佩吉·伍德/Peggy Wood

　　Occasionally my mother used to announce that she was going to take time out from the day's activities “to rest”, she would say, “and to invite my soul.”She always put the phrase in quotes, in order, I expect, to divert the facetious remarks which might arise from the worldly or practical-minded folk within earshot or to disarm those who might feel“soul”was a Sunday word not to be used in everyday conversation.

　　But she meant to do exactly what she said “invite my soul”.

　　The pressure of the modern world is so great upon us today that we find little time for rest, physical rest, let alone leisure for spiritual reception. Thus, when we take the word “soul”out of its Sunday clothes it is unfamiliar to us, we don't know it very well. We may have different interpretations of the meaning of the word; to some it may mean “conscience”, to others that part of our being given us with life. I believe with Dr. Schweitzer in the sanctity of life, that the miracle called life, which cannot be manufactured by man, does come from a source which we call God, and that life and soul are the same. And yet when I am asked point-blank, “What do you believe?”I hedge and play for time in my confusion by saying, “Well, now, that's a pretty big question.”

　　It is not altogether the pressure of the modern world which has clouded our comprehension; “the simple faith of our fathers”got a nasty jolt when Copernicus propounded his theory that the sun and stars did not revolve around the earth and that therefore man was not the sole object of celestial concern. Darwin dealt another blow and Freud's search into the operations of our hidden selves shook our conviction that man could be made in the image of God.

　　It might be said that such matters affect only dogma and not belief, and yet the mounting complexities of man's discoveries about himself and the world he lives in increase so with the years it is little wonder man cries out for something simple and enduring in which to believe.

　　As in moments of great grief the reeling emotions steady themselves by concentrating upon small physical occupations—the careful tying of a shoelace, the straightening of a crooked picture on the wall, the tidy folding of a napkin—so I believe, in this heartbreaking world, in tending to the simple familiar chores which lie at hand. I believe I must keep my doorstep clean, I must tidy up my own backyard. I need to keep only the two great commandments to live by: to respect the Giver of Life, and my duty towards my neighbor.

　　I believe that people deeply revere these two commandements (upon which hang all the laws and the prophets) and suffer personal distress when they are broken. When the property owners in South San Francisco refuse to let a Chinese family move into their district, when flaming crosses are burned and when the homes of decent people are bombed, we are all aware that our own doorsteps have been sullied and the human neighborhood besmirched.

　　If I am too puny to grasp the cosmic contours I believe I can at leave live my faith within my own small orbit, gaining in strength from others until that time when all men can rest—and invite their souls.

　　母亲有时会表示，她要从日常事务中抽出一些时间休息一会儿，她总是说：“招待招待我的灵魂。”在说这句话的时候，她还常常用手比画出一对引号，我猜，她这么做是为了不想被那些世俗而实际的家伙所取笑，或者是让那些认为“灵魂”只能在礼拜日才能使用的人放下戒心。

　　然而，母亲的行为就像她所说的一样，“招待招待自己的灵魂”。

　　现代的社会人都背负着巨大的压力，更不要说招待自己的灵魂，就连给身体休息的时间都抽不出来。我们并未真正了解“灵魂”，因为当我们脱下它的宗教外衣，就会觉得它很陌生。对于“灵魂”的理解，可谓见仁见智：对于一些人来说，它意味着“良心”；对于另外一些人来说，它则是生命与生俱来的一部分。史怀哲医生认为，神圣的生命是上帝创造的奇迹，而不是人类自己创造的，生命和灵魂是一体的。我赞同史怀哲医生的这个观点。然而，当自己被人问到：“你的信仰是什么？”我的思维就会变得混乱，只能不置可否地敷衍：“这个吗，目前，还是个非常难以解释的问题。”

　　现代社会的压力并不是导致人们困惑的原因。当哥白尼提出“太阳和恒星并未绕着地球旋转”，人类从此就不再是上天唯一的关爱，这使“祖先单纯的信仰”遭到了动摇。继哥白尼之后，达尔文的进化论再一次打击了人类。弗洛伊德对人类自身中隐藏的自我进行了探求，于是“人可能是模仿上帝的形象创造出来的”，这一信念再一次遭到了动摇。

　　这些也许没有动摇人类的信仰，只是使人类的教义受到了影响。近些年来，人们越来越需要简单而持久的信仰，因为人们对自身以及世界的认识变得越来越深刻、越来越复杂。

　　当我们感到非常悲伤的时候，把注意力集中到琐碎的小事上，就能够让自己乱糟糟的情绪得以平复。比如，仔细地系好鞋带，扶正墙上歪斜的图画，把餐巾纸叠得整整齐齐。在这个令人悲伤的世界中，我认为，要把手边简单的日常家务杂事处理好，把自家的门前和后院打扫干净。生活中，我需要遵从的戒律只有两条：一是尊敬造物主，二是履行对邻居的义务。

　　我认为，一旦这两条训诫遭到破坏，人们就会陷入痛苦之中，因为人们深切地敬畏这两条训诫（所有的法律和预言都以这两条训诫为基础）。当旧金山南部的居民抵制一家中国人搬入时；当烈火燃烧十字架时；当无辜者的家园遭到轰炸时，我们意识到，自己的家门口被玷污了，人类的居住区被弄脏了。

　　我认为，在我们弱小得无法掌握宇宙特征的时候，在所有人都能够休息并且“招待自己的灵魂”之前，我们至少应该在自己生存的小圈子中坚持自己的信念，并从他人那里获取力量。

　　词汇笔记

　　announce [??nauns] v. 宣布；述说；预示；播报

　　例 One year ago, I addressed the American people to announce a new way forward in Iraq.

　　一年前，我对美国人演讲时声称伊拉克有了一条新的前进之路。

　　pressure [?pre??] n. 压力；压迫；压强

　　例 How do you work under pressure?

　　你在压力之下会如何工作？

　　sanctity [?s??kt?ti] n. 圣洁；尊严；神圣不可侵犯性

　　例 Temples have an air of sanctity.

　　寺庙有一种神圣的氛围。

　　occupation [??kju?pei??n] n. 职业；占有；消遣

　　例 Secretary asks what my occupation is.

　　书记问我的职业是什么。

　　小试身手

　　然而，母亲的行为就像她所说的一样，“招待招待自己的灵魂”。

　　译_______________

　　现代的社会人都背负着巨大的压力，更不要说招待自己的灵魂，就连给身体休息的时间都抽不出来。

　　译_______________

　　这些也许没有动摇人类的信仰，只是使人类的教义受到了影响。

　　译_______________

　　短语家族

　　Occasionally my mother used to announce that she was going to take time out from the day's activities“to rest”……

　　used to：过去常常做某事；过去常常；过去曾经

　　造_______________

　　……we find little time for rest, physical rest, let alone leisure for spiritual reception.

　　let alone：更不用说；更别提；不打扰；不惊动

　　造_______________