原文

沉默是一種處世哲學，用得好時，又是一種藝術(shù)。

誰都知道口是用來吃飯的，有人卻說是用來接吻的。我說沒有錯兒；但是若統(tǒng)計起來，口的最多的（也許不是最大的）用處，還應該是說話，我相信。按照時下流行的議論，說話大約也算是一種“宣傳”，自我的宣傳。所以說話徹頭徹尾是為自己的事。若有人一口咬定是為別人，憑了種種神圣的名字；我卻也愿意讓步，請許我這樣說：說話有時的確只是間接地為自己，而直接的算是為別人！

自己以外有別人，所以要說話；別人也有別人的自己，所以又要少說話或不說話。于是乎我們要懂沉默。你若念過魯迅先生的《祝福》，一定會立刻明白我的意思。

一般人見生人時，大抵會沉默的，但也有不少例外。常在火車輪船里，看見有些人迫不及待似地到處向人問訊、攀談，無論那是搭客或茶房，我只有羨慕這些人的健康；因為在中國這樣旅行中，竟會不感覺一點兒疲倦！見生人的沉默，大約由于原始的恐懼，但是似乎也還有別的。假如這個生人的名字，你全然不熟悉，你所能做的工作，自然只是有意或無意的防御——像防御一個敵人。沉默便是最安全的防御戰(zhàn)略。你不一定要他知道你，更不想讓他發(fā)現(xiàn)你的可笑的地方——一個人總有些可笑的地方不是？——你只讓他盡量說他所要說的，若他是個愛說的人。末了你恭恭敬敬和他分別。假如這個生人，你愿意和他做朋友，你也還是得沉默。但是得留心聽他的話，選出幾處，加以簡短的，相當?shù)馁澰~；至少也得表示相當?shù)耐狻＿@就是知己的開場，或說起碼的知己也可。假如這個人是你所敬仰的或未必敬仰的“大人物”，你記住，更不可不沉默！大人物的言語，乃至臉色眼光，都有異樣的地方；你最好遠遠地坐著，讓那些勇敢的同伴上前線去。——自然，我說的只是你偶然地遇著或隨眾訪問大人物的時候。若你愿意專誠拜謁，你得另想辦法；在我，那卻是一件可怕的事?！憧纯创笕宋锱c非大人物或大人物與大人物間談話的情形，準可以滿足，而不用從牙縫里迸出一個字。說話是一件費神的事，能少說或不說以及應少說或不說的時候，沉默實在是長壽之一道。至于自我宣傳，誠哉重要——誰能不承認這是重要呢？——但對于生人，這是白費的；他不會領略你宣傳的旨趣，只暗笑你的宣傳熱；他會忘記得干干凈凈，在和你一鞠躬或一握手以后。

朋友和生人不同，就在他們能聽也肯聽你的說話——宣傳。這不用說是交換的，但是就是交換的也好。他們在不同的程度下了解你，諒解你；他們對于你有了相當?shù)娜の逗投Y貌。你的話滿足他們的好奇心，他們就趣味地聽著；你的話嚴重或悲哀，他們因為禮貌的緣故，也能暫時跟著你嚴重或悲哀。在后一種情形里，滿足的是你；他們所真感到的怕倒是矜持的氣氛。他們知道“應該”怎么做；這其實是一種犧牲，“應該”也“值得”感謝的。但是即使在知己的朋友面前，你的話也還不應該說得太多；同樣的故事，情感，和警句，雋語，也不宜重復的說?！蹲８！肪褪且粋€好榜樣。你應該相當?shù)墓?jié)制自己，不可妄想你的話占領朋友們整個的心——你自己的心，也不會讓別人完全占領呀。你更應該知道怎樣藏匿你自己。只有不可知，不可得的，才有人去追求；你若將所有的盡給了別人，你對于別人，對于世界，將沒有絲毫意義，正和醫(yī)學生實習解剖時用過的尸體一樣。那時是不可思議的孤獨，你將不能支持自己，而傾仆到無底的黑暗里去。一個情人常喜歡說：“我愿意將所有的都獻給你！”誰真知道他或她所有的是些什么呢？第一個說這句話的人，只是表示自己的慷慨，至多也只是表示一種理想；以后跟著說的，更只是“口頭禪”而已。所以朋友間，甚至戀人間，沉默還是不可少的。你的話應該像黑夜的星星，不應該像除夕的爆竹——誰稀罕那徹宵的爆竹呢？而沉默有時更有詩意。譬如在下午，在黃昏，在深夜，在大而靜的屋子里，短時的沉默，也許遠勝于連續(xù)不斷的倦怠了的談話。有人稱這種境界為“無言之美”，你瞧，多漂亮的名字！——至于所謂“拈花微笑”，那更了不起了！

可是沉默也有不行的時候。人多時你容易沉默下去，一主一客時，就不準行。你的過分沉默，也許把你的生客惹惱了，趕跑了！倘使你愿意趕他，當然很好；倘使你不愿意呢，你就得不時的讓他喝茶，抽煙，看畫片，讀報，聽話匣子，偶然也和他談談天氣，時局——只是復述報紙的記載，加上幾個不能解決的疑問——總以引他說話為度。于是你點點頭，哼哼鼻子，時而嘆嘆氣，聽著。他說完了，你再給起個頭，照樣的聽著。但是我的朋友遇見過一個生客，他是一位準大人物，因某種禮貌關(guān)系去看我的朋友。他坐下時，將兩手籠起，擱在桌上。說了幾句話，就止住了，兩眼炯炯地直看著我的朋友。我的朋友窘極，好容易陸陸續(xù)續(xù)地找出一句半句話來敷衍。這自然也是沉默的一種用法，是上司對屬僚保持威嚴用的。用在一般交際里，未免太露骨了；而在上述的情形中，不為主人留一些余地，更屬無禮。大人物以及準大人物之可怕，正在此等處。至于應付的方法，其實倒也有，那還是沉默；只消照樣籠了手，和他對看起來，他大約也就無可奈何了罷？

英譯

Silence is a philosophy of life, and an art in the right hands. Everyone knows that the mouth is for food, but someone thinks it.s for kissing. However, statistics indicate that the most (maybe not the best) use of the mouth is speaking. In the current prevailing view, speaking becomes an effort of“publicity”, especially self-publicity. In this way, speaking is totally for our own business. If someone in various sacred names insists that he speaks for others, then I.m willing to believe that sometimes we speak for ourselves indirectly but directly for others.

Besides ourselves there are others, so we need to speak for ourselves. Others have their own stories, so we should speak less or keep mute in order to leave some spaces for others. Therefore, we should learn the importance of silence. If you have ever read the short story The New Year.s Sacrifice written by the Chinese famous writer Lun Xun, you would understand what I mean.

Most people intend to keep silent when meeting a stranger, there are quite a few exceptions though. On the train or ship, I usually see some people either passengers or stewards inquiring information around or chatting with others. They should not feel tired at all though they.ve been through such a long journey. I am envious of their strength. The original fear may be the reason why we tend to be silent when meeting a stranger, or there are some other reasons. If you have never heard of his name, then all you can do is defend intentionally or instinctively, just like defending against an enemy. The best defense strategy is silence. You don.t need to await his acquaintance and want even less for him to discover your ridiculousness or absurdness; you know everyone has something to be laughed at. Whether he is talkative, you.d better fulfill his desire and let him speak freely. At last, you say goodbye to him politely. If you want to make friends with him, silence is still the best choice. But you should pay attention to his words and give brief compliments on his speech, or at least you must quite agree with him, which is the beginning of making confidants or friends. Whether he is a“big pot”that you admire or not, remember, you.d better keep silent! There is something unusual in higher-ups.words, faces or even their eyes. So you.d better stay far away and give the opportunity to your brave companions. Of course, what I discuss here is just limited to the occasion that you encounter with the dignitary or follow others to visit; something else must be done if you pay a formal visit to him. For me, it.s a totally horrible thing. You.ll understand what I mean when you see that one dignitary meets an ordinary person or another dignitary. Speaking involves much attention, so when you can keep mute, then keep yourself mute. It will definitely benefit your health. As to self-publicity, it.s truly important, however, it means nothing for a stranger. He.ll even snicker at your craze for propaganda rather than appreciate your claim. He will leave all behind after a bow or a hand shaking with you (=saying goodbye to you).

The difference between friends and strangers is that friends have the patience and willingness to listen to your story. Needless to say, it is the result of exchange between friends, but it is still better than strangers.ignorance. More or less friends understand or accept, and they show much interest and respect to you. They.ll listen intently to your interesting words, and out of politeness they will behave sorrowfully or solemnly for your woeful or grave words. In the latter case, you are satisfied while they, I am afraid, feel nothing but reservation. They know what they“should”do, it is actually a sacrifice. Sometimes“should”also deserves our appreciation. But even with your confidant, you.d better not speak too much. Same story, feelings as well as aphorism shouldn.t be mentioned twice. Here The New Year.s Sacrifice sets a good example. You must restrain yourself fairly and can.t expect your words to occupy friends.whole heart. Similarly, you won.t allow others to fully occupy your heart either. Since people intend to go after the unpredictable or the unavailable things, you should know how to conceal yourself. If you expose yourself totally under the sun, just like the corpses used by medical students for autopsy, you will mean nothing to the world, at that moment you will be surrounded by loneliness and surrender to the endless dark. A lover usually says,“all I have belongs to you!”who can tell me what the“all”represents? The first person who said this just expressed his or her generosity, or at most an ideal. The following people mostly regard it as a“tag”. So silence is indispensable between friends, even lovers. We should learn from stars in the sky rather than fireworks on New Year.s Eve—nobody cares about the fireworks burning through the night. On the contrary, silence sometimes makes life poetic. For instance, in the afternoon, at dusk or late at night, temporary silence means much more than the constant languorous talking in a large and tranquil house. Someone calls it“wordless beauty”, what a lovely name! And“communicating through smile”represents another, higher level.

But silence doesn.t work all the while. You can keep silent when there are lots of people. However, when treating a guest, you.ll find silence doesn.t make sense. Too much silence annoys your guest and drives him off. If you don.t care, it.s fine; but if you.d like him to stay, then you have to ask him to drink tea, smoke, appreciate pictures, read newspapers or listen to the radio. Sometimes you need to talk with him about the weather, the current political situation—just retelling the stories in the newspaper and posing several insoluble questions at the same time. Remember, always encourage him to speak. You just need to listen and sometimes nod, snort or sigh. One topic he finishes, you throw him another, and then remain listening. My friend once treated an unfamiliar guest who is truly a dignitary. After sitting, he crossed his hands together and put them on the desk, looked straight at my friend after a few words. My friend was so embarrassed that he managed to search for several words to prevaricate. Here silence is served for the superior to show his dignity and keeps a certain distance from his subordinates. Used in such a common communication, it seems rather obvious. In this case, the dignitary.s behavior just shows his indecorum. So you can see, here, the devilishness of higher-ups and real big shots is apparent. As for the solution, here it is: silence. You just need to behave like him, crossing hands together and looking straight into him, then maybe he.ll feel embarrassed.