《沉思录·卷十二·此刻即全部》第27条
Constantly bring to thy recollection those who have complained greatly about anything, those who have been most conspicuous by the greatest fame or misfortunes or enmities or fortunes of any kind: then think where are they all now? Smoke and ash and a tale, or not even a tale. And let there be present to thy mind also everything of this sort, how Fabius Catellinus lived in the country, and Lucius Lupus in his gardens, and Stertinius at Briae, and Tiberius at Capreae, and Velius Rufus [or Rufus at Velia]; and in fine think of the eager pursuit of anything conjoined with pride; and how worthless everything is after which men violently strain; and how much more philosophical it is for a man in the opportunities presented to him to show himself just, temperate, obedient to the gods, and to do this with all simplicity: for the pride which is proud of its want of pride is the most intolerable of all.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里做的事，是一种斯多葛派标志性的心灵训练：把人名推到时间的长镜里，看它们的倒影最终会碎成什么。他要自己不断地、刻意地去回想那些人——那些曾经大声抱怨过的人，那些因名声、厄运、仇恨或任何一类时运而最显眼的人。然后问一个问题：他们现在在哪里？答案不是一个地点，而是一系列的否定：烟、灰、一段传闻，甚或连传闻都没剩下。这不是愤世嫉俗，而是一种视觉矫正。他…