读"叔本华文集"

最近因为工作的缘故, 搬家到纽约.
明显得有一种强烈的乡下人进城的感觉.
乡下人进城的感受之一是上下班不用(能)开车了. 坐公交车上下班的一个好处是有时间可以读点"闲书". 于是把放在书堆里很久的一本"叔本华文集"(中国言实出版社, 1996年12月第一版,第一次印刷).

读到“论心理”一章.第二十四节,有个地方觉得前后矛盾.

摘录如下：

"即使在接受训练的能力方面， 人类也是超过其他动物的. 回教徒被训练每日五次面向麦加祈祷， 他们固定不变的这样作. 基督徒被训练于某些场合在自己胸前画十字和跪拜等；而一般宗教则形成训练技巧中的真正杰作， 即心理能力的训练. 大家都知道， 这种训练是不能太早开始的.有人认为,除非我们在某人的六岁以前,以严肃热烈的态度开始不断地他述说某种事情使他产生深刻印象，否则这种事情便不能在这个人的脑海里牢固不拔,我觉得没有比这种看法更明显不过了."

读来， 觉得“这种训练是不能太早开始的.” 与前后文有矛盾。 觉得应该是“这种训练越早开始越好”的意思。

于是有网上找来英文翻译来读：

“Man even surpasses all the lower order of animals in hiscapacity for being trained. Mohammedans are trained to pray five times a daywith their faces turned towards Mecca;and they do it regularly. Christians are trained to make the sign of the Crosson certain occasions, and to bow, and so forth; so that religion on the wholeis a real masterpiece of training—that is to say, it trains people what theyare to think; and the training, as is well known, There is no absurdity, howeverpalpable it may be, which may not be fixed in the minds of all men, if it isinculcated before they are six years old by continual and earnest repetition.For it is the same with men as with animals, to train them with perfect successone must begin when they are very young.”

 

啊哈! 不出所料: “cannotbegin too early.”

此句应该理解为: “It can not be too early tobegin the training.” Or “the training begins the earlier the better.”

读来， 觉得“这种训练是不能太早开始的.” 与前后文有矛盾。 觉得应该是“这种训练越早开始越好”的意思。

于是有网上找来英文翻译来读：

“Man even surpasses all the lower order of animals in hiscapacity for being trained. Mohammedans are trained to pray five times a daywith their faces turned towards Mecca;and they do it regularly. Christians are trained to make the sign of the Crosson certain occasions, and to bow, and so forth; so that religion on the wholeis a real masterpiece of training—that is to say, it trains people what theyare to think; and the training, as is well known, There is no absurdity, howeverpalpable it may be, which may not be fixed in the minds of all men, if it isinculcated before they are six years old by continual and earnest repetition.For it is the same with men as with animals, to train them with perfect successone must begin when they are very young.”

 

啊哈! 不出所料: “cannotbegin too early.”

此句应该理解为: “It can not be too early tobegin the training.” Or “the training begins the earlier the better.”