On the Fear od Death

8.On the Fear of Death

Perhaps the best cure for the fear of death is to reflect the life has a beginning as well as an end. There was a time when we were not : this gives me no concern -- why then should it trouble me that a time will come when we shall cease to be? I have no wish to have been alive a hundred years ago, or in the reign of Queen Anne. Why should I regret and lay it so much to heart that I shall not be alive a hundred year hence, in the reign of I cannot tell whom?

To die is only to be as we were born; yet no one feels any remorse, or regret, or repugnance, in contemplating this last idea. It is rether a relief and disburdening of the mind; it seems to have been a holiday time with us then; we were not called to appear upon the stage of life, to wear robes or tatters, to laugh or cry, be hooted or applauded; we had lain perdu all this while, snug out of harm's way; and had slept out our thousands of centuries without wanting to be waked up; at peace and free from care, in a long nonage, in a sleep deeper and calmer than that of infancy, wrapped in the softest and finest dust. And the worst that we dread is, after a short fretful, feverish being, after vain hopes, and idle fears, to sink to final repose again, and forget the troubled dream of life!

也许摆脱死亡恐惧的最佳疗法是思考生命的开始与终结。曾经我们对此没有给予关注－－为什么走到生命的尽头时，这个问题却会困扰我们？我不希望生活在一百年前，或者安妮女王时代，为什么还要为未能生活在一百年前，说不出是谁的统治时代而感到遗憾？

死亡就像我们的出生。思考这一永恒的主题，无人会自责，悔恨，或质疑，相反我们可以释放心灵，缓解忧愁。我们仿佛在度假一般：我们没有被传唤至人生的舞台上，穿着华丽的衣服或破旧的衣衫，大笑不止或痛哭流涕，被人训斥或者赞美; 然而对此，我们却隐藏了许久，安详悠闲，而远离伤害; 我们仿佛沉睡了千百个世纪而不愿被人唤醒; 安逸而无忧虑，总处于孩童时期; 而且比婴儿睡得还要深沉，还要平静，被裹挟于最轻柔、最细密的灰尘之中。我们最怕的是经过瞬间的狂热，徒劳的希望，没有缘由的恐惧，又沉浸到熟睡状态，而忘记生命中困绕我们的梦想！

Cease：[si:s]vt.& vi.停止, 终止, 结束

Reign：[rein]vi.当政, 统治；占主导地位n.君主的统治, 君主统治时期, 朝代 Hence：[hens]adv.从此时起, 从此处；因此, 所以 Remorse：[ri'm?:s]n.懊悔, 悔恨, 自责

Repugnance：[r?'p?gn?ns]n.厌恶,憎恶；抵触,不一致

Contemplate：['k?ntempleit]vt.& vi.深思, 细想, 仔细考虑vt.注视, 凝视 Disburden：[dis'b?:dn]v.解除负担

Hoot：[hu:t]n.猫头鹰叫声;汽笛响声;汽车喇叭声；表示蔑视不满的叫喊, 冷笑not care/give a hoot (about sb/sth) 毫不在乎vt.& vi.(使)作汽笛声响, 作汽车喇叭声 Applaud：[?'pl?:d]vt.鼓掌；称赞, 赞许 Perdu：看不见的,隐藏的

Snug：sn?g]adj.温暖而舒适的；整洁的；紧身的 Infancy:'?nf?nsi:]n.婴儿期；早期, 初始阶段

Wrapped:r?pt]adj.有包装的,预先包装的

Dread:dred]vt.害怕, 恐惧; 担心n.恐惧, 畏惧；令人恐惧的事物 Fretful:'fretf?l]adj.烦躁不安的

Feverish:'fi:v?r??]adj.(微微)发烧的,有点热度的;由发烧〔热病〕引起的；高度活跃或兴奋的

Idle:'aidl]adj.空闲的, 闲着的；懒散的, 无所事事的；无根据的; 无聊的；无意义的, 无特别意图的vi.虚度, 闲逛；空转 Repose:r?'p??z]n.休息;安眠;宁静