閱讀暖身
每天重複做一樣的事,你快樂嗎? 西西弗斯是希臘神話中的人物,他觸犯諸神,諸神罰他把一塊巨石推上山頂,巨石太 重,還未推到頂就滾下山,於是他就不斷重複、永無止境。諸神以為這是世上最殘酷 的刑罰。 「但我們一定要想像西西弗斯是快樂的」,存在主義的哲學家卡謬說。想透這一點, 忙忙碌碌的上班族也會看到自己的快樂。進入本文前,請先想想怎麼表達以下單字:

a) 依據經驗的

b) 暫時解救

c) 類似

Millions of people commute from point A to point B in our cities each morning. After a long day of work, the same bodies attempt to find the most efficient ways to get back to where they started. Anyone who ever had to get on a crowded bus going to Neihu Technology Park from Taipei City Hall MRT station at eight in the morning, and had to find his or her way back home, ten or more hours later, has the firsthand, a) empirical experience of how hectic commuting in Taipei can be.

我們的城市中,有上白萬的人每天早晨從 A 地點通勤到 B 地點。工作了一整天,再找 最快速的路線回家。曾經在早上八點從台北捷運市政府站,擠上擁擠的公車去內湖科 技園區,10 小時或更長時間後,還需要折返的人都有這切身的經驗 - 台北通勤是多麼 忙碌的事。

Nevertheless, our working populations are survivors. We purchase fast and economical meals from convenient stores, 1) wolf them down, and hurry back to our desks. The change of weather is always extreme, and we have adapted to moving around fully equipped, ready to face the sun or rain. When the dreary weariness of the day hits, we check out the latest I am Mark comics, and pat ourselves on our own shoulders, for a well-deserved moment of b) reprieve.

然而, 我們這些工作者其實都是生存者; 從便利商店購買快速和經濟實惠的餐點,狼吞 虎咽吃下去,就趕緊回到我們的工作崗位。面對天氣的極端變化,都已經適應,並做 好準備因應來回的奔走,面對日晒雨淋。一天下來沉悶疲憊的襲擊後,我們看看最新 的“我是馬克”漫畫,並拍拍自己的肩膀,感受暫時的解放。

The repetition of everyday work is endless, and often c) resembles a Sisyphean task. Sisyphus was a king among the mortals, and became a popular character in Greek mythology when he was punished for his misdeeds. His punishment was to roll a gigantic boulder up a steep hill, only to find the exact same rock to be at the bottom of the same hill the next day, and he was to perform the task over and over, for eternity.

日常工作中的重複是無止境的,而且往往類似一個西西弗斯的任務(永遠做不完的任務)。西西弗斯曾經是凡人之間的國王,因為犯錯受到懲罰,成為一個希臘神話中的 人物。他的懲罰是推一顆巨石上陡峭的山坡,可是第二天才發現完全相同的石頭在同一個山腳下。他一遍又一遍地執行任務,直到永恆。

For those of us who live their days between the horizontal lines of emails, spend hours writing proposals, and days going in and out of meeting rooms 2) fighting losing battles, we must feel that, the reward of our dedication is embodied in the work itself. Therefore, each day, we maintain our optimism, and solve one problem after another, with patience and diligence.

對於每天都生活如平行線似的回覆電子郵件,寫企劃案,並進出會議室和人對抗的我們,一定可以感受到我們的奉獻所獲得的獎勵其實就在工作本身。因此,每一天,我們保持樂觀,並用耐心和勤奮,解決一個接一個的問題。

As Sisyphus is still rolling the rock up the hill each day, perhaps he also finds meaning in the task. In reflection of his never-ending hardship, Albert Camus, the author of The Stranger, once stated that: "The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart." Most significantly, he also said that, “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

正如西西弗斯每天還在推石頭上山,也許他也發現這任務是有意義的。對於他的困境, 卡繆的“異鄉人“指出:掙扎著上山的努力已足以充實人們的心靈。他說:“我們必須想 像西西弗斯其實是快樂的。”

口語詞彙:

1. Wolf down 狼吞虎嚥
   英文也拿狼來比喻不好的吃相 。 It’s not healthy that people exert themselves to
   wolf down food during mealtimes. 用餐時人們捨命的狼吞虎咽食物是很不健康的。

2. Fight a losing battle 勇敢和強權對立

   明知道要打敗仗了還上場,也可以用來形容當兩個相對的權威時,弱勢還是勇 敢的與強者對立。The mission to reduce garbage is analogous to fighting a losing battle on a global scale. 減少垃圾的使命是好比打一場全球規模範圍的敗仗。

參考資料:維基百科