《沉思录·卷四·退隐于自己的心》第45条
In the series of things, those which follow are always aptly fitted to those which have gone before: for this series is not like a mere enumeration of disjointed things, which has only a necessary sequence, but it is a rational connection: and as all existing things are arranged together harmoniously, so the things which come into existence exhibit no mere succession, but a certain wonderful relationship (vi. 38; vii. 9; vii. 75, note).
注释摘要
这条札记要确立的是一个根本性的宇宙观命题：发生在这个世界上的事情不是零散项目的偶然堆叠，而是彼此适配、彼此呼应的有机联结。奥勒留将两种序列做了严格区分。一种序列只是时间上的前后相继，他称为“必然的接续”，意思是这不过是机械的前后次序，事物挨个出现，它们之间没有内在的纽带。另一种序列则不同，它不仅是前后，而且是合宜——后面来的总是恰好适合前面发生过的，仿佛两…