How to Grow Old
伯特兰·罗素／Bertrand Russell
Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead. One’s thoughts must be directed to the future, and to things about which there is something to be done. This is not always easy; one’s own past is a gradually increasing weight. It is easy to think to oneself that one’s emotions used to be more vivid than they are, and one’s mind more keener. If this is true it should be forgotten, and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.
The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigour from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are unusually callous.
I do not mean that one should be without interest in them, but one’s interest should be contemplative and, if possible, philanthropic, but not unduly emotional. Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves, but human beings, owing to the length of infancy, find this difficult.
I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education. But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests, you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren. In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services, such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers, you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.
Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble.
The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.
从心理学上来讲，在老年时期要防止这样两种危险。第一是过分沉湎于过去。生活在过去之中，为流逝的好时光而后悔，或因朋友作古而痛苦，这些都是没有什么用处的。人的思想应该朝着未来，朝着还可以有所作为的方面。这并不是容易做到的，因为一个人的过去是一份不断加重的负担。老年人很容易认为过去的情感比现在鲜活生动，过去的思想比现在敏锐。如果事情真是这样，就不要想它了，不想这件事，就不会觉得自己真的老了。
另外一件要避免的事情是过于依附年轻人，渴望从他们的活力中汲取力量。当你的孩子们已经长大，他们就要过属于自己的生活，如果你还是像小时候那样对他们关心备至，就可能成为他们的负担，除非他们感情麻木。
我并不是说应该对他们不闻不问，而是说你所给予的关心应是理性的、慷慨的（如果可能的话），而不是过于感情用事。动物在自己的后代能够生活自理时，就不再给予照顾，可是人类，对子女的爱经常停留在孩子的幼年时期，很难做到这一点。
我觉得一个人能做到对合适的活动兴趣盎然，不理会自己的个人得失，那么，他就很容易享有成功的晚年，因为长期以来积累的经验在此可以结出累累硕果，而通过经验产生的智慧在这个时候既有用武之地，又不至于咄咄逼人。让已经长大成人的孩子不要犯错误是没有用处的，因为他们不会信任你，也因为犯错误是接受教育的不可缺少的一环。如果你做不到不计个人得失，那么，不将你的心放在儿孙后辈身上，你便会觉得生活空虚无聊。如果是这样，你必须知道：尽管你还能给他们物质上的帮助，诸如给点儿补贴或织几件毛衣，但千万不要指望他们会喜欢跟你在一起。
有些老人被死亡的恐惧所困扰。假如年轻人有这种恐惧，那是没有什么可说的。年轻人有理由害怕战死在战场上；当他们想到被骗走了生命所能赋予的美好生活时，他们有理由表示不满。但对于一个尝尽人间疾苦，已经完成该做的一切的老年人来讲，怕死就有点儿不大好了。
克服这种恐惧的最好办法是——至少在我看来是这样的——使你的爱好逐渐扩大，越来越超出个人的范围，一点一点地融入周围人的生活中。你的生命将越来越和人类的生命融合在一起。一个人的一生应该像一条河——开始水流很小，被两岸紧紧地束缚着，激烈地冲过岩石和瀑布，渐渐地它变宽了，两岸退却了，河水静静地流着，最后，看不见任何停留，就和大海汇合在一起，毫无痛苦地失去它自身的存在。一个在老年能这样对待生活的人，将不会感到死亡的恐惧，因为他所关心的事物将继续下去。假如由于生命力的减退，倦意日增，那么产生安息的想法未必不是一件好事。我希望我能死于工作之时，并且在我快死的时候，知道别人将继续做我不能再做的工作，我便能为自己已完成力所能及的一切而心满意足。
1. When your children are grown________they want to live their own lives, and ______ if you continue to be as interested in ________as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden ________them, unless they are unusually callous.
2. Some old ________are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there ________a justification for this feeling. Young men who have________to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the ________ that they have been cheated of the ________things that life has to offer.
1. 人的思想应该朝着未来，朝着还可以有所作为的方面。
2. 但对于一个尝尽人间疾苦，已经完成该做的一切的老年人来讲，怕死就有点儿不大好了。
3. 最后，看不见任何停留，就和大海汇合在一起，毫无痛苦地失去它自身的存在。
1. The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigour from its vitality.
cling to：挨着；紧抓；保留
2. But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests...
be incapable of：不能……的
