看破浮生过半,
半之受用无边.
半中岁月尽幽闲;
半里乾坤宽展.
半郭半乡村舍,
半山半水田园;
半耕半读半经廛,
半士半姻民眷;
半雅半粗器具,
半华半实庭轩;
衾裳半素半轻鲜,
肴馔半丰半俭;
童仆半能半拙,
妻儿半朴半贤;
心情半佛半神仙,
姓字半藏半显.
一半还之天地,
让将一半人间.
半思后代与沧田,
半想阎罗怎见.
饮酒半酣正好,
花开半时偏妍;
半帆张扇免翻颠,
马放半缰稳便.
半少却饶滋味,
半多反厌纠缠.
百年苦乐半相参,
会占便宜只半.
——–李密庵
By far the greater half have I seen through
This foating life–Ah, there’s a magic word–
This “half” — so rich in implications.
It bids us taste the joy of more than we
Can ever own. Halfway in life is man’s
Best state, when slackend pace allows him ease;
A wide world lies halfway, twixt heaven and earth.
To live halfway between the streams and hills;
Be half-a-scholar, and half-a-squire, and half
In business; half as gentry live,
And half related to the commom folk;
And have a house that’s half genteel, half plain,
Half elegantly furnished and half bare;
Dresses and gowns that are half old, half new,
And food half epicure’s, half simple fare;
Have servants not too clever, not too dull,
A wife who’s not too simple, nor too smart;
So then, at heart, I feel I’m half a Buddha,
And almost half a Taoist fairy blest.
One half myself to Father Heaven I
Return; the other half to children leave–
Half thinking how for my posterity
To plan and provide, and yet half minding how
To answer God when the body’s laid at rest.
He is most wisely drunk who is half drunk,
And flowers in half-bloom look their prettiest;
As boats at half-sail sail the steadiest,
And horses held at half-slack reins trot best.
Who half too much has, adds anxiety,
But half too little, adds possession’s zest.
Since life’s of sweet and bitter compounded,
Who tastes but half is wise and cleverest.
我认为半玩世者是最优越的玩世者.生活中最高典型终究应属子思倡导的中庸生活,这种学说,是指一种介于两个极端之间的那一种有条不紊的生活—-酌乎其中学说.
这种中庸精神,在动作和静止之间找到了一种完全的均衡,穷不至于穷到付不出房租,富也不至于富到可以完全不做工,或是可以称心如意地资助朋友;钢琴也会弹弹,可是不十分高明,只可弹给知己的朋友听听,而最大的用处还是给自己消遣;古玩也收藏一点,可是只能摆满屋里的壁炉架;书也读读,可是不用功;学识颇广博,可是不成为任何专家;文章也写写,可是寄给<<泰晤士报>>的稿件一半被录用一半被退回—-总而言之,我相信这种中等阶级生活,是中国人所发现的最健全的理想生活. ———林语堂
