一位女人说：请给我们谈谈欢乐和忧伤

原文

Then a woman said,Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.
And he answered: Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And theselfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carvesinto your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was hurned in the potter'soven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow, "and other say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Togather they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver,needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

翻译

一位女人说：请给我们谈谈喜悦和忧伤。

他回答：
你的喜悦是你的褪下面具的忧伤。如同笑声里常含着泪水一般。
不然，它还能如何呢？
在你生命里，忧伤镌刻得越深，喜悦就饱含得越充盈。
你盛酒的杯，不正是在制陶人的炉窑中浴火而生的吗？
抚慰你心灵的琴，不正是被刀刃挖空了的木管吗？

当你喜悦时，审视内心，会发现曾经带来忧伤的，如今却让你喜悦。
当你忧伤时，审视内心，会发现曾经带来喜悦的，如今却让你流泪。
你们中有些人说：“喜悦多于忧伤。”另一些人则说：“不，忧伤更多一些。”
我却要告诉你们，喜悦与忧伤是不可分离的。
它们总是结伴而行，当其中一个坐在你身旁，可要记住另一个正安睡在你的床上。

真的，你们就像天平，两端盛放着喜悦和忧伤。
只有当盘空时，才能平衡稳定。
当守财人将你提起来称金银的时候，你的喜悦与忧伤必定会起起落落。

出处

散文集《The Prophet(先知)》中的「ON JOY AND SORROW(喜悦与忧伤)」篇，Khalil Gibran（纪伯伦），纪·哈·纪伯伦（1883年1月6日——1931年4月10日）黎巴嫩作家、诗人、画家，是阿拉伯文学的主要奠基人，20世纪阿拉伯新文学道路的开拓者之一，被称为艺术天才、黎巴嫩文坛骄子。