2023年经济学人 为什么寻求心灵开悟的人都去印度

 

    Culture

    文艺版块

    Book review

    书评

    Why seekers of enlightenment head for India.

    为什么寻求心灵开悟的人都前往印度。

    The Nirvana Express. By Mick Brown.

    《涅槃号快车》，米克·布朗著。

    For decades India has mostly run a current-account deficit¹, unable to export as much as the country imports to meet its needs.

    几十年来，印度的经常账户大多处于赤字状态，印度为满足国内需求而进口货物，但出口无法达到与进口相同的水平。

    But in the accounting² books of the heavens, India is a net exporter, on par³ with the Levant as a font of great religions.

    但在天堂的账簿上，印度是一个净出口国，与中东的黎凡特不相上下，都是伟大宗教的发源地。

    Hinduism, Buddhism⁴, Sikhism and Jainism sprang from its sacred geography.

    印度教、佛教、锡克教和斋戒教都起源于这个圣地。

    God has repeatedly lured⁵ spiritual seekers to the subcontinent—from Xuanzang (a seventh-century Chinese monk⁶ who journeyed to India in search of Buddhist⁷ texts) to Timothy Leary (an American champion of LSD).

    神明一再引领问道者来到印度次大陆：从玄奘(公元7世纪的中国僧人，前往印度求取佛经)到蒂莫西·利里(美国的迷幻药拥护者)。

    Leary memorably⁸ described Varanasi, Hinduism’s most sacred place, as the “the site of a non-stop hippie festival for the last 5,000 years”.

    利里将印度教最神圣的地方瓦拉纳西描述为“举办了一场持续5000年的嬉皮狂欢节的地方”，这个说法让人至今难忘。

    Those seeking to join the piety⁹ party first ventured from Asia, then from Europe (and especially Britain) during the colonial era and later, after India’s independence in 1947, from America.

    那些朝圣者最开始来自亚洲，然后在殖民时期从欧洲(尤其是英国)而来，后来在1947年印度独立后又从美国而来。

    Indian swamis and gurus energetically promoted their teachings to new converts.

    印度的斯瓦米和古鲁（指宗教教师）积极地向新皈依者宣扬他们的教义。

    It is these Western enthusiasts¹⁰ and their Indian idols¹¹ who are the subject of “The Nirvana Express”, an enlightening new book by Mick Brown, a British music journalist with a sideline writing about Asian religion.

    这些来自西方的宗教狂热人士和他们的印度偶像正是《涅槃号快车》一书的主角，这本新书很有启发性，作者是英国音乐记者米克·布朗，布朗在工作之余也撰写有关亚洲宗教的文章。

    The first notable Western figures to take an interest in Indian religions were not exactly long-haired, pot-smoking hippies.

    第一批对印度宗教感兴趣的著名西方人物并不是留着长发、抽着大麻的嬉皮士。

    Sir Edwin Arnold was an Oxford-educated editor of the Daily Telegraph who spoke¹² 19 languages and wrote memoirs¹³, poetry and history in his spare time.

    埃德温·阿诺德爵士是牛津大学毕业的《每日电讯报》编辑，他精通19种语言，在业余时间写回忆录、诗歌和历史文章。

    In 1879 he published “The Light of Asia”, a 5,300-line narrative¹⁴ poem about the teachings and life of Buddha¹⁵.

    1879年，他出版了一首5300行的叙事诗《亚洲之光》，讲述了佛陀的教义和生平。

    The book went on to sell over 1m copies and ignited the first sparks of popular interest in India’s religions in the West.

    这本书的销量超过了100万册，并首次点燃了西方大众对印度宗教的兴趣。

    In 1885 Arnold published “The Song Celestial”, a translation of the Bhagavad Gita; Mahatma Gandhi credited it with introducing him to his own religion’s most sacred text.

    1885年，阿诺德出版了《天乐》，这是《博伽梵歌》的译本，圣雄甘地认为这本书向他介绍了印度教中最神圣的经文。

    The two men would go on to become friends.

    这两个人后来成为了朋友。

    Arnold’s Indian analogue¹⁶ was Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu philosopher who electrified¹⁷ the first gathering¹⁸ of the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893 with his speeches preaching Hinduism’s message of universal acceptance.

    与阿诺德类似的印度人是印度教哲学家维韦卡南达导师，在1893年的首届世界宗教议会上，他宣扬了印度教接受天地万物的思想，其演讲使与会者如痴如狂。

    Arguing that “we Hindus must believe that we are the teachers of the world,” he founded spiritual centres in the West and acquired a devoted¹⁹ female following.

    维韦卡南达导师声称“我们印度教教徒必须坚信我们是世界的老师”，并在西方建立了精神中心，获得了一批忠实的女性追随者。

    Fantastic stories—packed with unlikely figures, strange twists of fate and even the occasional act of mind-reading—bring readers of “Nirvana Express” on an enjoyable journey.

    各种奇妙的故事--充满出人意料的人物、奇异的命运转折，甚至偶尔还有读心术--让《涅槃号快车》的读者踏上了一段引人入胜的旅程。

    Some of the colourful characters include Paul Brunton, whose bestselling “A Search in Secret India”, a travelogue-cum-spiritual-handbook published in 1934 (and still in print), would establish his reputation as a sort-of guru figure himself and Meher Baba, an actual guru obsessed²⁰ with movies in general and Greta Garbo in particular.

    其中一些有趣的人物包括保罗·布伦顿，他的畅销书《印度寻秘之旅》是1934年出版的一本游记兼灵修手册(目前仍在印行)，这本书让他本人有了类似灵性导师的声誉，还有梅赫·巴巴，这是一位真正的灵性导师，也是一位电影迷，尤其喜欢葛丽泰·嘉宝。

    All are worthy²¹ of their own books.

    书中的所有人都值得单独为他们成书作传。

    It is to Mr Brown’s credit that he never stoops to mockery or even gentle irony²², despite what must have been considerable temptation.

    值得称赞的是，布朗从未流露出嘲笑的语气，甚至连温和的讽刺也没有，尽管进行嘲讽肯定对作者来说极具诱惑力。

    “Nirvana Express” also tracks renewed Western interest in Indian spiritualism, which started with the beatniks in the 1950s, peaked with the Beatles arriving in the Himalayas to meditate²³ with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and ended with the dissolution of the Rajneesh Ashram in Oregon.

    《涅槃号快车》还记录了西方对印度灵性论重新产生的兴趣，这种兴趣始于20世纪50年代“垮掉的一代”，随着披头士乐队来到喜马拉雅山、与玛哈礼希·玛赫西·优济一起冥想而达到顶峰，并以俄勒冈州拉杰尼希隐修场的解散而告终。

    (This was the subject of “Wild Wild Country” on Netflix, which dramatises the short-lived but tumultuous commune better known for violence, group sex and attempts to poison the local population than for spirituality.)（这个隐修场是网飞纪录片《异狂国度》的主题，戏剧化地展示了这个短暂但狂乱的公社，该公社更多的是以暴力、群体性行为和毒害当地民众而闻名，而不是以灵性修炼闻名。）The collapse²⁴ of Rajneesh Ashram, writes Mr Brown, “marked the final pangs²⁵ of the Western dream of India as the repository of esoteric wisdom and the promise of enlightenment”.

    布朗写道，“西方将印度视作存有奥秘智慧和灵魂开悟的宝库”，而拉杰尼希隐修场的崩溃“标志着这一幻梦最终的破灭之痛”。

    It is true that the image of India in the West has changed in recent years, and a country once associated with poverty and naked babas is now better known as an economic giant, a rising geopolitical power and an originator of modern technology.

    诚然，近年来印度在西方的形象发生了变化，这个曾经让人联想到贫困和裸体苦修者的国家，现在更为人所知的形象是经济大国、崛起的地缘政治大国、现代技术的开创者。

    Yet India’s own conception of itself as an ancient land with spiritual riches to offer humanity has never faded.

    然而，印度自认为在其古老土地上蕴含着可贡献给全人类的丰富精神宝藏，这一点从未改变。

    For evidence, look only to the title that Narendra Modi, the prime minister, bestows²⁶ on his country, and by extension, himself: vishwaguru, or world teacher.

    如果想要证据，只需看看印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪为他的国家（也连带为他自己）授予了什么头衔：vishwaguru，即“世界导师”。

    India has never been short of men who believe themselves chosen by God to lead the world.

    印度从来不缺少相信自己就是天命领袖的人。

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

3 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

4 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

5 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

6 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

7 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

8 memorably   

难忘的

参考例句：

• The book includes some memorably seedy characters and scabrous description. 这本书包含了一些难忘下流的角色及有伤风化的描述。 来自互联网
• Horowitz could play Chopin memorably. 霍洛维茨可以把肖邦的作品演奏得出神入化。 来自互联网

9 piety   

n.虔诚，虔敬

参考例句：

• They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity.他们去教堂不是出于虔诚而是出于好奇。
• Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.经验使我们看到虔诚与善意之间有着巨大的区别。

10 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

11 idols   

偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像

参考例句：

• The genii will give evidence against those who have worshipped idols. 魔怪将提供证据来反对那些崇拜偶像的人。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
• Teenagers are very sequacious and they often emulate the behavior of their idols. 青少年非常盲从，经常模仿他们的偶像的行为。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 memoirs   

n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)

参考例句：

• Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。
• I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

15 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

16 analogue   

n.类似物；同源语

参考例句：

• The gill of a fish is the analogue of the lung of a cat.鱼的鳃和猫的肺是类似物。
• But aside from that analogue standby,the phone, videoconferencing is their favorite means of communication.除了备用的相似物电话，可视对话是他们最喜欢的沟通手段。

17 electrified   

v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The railway line was electrified in the 1950s. 这条铁路线在20世纪50年代就实现了电气化。
• The national railway system has nearly all been electrified. 全国的铁路系统几乎全部实现了电气化。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

19 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

20 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

21 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

22 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

23 meditate   

v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想

参考例句：

• It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。
• I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。

24 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

25 pangs   

突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛

参考例句：

• She felt sudden pangs of regret. 她突然感到痛悔不已。
• With touching pathos he described the pangs of hunger. 他以极具感伤力的笔触描述了饥饿的痛苦。

26 bestows   

赠给，授予( bestow的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Second, Xie Lingyun bestows on basic subject and emotion connotation. 谢灵运赋的基本主题及情感内涵。
• And the frigid climate bestows Heilongjiang rich resources of ice and snow. 寒冷的气候赋予了其得天独厚的冰雪资源。