TWO GOLDEN-GREEN birds with long tails used to come to that garden every morning and sit on a particular branch, playing and calling to each other. They were so restless, always on the move, their bodies quivering, but they were lovely things, and they never seemed to tire in their flight and play. It was a sheltered garden, and many other birds constantly came and went. Two young mongooses, sleek and swift their yellowish fur sparkling in the sun, would chase each other along the top of the low wall, and then, slipping through a hole, would come into the garden; but how cautious and observant they were even in their play, keeping close to the wall, their red eyes alert and watchful. Occasionally an old mongoose, comfortably fat, would come slowly into the garden through the same hole. It must have been their father or mother, for once the three of them were together. Coming into the garden one after another through the hole, they crossed the whole length of the lawn in single file and disappeared among the bushes.

两只长尾巴的金绿色的鸟儿每天早上都会来那个花园， 坐在一根特定的树枝上，互相玩耍和呼唤。 他们如此地躁动，总是在动，他们的身体颤抖着， 但他们是可爱的小家伙，他们似乎从不会在飞行和玩耍中感到疲倦。 这是一个有遮蔽的花园，许多其他鸟类不断地来来往往。 两只年轻的猫鼬，它们光滑而敏捷的淡黄色皮毛，在太阳下闪闪发亮， 会沿着矮墙的顶部互相追逐， 然后，从一个洞里滑落，进入到花园； 但是他们甚至在追逐中，也是如此的谨慎和警醒， 紧贴着墙壁，他们的红眼睛睁得很大，很是警惕。 偶尔，一只肥胖的老猫鼬会通过同一个洞，慢腾腾地进入花园。 一定是他们的父亲或母亲，因为有一次他们三个在一起。 他们通过洞口一个接一个地进入花园， 以一排队列的方式穿过整块草坪，消失在灌木丛中。

"Why do we seek?" asked P. "What is the purpose of our search? How weary one gets of this everlasting seeking! Is there no end to it?" "We search for what we want to find," answered M., "and after finding what we seek, we move on to further discovery. If we did not seek, all living would come to an end, life would stagnate and have no meaning." "Seek and ye shall find'," quoted R. "We find what we want, what we consciously or unconsciously crave for. We have never questioned this urge to seek; we have always sought, and apparently we shall always go on seeking."

“我们为什么要追寻？” P问道， “我们追寻的目的是什么？一个人对这种永恒的追求感到多么疲惫！ 难道没有尽头吗？” “我们追寻我们想要的东西，” M回答说， “在找到我们想要的东西之后，我们进一步去发现。 如果我们不去追寻，所有的生命都会结束， 生命就会停滞不前，没有任何意义。” “追寻，你们就会找到，” R引用这句话， “我们找到我们想要的东西，我们自觉地或不自觉地所渴望的东西。 我们从未质疑过这种追寻的冲动。 我们一直在追寻，显然，我们总是在不断地追寻。”

"The desire to seek is inevitable," stated I. "You might just as well ask why we breathe, or why the hair grows. The urge to seek is as inevitable as day and night."

“追寻的欲望是不可避免的，”我说， “你不妨问问：我们为什么呼吸，或者为什么头发会长出来。 追寻的冲动就像白天和黑夜一样不可避免。”

When you assert so definitely that the urge to seek is inevitable, the discovery of the truth of the matter is blocked, is it not? When you accept anything as final determined, does not all inquiry come to an end? "But there are certain fixed laws, like gravity, and it is wiser to accept than to batter one's head vainly against them," replied I.

当你如此肯定地断言：追寻的冲动是不可避免的， 那么对事实的发现，就被阻止了，不是吗？ 当你接受任何一个事物，把它作为最终定论的时候，所有的调查不就全部结束了吗？ “但是有一些固定的定律，比如重力， 接受比徒劳地动脑筋更为明智，” 我回答说。

We accept certain dogmas and beliefs for various psychological reasons, and through the process of time what is thus accepted becomes 'inevitable, a so-called necessity for man. "If I. accepts as inevitable the urge to seek, then he will go on seeking, and for him it is not a problem," said M.

我们出于各种心理原因接受某些教条和信仰， 随着时间的推移， 被接受的东西变得不可避免，对人来说，它被称之为一种必需品。 “如果我接受追寻的冲动是不可避免的， 那么他就会继续追寻，对他来说这不是一个问题，” M说。

The scientist, the cunning politician, the unhappy, the diseased - each is seeking in his own way and changing the object of his search from time to time. We are all seeking, but we have never, it seems, asked ourselves why we seek. We are not discussing the object of our search, whether noble or ignoble, but we are trying to find out, aren't we, why we seek at all? What is this urge, this everlasting compulsion? Is it inevitable? Has it an unending continuity? "If we do not seek," asked Y., "will we not become lazy and just stagnate?"

科学家，狡猾的政治家，那些不快乐的、有病的家伙们 —— 每个人都在以自己的方式追寻，不时地改变他追寻的对象。 我们都在追寻，但我们似乎从未问过自己为什么追寻。 我们不是在讨论我们追寻的对象，无论它是高贵的还是卑鄙的， 但我们在试图找出，不是吗，我们为什么要追寻？ 这种冲动，这种持续的冲动是什么？ 它是不可避免的吗？它是否具有无休止的延续性？ “如果我们不去追寻，” Y问道，“我们难道不会变得懒惰，变得停滞不前吗？”

Conflict in one form or another appears to be the way of life, and without it we think that life would have no meaning. To most of us, the cessation of struggle is death. Search implies struggle, conflict, and is this process essential to man, or is there a different 'way' of life in which search and struggle are not? Why and what do we seek? "I seek ways and means to assure, not my own survival, but that of my nation," said I.

这样或那样的冲突，似乎是生命的运动方式， 没有它，我们认为生命就没有意义。 对我们大多数人来说，斗争的停止就是死亡。 追寻意味着斗争、冲突， 这个过程对人类至关重要吗， 还是有一种不同的“生命方式”，其中没有追寻与斗争？ 我们为什么追寻，在追寻什么？ “我追寻的方式和方法来确保，不是我自己的生存，而是我的国家的生存，” 我说。

Is there such a vast difference between national and individual survival? The individual identifies himself with the nation, or with a particular form of society, and then wants that nation or society to survive. The survival of this or that nation is also the survival of the individual. Is not the individual ever seeking to survive, to have continuity, by being identified with something greater or nobler than himself?

国家和个人生存之间有如此巨大的差异吗？ 个人将自己与国家或特定形式的社会相认同， 然后希望这个国家或社会能够生存下来。 这个或那个国家的生存，也是个人的生存。 难道个人不是通过与比他自己更伟大或更高尚的东西相认同， 以追寻生存，保持自身的延续性吗？

"Is there not a point or a moment at which we suddenly find ourselves without search, without struggle?" asked M. "That moment may be merely the result of weariness," replied R., "a brief pause before plunging again into the vicious circle of search and fear." "Or it may be outside of time," said M.

“难道没有一个点或某一刻， 我们突然发现自己没有在寻找，没有在争斗？” M问道， “那一刻可能只是疲惫的结果，” R回答说， “短暂性的停顿，然后再次陷入寻找和恐惧的恶性循环中。” “或者它可能在时间之外，” M说。

Is the moment we are talking about outside of time, or is it only a point of rest before starting to seek again? Why do we seek, and is it possible for this search to come to an end? Unless we discover for ourselves why we seek and struggle, the state in which search has come to an end will remain for us an illusion, without significance.

我们谈论的时刻是在时间之外吗， 还是从原来停顿下来的追寻的点继续开始？ 我们为什么要追寻，这种追寻是否有可能结束？ 除非我们自己发现我们为什么追寻和斗争， 否则，追寻已经结束的状态对我们来说将仍然是一种幻觉，没有意义。

"Is there no difference between the various objects of search?" asked B.

“在各种寻找的对象之间，没有区别吗？” B问道。

Of course there are differences, but in all seeking the urge is essentially the same, is it not? Whether we seek to survive individually or as a nation; whether we go to a teacher a guru, a saviour; whether we follow a particular discipline, or find some other means of bettering ourselves, is not each one of us, in his own limited or extensive way, seeking some form of satisfaction, continuity, permanency? So we are now asking ourselves, not what we seek, but why do we seek at all? And is it possible for all search to come to an end, not through compulsion or frustration, or because one has found, but because the urge has wholly ceased?

当然有差异， 但所有追寻的冲动，在本质上是一样的，不是吗？ 不管我们是追寻个人生存，还是某个国家的生存； 不管我们是去追寻老师、上师，还是救世主； 不管我们是否遵循某一特定的纪律， 还是追寻其他一些方法来改善自己， 我们每一个人，不都在以他自己受限的或延展的方式， 追寻某种形式的满足、延续、永恒吗？ 因此，我们现在问自己，不是我们在追寻什么，而是我们为什么要追寻？ 所有的寻找有可能全部结束掉吗， 不是通过强迫或挫折，或者因为人已经找到了， 而是因为这种冲动已经完全地停下？

"We are caught in the habit of search, and I suppose it is the outcome of our dissatisfaction," said B.

“我们陷入了追寻的习惯中， 我想，这是我们对结果的不满意，” B说。

Being discontented, dissatisfied, we seek contentment, satisfaction. As long as there is this urge to be satisfied, to fulfil, there must be search and struggle. With the urge to fulfil there is always the shadow of fear, is there not? "How can we escape from fear?" asked B.

由于不满足，不满意，我们去追寻满足，满意。 只要有这种满足、满意的冲动，就必定有受追寻与争斗。 在达成的冲动后面，总是跟随着恐惧的阴影，不是吗？ “我们怎样才能逃离恐惧？” B问道。

You want to fulfil without the sting of fear; but is there ever an enduring fulfilment? Surely, the very desire to fulfil is itself the cause of frustration and fear. Only when the significance of fulfilment is seen is there an ending of desire. Becoming and being are two widely different states, and you cannot go from one to the other; but with the ending of becoming the other is.

你想在没有恐惧刺痛的情况下，去达成目标； 但是有持久的满足感吗？ 当然，去满足自己的欲望，本身就是挫折与恐惧的导火索。 只有当达成的意义被看见，欲望才会有结束。 成为和存在，是两种截然不同的状态， 你不能从一个状态走进另一个状态。 但随着成为的终结，另一个状态即呈现。