TheSorrowsofYoungWerther少年维特的烦恼(5)

That the life of man is but a dream, many a man has surmised heretofore; and I, too, am everywhere pursued by this feeling. When I consider the narrow limits within which our active and inquiring faculties are confined; when I see how all our energies are wasted in providing for mere necessities, which again have no further end than to prolong a wretched existence; and then that all our satisfaction concerning certain subjects of investigation ends in nothing better than a passive resignation, whilst we amuse ourselves painting our prison-walls with bright figures and brilliant landscapes, -- when I consider all this, Wilhelm, I am silent. I examine my own being, and find there a world, but a world rather of imagination and dim desires, than of distinctness and living power. Then everything swims before my senses, and I smile and dream while pursuing my way through the world.
许多人迄今推测，人生不过是一场梦;我也是，到处都有这种感觉。当我想到我们的能动的和探究的能力被限制在有限的范围内;当我看到我们所有的精力都被浪费在仅仅提供必需品上，而这些必需品除了延长悲惨的生存之外再无其他目的;而且，我们对某些调查课题的一切满意，到头来只不过是一种被动的顺从，而我们却在自娱自乐地用明亮的人物和绚烂的风景来粉刷监狱的墙壁，当我想到这一切时，威廉，我是沉默的。我审视我自己的存在，发现那里有一个世界，不过是一个充满想象和模糊欲望的世界，而不是一个清晰而有生命力的世界。然后，一切都在我的感官前游弋，我微笑着，梦想着，一路追寻着我的世界。