[英国]威廉·哈兹里特/William Hazlitt
威廉·哈兹里特（1778-1830），英国散文家、评论家、画家。他曾从事过绘画，但是在柯尔雷基的鼓励下写出《论人的行为准则》，随后又写了更多的散文作品。1812年在伦敦当记者，并为《爱丁堡评论》撰稿。从其作品来看，他热衷争论，擅长撰写警句，谩骂和讽刺性的文字。他最著名的散文集是《席间闲谈》和《时代精神》。
Perhaps the best cure for the fear of death is to reflect that life has a beginning as well as an end. There was a time when we were not:this gives me no concern.
Why then should it trouble us that a time will come when we shall cease to be?I have no wish to have been alive a hundred years ago, or in the reign of Queen Anne. Why should I regret and lay it so much to heart that I shall not be alive a hundred years hence, in the reign of I cannot tell whom?
To die is only to be as we were born;yet no one feels any remorse, or regret, or repugnance, in contemplating this last idea. It is rather a relief and disburthening of the mind;it seems to have been a holiday time with us then;we were not called to appear upon the stage of life, to wear robes or tatters, to laugh or cry, be hooted or applauded;we had lain perdu all this while, snug out of harm's way;and had slept out our thousands of centuries without wanting to be waked up;at peace and free from care, in a long nonage, in a sleep deeper and calmer than that of infancy, wrapped in the softest and finest dust. And the worst that we dread is, after a short fretful, feverish being, after vain hopes, and idle fears, to sink to final repose again, and forget the troubled dream of life!
也许摆脱死亡恐惧的最佳疗法是思考生命的开始与终结。曾经我们对此没有给予关注。
为什么走到生命的尽头时，这个问题却会困扰我们？我不希望生活在一百年前，或者安妮女王时代，为什么还要为未能生活在一百年前，说不出是谁的统治时代而感到遗憾？
死亡就像我们的出生。思考这一永恒的主题，无人会自责、悔恨，或质疑，相反我们可以释放心灵，缓解忧愁。我们仿佛在度假一般；我们没有被传唤至人生的舞台上，穿着华丽的衣服或破旧的衣衫，大笑不止或痛哭流涕，被人训斥或者赞美，然而对此，我们却隐藏了许久，安详悠闲，而远离伤害。我们仿佛沉睡了千百个世纪而不愿被人唤醒，安逸而无忧虑，总处于孩童时期，而且比婴儿睡得还要深沉，还要平静，被裹挟于最轻柔、最细密的灰尘之中。我们最怕的是经过瞬间的狂热、徒劳的希望、没有缘由的恐惧，又沉浸到熟睡状态，而忘记生命中困扰我们的梦想！
词汇笔记
repugnance[ri'p?gn?ns]n.厌恶；憎恶；抵触；不一致
The woman tried to fight down a feeling of repugnance to speak to her ex-husband.
那女人努力抑制反感来跟她前夫说话。
tatter['t?t?]n.破布；碎纸
Do not toss me your rope made of tatters.
不要将你用碎布搓成的绳子抛给我。
hoot[hu:t]v.呵斥；轰赶
The audience hooted the actor.
观众向那个演员喝倒彩。
snug[s?g]adj.温暖而舒适的
Self-pity in its early stages is as snug as a feather mattress.
自怜在它的早期就像羽绒床垫一样贴身舒适。
小试身手
摆脱死亡恐惧的最佳疗法是思考生命的开始与终结。
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死亡就像我们的出生。
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我们最怕的是经过瞬间的狂热，徒劳的希望，没有缘由的恐惧，又沉浸到熟睡状态，而忘记生命中困绕我们的梦想！
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短语家族
We had lain perdu all this while, snug out of harm's way.
all this while：这阵子
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……at peace and free from care……
free from：免于；解放；使摆脱
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