忏悔录 Confessions | BookⅡ Chapter4 放浪的原因

BookⅡ Chapter4

放浪的原因

For there is an attractiveness in beautiful bodies, in gold and silver, and all things; and in bodily touch, sympathy hath much influence, and each other sense hath his proper object answerably tempered. Wordly honour hath also its grace, and the power of overcoming, and of mastery; whence springs also the thirst of revenge. But yet, to obtain all these, we may not depart from Thee, O Lord, nor decline from Thy law. The life also which here we live hath its own enchantment, through a certain proportion of its own, and a correspondence with all things beautiful here below. Human friendship also is endeared with a sweet tie, by reason of the unity formed of many souls.

美好的东西，金银以及其他，都有动人之处；肉体接触的快感主要带来了同情心，其他官能同样对物质事物有相应的感受。荣华、权势、地位都有一种光耀，从此便产生了报复的饥渴。但为获致这一切，不应该脱离你、违反你的法律。我们赖以生存于此世的生命，由于它另有一种美，而且和其他一切较差的美相配合，也有它的吸引力。人与人的友谊，把多数人的心灵结合在一起，由于这种可贵的联系，是温柔甜蜜的。

Upon occasion of all these, and the like, is sin committed, while through an immoderate inclination towards these goods of the lowest order, the better and higher are forsaken, Thou, our Lord God, Thy truth, and Thy law. For these lower things have their delights, but not like my God, who made all things; for in Him doth the righteous delight, and He is the joy of the upright in heart.

对于上列一切以及其他类似的东西，假如漫无节制地向往追求这些次要的美好而抛弃了更美好的，抛弃了至善，抛弃了你、我们的主、天主，抛弃了你的真理和你的法律，便犯下了罪。世间的事物果然能使人快心，但绝不像你、我的天主、创造万有的天主，正义的人在你身上得到快乐，你是心里正直者的喜乐。

When, then, we ask why a crime was done, we believe it not, unless it appear that there might have been some desire of obtaining some of those which we called lower goods, or a fear of losing them. For they are beautiful and comely; although compared with those higher and beatific goods, they be abject and low. A man hath murdered another; why he loved his wife or his estate; or would rob for his own livelihood; or feared to lose some such things by him; or, wronged, was on fire to be revenged. Would any commit murder upon no cause, delighted simply in murdering，who would believe it? For as for that furious and savage man, of whom it is said that he was gratuitously evil and cruel, yet is the cause assigned; "lest" (saith he) "through idleness hand or heart should grow inactive." And to what end that through that practice of guilt, he might, having taken the city, attain to honours, empire, riches, and be freed from fear of the laws, and his embarrassments from domestic needs, and consciousness of villainies. So then, not even Catiline himself loved his own villainies, but something else, for whose sake he did them.

如果追究一下所以犯罪的原因，一般都以为是为了追求或害怕丧失上文所谓次要的美好而犯罪。这些东西的确有其美丽动人之处，虽则和天上的美好一比较，就显得微贱不足道。一人杀了人。为何杀人？因为贪恋人家的妻子或财产；或是为了生活想偷东西，或是害怕他人抢走自己的东西，或是受了损害愤而报仇。是否会没有理由而杀人，欢喜杀人而杀人？谁会相信？据说有这样一个毫无心肝、残暴至极的人，[10]是凶恶残暴成性的，但也有人指出其中原因：“他担心闲着不动，手臂和精神都会松驰。”[11]但为何担心呢？他的横行不法，是企图抢得罗马城后，光荣、权势、财富便唾手可得，不再会因手头拮据和犯罪后良心的不安而恐惧经济困难和法律制裁了。因此卡提里那也并不爱罪恶本身，是爱通过犯罪而想达到的目的。

[10] 指下文的卡提里那（公元前108？—62）。

[11] 见罗马史家撒路斯提乌斯（公元前86—35）所著《卡提里那的阴谋》，16章。