帶有許多人建立起伊比鳩魯式的社群，

The experiment was so successful, the members of the comune so happy

在全盛時期，

the idea spread like wildfire

從西班牙到巴勒斯坦，共有40萬人住在這樣的社群裡!

Epicurean communities open up all around the mediterranean

直到基督教會在五世紀興起，這些社群才逐漸沒落

at height of the movement

但基督教也多少反映了伊比鳩魯式社群的概念，

there was four hundred thousand people living in comunes from Spain to Palestine

因為他們只不過轉換成了修道院，

It was only the christian church that ending things in the fifth century

我們所知的修道院，其實就是伊比鳩魯式的社群、

But in most of the respect to the community somehow

再加上基督信仰。

cause they converted all in to monasteries

另外一個有趣的事實是： 卡爾·馬克思的博士論文主題也是伊比鳩魯。

what we know as monasteries are really just epicurean comunes

而我們稱之為共產主義的

with a christian top soil

那個龐大而失敗的體系，

Another interesting fact: Karl Marx it's Ph.D thesis on Epicurus

其實是伊比鳩魯主義放大、但腐敗而不太成功的變形。

and what we call communism, a gigantic

伊比鳩魯影響後世最深的，是人類並不擅於讓自己快樂

failed system

就只是因為人們以為快樂太簡單了，

it's really a grown up, corrupted, not very successful version of epicureanism

我們自以為了解快樂是性、金錢、奢華，

The real Legacy of Epicurus is that human beings aren't very good make themselves happy

而只想知道如何保有這些東西；

especially because they think it's so easy

但伊比鳩魯說：大錯特錯。

We think we know, it's about sex, money, luxury

認真反思那些真正帶來快樂的時刻，

We just want to how to secure all this

其實與性、金錢、奢華毫無關聯。

but no, says Epicurus

勇敢地依那些真正帶來滿足感的時刻、改變自己的生活

Reflect on the moments that truly bring you happiness

你也許終究會以一種很不一樣的方式生活

and they are to do with this

住在鄉村，只有少許起司、幾件衣服、幾本哲學書

Have the courage to change your life, in accordance with the moments that actually delivery satisfaction

以及一些非常要好的朋友，總在樓下大廳等你。

You might end up living in a very different way

Out in the country with just some cheese, a couple of clothes, a few philosophy books and

some very good friends down the corridor