「快科普」斯多葛学派的哲学（+英语学习）

You've been stranded thousands of miles from home

你滞留于离家千里之外

with no money or possessions.

身无分文

Such a predicament would make many people despair and curse their awful fate.

如此困境会使很多人绝望诅咒他们的恶运

But for Zeno of Cyprus, it became the foundation of his life's work and legacy.

但对于塞浦路斯的芝诺这处境造就了他的人生成就和传奇

The once wealthy merchant lost everything when he was shipwrecked in Athens

他曾是富有商人

around 300 BCE.

于公元前约 300 年在雅典遭遇船难而失去一切

With not much else to do, he wandered into a book shop,

没什么其他的事可做，他闲逛至书店

became intrigued by reading about Socrates,

阅读苏格拉底的学说，深深被其吸引

and proceeded to seek out and study with the city's noted philosophers.

进而寻找并求教于城中著名哲学家

As Zeno began educating his own students,

当芝诺开始教导他自己的学生

he originated the philosophy known as Stoicism,

他创立一门哲学，名为“斯多噶主义”

whose teachings of virtue, tolerance, and self-control

关于德行、宽容和自制的学说

have inspired generations of thinkers and leaders.

启发一代代的思想家和领袖

The name Stoicism comes  from the Stoa Poikile,

“斯多噶主义”这名称来源于“Stoa Poikile”

the decorated public colonnade

有装饰的公共柱廊

where Zeno and his disciples gathered for discussion.

那是芝诺和门生聚集讨论的地方

Today, we colloquially  use the word stoic

今天，我们日常说话会使用“stoic”

to mean someone who  remains calm under pressure

来指某人面对压力仍处之泰然

and avoids emotional extremes.

避免极端情绪

But while this captures important aspects of Stoicism,

虽然这捕捉到斯多噶主义的重要方面

the original philosophy was more than just an attitude.

但原本的哲学不仅是一种处世态度

The Stoics believed that  everything around us

斯多噶学派相信围绕我们的种种事情

operates according  to a web of cause and effect,

依照因果网来运作

resulting in a rational structure of the universe,

得出宇宙的理性结构

which they called logos.

他们称之为“理”

And while we may not always have control over the events affecting us,

我们未必每次都能控制影响我们的事

we can have control over  how we approach things.

而我们能够控制处理事情的方法

Rather than imagining an ideal society,

斯多噶学派不去想像一个理想的社会

the Stoic tries to deal  with the world as it is

而是尝试处理现实的世界

while pursuing self-improvement through four cardinal virtues:

同时透过四种基本德行追求自我完善：

practical wisdom,

实践智慧

the ability to navigate complex situations in a logical, informed, and calm manner;

平静地按逻辑识见在复杂处境找出适当的处理方法

temperance,

自我克制

the exercise of self-restraint  and moderation in all aspects of life;

节制自己，在生活各方面实践中道

justice,

正义

treating others with fairness even when they have done wrong;

即使是做错了事的人，仍然公平待之

and courage,

还有勇气

not just in extraordinary circumstances,

不只在特别处境

but facing daily challenges with clarity and integrity.

也要明确、正直地面对日常挑战

As Seneca, one of the most famous Roman Stoics wrote,

塞内卡是其中一位最著名的斯多噶学派罗马哲学家，他曾写道:

"Sometimes, even to live  is an act of courage."

“有时，生存也是有勇气的行为。”

But while Stoicism focuses on  personal improvement,

虽然斯多噶主义着重个人修养

it's not a self-centered philosophy.

但是它不是自我中心的哲学

At a time when Roman laws considered slaves as property,

当罗马律法视奴隶为财产

Seneca called for their humane treatment

塞内卡提倡和争取人道对待他们

and stressed that we all share the same fundamental humanity.

强调我们全都有相同基本的人性

Nor does Stoicism encourage passivity.

斯多噶主义也不鼓励消极

The idea is that only people  who have cultivated

根据学说，只有修德自制的人

virtue and self-control in themselves can bring positive change in others.

才能为别人带来正面改变

One of the most famous Stoic writers was also one of Rome's greatest emperors.

其中一位最著名的斯多噶学派作家同时是其中一位最伟大的罗马皇帝

Over the course of his 19-year reign,

他在位的 19 年间

Stoicism gave Marcus Aurelius the resolve to lead the Empire through two major wars,

斯多噶主义使马尔库斯·奥列里乌斯决心带领帝国经历两场重要战争

while dealing with the loss of many of his children.

同时助他面对失去众多儿女

Centuries later, Marcus's journals would guide and comfort Nelson Mandela

多个世纪以后，马尔库斯的日记指引和安慰纳尔逊·曼德拉

through his 27-year imprisonment during his struggle  for racial equality in South Africa.

渡过他在南非奋力争取种族平等时被囚禁的 27 年

After his release and eventual victory, Mandela stressed peace and reconciliation,

他获释并取得成功后曼德拉强调和平与和解

believing that while the injustices of the past couldn't be changed,

相信虽然不能回到过去改变种种的不公平

his people could confront them in the present

他的人民能于现在处理它们

and seek to build a better, more just future.

并寻求建立一个更美好、更公平的未来

Stoicism was an active school  of philosophy for several centuries in Greece and Rome.

斯多噶主义这哲学学派于当时的希腊和罗马活跃数世纪

As a formal institution, it faded away,

作为正规机构，它已衰落不见

but its influence has continued to this day.

但其影响延续至今

Christian theologians,  such as Thomas Aquinas,

基督教的神学家例如多玛斯·阿奎纳

have admired and adopted its focus on the virtues,

欣赏它重视德行将之采用于自己的学说中

and there are parallels between Stoic Ataraxia, or tranquility of mind,

“Stoic Ataraxia”即心灵的安宁

and the Buddhist concept of Nirvana.

和佛家“湼槃”的概念有很多相似之处

One particularly influential Stoic was the philosopher Epictetus

其中一位特别有影响力的斯多噶派哲学家是埃皮克提图

who wrote that suffering stems

写出苦难的原因

not from the events in our lives, but from our judgements about them.

不在我们生活中的事件而在我们对它们的看法

This has resonated strongly with modern psychology and the self-help movement.

这与现代心理学、自助运动的观念极其相似

For example, rational emotive behavioral therapy

例如“理性情绪行为疗法”

focuses on changing  the self-defeating attitudes people form about  their life circumstances.

集中改变人对于生活状况的自我挫败态度

There's also Viktor Frankl's logotherapy.

另有维克多·法兰可的“意义治疗法”

Informed by Frankl's own time as a concentration camp prisoner,

受其被囚禁于集中营的经历影响

logotherapy is based on  the Stoic principle

意义治疗法建基于斯多噶派的学理

that we can harness our will power to fill our lives with meaning,

即我们能运用自身意志来为生活添上意义

even in the bleakest situations.

即使在最暗淡无光的处境

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av26388572/?spm_id_from=333.23.home_video_list.2

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