William Langland是中古世界與喬叟齊名的大詩人。最讓人津津樂道的長篇作品《皮爾斯農夫》(Piers Plowman)是一篇「包裝成夢境的寓言故事」(dream allegory)。裡頭提及了聖經中的七原罪,作者用擬人化的手法讓七原罪自白所犯下的錯。這些自白幽默又有智慧,其中一個原罪「嫉妒」,讀來特別讓人有同感:
Envy with heavy heart asked for shrift
And grieving for his guilt began his confession…
I wish that every one were my servant,
And if any man has more than I, that angers my heart.
So I live loveless like a loathsome dog
So that all my breast is blown up for bitterness of my spirit.
For many years I might not eat as a man ought
For envy and ill will are hard to digest.
嫉妒帶著沈重的心前來準備懺悔
帶著因為自己的罪惡而生的悲傷他開始了自己的自白:
我希望每個人都是我的僕人,為我做事
如果我發現哪個人擁有的比我更多,我的心就會為之震怒。
所以我就像一隻讓人討厭的狗一樣活得沒肝沒肺,
我滿心都被自己靈魂裡的悲痛弄得精疲力盡。
好多年以來我都無法正常地進食,
因為所謂的嫉妒與壞念頭已經夠讓我難以消化了。
os: 自從把社群網站關閉之後,人生中少了很多嫉妒的機會,頓時也覺得清淨不少。嫉妒讓人變得自私,讓人覺得渾身不舒服,相信這是放諸四海皆準的道理。但是若是為了害怕激起自己嫉妒的情緒而拒絕加入到現實世界,恐怕也是種矯枉過正的行為。
Piers Plowman by William Langland. Norton Anthology of Western Literature 7th edition. Volume I.
圖片來源 picture
Envy with heavy heart asked for shrift
And grieving for his guilt began his confession…
I wish that every one were my servant,
And if any man has more than I, that angers my heart.
So I live loveless like a loathsome dog
So that all my breast is blown up for bitterness of my spirit.
For many years I might not eat as a man ought
For envy and ill will are hard to digest.
嫉妒帶著沈重的心前來準備懺悔
帶著因為自己的罪惡而生的悲傷他開始了自己的自白:
我希望每個人都是我的僕人,為我做事
如果我發現哪個人擁有的比我更多,我的心就會為之震怒。
所以我就像一隻讓人討厭的狗一樣活得沒肝沒肺,
我滿心都被自己靈魂裡的悲痛弄得精疲力盡。
好多年以來我都無法正常地進食,
因為所謂的嫉妒與壞念頭已經夠讓我難以消化了。
os: 自從把社群網站關閉之後,人生中少了很多嫉妒的機會,頓時也覺得清淨不少。嫉妒讓人變得自私,讓人覺得渾身不舒服,相信這是放諸四海皆準的道理。但是若是為了害怕激起自己嫉妒的情緒而拒絕加入到現實世界,恐怕也是種矯枉過正的行為。
Piers Plowman by William Langland. Norton Anthology of Western Literature 7th edition. Volume I.
圖片來源 picture