口译：Ralph Waldo Emerson-Gifts (Excerpt) 汉译

Gifts of one who lovedme,—

’Twas high time theycame;

When he ceased to loveme,

Time they stopped forshame.

It is said that theworld is in a state of bankruptcy, that the world owes the world more than theworld can pay, and ought to go into chancery, and be sold. I do not think thisgeneral insolvency, which involves in some sort all the population, to be the reasonof the difficulty experienced at Christmas and New Year, and other times, inbestowing gifts; since it is always so pleasant to be generous, though veryvexatious to pay debts. But the impediment lies in the choosing. If, at anytime, it comes into my head, that a present is due from me to somebody, I ampuzzled what to give, until the opportunity is gone. Flowers and fruits arealways fit presents; flowers, because they are a proud assertion that a ray ofbeauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. These gay natures contrastwith the somewhat stern countenance of ordinary nature: they are like musicheard out of a work-house. Nature does not cocker us; we are children, notpets. She is not fond; everything is dealt to us without fear or favor, aftersevere universal laws. Yet these delicate flowers look like the frolic andinterference of love and beauty. Men use to tell us that we love flattery, eventhough we are not deceived by it, because it shows that we are of importanceenough to be courted. Something like that pleasure, the flowers give us: whatam I to whom these sweet hints are addressed? Fruits are acceptable gifts,because they are the flower of commodities, and admit of fantastic values beingattached to them. If a man should send to me to come a hundred miles to visithim, and should set before me a basket of fine summer-fruit, I should thinkthere was some proportion between the labor and the reward.

For common gifts,necessity makes pertinences and beauty every day, and one is glad when animperative leaves him no option, since if the man at the door have no shoes,you have not to consider whether you could procure him a paint-box. And as itis always pleasing to see a man eat bread, or drink water, in the house or outof doors, so it is always a great satisfaction to supply these first wants.Necessity does everything well. … Next to things of necessity, the rule for agift, which one of my friends prescribed, is, that we might convey to someperson that which properly belonged to his character, and was easily associatedwith him in thought. But our tokens of compliment and love are for the mostpart barbarous. Rings and other jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts.The only gift is a portion of thyself. Thou must bleed for me. Therefore thepoet brings his poem; the shepherd, his lamb; the farmer, corn; the miner, agem; the sailor, coral and shells; the painter, his picture; the girl, a handkerchiefof her own sewing. This is right and pleasing, for it restores society in sofar to its primary basis, when a man’s biography is conveyed in his gift, andevery man’s wealth is an index of his merit. But it is a cold, lifelessbusiness when you go to the shops to buy me something, which does not representyour life and talent, but a goldsmith’s. …

He is a good man whocan receive a gift well. We are either glad or sorry at a gift, and bothemotions are unbecoming. Some violence, I think, is done, some degradationborne, when I rejoice or grieve at a gift. I am sorry when my independence isinvaded or when a gift comes from such as do not know my spirit, and so the actis not supported; and if the gift pleases me overmuch, then I should be ashamedthat the donor should read my heart, and see that I love his commodity and nothim. The gift, to be true, must be the flowing of the giver unto me,correspondent to my flowing unto him. When the waters are at level, then mygoods pass to him, and his to me. All his are mine, all mine his. I say to him,How can you give me this pot of oil, or this flagon of wine, when all your oiland wine is mine, which belief of mine this gift seems to deny? Hence thefitness of beautiful, not useful things for gifts. This giving is flat usurpation,and therefore when the beneficiary is ungrateful, as all beneficiaries hate allTimons, not at all considering the value of the gift, but looking back to thegreater store it was taken from, I rather sympathize with the beneficiary, thanwith the anger of my lord Timon. For, the expectation of gratitude is mean, andis continually punished by the total insensibility of the obliged person. It isa great happiness to get off without injury and heart-burning, from one who hashad the ill luck to be served by you. It is a very onerous business, this ofbeing served, and the debtor naturally wishes to give you a slap. A golden textfor these gentlemen is that which I so admire in the Buddhist, who neverthanks, and who says, “Do not flatter your benefactors.” …

I fear to breathe anytreason against the majesty of love, which is the genius and god of gifts, andto whom we must not affect to prescribe. Let him give kingdoms or flower-leavesindifferently. There are persons, from whom we always expect fairy tokens; letus not cease to expect them. This is prerogative, and not to be limited by ourmunicipal rules. For the rest, I like to see that we cannot be bought and sold.The best of hospitality and of generosity is also not in the will but in fate.I find that I am not much to you; you do not need me; you do not feel me; thenam I thrust out of doors, though you proffer me house and lands. No servicesare of any value, but only likeness. When I have attempted to join myself toothers by services, it proved an intellectual trick,—no more. They eat yourservice like apples, and leave you out. But love them, and they feel you, anddelight in you all the time.

论礼物

爱我者送我礼物——

欢欣无比；

厌我者送我礼物，

抱愧蒙羞。

有人说，这个世界已濒临破产，它欠下自己太多的债务，无从偿还，应当去法院申请破产，将它拍卖。我认为这种资不抵债的现象普遍存在，某种程度上涉及所有人，他们在圣诞节和新年或别的什么时候赠送礼物时面临困境；因为，无论我们多么急于偿还债务，我们总是很乐意表现得慷慨大方。但困扰我们的是如何选择礼物。如果我在某个时候突然想到，我应该给某人送礼物，我会为送什么而感到纠结，结果却坐失良机。鲜花和水果始终都是合适的礼物；因为鲜花可以不无自豪地表明，哪怕是点滴之美，也腥过世界上所有的实用之物。这些鲜活的特质与平常自然中那些许的刻板之态大相径庭；它们就像是从感化院飘出的美妙音乐。自然并不溺爱我们；我们是她的孩子，但不是宠物；她并不是痴爱；她依照严格的普遍法则，不偏不倚地对我们所做的一切。

然而，这些精美的花朵就像是爱与美的嬉戏与介入。人们经常告诉我们，即便我们不会受蒙蔽，我们仍然喜欢被奉承，因为它表明，我们很重要，所以才会有人来献殷勤。鲜花久恒带给我们这样的快乐：我算什么？何以能得到这些甜蜜的祝福？水果也是合意的礼物，因为它们是众多农产品中的精华部分，蕴含着异乎寻常的价值。如果有人让我跋涉百里去看望他，只要在我面前摆上一篮子精美的夏季水果，我就会想，劳动和报酬是成正比的。

对于普通的礼物而言，每日的必需品便是恰当和美好的礼物；当绝对必要性使得他别无选择时，他会欣然接受，因为，如果一个人赤脚站在门边，你自然不会去考虑是否要给他弄个颜料盒（你想到的是给他鞋，而不是别的东西，即“送礼要送得合适？——译者注）。而且，无论在家里还是在外面，看到别人有吃有喝总是令人愉快的，所以提供这些第一必需品始终是一种极大的满足。必需品在一切场合都不会出错。……仅次于必需品的送礼原则是，正如我的一位朋友所言，我们可以赠送与受礼人的性格气质相符的礼物，使人很容易从思想上联想到他。但是，我们用以表达赞美和爱意的物品多半是粗俗的。戒指或宝石并不是礼物，它们只是作为礼物的一种权宜之物。唯一的礼物是你自己的一部分。……所以，诗人带来他的诗歌；牧人带来羊羔；农民带来玉米；矿工带来宝石；海员带来珊瑚和贝壳；画家带来画作；女孩带来自己缝制的手帕。这就做到了切合实际、令人愉悦，因为它将社会恢复到它的首要基本状态，那时，一个人带来他的“传记”作为礼物，每个人的财富就是他美德的标志。然而，你去商店给我买礼物，那些东西并不代表你的生活和才干，而是金匠的产品，是冰冷了无生气的商业行为……

能够从容接受礼物的人是难能可贵的。我们收到一份礼物时，要么高兴，要么难过，而这两种情感都是不得体的。我认为，面对一份礼物的欣喜或悲伤，在某种程度上就是亵渎别人的感情，贬低自己的人格。我的独立性受到了侵犯，送我的礼物与我的精神背道而驰，我会感到难过，这种馈赠并不令人感激；如果一件礼物让我欣喜若狂，那么送礼者一定洞悉了我的内心，看到我爱的是他的物品，而不是他本人，我对此羞愧万分。说心里话，礼物必须由送礼者流向我，就像从我这儿流向他一样。好比谁处于一个平面时，我的东西会传递给他，他的会传递给我。他的就是我的，我的就是他的。我跟他说：你怎么能给我这壶油或这瓶酒呢？要知道，你的油和酒都是我的，这份礼物似乎要否决我的这种信念。因此，美丽而非实用的物品才适合做礼物。这种馈赠完全是抢夺，受贿者并不心存感激，因为，就像所有受惠者憎恨所有泰门一样，他根本不考虑礼物的价值，而是觊觎曾经保存它的更大金库，我宁可同情受惠者，也不体谅泰门老爷的愤怒。因为，期望别人感激是可鄙的，活该受到受惠者毫不领情的惩罚。从一个因为厄运缠身而不得不受你恩惠的人那里逃出来，却毫发未伤、心安理得，是何等高兴之事。受人恩惠就像背负沉重的包袱，欠债人自然想要给你一巴掌。我很欣赏佛教徒的观点，是因为他们从不言谢，他们说，“切莫奉承你的施主，”这正是我要送给这些绅士的金科玉律。……

我不敢说有违爱之威严的话，也不敢对它指手画脚，因为爱是礼物的灵魂和主宰。无论他送你一座城池还是几片花瓣，淡然处之吧。我们总是希望得到一些人的奇妙信物；那就不要停止这种期望。这是我们的特权，不受市政规章的限制。……同样真正的好客和慷慨不在于意愿，而在于命运。如果我发现，对你而言，我无足轻重；你不需要我；你对我没有感觉；尽管你赠与了我房舍和地球，我也等于是被拒之门外。任何礼物都没有价值，只有彼此间的相似。我试图利用礼物将自己和他人联系起来时，事实证明，这只是一个聪明的把戏而已。他们接受你的礼物就像吃苹果一样，仍然会将你排除在外。但是，如果你爱他们，他们就会体谅你，也会一直都喜欢你。