《沉思录·卷五·天未亮就起身》第33条
Soon, very soon, thou wilt be ashes, or a skeleton, and either a name or not even a name; but name is sound and echo. And the things which are much valued in life are empty and rotten and trifling, and [like] little dogs biting one another, and little children quarreling, laughing, and then straightway weeping. But fidelity and modesty and justice and truth are fled What then is there which still detains thee here, if the objects of sense are easily changed and never stand still, and the organs of perception are dull and easily receive false impressions, and the poor soul itself is an exhalation from blood? But to have good repute amid such a world as this is an empty thing. Why then dost thou not wait in tranquillity for thy end, whether it is extinction or removal to another state? And until that time comes, what is sufficient? Why, what else than to venerate the gods and bless them, and to do good to men, and to practise tolerance and self-restraint; but as to everything which is beyond the limits of the poor flesh and breath, to remember that this is neither thine nor in thy power.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里发动了一场对死亡与声名的双重拆解，用的是极朴素的物质论和极锐利的价值翻转。他先直指身体的必朽：很快就变成灰、变成骸骨。然后立刻转向“名字”——名声、身后名——说它顶多是声音和回声。这个判断不是修辞，而是基于斯多葛物理学的推论：声音是空气的震动，回声是震动衰减后的残余，二者都没有实体，没有持久性。既然身体的实体归于元素流转，声名的“实体”不过是耳…