给学校的信，1983年2月1日- 选择
自由没有对立面Freedom is very necessary in our life. Freedom is obviously not to do whatever you like, though this has been considered freedom and has been the way of our life. We feel thwarted, inhibited when our desires are denied. From this arises our resentments, our feeling that we are sat upon and so a continuous revolt. We have followed this course of life and we can see, if we are at all thoughtful,what it has brought to the world: utter chaos. Some of the psychologists have encouraged us to pursue our impulses without any restraint, to do what we like immediately, rationalizing such activity as necessary for each one's growth. This was actually the cry for many generations, though there was outward restraint, and now they call it freedom to allow the child to do what he wants, and so on up the ladder of his life, which is society. And perhaps now there will be an opposite swing: control, inhibit,discipline and the psychological restraint. This appears to be the story of mankind.
自由在我们的生活里是非常必需的。很显然，自由不是想做什么就做什么，尽管人们认为自由便是如此，而这也已成为我们的生活方式。当我们的欲望被否定，我们会感到挫折，压抑。由此产生了我们的愤怒，产生了我们的，所以不断的反抗。我们依循着这样的生命历程，如果我们有所思考的话，就会发现，正是它带给这世界彻底的混乱。一些心理学家鼓励我们没有任何限制地去追循我们的冲动，马上去做我们所喜欢的事情，将这些活动合理化，作为我们成长的必须。实际上这就是许多年代以来人类的诉求，尽管有外在的限制，而现在它被称为“自由”，允许孩子去做他想做的事情，去追求成功，这就是我们的社会。现在，也许会有一种向反方向，走向控制、压抑、一种心理上约束的纪律的潮流。这似乎就是我们人类的故事。
Added to this is the computer and the robot: the technology that is developing in this direction, hoping to produce and probably will produce a computer with a human brain which may think faster and more accurately and thus give freedom from long hours of labour. The computer too is gradually taking over the education of our children. Highly qualified teachers and professors in their various subjects can inform the student without the actual presence of the teacher. This too will give us a certain freedom.
此外便是电脑和机器人。这种技术的发展方向是希望生产出或可能生产出类似于人脑的电脑，但却更快速，更精确，以便将人类从长时间的劳动中解放出来。电脑也会逐渐接管我们对孩子的教育：那些精通各个学科的教授予老师们不必出现在学生面前便可以教育他们。这同样也将给我们一些自由。
Except in the totalitarian States, greater freedom is going to come to man and so perhaps allow him to do what he likes. Thus greater conflict may arise, greater misery and wars for man. When technology and computers with robots dominate and become part of our daily life, then what is to happen to the human brain which has been active so far in outward and physical struggle? Will the brain then become atrophied, working only a couple of hours or more? When relationship is between machine and machine, what is to happen to the quality and vitality of the brain? Will it seek some form of entertainment, religious or otherwise, or will it allow itself to explore the vast recesses of one's being? The industry of entertainment is gathering more and more strength and very little human energy and capacity is turned inwardly, so if we are not aware, the entertainment world is going to conquer us.
除了在那些集权国家之外，人们将获得更多的自由，也许可以让他做自己喜欢的事。因此，人类可能出现更大的冲突，更多的悲伤和战争。当技术和电脑和机器人主宰并成为我们生活的一部分时，人类的大脑会发生什么？迄今它在外部的物质争斗方面是活跃的。当人们只工作两个小时或多一点的时间时，大脑是否会退化？当关系成为机器与机器之间的，大脑的品质与活力会发生什么呢？它是会去寻找某种娱乐，宗教，或是其他的什么东西？还是让自己去探索自身存在的巨大的深奥？娱乐业聚集了越来越多的力量，而只有很少的人类能量和能力被转向内在；所以，如果我们还不觉知的话，娱乐的世界将会征服我们。
So we must ask what is freedom? It is often said that freedom is at the end of drastic discipline and civilized control civilized in the sense of literature, art, museums and good food. This is merely the outward coating of a confused, declining human being. Is freedom a choice of entertainment? Is freedom choice at all? We always consider freedom as being from something: from bondage, anxiety, loneliness, despair and so on. Such consideration only leads to further and perhaps more refined states of misery, sorrow and the ugliness of hatred. Freedom is not choosing a leader, political or religious, to follow which obviously denies freedom. Freedom is not the opposite of slavery. Freedom is the ending: not giving continuity to what has been. Freedom in itself has no opposite.
向内在；所以，如果我们还不觉知的话，娱乐的世界将会征服我们。
所以我们要问自由是什么。一个常见的说法是，自由是严格的纪律与文明的控制的结果——“文明”的意思是从有文学，艺术，博物馆和好的食物的角度来说的。这只是一个混乱的，堕落的人的外衣。自由是否是拥有对娱乐的选择呢？自由是一个选择吗？我们通常认为自由就是某种摆脱，摆脱奴役，焦虑，孤独，绝望，等等。这样的考虑只会导致更进一步的，也许是更细微的痛苦，悲伤和丑陋的仇恨。自由不是选择一个宗教或是政治上的领袖去追随，这明显是对自由的否定。自由不是奴役的反面。自由是一种结束，而非对于过去东西的延续。自由本身没有对立面。
After having read this and studied it, what is my relationship not to the student and to my wife and children, but to the world? Really to understand the depth of freedom one needs a great deal of intelligence and perhaps love. But the activities of the world are not intelligent and neither is my group of children. I spend most of my day with them: have I this quality of freedom, with its intelligence and love? If I have this, my problem is very simple. That very quality will operate and what I thought to be a problem will cease to be one. But I really do not have this. I can pretend, put on a show of friendliness, but that is very shallow. My responsibility is immediate. I cannot say to myself that I will wait until I will achieve freedom and this affection, love. I literally have no time because my students are in front of me. I cannot become a hermit: that will not solve any problem, mine or the world's. I need lightning from heaven to break up this incrustation, this conditioning, to have this freedom and love; but there is no thunderbolt, no heaven. I can allow myself to come to an impasse and get depressed over the matter but that is an escape from the problem to completely enclose myself and thus be incapable of facing the actuality.
我看了这封信，也对它进行了研究，那么我们之间的关系，不只是与学生，与我的妻儿，而是与这个世界的关系是什么呢？要真正地去了解自由的深度，需要极大的智慧，也许还有爱。但这个世界上的活动并不是智慧的，我的那群孩子也是如此。我每天绝大多数时间都和他们在一起。我拥有这种自由的品质么，以及它的智慧与爱？如果我有的话，那么我的问题就非常简单。这种品质将会运作，而我所认为的问题将会不再是问题。但实际上我没有这种品质。我可以假装，穿上友善的外衣，但那太肤浅了。我的责任是刻不容缓的。我不能对自己说等等，直到我达到了自由、友善和爱。我真的没有时间，因为我的学生就在我的面前。我无法变成一个隐士。那不会解决任何问题，我的问题或者是世界的问题。我需要天堂的闪电来击碎这硬壳，这限制，来使我获得自由和爱；只是，既没有雷霆，也没有天堂。我可以允许自己走入一个僵局并为此感到沮丧；不过那只是对问题的逃避并将自己完全封闭起来，也因此根本无力去面对现实。
As when I actually see the truth that there is no outside agent to help me in this dilemma, that no outside influence, no grace, no prayer will help in this matter, then perhaps I will have an uncontaminated energy. That energy may then be freedom and love.
当我真正地认识到这个真理，即在这个困境里没有任何外部的因素能够帮助我，没有任何外部的影响，恩赐，祈祷能够在这件事上帮助我，那时也许我将会拥有一种无染的能量。那能量可能就是自由和爱。
But have I the energy of intelligence to dismantle the things which human beings all over the world, of whom I am one, have built psychologically around themselves? Have I the persistence to go through all this? I am asking these questions of myself and I shall be asking my students in a more gentle and benevolent manner. I see the implications of all this quite clearly and I must tread very softly. The true answer lies in intelligence and love. If you have these qualities you will know what to do. One must realize the truth of this very deeply, otherwise we shall all be perpetuating in one form or another the confusion between man and man.
可是我有那种智慧的能量去破除人类——全世界的人类，而我也是其中一员——在他们周围所建立的心理上的壁垒吗？我有这样的耐力去经历所有这些吗？我对自己问着这些问题，我也将向我的学生问这些问题，以一种更加柔和，友善的方式。我非常清楚地看到所有这些的含义，而且我也必须非常轻柔地去对待它们。真正的答案便在智慧与爱之中。如果我们具有这些品质，我们就会知道如何去做。我们必须深刻地领悟这个真理；否则我们将以这种或那种形式继续人与人之间的混乱。
绿草园翻译工作室
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