8How To Grow Old.docx
- 文档编号:15197742
- 上传时间:2023-07-02
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:7
- 大小:21.87KB
8How To Grow Old.docx
《8How To Grow Old.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《8How To Grow Old.docx(7页珍藏版)》请在冰点文库上搜索。
8HowToGrowOld
HowtoGrowOld
Inspiteofthetitle,thisarticlewillreallybeonhownottogrowold,which,atmytimeoflife,isamuchmoreimportantsubject.Myfirstadvicewouldbetochooseyourancestorscarefully.Althoughbothmyparentsdiedyoung,Ihavedonewellinthisrespectasregardsmyotherancestors.Mymaternalgrandfather,itistrue,wascutoffintheflowerofhisyouthattheageofsixty-seven,butmyotherthreegrandparentsalllivedtobeovereighty.OfremoterancestorsIcanonlydiscoveronewhodidnotlivetoagreatage,andhediedofadiseasewhichisnowrare,namely,havinghisheadcutoff.Agreat-grandmotherofmine,whowasafriendofGibbon,livedtotheageofninety-two,andtoherlastdayremainedaterrortoallherdescendants.Mymaternalgrandmother,afterhavingninechildrenwhosurvived,onewhodiedininfancy,andmanymiscarriages,assoonasshebecameawidowdevotedherselftowomen'shighereducation.ShewasoneofthefoundersofGirtonCollege,andworkedhardatopeningthemedicalprofessiontowomen.SheusedtotellofhowshemetinItalyanelderlygentlemanwhowaslookingverysad.Sheaskedhimwhyhewassomelancholyandhesaidthathehadjustpartedfromhistwograndchildren.'Goodgracious,'sheexclaimed,'Ihaveseventy-twograndchildren,andifIweresadeachtimeIpartedfromoneofthem,Ishouldhaveamiserableexistence!
''Madresnaturale!
'hereplied.Butspeakingasoneoftheseventy-two,Ipreferherrecipe.Aftertheageofeightyshefoundshehadsomedifficultyingettingtosleep,soshehabituallyspentthehoursfrommidnightto3a.m.inreadingpopularscience.Idonotbelievethatsheeverhadtimetonoticethatshewasgrowingold.This,Ithink,istheproperrecipeforremainingyoung.Ifyouhavewideandkeeninterestsandactivitiesinwhichyoucanstillbeeffective,youwillhavenoreasontothinkaboutthemerelystatisticalfactofthenumberofyearsyouhavealreadylived,stilllessoftheprobableshortnessofyourfuture.
Asregardshealth,IhavenothingusefultosayasIhavelittleexperienceofillness.IeatanddrinkwhateverIlike,andsleepwhenIcannotkeepawake.Ineverdoanythingwhateveronthegroundthatitisgoodforhealth,thoughinactualfactthethingsIlikedoingaremostlywholesome.
Psychologicallytherearetwodangerstobeguardedagainstinoldage.Oneoftheseisundueabsorptioninthepast.Itdoesnotdotoliveinmemories,inregretsforthegoodolddays,orinsadnessaboutfriendswhoaredead.One'sthoughtsmustbedirectedtothefuture,andtothingsaboutwhichthereissomethingtobedone.Thisisnotalwayseasy;one'sownpastisagraduallyincreasingweight.Itiseasytothinktooneselfthatone'semotionsusedtobemorevividthantheyare,andone'smindmorekeen.Ifthisistrueitshouldbeforgotten,andifitisforgottenitwillprobablynotbetrue.
Theotherthingtobeavoidedisclingingtoyouthinthehopeofsuckingvigourfromitsvitality.Whenyourchildrenaregrownuptheywanttolivetheirownlives,andifyoucontinuetobeasinterestedinthemasyouwerewhentheywereyoung,youarelikelytobecomeaburdentothem,unlesstheyareunusuallycallous.Idonotmeanthatoneshouldbewithoutinterestinthem,butone'sinterestshouldbecontemplativeand,ifpossible,philanthropic,butnotundulyemotional.Animalsbecomeindifferenttotheiryoungassoonastheiryoungcanlookafterthemselves,buthumanbeings,owingtothelengthofinfancy,findthisdifficult.
Ithinkthatasuccessfuloldageiseasiestforthosewhohavestrongimpersonalinterestsinvolvingappropriateactivities.Itisinthisspherethatlongexperienceisreallyfruitful,anditisinthisspherethatthewisdombornofexperiencecanbeexercisedwithoutbeingoppressive.Itisnousetellinggrownupchildrennottomakemistakes,bothbecausetheywillnotbelieveyou,andbecausemistakesareanessentialpartofeducation.Butifyouareoneofthosewhoareincapableofimpersonalinterests,youmayfindthatyourlifewillbeemptyunlessyouconcernyourselfwithyourchildrenandgrandchildren.Inthatcaseyoumustrealisethatwhileyoucanstillrenderthemmaterialservices,suchasmakingthemanallowanceorknittingthemjumpers,youmustnotexpectthattheywillenjoyyourcompany.
Someoldpeopleareoppressedbythefearofdeath.Intheyoungtherethereisajustificationforthisfeeling.Youngmenwhohavereasontofearthattheywillbekilledinbattlemayjustifiablyfeelbitterinthethoughtthattheyhavebeencheatedofthebestthingsthatlifehastooffer.Butinanoldmanwhohasknownhumanjoysandsorrows,andhasachievedwhateverworkitwasinhimtodo,thefearofdeathissomewhatabjectandignoble.Thebestwaytoovercomeit-soatleastitseemstome-istomakeyourinterestsgraduallywiderandmoreimpersonal,untilbitbybitthewallsoftheegorecede,andyourlifebecomesincreasinglymergedintheuniversallife.Anindividualhumanexistenceshouldbelikeariver:
smallatfirst,narrowlycontainedwithinitsbanks,andrushingpassionatelypastrocksandoverwaterfalls.Graduallytherivergrowswider,thebanksrecede,thewatersflowmorequietly,andintheend,withoutanyvisiblebreak,theybecomemergedinthesea,andpainlesslylosetheirindividualbeing.Themanwho,inoldage,canseehislifeinthisway,willnotsufferfromthefearofdeath,sincethethingshecaresforwillcontinue.Andif,withthedecayofvitality,wearinessincreases,thethoughtofrestwillnotbeunwelcome.Ishouldwishtodiewhilestillatwork,knowingthatotherswillcarryonwhatIcannolongerdoandcontentinthethoughtthatwhatwaspossiblehasbeendone.
GLOSSARY
atmytimeoflife:
atmyage
ancestors:
ascendants,someonefromwhomyouaredescended
asregards:
withrespectto
cutoff:
removedbycutting;inthiscontext,removedbydeath.Russellmakesajokeofthisphrasewhenherepeatsitinitsliteralmeaningsomelinesbelowtheflowerofhisyouth:
thefinestpartofhisyouth
disease:
illness
great-grandmother:
amotherofyourgrand-parent
Gibbon:
EdwardGibbon(1737-94)isfamousforhis"DeclineandFalloftheRomanEmpire"
descendants:
personsconsideredasdescendedfromsomeancestors
miscarriages:
abortionswidow:
awomanwhosehusbandisdead
devotedherselfto:
consecrated,dedicatedherselfto
GirtonCollege:
thefirstwomen'scollegeinCambridgemelancholy:
sad,melancholic
hadjustpartedfrom:
hadjustseparatedfrom
madresnaturale!
:
whatanabnormalmother!
recipe.formulaorinstructionsformakingandcookingaparticulardish.Hereitmeans"adviceonhowtoremainyoung"
popularscience:
scientificliteratureregardedwithgreatapproval,oraffectionbythegeneralpublic
keeninterests:
intensepastimes
shortness:
thepropertyofbeingofshorttemporalextent
asregardshealth:
withreferencetomyhealth
awake:
completelyconscious
inactualfact:
inthepractice
wholesome:
goodforthehealth
undueabsorption:
excessiveanddeepinterest
itdoesnotdotoliveinmemories:
livingonmemoriesdoesnotwork
regrets:
sadnessassociatedwithsomewrongdoneorsomedisappointment
insadnessabout:
sadbecauseofthe
Ifthisistrue:
thisisthekindofsentencethatBertrandRussellusesinordertomakeusthinkcarefully.Thethoughtexpressedinitis"Ifyouthinkyouarelosingyourmentalpowers,stopthinkingsoandyouwillnotlosethem.Ifyouhaveneverthoughtso,youareinnodangeroflosingthem"
clingingtoyouth:
holdingfirmly
sucking:
absorbing
aregrownup:
havebecomeadults
callous:
emotionallyhardened
becomeindifferentto:
loseinterestin
impersonalinterests:
activitiesthatdonotdependonourrelationswithotherpeople.Ahobbysuchasgardeningorphotography,wouldbeanimpersonalinterest
Itisnouse:
itisinvain
concernyourselfwith:
youarebusyabout
makingthemanallowance:
givingthemsomemoney
justifiably:
rightly,withreason
cheatedof:
wronglydeprivedof
itwasinhimtodo:
hehadtheabilitytodo
thewallsoftheegorecede:
thepersonbecomeslessself-centred
narrowlycontained:
becausethebanksofariverareclosetogether
banks:
slopinglandstobothsidesofariver
passionately:
thisisahumanemotionappliedtotheriver
break:
interval,pause
painlessly:
withoutanypain
thefearofdeath:
beingafraidofdying
hecaresfor:
thatheisinterestedin
decay:
gradualdecrease
weariness:
lossofstrengthandenergy
whilestillatwork:
whileIaminactivity
willcarryon:
willcontinue
Icannolongerdo:
Iamnotabletodoanymore
虽然有这样一个标题,这篇文章真正要谈的却是怎样才能不老。
在我这个年纪,这实在是一个至关重要的问题。
我的第一个忠告是,要仔细选择你的祖先。
尽管我的双亲皆属早逝,但是考虑到我的其他祖先,我的选择还是很不错的。
是的,我的外祖父六十七岁时去世,正值盛年,可是另外三位祖父辈的亲人都活到八十岁以上。
至于稍远些的亲戚,我只发现一位没能长寿的,他死于一种现已罕见的病症:
被杀头。
我的一位曾祖母是吉本的朋友,她活到九十二岁高龄,一直到死,她始终是让子孙们全都感到敬畏的人。
我的外祖母,一辈子生了十个孩子,活了九个,还有一个早年夭折,此外还有过多次流产。
可是守寡以后,她马上就致力于妇女的高等教育事业。
她是格顿学院的创办人之一,力图使妇女进入医疗行业。
她总好讲起她在意大利遇到过的一位面容悲哀的老年绅士。
她询问他忧郁的缘故,他说他刚刚同两个孙儿女分手。
“天哪!
”她叫道,“我有七十二个孙儿孙女,如果我每次分手就要悲伤不已,那我早就没法活了!
”“奇怪的母亲。
”他回答说。
但是,作为她的七十二个孙儿孙女的一员,我却要说我更喜欢她的见地。
上了八十岁,她开始感到有些难以入睡,她便经常在午夜时分至凌晨三时这段时间里阅读科普方面的书籍。
我想她根本就没有功夫去留意她在衰老。
我认为,这就是保持年轻的最佳方法。
如果你的兴趣和活动既广泛又浓烈,而且你又能从中感到自己仍然精力旺盛,那么你就不必去考虑你已经活了多少年这种纯粹的统计学情况,更不必去考虑你那也许不很长久的未来。
至于健康,由于我这一生几乎从未患过病,也就没有什么有益的忠告。
我吃喝均随心所欲,醒不了的时候就睡觉。
我做事情从不以它是否有益健康为依据,尽管实际上我喜欢做的事情通常都是有益健康的。
从心理上说,老年时期要防止两种危险。
其一是过分沉湎于过去。
生活于回忆之中,为以往的好时光而抱憾,或因朋友作古而悲伤,这些皆无济于事。
人的思想必须朝着未来,朝着还可以有所作为的方面。
这并非总是容易做到;因为一个人的过去是一份不断加重的负担。
人们容易认为自己的感情,过去比现在充沛,自己的思想,过去比现在敏锐。
如果这是事实,就应该忘掉它。
如果它被忘掉,那它也许将不成其为事实。
另一件要避免的事是紧拽着年轻人,希望从他们的生机中吸取活力。
当你的孩子们已经长大,他们就要过他们自己的生活,如果你还是想他们小时侯那样对他们关心备至,你就可能成为他们的包袱,除非他们特别麻木不仁。
我不是说他们应该不闻不问,但是你
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 8How To Grow Old How