少年维特的烦恼 英文版 The Sorrows of Young Werther
歌德 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
OCTOBER 20.
We arrived here yesterday. The ambassador is indisposed, and willnot go out for some days. If he were less peevish and morose, allwould be well. I see but too plainly that Heaven has destined meto severe trials; but courage! a light heart may bear anything.A light heart! I smile to find such a word proceeding from my pen.A little more lightheartedness would render me the happiest beingunder the sun. But must I despair of my talents and faculties,whilst others of far inferior abilities parade before me with theutmost self-satisfaction? Gracious Providence, to whom I owe allmy powers, why didst thou not withhold some of those blessings Ipossess, and substitute in their place a feeling of self-confidenceand contentment?
But patience! all will yet be well; for I assure you, my dearfriend, you were right: since I have been obliged to associatecontinually with other people, and observe what they do, and howthey employ themselves, I have become far better satisfied withmyself. For we are so constituted by nature, that we are everprone to compare ourselves with others; and our happiness or miserydepends very much on the objects and persons around us. On thisaccount, nothing is more dangerous than solitude: there ourimagination, always disposed to rise, taking a new flight on thewings of fancy, pictures to us a chain of beings of whom we seemthe most inferior. All things appear greater than they reallyare, and all seem superior to us. This operation of the mind isquite natural: we so continually feel our own imperfections, andfancy we perceive in others the qualities we do not possess,attributing to them also all that we enjoy ourselves, that by thisprocess we form the idea of a perfect, happy man, -- a man, however,who only exists in our own imagination.
But when, in spite of weakness and disappointments, we set to workin earnest, and persevere steadily, we often find, that, thoughobliged continually to tack, we make more way than others who havethe assistance of wind and tide; and, in truth, there can be nogreater satisfaction than to keep pace with others or outstripthem in the race.