Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
四
《诗经》中的情歌
太初之时有爱,爱是歌中之歌。在一只雄性老虎的眼中,我们为之而害怕得要命的母老虎必然像是一位可爱的姑娘,能够眉目传情。我想,即使是丑陋的癞蛤蟆,也会被它们的伴侣当作美丽的天使来宠爱。坦率地说,我认为有些甲壳虫无论是五官还是步态,看上去并不怎么优雅,但它们似乎却能够全心全意地接受彼此,从而使自己的种族得以繁衍生息,很可能它们把自己的种族当作是上帝的杰作了吧。美国伟大的哲学家威廉·詹姆斯(William James)说:“造物主之所以造出雌狮,就是需要雄狮来爱;同样造物主之所以造出母熊,正是需要公熊来爱。世上如果另外有一种生物,完全不会对一窝鸡蛋感到那样如痴如醉、视这些蛋为爪上名珠、甚至从来不会过多考虑而浮坐在这些蛋上的话,对抱窝母鸡而言,这种想法可能会显得既可憎又可怕。”
爱是如此美妙!爱创造万物,爱是宇宙的最高法则,爱凌驾于阴阳之上,并将二者合为一体。在爱的激励下,阴阳交合如此神圣。如果没有情爱,那就只剩下情欲了。情欲之于情爱,如同人才之于天才,政客之于政治家,鱼目之于珍珠。情欲是对情爱的伪造和模仿,它只是一个躯壳,没有鲜活的内核。但像所有的伪善行为一样,情欲通过模仿其外部事物向美德膜拜。培养爱心,其他一切都会归附于你。斯宾诺莎(Spinoza)说:喜悦即完美。我可以再加一句,喜悦和喜乐有着天壤之别。
爱从那些一点点喜欢之中区分出来,这个观点似乎是《诗经》中“出其东门”的主题:
Outside of the east gate
I saw girls like trailing clouds.
What if they are like trailing clouds?
On none of them my heart was set.
That one with a white robe and grey cap,
I just took a temporary fancy to her.
回译成中文如下:
东门之外,女子如云。
即便如云,与我何为?
所有女子,非我所仪,
白袍灰巾,暂动我心。
“出其东门”的原文:
出其东门,有女如云。
虽则如云,匪我思存。
缟衣綦巾,聊乐我员。
我们的年代就是最好的年代,虽然现在是乱世
大家就知道吴大师的文言功底和诗词修养有多强大。
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
吴经熊版:夫愛之為德,寬裕含忍,愷悌慈祥,不忮不求,不矜不伐,明廉知恥,尚義敦禮,於利不貪,見忤不怒,不念惡,不逆詐,不樂人之非,惟樂人之是;無所不容,無所不信,無所不望,無所不忍。預言有時而息,方言有時而廢,智識有時而窮;而愛德則永久不匱也。
和合版:爱是恒久忍耐,又有恩慈,爱是不嫉妒,爱是不自夸,不张狂,不做害羞的事,不求自己的益处,不轻易发怒,不计算人的恶,不喜欢不义,只喜欢真理;凡事包容,凡事相信,凡事盼望,凡事忍耐。爱是永不止息。先知讲道之能终必归于无有,说方言之能终必停止,知识也终必归于无有。