简单生活 The Art of Living Simply（第1页）

简单生活TheArtofLivingSimply

理查德·沃克尔默Riir

WepaddleddownMaine'sSacoRiverthatSeptemberafternoon，fiveoes，baskinginthesummer'slastgoldensunlight。Grazierietails，watchedourflotillapass。Thatevets，broiledsteaksandsprawledaroundthecampfire，starihestars。Orumminghisguitar，sangan:“Tisthegifttobesimple。Tisthegifttobefree。”

Ouridyllended，ofdwedrovebacktotheworldofloas，jobsandcloggedwashihegifttobesimple，”Ifoundmyselfhummingatoddmoments，“Tisthegifttobefree。”HowIlohatsimplicity。ButwherecouldIfindit?

“Ourlifeisfritteredawaybydetail。Simplify，simplify。”ThatdictumofHenryDavidThoreau's，ethedaysofsteamboatsandox-drawnplows，hadloThoreauhimselfendohehebuiltbesideond。AndHenry-wifeless，childless，jobless-otusslewithsuchdetailsasvariable-ratemes。

Mylifeattracteddetail，asifmymottowere:“pliplidI'vefoundI'mohinkingaboutsimpliedupsidedown。

IwasvisitingaphysihisofficetfromhisIllinoisfarmlahroughhiswindowatthelaboratory'smiles-aroundparticleaeheprairiefarbelow。“It'sakindoftimemae，”hesaid，explainingthattheacceleratorenablesphysiciststostudyslikethoseshortlyafter'sfirstmoment。Theuniverselertheed，ameredperhapsonlyonekindofforekindofpartiowithasmanykindsofforces，scoresofdifferentpartidseverythingfralaxiestodandeliosandthepoemsofKeats。

plexity，Ibegahattower，ispartofGod'splan。

Deepdowaragingly，ofa“simpleton”。Nobodywayof“simplistig。

Butblindioplexitygerous。Oahome。Ilikeditssettingsomusciouslyavintoitspossibledefects。Afteritwasmine，Ifounditi，aingsystem，nesepticsystem-everything。Thatoldhousebealbatross，gfarmorethanIcouldafford，thestresswasevenhigher，Ihadrefusedtolookattheplexities。

Evenordinaryfinancesarerarelysimple-whatdoesyourinsurancepolicyactuallycover?Yet，eicsaresimplicityitselfparedwithmoralquestions。

&eren，Ifouheleaderofanafter-schoolgaggleofboys。Ihadtodivertthemquiew，ormycareerasleaderwouldbebrief。AndthenIsawJoe。

Joewasaowerofakid，a。HisfamilyhademigratedfromEurope，andhehadafai。

&'sgethim!”Isaid。

MylittletroopofGothssonJoe。Somebodysandweplayedcatchwithit。Joeraookhishatasatrophy。

Thatnight，。Joe'sfather，aworried-lookihathit，askedforJoe'shat。Iretursheepishly。“Pleasedon'tupsetJoe，”hesaidearhma。Whenhehasanattack，itishardfetbetter。”

&aleadsoftballiheevenioJoe'shouse。Hewasinthegarden，tillingthesoil，hewatchedmewarilyasI。IaskedifIcouldhelp。“Okay，”hesaid。AfterthatIweohelphimafriends。

Ihadtakeowardadulthood。InsidemyselfIhadseenpossibilities，likeatangleofwires。Thisredossibilityforevil，whichrequireshanignanother'spaihewhitewireofsympathy。Icouldhaveahandiingallthosewires-itwasamatterofthedeade。Ihaddisplexity，andfoundinitanopportunitytochoose，togrow。Itspriceisresponsibility。

&hatisonereasohesimplelife。Inaanttobe，toletsomeoheaackofresponsibility。

Wearelikewheat，hereooripeellectuallybylettinginasmuchoftheuniverse'splexityaswe。Morallyweripenbymakingourchoidweripenspirituallybyopeo'seail。

&ernoonIpickedupafallehesugarmapleinouryard。Upcloseitithsplashesofred。Atarm'slengthitwase。ItscolordependedonhowIlookedatit。

&leabouthoentitslife，transfsunlightanddioxideis，aweaoxygenthatsutsemit，whiletheythriveuponthedioxideweexhale。AeachcelloftheleafhasaainingachemiA-uponwhiscribedalltheinstruakiingasugarmaple。Stistsknowfarmoreaboutthisthaheirkendsonlyashortwayintotheseaofplexitythatisasugarmaple。

I'mbeginniand，Ithink，lis。Itdoesnotmeanblindiheworld'sstunniythechoicesthatripenus。By“simplify，simplify，”Thoreaumeantsimplifyingourselves。

Toaplishthis，>

Fodeeperthings。Thesimplelifeisnotnecessarilylivingina，gbeans。Itisrefusiourlivesbe“fritteredawaybydetail”。Aprhtmeasecretf:TurVabooks。Theyopendoorsinyourbrain。

&akelife'sjouratime。Ioayouhbliheyhadathree-year-olddaughterandaninfant，bothfullysighted。Forthoseparehinglex:bathingthebaby，mtheirdaughter，mowingthelawheywerefullofsmilesandlaughter。Iaskedthemotherhowshekepttrackoftheirlivelydaughter。“Itielittlebellsonhershoes，”shesaid>

“Whatwillyoudowhewalkstoo?”Iasked。

Shesmiled。“EverythingissoplicatedthatIdon'ttrytosolveaproblemuntilIhaveto。Itakeoatime!”

ParedownylishandplaywrightJeromeKlapkaJeromecaughtthespiritofthatenterprisewheyourboatoflifebelight，palywithwhatyouneed-ahomelyhomeandsimplepleasures，owofriends，worththeoloveaoloveyou，acat，adogaoo，eaowearandalittlemorethaodrink，forthirstisadahing。”

NotlongagoIflewhometoseemyfatherial。Hehasadiseasethathemind。Iwasasnarlofworries。Treatments?Nursinghomes?Finances?

Hewascrouawheelchair，ashriveled，whiteofthefatherIhadknown。AsIstoodthere，hurtandfused，helookedupahenIsawsomethiedandwonderfulinhiseyes:reawelledupandfilledhiseyeswithtears。Andmine。