《沉思录·卷七·痛苦与忍受》第3条
The idle business of show, plays on the stage, flocks of sheep, herds, exercises with spears, a bone cast to little dogs, a bit of bread into fishponds, laborings of ants and burden-carrying, runnings about of frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings--[all alike]. It is thy duty then in the midst of such things to show good humor and not a proud air; to understand however that every man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里做了一个视角的切换。他把观众席拉到了高处，俯瞰人间种种忙碌，然后一连抛出好几个意象：戏台上的表演、羊群和牛群、投枪操练、丢给小狗的骨头、撒进鱼池的面包屑、蚂蚁搬运食物、受惊乱窜的老鼠、被线牵动的木偶。这些意象不是随意的罗列，它们构成了一幅人类事务的微缩画卷。舞台上的演出是虚假的光彩，牛羊群是毫无个性的从众，投枪操练是武力的炫耀，骨头和面包屑是刺…