Character of a Happy Life

Henry Wotten （1568-1639）

How happy is he born or taught

That serveth not another's will;

Whose armour is his honest thought,

And silly1 truth his highest skill!

Whose passions not his masters are,

Whose soul is still prepared for death;

United unto the world with care

Of princely love or vulgar breath;

Who hath his life from rumours freed,2

Whose conscience is his strong retreat;

Whose state can neither flatters feed,

Nor ruin make accusers great;3

Who envieth none whom chance doth raise

Or vice; who never understood

How deepest wounds are given with praise;

Nor rules of state, but rules of good:

Who God doth late and early pray

More of his grace than gifts to lend;4

Who entertains the harmless day

With a well-chosen book or friend;

—This man is free from servile bands

Of hope to raise, or fear to fall;

Lord of himself, though not of lands;

And having nothing, he hath all.

幸福生活的品质

亨利·沃顿

何等幸福，他天生不会,

也没学会服务别人的意志；

诚实的思想是他的护身甲胄，

最高的技艺就是讲究真实！

他不受激情的支配，

灵魂总是作好死的准备；

他与世界融为一体，带着

贵人的爱心或平民的气息；

他从不相信也不散布流言蜚语，

良知是他坚强的归属地；

他的尊严既不能使他去阿谀，

即使毁灭也不使指控者得益；

他不羡慕任何人因机遇而升迁

或沦丧道德；他从不会用赞扬

给人带来深刻创伤；也不懂什么

统治国家的条例，只知善的规章：

他早晚祈祷上帝

赐他更多慈悲而非礼物；

他和一本好书或和一位知己

把有益无害的日子欢度；

这种人没有奴颜婢膝的约束，

不望升迁，也不怕贬抑；

他主宰着自己，自己虽不是地主；

他一无所有，却拥有一切。

1 silly: simple.

2 这句话的意思是：他既不听流言蜚语，也不传播流言蜚语。

3 正常词序是"Nor (whose) ruin (can) make accusers great"。在罗马帝国时期，控告有钱有势的人，控告者若能获胜，就可获得受控人的一大笔财产。

4 这两行的正常词序应是："Who doth pray late and early God to lend (him) more of his grace than gifts."

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