林语堂 -生活的艺术 03 how to live

Speaking as a Chinese, I do not think that any civilization can be called complete until it has progressed from sophistication to  unsophistication, and made a conscious return to simplicity of thinking and living, and I call no man wise until he has made the progress from the wisdom of knowledge to the wisdom of foolishness, and become a laughing philosopher, feeling first life's tragedy and then life's comedy. For we must weep before we can laugh. Out of sadness comes the awakening and out of the awakening comes the laughter of the philosopher, with kindliness and tolerance to boot.
以中国人的立场来说，我认为文化须先由巧辩矫饰进步到天真纯朴，有意识地进步到简朴的思想和生活里去，才可称为完全的文化；我认为人类必须从知识的智慧，进步到无智的智慧，须变成一个欢乐的哲学家；也必须先感到人生的悲哀，然后感到人生的快乐，这样才可以称为有智慧的人类。因为我们必须先有哭，才有欢笑，有悲哀而后有醒觉，有醒觉而后有哲学的欢笑，另外再加上和善与宽容。

The modern man takes life far too seriously, and because he is too serious, the world is full of troubles. We ought, therefore, to take time to examine the origin of that attitude which will make possible a whole-hearted enjoyment of this life and a more reasonable, more peaceful and less hot-headed temperament.
现代的人们对人生过于严肃，所以充满着烦扰和纠纷。我们应该费一些工夫，把那些态度，根本地研究一下，方能使人生有享受快乐的可能，并使人的气质有变为比较合理、比较和平、比较不暴躁的可能。

In this present age of threats to democracy and individual liberty, probably only the scamp and the spirit of the scamp alone will save us from becoming lost as serially numbered units in the masses of disciplined, obedient, regimented and uniformed coolies.
在这个民主主义和个人主义受着威胁的今日，也许只有放浪者和放浪的精神会解放我们，使我们不至于都变成有纪律的、服从的、受统驭的、一式一样的大队中的一名标明号数的士兵，因而无声无息地湮没。

Man, therefore, is a curious, dreamy, humorous and wayward creature.
人类是一种好奇的、梦想的、幽默的、任性的动物。

【注释】
1、以…的立场来说—— speaking as …
2、文化—— (精神财富) civilization; culture
                         1、material culture(物质文化);
                         2、The Chinese civilization is one of the oldest in the world.
                               中国文化是世界上最古老的文化之一。
                       (知识) education; culture; schooling; literacy
                         3、acquire an elementary education/ acquire literacy
                               学习文化
                         4、a man of considerable culture
                               文化修养很高的人
3、人生的悲哀；人生的快乐—— life's tragedy; life's comedy (不用sadness/happiness 而选择悲剧/喜剧，意蕴悠长)
4、体会中文的繁复与英文的简练在文中的体现。我们常常会抱怨译者不够水平使得精巧的中文翻完之后令人大失所望，但实际上很并不只是理解或是语言水平的差距，很大程度上是两种语言本身的差异。比如文中，英文很简单的troubles, 林先生转化中文就变成了烦扰和纠纷；become lost写作无声无息的湮没。从英文译成中文我们会赞赏先生文化底蕴深厚，但如果这篇文章是中译英，怕是不少同学都要抱怨先生英文造诣不够了。