耶鲁大学开放课程—哲学：死亡.15.Open.Yale.course—Philosophy：Death.DivX-YYeTs人人影视 [字幕转换助手

上节课结束时我们提出了这么一个问题
Last time we ended with the following puzzle or question.
如果我们说要成为一个人
If we say that to be a person
就要有运行人体功能的肉体
is to be a P-functioning body,
那么我们似乎只能得出这么个结论
it seems then as though we have to conclude
即 当你没有运行人体功能时
that when you're not P-functioning,
你就是死的
you're dead.
那就是说 你作为一个人是死的
That is, you're dead as a person.
之前我们区分了肉体的死亡
Previously, we distinguished between the death of my body
和作为人的死亡
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现在我们来着重研究作为人的死亡
let's focus on my death as a person.
如果我没有运行人体功能
If I'm not P-functioning,
我们是不是只能说我死了
do we have to then say I'm dead?
那似乎是定义死亡的最自然的方式
Well, that may seem to be the most natural way to define death,
但不可取
but it's not an acceptable approach.
因为它紧接着就会推出
Because it would follow then,
当我睡着的时候也是死的
that when I'm asleep, I'm dead.
只要不是同时
Well, not during those times,
比方说 睡着了又在做梦
perhaps, when I'm dreaming while I'm asleep.
不过想想一个熟睡的 无梦的夜晚
But think of the various periods during the night
的各个不同时段
in which you are in a deep, deep dreamless sleep.
你并没有在思考
You're not thinking.
也没有规划什么
You're not planning.
没有与人交流
You're not communicating.
我们来假设一下 也许
Let's just suppose, as seems likely,
在睡眠的某个时刻
that none of the P-functioning is occurring,
根本没有人体功能在运作
at some point during sleep.
我们能说你死了吗
Should we say then that you're dead?
显然那样说是不对的
Well, that's clearly not the right thing to say.
所以我们需要从物理层面修正一下
So we need to revise our account of what it is
一个人死亡的具体含义
on the physicalist picture to say that you're dead.
死亡到底意味着什么
What is it to be dead?
不可能只是不再运行人体功能
It can't just be a matter of not P-functioning.
有一种可能性是
Well, one possibility would be to say,
问题不在于你是否运行人体功能
the question is not whether you are P-functioning.
你不运行人体功能也没问题
It's okay if you're not P-functioning,
只要这是暂时的就行
as long as your not P-functioning is temporary.
如果你能重新运行人体功能
If you will P-function again,
如果你以前运行过人体功能
if you have been P-functioning in the past
未来又还会再运行
and you will be P-functioning again in the future,
我说的P功能是指人体功能
P-functioning for person functioning,
如果你未来还会再运行人体功能
you will be P-functioning again in the future,
那么你就没

死
then you're not dead.
那至少是一个进步
Well, that's at least an improvement,
因为我们接着会说 "瞧
because then we say, "look,
当你睡着的时候
while you're asleep,
虽然人体功能没有运行
even though there's no P-functioning going on,
但这只是暂时的
the lack of P-functioning is temporary,
所以你仍旧活着"
so you're still alive."
但我觉得那也不太说得通
But I think that won't quite do either.
我们假设审判日到了
Let's suppose that come Judgment Day,
上帝会让死人复活
God will resurrect the dead.
我们就假设一下人格同一性的正确理论
And let's just suppose the correct theory of
是让我们抛开一切
personal identity is such as to put aside any worries
之前所讨论到过的
we might have along with van Inwagen,
范·因瓦根的忧虑
that we discussed previously,
参见本课程系列之第十一课
也就是在复活日
as to whether or not on resurrection day
复活的那个人究竟是不是你
that would really be you or not.
假设是你
Suppose it would be you.
那么上帝让这个死人复活
So God will resurrect the dead.
到了审判日
Judgment Day comes.
死人复活了
The dead are resurrected.
现在他们正在运行人体功能
Well, now they're P-functioning.
结果 在这段时间
So it turns out that during that period in which
他们是死亡的
they were dead,
但他们只是暂时停止运行人体功能
they were only temporarily not P-functioning.
但若死亡意味着永久地停止人体功能
But if death means permanent cessation of P-functioning,
那就说明他们根本不是真死了
then it turns out the dead weren't really dead after all.
他们只是暂时停止运行人体功能
They were only temporarily not P-functioning,
就像我们在睡眠状态中
just like we are temporarily not P-functioning
暂时停止运行人体功能
when we're asleep.
那好像也不太对吧
Well, that doesn't seem right either.
审判日这天 上帝让死人复活
On Judgment Day, God resurrects the dead.
这可不是说他简单地唤醒了
It's not that He simply wakes up
那些沉睡着的人们
those in a deep, deep sleep.
所以说死亡就是讨论
So the proposal that death is a matter of
人体功能究竟是永久停止还是暂时的
permanent cessation of P-functioning versus temporary,
貌似这样是行不通的
that doesn't seem like it's going to do the trick.
那我们还能怎么解释呢
But what else do we have up our sleeves?
这儿还有另一种说法
Here's a different proposal
我觉得它也许会更说得通
that I think is probably closer to the right account.
我们可能会说 看 当你睡着以后
We might say, look, while you're asleep,
你的确没有运行人体功能
it's true that you're not P-functioning.
比如说 你就没在做乘法
For example, you're not doing your multiplication tables.
但尽管你没有运

行人体功能
But although you are not engaged in P-functioning,
似乎还是可以说
it does seem true to say
你是能够运行人体功能的
that you still can P-function.
你仍旧是能够做乘法的
You still could do your multiplication tables.
尽管你没在说法语
Although it's not true that you are speaking French--
假设你会说法语的话
let's suppose that you know how to speak French--
你睡着的时候
it's still true of you while you're asleep
也还是有说法语的能力的
that you can or could speak French.
我们是怎么知道的呢
How do we know this?
我们只要把你叫醒就可以了
Well, all we have to do is just wake you up.
把你叫醒 问你
We wake you up and we say,
"约翰 3乘以3是多少"
"Hey John, what's three times three?"
等你骂够我们之后
And after you stop swearing at us,
你就会说 "答案是9"
you say, "Well, it's nine."
或者我们跟你说
Or we say,
"琳达 用法语说这个那个动词"
"Linda, hey, conjugate such and such a verb in French."
你也能说出来
And you can conjugate it.
即便你在睡觉的时候
Even though you were not engaged in P-functioning
没有运行人体功能
while you were asleep,
但当你睡觉的时候
it's still true that while you were asleep,
你仍旧有能力运行人体功能
you had the ability to engage in P-functioning.
能力不一定要变成现实
Abilities aren't always actualized.
你现在正在运行人体功能
Your P-functioning is actualized now,
因为你在思考
because you're engaged in thought,
但你不在思考的时候
but you don't lose the ability
你也不会失去
to think during those moments
思考的能力
when you're not thinking.
假设我们说 那样的话
Suppose we say then
作为一个人那样活着
that to be alive as a person
就意味着有运行人体功能的能力
is to be able to engage in P-functioning.
而死亡
And to be dead then,
则意味着不再具有这种能力
is to be unable to engage in P-functioning.
为什么不再具有呢
Why are you unable?
很可能
Well, presumably
由于不管你的大脑
because whatever cognitive structures
以什么样的认知结构
it takes in your brain
来保证人体功能的运行
to underwrite the ability to P-function,
这些认知结构都已经被损坏了
those cognitive structures have been broken,
再也不工作了
so they no longer work.
当你死亡
It's--When you're dead,
你的大脑也损坏了
your brain is broken.
不止是你不再运行人体功能
It's not just that you're not engaged in P-functioning,
而且是你不再有能力运行人体功能
you're no longer able to engage in P-functioning.
这样似乎终于能说清楚睡觉那个例子了
That, at least, seems to handle the case of sleep properly.
尽管你没有在运行人体功能
Although you're not engaged in P-functioning,
只要你有运行人体功能的能力
you're

able to,
你就仍然活着
so you're still alive.
就举审判日复活的人的例子吧
Take the dead who will be resurrected on Judgment Day.
尽管他们之后被赋予运行人体功能的能力
Although they will be engaged in P-functioning later on,
但他们现在却并不能运行
it's not true right now that they can engage in P-functioning.
他们的肉体和大脑都损坏了
Their bodies and brains are broken
直到上帝来复活他们
until God fixes them.
所以他们是死亡的
So they're dead.
好了
All right,
这貌似是正确答案
that seems to give the right answer and,
事实上 它也的确给了我们一些启示
in fact, it gives us some guidance
关于如何思考其它纠结的问题
how to think about some other puzzling cases.
比如昏迷的人
Take somebody who is in a coma,
也没有运行人体功能
not engaged in P-functioning.
我们要规定一下 他们的肉体还活着
Their body, let's stipulate, is still alive.
他们的心脏还在跳动
Their heart's still beating,
他们的肺也还在呼吸 等等
the lungs are still breathing and so forth.
但我们要问
But we wonder,
那个人真的还活着吗
is the person still alive?
那个人还存在吗
Does the person still exist?
他们并没有在运行人体功能
they're not engaged in P-functioning.
这是很明显的
That's pretty clear.
我们想知道的是
We want to know,
他们还能运行吗
can they engage in P-functioning?
此时此刻
Now, at this point
我们会想知道更多关于人体的内部结构
we'd want to know more about the underlying mechanics
关于接下来会发生什么事
about what's gone on in the case of the coma.
如果我下面说的是正确的
If the following is the right description,
那么也许我们应该说 他们还活着
then we perhaps should say they're still alive.
当某人睡着的时候
Look, when somebody's asleep,
我们要做些事
we need to do something to,
来叫醒他们
in effect, wake them up,
让他们的机能再次运行
something to turn the functioning back on.
他的认知结构始终存在
The cognitive structures are still there,
但运行机能的开关是关着的
but the on-off switch is switched to off.
也许这就像
Perhaps that's what it's like
某人在昏迷中
when somebody's in a coma,
或者至少是某种类型的昏迷
or perhaps at least certain types of comas.
当然 在人昏迷的时候
Of course, to turn the on-off switch on is harder
打开开关会更困难一些
when somebody's in a coma.
更加...
It's a bit more--
我们继续讲那个开关的比喻
to continue with the metaphor of the on-off switch--
好像那开关不止是关着
as though not only is the switch turned to off,
而且还上了锁
there's a lock on the switch.
所以我们不能按照常规去打开开关
And so we can't turn the switch on in the normal way.
比方说 推推那个昏迷的人
Pu

shing the person in the coma
并说 "吉米 醒醒"
and saying, "Wake up, Jimmy"
这么做可不管用
doesn't do the trick.
不过不管怎么说
But for all that,
就算那个开关被卡住了
although the on-off switch may be stuck in off,
只要大脑深层的认知结构
if the underlying cognitive structures of the brain
仍旧有能力
are such as to still make it true that,
将开关重新打开
flip the on switch back to on
且这个人仍能够运行人体功能
and the person can still engage in cognitive P-functioning,
那么也许就应该说 这个人还活着
maybe the right thing to say is the person's still alive.
第二种昏迷情况
Coma case two.
我不太确定这究竟算不算是昏迷
I'm not sure whether this really should be called a coma.
我不了解生物学和药学的细节
I don't know the biological and medical details.
不过可以想象一下
But imagine that what's gone on
保持认知结构运作的
is there's been decay of the brain structures
大脑结构正在腐烂
that underwrite the cognitive functioning.
于是现在就不只是开关关着
So now it's not just that the on-off switch is stuck in off,
连大脑也没法
the brain's no longer capable
再运行那些高级指令的人体功能了
of engaging in these higher order P-functions.
有可能这是一种持续的植物人状态
This might be a persistent vegetative state
基本上不可能再恢复意识了
with no possibility of turning it on, even in principle.
对于这样一个人我们可能会认为
Of such a person we might say,
他不再具有运行人体功能的能力
they're no longer capable of P-functioning.
这样的话 也许正确的说法是
And then perhaps the right thing to say is
这个人再也不存在了
the person no longer exists,
作为一个人 他不再存在了
so they no longer exist as a person,
虽然他的肉体还活着
even if the body is still alive.
目前为止都没问题
So far, so good.
但想想更复杂的情况
Here's a harder case to think about.
假设我们让某人
Suppose we put somebody
处于一种假死状态
in a state of suspended animation,
冷却他们的身体
cool their body down
于是各种新陈代谢过程停止
so that the various metabolic processes come to an end.
不再继续了
They stop.
我敢肯定你们知道
As I'm sure you know,
我们可以将各种各样的低等生物体
we're able, with various lower organisms,
置于假死状态
to put them in a state of suspended animation
然后惊人的是
and then, the amazing thing is,
如果你适当地将它们加热
if you heat them back up again properly,
它们就会重新开始运作
they start functioning again.
但我们不能对人类做这样的事
Now, we can't do that yet with humans.
不过至少这不能说明
But it doesn't jump out at us, at least,
假死是不可能的事情
that that should be an impossibility.
所以假

设我们最终学会了
So suppose we eventually learn
如何对人类做这样的事
how to do this with humans.
现在 假设我们把拉里
And now, suppose we take Larry
置于某种假死状态下
and put him in a state of suspended animation.
他死了吗
Is he dead?
我们中的大多数人觉得
Well, most of us don't feel comfortable
说他死了不太对劲
saying that he's dead.
就像我们说...
Just like we don't feel comfortable saying that the--
我假设我们也可以对果蝇做这种事
I suppose we could do this with a fruit fly.
我不知道可以不可以
I don't know whether we can or can't.
就当可以吧
Suppose we can.
假设我们对果蝇做了同样的事
Suppose we do it with a fruit fly.
说果蝇死了也不太对劲
We don't feel comfortable saying the fruit fly's dead.
它只是处于一种假死状态
Rather, it's in a state of suspended animation.
类似地
Well, similarly then,
我们可能也不愿意说拉里死了
perhaps we wouldn't want to say that Larry is dead.
而死亡所描述的那种"破坏"
And the "Brokenness" account of death
也让我们觉得拉里没死
allows us to say Larry's not dead.
让我们保持
The structures in the brain
运行人体功能的能力的
which would underwrite the ability
大脑结构
to engage in P-functioning,
并没有由于假死而被破坏
they're not destroyed by suspended animation.
所以也许与之相关
So perhaps in the relevant sense,
这个人仍旧可以运行人体功能
the person can still engage in P-functioning,
所以他没死
so they're not dead.
这就够了
Good enough.
不过从另一方面说
On the other hand,
这可能不是很有说服力
it doesn't seem so plausible,
直觉上来讲
it doesn't seem intuitively right to say
说他们活着好像也不太对劲
that they're alive.
拉里在假死状态下
Is Larry alive
也仍然是活着的吗
when he's in a state of suspended animation?
不 他好像也不是活着的
No. It seems like he's not alive either.
这就有点纠结了 是吧
Now that's a bit puzzling, right?
好像我们需要...
It's as though we need--
通常情况下 我们认为
Normally, we think that look,
你要么活着 要么死了
either you're alive or you're dead.
只有这两种可能
The two possibilities exhaust the possibilities.
但想想看 假死状态意味着
But thinking about suspended animation suggests
我们可能真的需要第三种可能
that we may actually need a third category,
即假死 既不是活着 也没有死
suspended--neither alive nor dead.
好啦
Well, all right,
如果我们真引入第三种可能
if we do introduce a third possibility--
我也不知道这样对不对
I'm not sure this is the right thing.
并不清楚该怎么说
It's not clear what's the right
假死才最好
or best thing to say about suspended animation.
不过至少这种可能性似乎还蛮受欢迎的
But at

least that doesn't seem like an unattractive possibility.
如果有三种可能
If there are three possibilities--
死亡 活着 假死 要定义死亡
dead, alive, or suspended--to be dead,
我们还是可以说 你得肉体损坏
we could still say you've got to be broken,
无法运行人体功能才行
incapable of P-functioning.
假设你肉体没损坏
Suspended isn't broken.
那你只是假死而已
It's just suspended.
但怎么才算活着呢
But then what do you need to be alive?
除了肉体不能损坏
In addition to not being broken,
你还得怎么样才算活着呢
what do you need to be alive?
最初我们试过这么说
Well, the initially tempting thing to say is
你不仅得肉体完好
not only aren't you broken,
而且要实实在在地运行人体功能
but you're actually engaged in P-functioning.
但如果我们这样说
But if we say that,
我们就回到了
then we're back to saying
说睡着的人不是活人的那种说法
that somebody who's asleep isn't really alive.
那个好像也不对
That doesn't seem right either.
所以我们要区分假死和活着
So we need some account to distinguish between
就得再多一些描述条件
suspended animation and out--and out being alive.
我也不大确定该如何划分这个界线
And I'm not quite sure how to draw that line.
所以这个就交给你们了
So I'll leave that to you
你们自己去研究这个难题吧
as a puzzle to work on on your own.
撇开这个难题不谈
That puzzle aside,
我觉得好像我们一旦变成物理主义者
it seems to me that once we become physicalists,
死亡就没有什么
there's nothing especially deep
特别的深意或是神秘之处了
or mysterious about death.
肉体能够以各种方式
The body is able to function
维持运作
in a variety of ways.
当某些低等的生物机能运作时
When some of those lower biological functions are occurring,
这个肉体就是活着的
the body's alive.
一切都很顺利的话
When all goes well,
这个肉体就可以具备
the body is also capable of engaging
运行其人体功能的高级指令的能力
in higher order personal P-functioning.
于是这就成为了一个人
And then you've got a person.
当肉体开始损坏
The body begins to break,
人体功能开始衰退
you get the loss of P-functioning.
到那时
At that point,
你就不再像一个人那样存在
you no longer exist as a person.
当肉体损坏得更厉害
When the body breaks some more,
你不再运行生物机能 或者说肉体机能
you get the loss of biological or B-functioning,
你就死了
and then the body dies.
死亡没什么特别神秘的
There's nothing especially mysterious about death,
虽然从科学角度来说
although there may be a lot of details
可能还有许多细节需要研究
to work out from a scientific point of view.
那么使生物机能运行的
What are the particular processes

特殊过程是什么呢
that underwrite biological functioning?
使人格机能或人体机能运行的
What are the particular processes
特殊过程是什么呢
that underwrite personality or person functioning?
不过
Still,
关于死亡的问题
there are a couple of claims about death
一向有着各种各样的说法
that get made frequently enough,
说死亡是这样那样得神秘
about death being mysterious in one way or another,
他们说死亡很特别的 独一无二
that I want--or special or unique--
我想要关注于这一点
that I want to focus on.
实际上 从物理主义者的观点来看
In effect, from the physicalist point of view,
尽管死亡是独一无二的
although death is unique
因为它是生命的各种机能
because it comes at the end
运行的终点
of this lifetime of various sorts of functions,
但也并没什么好困惑的
there's nothing especially puzzling,
没什么特别神秘的
nothing especially mysterious,
没什么特别不寻常
nothing especially unusual
或是难以理解的
or hard to grasp about it.
但仍有少数观点
But there are a handful of claims
是这么看待死亡的
that people make about death
他们认为
suggesting that they think,
并且他们觉得所有人都这么认为
and they think we all think,
认为死亡是神秘的 独一无二的
that death is mysterious or unique
或是难以理解的
or hard to comprehend.
我想检验一下其中几个观点
I want to examine a couple of these.
其中一个我准备晚点再说
{\c
万一今天说不完
if not later today,
那就下节课再说吧
then next lecture.
有时候人们说
Sometimes people say
我们孑然一身地死亡
that we die alone
或者每个人都是孑然一身地死亡
or everybody dies alone.
而这是某种
And this is something--
这是要表达某种
This is supposed to express some
对死亡的本质以及独特性
deep insight into the nature
的深刻领悟
and uniqueness of death.
所以就算我们可以一起吃饭
So although we're able to eat meals together,
可以一起度假
we're able to go on vacations together
还可以一起上课
and take classes together,
死亡却是我们必须独自经历的事情
death is something we all have to do by ourselves.
这是一种说法
That's the claim.
我们孑然一身地死亡
We all die alone.
我等会儿再来探讨这种说法
That's a claim I'll come back to.
我首先想深入研究的是
What I want to look at first
不知怎么地
is the suggestion that somehow,
在某些层面上
at some level,
根本没人愿意承认
nobody really believes
他们终究会死亡
they're going to die at all.
我们已经区分过
Now, having distinguished between
我们所说的肉体死亡
what we've called the death of the body
和人格死亡
and the death of the person,
而人到底会不会死亡
the question whether or not
便是一个需要弄

清的事情
you're going to die needs to be distinguished.
你是否相信你会死亡
The question whether or not you believe
也是需要弄清的
you're going to die needs to be distinguished.
如果有人说
If somebody says,
"你知道的 没人真得相信他们会死"
"You know, nobody really believes they're going to die,"
他们可能有两种意思
they could mean one of two things.
他们可能是指没人相信
They could mean nobody really believes
他们将不再作为人而存在
they're going to cease to exist as a person,
这是一种可能
first possibility.
第二种可能的意思是
Second possible claim,
没人真得相信
nobody really believes
他们会经历肉体死亡这件事
they're going to undergo the death of their bodies.
我们依次来考察一下
Let's take these in turn.
到底有没有理由让我们相信
Is there any good reason to believe
我们并不相信
that we don't believe
自己将不再作为人而存在呢
that we're going to cease to exist as a person?
我觉得 对于这种说法
Well, the most common argument for this claim
最常见的论据是这样的
I think takes the following form.
人们有时会说
People sometimes say,
既然不可能描绘出死后的世界
since it's impossible to picture being dead,
不可能描绘出死后的世界
it's impossible to picture being dead--,
意思就是说
That is to say,
你不可能说出你自己死了以后会怎么样
it's impossible to picture your own being dead.
我们每个人都要
Each one of us has to think
从第一人称的角度
about this from the first person perspective
或是类似的方式去思考
or something like that.
想一想你自己正在死去
Think about your dying,
你将死亡
your being dead--
既然根本不可能描绘
Since that's impossible to picture,
根本不可能想象
that's impossible to imagine,
所以没有人会相信
nobody believes in the possibility
他们有可能会死
that they're going to die,
有可能不复存在
that they're going to cease to exist.
这个观点的意思好像是说
The idea seems to be
你不能相信那些
that you can't believe in possibilities
你无法描绘或想象的东西
that you can't picture or imagine.
而这种假说
Now, that hypothesis,
这种命题 这种臆断
that thesis, that assumption,
并不是那么确定的
could be challenged.
我觉得也许我们不应该同意这种看法
I think probably we shouldn't believe the theory of belief
说什么要相信一件事情
which says that in order to believe in something,
你就得能把它描绘或想象出来吧(口误)
you've got to be able to picture it or imagine it.
但作为讨论基础 我们该感谢这种假说
But let's grant that assumption for the sake of argument.
我们假设要相信某件事
Let's suppose that in order to believe in something,
就得能把它们描绘出来
you've got to be able to pictur

e it.
然后呢
What then?
我们根据这个观点 要怎么得出
How do we get from there to the conclusion
我不相信我会死
that I can't believe that I'm going to die,
我不相信我将不复存在这个结论呢
I'm going to cease to exist as a person?
当然 这个观点
Well, the thought, of course,
主张的是我无法描绘或想象我的死亡
is I can't picture or imagine my death.
我无法描绘或想象出来我死了的样子
I can't picture or imagine my being dead.
在这里作一些区分是很重要的
It's important here to draw some distinctions.
我当然可以想象我生病的画面
I can certainly picture being ill.
我身患癌症躺在病床上 眼看要死了
There I am on my deathbed dying of cancer,
身体越来越虚弱
growing weaker and weaker.
也许我甚至还能描绘出
I can perhaps even picture
我死亡那一刻的情景
the moment of my death.
我对家人和朋友们说了再见
I've said goodbye to my family and friends.
一切都变得越来越灰暗模糊
I've the--Everything's growing greyer and dimmer.
意识越来越难以集中
It's growing harder and harder to concentrate.
然后 就没有下文了
And then, well, and then there is no "And more."
但是这种说法
The claim, however,
并不是指我不能描绘生病或将死的情形
is not that I can't picture being ill or dying.
而是指
The claim's got to be,
我不能描绘出死亡的样子
I can't picture being dead.
试试看好啦
Well, try it.
试着想象死掉的自己会怎么样
Try to picture being dead.
死掉是什么样的呢
What's it like to be dead?
有时人们称这是一个谜
Sometimes people claim it's a mystery.
我们不知道死掉会是什么样
We don't know what it's like to be dead,
因为每当我们试图想象的时候
because every time we try to imagine it,
我们都失败了
we fail.
我们做不到
We don't do a very good job.
我倾向于认为
I'm inclined to think
这样思考这个问题是很混乱的
that that way of thinking about the question is really confused.
你自己给自己设定目标
You set yourself the goal of trying to put yourself
想把你自己摆到一个
in the situation imaginatively
想象自己死亡的境地
of what it's like to be dead
于是我就从试着去除
So I start by trying to strip off
我明白我死后不会再具有
the parts of my conscious life
的意识生命开始
that I know I won't have when I'm dead.
我什么都听不见
I won't hear anything.
我什么都看不见
I won't see anything.
我什么都没法思考
I won't think anything.
你们可以试着想象
And you try to imagine
什么都不想
what it's like to not think
什么都感觉不到 不闻不见是什么样的
or feel or hear or see.
你做不到的
And you don't do a very good job of it.
所以你就干脆手一甩
So you throw your hands up
说"哦 我不知道那会怎么样
and you

say, "Oh, I guess I don't know what it's like.
那一定是很神秘的吧"
So it must be a mystery."
一点都不神秘
It's not a mystery at all.
假设我问
Suppose I ask,
"成为这个手机会怎么样"
"What's it like to be this cell phone?"
回答就是 "没什么怎么样"
The answer is, "It's not like anything,"
那不是说
where that doesn't mean
变成这个手机能如何如何
there's something that it's like to be a cell phone,
和变成别的东西有什么不一样
but different from being anything else.
所以说它没什么怎么样
{\c
这是一种感觉或者说体验的特殊方式
it's a special way of feeling or experiencing.
不是这样的
No.
手机并没有任何体验
Cell phones don't have any experience at all.
作为一个手机
There is nothing that it's like
没什么怎么样的
on the inside to be a cell phone.
想象我试着问自己
Imagine that I try to ask myself,
"如果我是我的圆珠笔会怎么样"
"What's it like to be my ball point pen?"
我试图想象
And I try to imagine,
首先
well, first,
想象自己变得非常非常硬
imagine being really, really stiff,
因为如果你是一支圆珠笔
because you're not flexible
你的身体就不能太软
when you're a ball point pen.
你不能动
You can't move.
想象一下 自己非常非常无聊
And imagine being really, really bored,
因为你根本不会有想法或是兴趣
because you don't have any thoughts or interests.
不 这样想象自己
No. That's completely the wrong way
变成一支圆珠笔
to go about thinking
是完全错误的
what it's like to be a ball point pen.
变成圆珠笔不会怎么样
There's nothing that it's like to be a ball point pen.
没什么好描述的 也没什么好想象的
There's nothing to describe, nothing to imagine.
变成一支圆珠笔是什么样
No mystery about
也没有什么神秘的
what it's like to be a ball point pen.
变成手机也没有任何神秘的
No mystery about what it's like to be cell phone.
同样地 我也要告诉你们
Well, similarly then, I put it to you,
死亡根本
there's no mystery about
就不神秘
what it's like to be dead.
它不会怎么样的
It isn't like anything.
我并不是说
What I don't mean,
"哦 死亡是如何如何的
"Oh, it's like something,
而不是怎样怎样的"
but different from everything else."
我的意思是 根本就没有可描述的东西
I mean, there is nothing there to describe.
当你死了
When you're dead,
没有什么事情
there's nothing happening
可以想象
on the inside to be imagined.
好了
Well,
那么我们是不是可以总结出
should we conclude therefore,
考虑到这个前提
given that we've got the premise,
"如果你不能描绘或想象出来
"If you can't picture it or imagine it,
你就不能相信它"
then you can't believe in it",
既然我刚说过 看 你不能想象死亡
since I've just said, l

ook, you can't imagine being dead,
但那不是因为想象力不足
but that's not due to any failure of imagination,
而是根本没什么好想象的
that's because there's nothing there to imagine or picture.
仍旧是根据这个前提
Still, granted the premise,
"如果你不能描绘出一件事物
"if you can't picture it or imagine it,
你就无法相信它"
you can't believe in it"
那么我们是否应该得出
Should we conclude,therefore, that you can't believe
你不能相信你会死亡这一结论呢
you're going to be dead?
不 我们不该得出这样的结论
No. We shouldn't conclude that.
毕竟
After all,
你的内心不仅不能描绘出
not only is it true that you can't picture from the inside
死亡是什么样的
what it's like to be dead,
你的内心也一样不能描绘出
you can't picture from the inside
一场无梦的睡眠是什么样的
what it's like to be in dreamless sleep.
一场无梦的睡眠没怎么样
There is nothing that it's like to be in dreamless sleep.
当你进入无梦的睡眠
When you're in dreamless sleep,
你也没有想象或体验任何事
you're not imagining or experiencing anything.
同样地 你也不可能去描绘出或想象
Similarly, it's not possible to picture or imagine
如果昏厥过去
what it's like to have fainted
进入完全无意识状态
and be completely unconscious
什么都感觉不到会怎么样
with nothing happening cognitively.
没什么好描绘或想象的
There's nothing to picture or imagine.
那么 我们是否应该得出
Well, should we conclude, therefore,
实际上没有人相信
so nobody really believes
他们会进入无梦睡眠这一结论呢
that they're ever in dreamless sleep?
那就太傻了
Well, that would be silly.
你当然是相信
Of course you believe
你有时候会一觉无梦
that at times you're in dreamless sleep.
我们是否应该说某些昏过去
Should we say of somebody who's fainted or know
或是知道他们自己会昏厥的人
that they're subject to fainting spells,
从来不相信他们真会昏厥过去呢
they never actually believe that they pass out?
那也太傻了
That would be silly.
他们当然相信自己会昏厥
Of course, they believe they pass out.
仅仅从他们
From the mere fact
内心无法描绘出这件事发生的事实
that they can't picture it from the inside,
并不能得出没有人相信
it doesn't follow that nobody believes
他们可能进入无梦睡眠状态这一结论
they're ever in dreamless sleep.
仅仅从他们内心无法描绘出
From the mere fact that they can't picture from the inside
昏厥过去不省人事会怎么样的事实
what it's like to have fainted and not yet woken up,
也不能推出没人相信
it doesn't mean that nobody believes
他们真会昏倒这一结论
that they ever faint.
仅仅从你内心无法描绘出
From the mere fact that you can't picture from the inside
死

亡会是什么样的事实
what it's like to be dead,
也不能推出
it doesn't follow
没有人相信他们会死亡这一结论
that nobody believes they're going to die.
但我不是一开始的时候
But didn't I start off
就感谢过那个
by saying I was going to grant
给出这个论点
the person who is making this argument
即 认为要相信某件事物
that in order to believe something,
你就得能够描绘出它的人吗
you've got to be able to picture it?
我不是刚说过
And haven't I just said,
"看 你无法描绘出你的死亡"吗
"Look, you can't picture being dead"?
我是不是要收回这句话了呢
So aren't I taking it back?
既然我说你可以相信你会死
Since I say you can believe you're going to die,
但你的内心又无法描绘出死亡
yet you can't picture it from the inside.
我是不是收回了
Haven't I taken back the assumption
要相信某件事物
that in order to believe it,
你就得能够描绘出它的论断呢
you've got to be able to picture it?
不是这样的
Not quite.
虽然我对这个说法表示怀疑
Although I am skeptical about that claim,
我还是要继续感谢
I am going to continue giving it to
那个给出这个论点的人
the person who makes this argument,
因为我还无法肯定
because I'm not so prepared to admit
你是不是无法描绘出死亡
that you can't picture being dead.
你可以描绘出死亡 没问题
You can picture being dead, all right.
你只是无法从内心去描绘出它
You just can't picture it from the inside.
但你可以从表象去描绘出它
You can picture it from the outside.
我很容易就能描绘出自己处于
I can picture being in
无梦的睡眠状态的样子
dreamless sleep quite easily.
我现在就在这么做
I'm doing it right now.
我脑中想的是我躺在床上睡着
I've got a little mental image of
并且没有做梦的画面
my body lying in bed asleep, dreamlessly.
我能够轻易想象自己正在昏迷
I can picture fainting,
或是已经昏过去了的样子
or having fainted, quite easily.
想象自己没有意识 平躺在地上
Picture my body lying on the ground unconscious.
我也可以很容易地想象自己死了
I can picture my being dead quite easily.
在脑中描绘出我的肉体被放在一口棺材中
It's a little mental picture of my body in a coffin.
肉体不再运行任何机能
No functioning occurring in my body.
所以 就算"只有描绘出来才能相信"
So even if it were true
这个观点是对的
that "Belief requires picturing",
就算你不能从内心
and even if were true
描绘出死亡是什么样
that you can't picture being dead from the inside,
也并不能推出你不能相信
it wouldn't follow that you can't believe
你会死的这个结论
you're going to die.
你只要从表象上描绘出来就行了
All you have to do is picture it from the outside.
这样就搞定了
We're

done.
所以我总结一下 你当然可以
So I conclude,of course you can
真的相信你会死
and do believe you're going to die.
但与此同时
But at this point,
提出这个论点的人也得到了可能的回答
the person making the argument has a possible response.
这是个非常普通的回答
And it's a quite common response.
他说 "看 我试着去想象这个世界
He says, "Look, I try to picture the world-
我承认只是从表象上
admittedly from the outside--
我试着去想象这个
I try to picture the world
没有我存在的世界
in which I don't exist,
我再也没有意识了
I'm no longer conscious.
我不再是一个人
I'm no longer a person,
不再对任何东西有感觉
no longer experiencing anything.
我试着想象那样一个世界
I try to picture that world.
比如说 我描绘出
I picture, for example,
看见我自己的葬礼
seeing my funeral.
而当我试着这么做的时候
And yet, when I try to do that,
我在观察它
I'm observing it.
我在观赏这场葬礼
I'm watching the funeral.
我看着这场葬礼
I'm seeing the funeral.
于是 我又在思考了
Consequently, I'm thinking.
所以我并没有真正想象出
So I haven't really imagined the world
这个我所不存在的世界
in which I no longer exist,
这个我死后的世界
a world in which I'm dead,
这个我根本没有思考或观察能力的世界
a world in which I'm incapable of thought and observation.
通过作为这场葬礼的观察者
I've smuggled myself back in
我把自己偷偷变回来了"
as the observer of the funeral."
每一次我试图描绘出自己死亡的样子
Every time I try to picture myself being dead,
我都把自己偷偷变回
I smuggle myself back in,
有意识的 存在的人
conscious and existing as a person,
并且 我从人格上来说还没死
hence, not dead as a person.
也许我的肉体
Maybe my body--
我想象自己的肉体已经消亡了
I'm imagining my body dead,
但我并不是想象我自己
but I'm not imagining myself,
我这个人 死亡了
the person, dead.
可以随之推出
From which it follows,
这个论点接下来说
the argument goes,
我并不是真的相信我会死
that I don't really believe I'll ever be dead.
因为当我试着想象一个我死掉的世界
Because when I try to imagine a world in which I'm dead,
我就变回了没死的状态
I smuggle myself back in.
很多地方都体现出这个论点
This argument shows up in various places.
我引用一个弗洛伊德的例子
Let me mention, let me quote one case of it, Freud.
弗洛伊德说
Freud says,
这是引自你们要读的
this is, I'm quoting from one of
一篇沃尔特·考夫曼的文章
the Walter Kaufman essays that you'll be reading,
沃尔特·考夫曼 德国物理学家
题目叫《死亡》 他引用了弗洛伊德的话
called "Death." He quotes Freud.
弗洛伊德说
Freud says,
毕

竟
After all,
一个人的死亡是超越想象的
one's own death is beyond imagining,
无论何时我们试着去想象它
and whenever we try to imagine it
我们都会发现我们像旁观者一样地活着
we can see that we really survive as spectators.
因此这一说法会受到精神分析学派的挑战
Thus, the dictum could be dared in the psychoanalytic school:
实际上
at bottom,
没有人相信他自己的死亡
nobody believes in his own death.
或者这么说也一样
Or, and this is the same:
在无意识的情况下
in his unconscious,
我们每个人都确信自己将永生
every one of us is convinced of his immortality.
好啦 这就是弗洛伊德的话
All right, there's Freud.
基本上 这就是我刚才
Basically, just running the argument
给你们讲过的那一套论证
I've just sketched for you.
当你试着想象自己死去
When you try to imagine your being dead,
你就把自己变回了旁观者
you smuggle yourself back in as a spectator.
于是弗洛伊德推出
And so, Freud concludes,
在某种程度上 我们没有人
at some level none of us
真正相信自己会死
really believes we're going to die.
我想说的是
I want to say,
我认为这个观点很可怕
I think that argument's a horrible argument.
你们中有多少人相信
How many of you believe that there are
尽管你不在场但会议还是照常进行的呢
meetings that take place without you?
假设你是某个俱乐部的成员
Suppose you're a member of some club
今天下午要开会
and there's a meeting this afternoon
你却不能到场
and you won't be there,
因为你要去一个别的地方
because you've got to be someplace else.
于是你问自己
So you ask yourself,
"我是否相信即使我不去
"Do I believe that meeting's going
这会议也照常举行呢"
to take place without me?"
乍一看
At first glance,
好像你是相信的
it looks like you do,
但弗洛伊德式的观点
but here's the Freudian argument
会说你并不相信
that shows you don't really.
试着想象一下
Try to imagine,
试着描绘出一场没有你参与的会议
try to picture that meeting without you.
而当你确确实实地描绘出它
Well, when you do picture it,
在你的脑海中就有了那个房间
there's that room in your mind's eye.
你想象出了
You've got a little picture of
或许人们围坐在桌子边
people sitting around the table perhaps,
谈论着你们俱乐部的事情
discussing the business of your club.
我又把自己变回了一个观察者
I've smuggled myself in as a spectator.
如果像你们一样
If, like you--,
我想我们大多数人
I think most of us
都会从房间的一角
picture these things up from a perspective
想象这些事情
in a corner of the room,
或是从墙壁上
up on the wall,
向下看 通过一只苍蝇的视角
looking down, kind of a fly's perspective.
我又把自己变回了一个

观察者
All right, I've smuggled myself in as a spectator.
我最终还是真切地站在房间里了
I'm actually in the room after all.
所以我并没有真正想象出没有我的会议
So I haven't really pictured the meeting taking place without me.
所以我猜我大概并不相信
So I guess I don't really believe
没有我在的话这场会议也会举行
the meeting's going to take place without me.
如果弗洛伊德的死亡观点
If Freud's argument for death,
也就是
that is to say,
我们没有人相信自己会死
none of us believe we're going to die,
这个观点是正确的话
was any good,
那么说我们没有人相信
the argument that none of us believe
即使我们不在 会议也会举行也是对的
meetings ever take place without us would have to work as well.
但那太傻了
But that's silly.
显然我们实际上都相信
It's clear that we all do believe in the possibility,
不止是一点点可能性
indeed, more than a mere possibility,
会议没有我们也照开不误
the actuality of meetings that occur without us.
即使当我想象那场会议的时候
Even though when I imagine that meeting,
从某种角度来说
I'm in some sense,
我还是把自己变回了观察者
smuggling myself in as an observer.
我认为由此可以推出
From which I think it follows that the mere fact
我把自己变回观察者这个事实
that I've smuggled myself in as an observer doesn't mean
并不意味着我不相信
that I don't really believe in the possibility
我是在脑中观察的可能性
that I'm observing in my mind's eye.
我可以相信某场会议正在举行
I can believe in the existence of a meeting that takes place,
即使当我描绘出那场会议的时候
even though I smuggle myself in as an observer
把自己变成了一个观察者
when I picture that meeting.
我相信我不存在于世界上的可能性
I can believe in the possibility of a world without me,
即使当我描绘出没有我的世界的时候
even though I smuggle myself in as an observer
把自己变成了一个观察者
when I picture that world without me.
弗洛伊德的错误就是 虽然我在批判他
Freud's mistake, and it's--although I'm picking on Freud,
其实不止弗洛伊德一个人
it's not only Freud
提出这种论点
that runs this sort of argument.
我们会时不时地碰到有人这么认为
One comes across it periodically.
去年
Within the last year,
我们学校法学院的一个人
a member of our law school here
就提出了这种观点
put forward this very argument
并且说他认为这种观点很有道理
and said he thought it was a good one.
所以说 人们觉得这种观点有道理
So people think the argument's a good one.
我却认为这是个糟糕的观点
It strikes me as it's got to be a bad one.
这里的困惑之处 我认为
The confusion, the mistake I think people are making
当人们这么说的时候

犯的错
when they make this argument,
我认为他们正在犯的错是
the mistake I think they're making is this.
问自己描绘出的内容是什么
It's one thing to ask yourself,
这是一件事
what's the content of the picture?
而问 当你看着你描绘出的内容时
It's another thing to ask,
你是否存在
when you look at the picture,
这是另一件事
are you existing?
你是从某种特定角度去描绘出的吗
Are you looking at the picture from a certain point of view?
假设我拿着一张海滩的照片
Suppose I hold up a photograph of a beach
上面一个人也没有
with nobody on it.
好了 难道我是在
All right, am I in that beach,
照片中的那个海滩上吗
as pictured in that photograph?
当然不是
Of course not.
但当我看它时
But as I look at it,
不管是真实地看着还是在脑海中想象
whether in reality or in my mind's eye,
我都是从一个角度去看它的
I'm looking at it from a perspective.
当我想到它的时候
As I think about it,
我从某种角度去看待这个海滩
I'm viewing the beach from a point of view
说不定正好就是在海滩上呢
which may well be on the beach,
如果有人画一幅海滩画的话
if somebody draws a painting of a beach.
但尽管如此
But for all that,
它们都不意味着描绘出这个海滩
that doesn't mean that within the picture of the beach,
我就必须得在海滩上
I'm in the beach.
看着一幅画
Looking at a picture
并不意味着你得在画里
doesn't mean you're in the picture.
从某种角度去观察一场会议
Viewing the meeting from a point of view,
并不意味着你得参加会议
doesn't mean you're in the meeting.
从某种角度去观察没有你的世界
Viewing the world without you from a point of view,
也并不意味着你得存在于世界上
doesn't mean you're in the world.
所以尽管的确如此
So although of course it's true,
当我想象种种没有我的可能性时
when I imagine these various possibilities without me,
我正在想着它们
I'm thinking about them.
正在观察它们
I'm observing them.
我是从某种特定角度
And I'm observing them from a particular perspective,
特定立场去观察它们的
from a particular standpoint.
即使是这样
For all that,
我也可以不在我所描绘出的那场景中
I'm not in the picture that I'm thinking about.
所以我认为弗洛伊德式的论证是错的
So I think the Freudian argument just fails.
现在 也许还有些理由
Now, maybe there's some other reason to believe
让我们相信"没人相信
the claim that nobody believes
他们真得会不复存在"这一说法
they will cease to exist.
但如果对此说法还有什么别的论证的话
But if there is another argument for that claim,
我倒非常乐意洗耳恭听
I'm eager to hear it,
因为这个说法 不管怎么看
because this argument, at any rate,
我觉得都是不成

功的
seems to me to be unsuccessful.
在一开始
Now, at the start,
我区分了两种
I distinguished two claims people
人们说"没人相信他们会死"时
might have in mind when they say,
可能有的想法
"Nobody believes they're going to die."
第一种是说
The first possibility was the claim was,
没有人相信他们会停止作为一个人而存在
nobody believes that they'll ever cease to exist as a person.
而我刚刚解释了为什么我认为
And I've just explained why
至少这个说法最常见的论据
at least the most familiar argument for that claim,
是不成功的
I think, doesn't work.
第二种可能的解读是
The second possible interpretation was this.
没有人相信他们的肉体会死亡
Nobody believes their body is going to die.
那就是指更为平常的死亡事件
That is, the more familiar humdrum event of death
你的肉体停止运作
where your body ceases functioning
最终变成一具尸体被埋葬 诸如此类
and you end up having a corpse that gets buried and so forth.
有时这两种解读都没有人相信
Sometimes it's suggested that nobody believes that either.
当然 我想通常情况下
Of course, often, I think,
人们会把这两个问题混为一谈
people run together these two questions.
当他们说你不相信你会死
When they say you don't believe you're going to die,
是说 你不相信你的肉体会死呢
do you mean, you don't believe your body's going to die?
还是你不相信
or you don't believe
你作为一个人会不复存在呢
you're going to cease to exist as a person?
可能当人们这样说的时候
Maybe when people make the claim,
并不清楚他们脑中想的是哪一个
it's not clear which of these things they've got in mind.
但至少我们得试着
But let's, at least,
去重点研究第二个问题
try to now focus on the second question.
到底是不是对的
Could it be true,
到底有没有理由让我们相信
is there any good reason to believe it is true,
没有人相信
that nobody believes
他们会经历肉体上的死亡呢
they're going to undergo bodily death?
毕竟 就算你相信
Now, after all, even if you believe that,
你的灵魂会上天堂
well, your soul will go to heaven
所以你作为人并不会消失
so you won't cease to exist as a person,
你可能还相信你的肉体是会死的
you might still believe that your body will die.
我们大多数人想必是相信肉体是会死的
Most of us presumably do believe our bodies will die.
至少我是这么认为的
At least, that's how it seems to me.
所以 虽然已经有人提出这一观点
So it's a bit odd to suggest,
这样说还是有点奇怪的
as it nonetheless does get suggested,
即在某种层面上
that no, no, at some level,
人们并不真正相信他们会死
people don't really believe they're going to die.
下面我来指出这种说法哪里奇怪
Let me point out just

how odd a claim that is.
因为人们的一切行为
Because people do all sorts of behaviors
都会变得非常非常难以理解
which become very, very hard to interpret
如果他们并不真正相信他们会死的话
if they don't really believe their bodies are going to die.
比如说 人们
People, for example,
会去买人寿保险 以便...
take out life insurance so that--
似乎该这么解释
well, here's what seems to be the explanation.
他们相信 他们很有可能
They believe that there's a decent chance
在某个特定时刻死亡
that they will die within a certain period of time.
于是 如果他们真的死了
And so, if that happens,
他们希望自己的孩子和家人能得到照顾
they want their children and family members to be cared for.
如果你并不真的相信你会死
If you didn't really believe you were going to die,
也就是经历肉体的死亡
that is undergo bodily death,
那你为什么要买人寿保险呢
why would you take out life insurance?
人们写遗嘱
People write wills.
"我死后 我的遗产要这么这么分配"
"Here's what you should do with my estate after I die."
如果你并不真的相信你的肉体会死
If you didn't really believe that your body was going to die,
你干吗还要写什么遗嘱呢
why would you ever bother writing a will?
既然很多人都写遗嘱
Since many people write wills,
很多人都买人寿保险
many people take out life insurance,
看来好像最自然的说法是
it seems as though the natural thing to suggest is that
很多 或者至少多数人
many, or at least perhaps most,
至少很多人相信他们会死
at least many people believe they're going to die.
我们为什么会那么想呢
Why would we think otherwise?
觉得自己不会死的原因
Well, the reason for thinking otherwise,
对于这一说法没那么彻底敌视的原因
the reason for not being utterly dismissive of this suggestion,
是当人们最终生病的时候
is that when people get ill, terminally ill,
人们经常会感到措手不及
it often seems to take them by surprise.
我让你们读过托尔斯泰的中篇小说
So I've been having you read Tolstoy's novella,
《伊万里奇之死》
The Death of Ivan Ilyich.
伊万里奇倒下了 他伤害了他自己
Ivan Ilyich falls, he hurts himself.
他的伤并没有好转
The injury doesn't get better.
他的情况越来越糟糕 最终他死了
He gets worse and worse and eventually it kills him.
令人惊奇的是
The astonishing thing
伊万里奇很震惊地
is that Ivan Ilyich is shocked
发现自己是会死的
to discover that he's mortal.
当然
And of course,
托尔斯泰想要让我们相信的是
what Tolstoy is trying to convince us of,
通过解释这种观点
what he's trying to argue,
试图证明的是
by illustrating the claim,
我认为 托尔斯泰想要说明的是
I take it, that Tolstoy is making, is that
我们

大多数人实际上就在伊万里奇的船上
most of us are actually in Ivan Ilyich's boat.
我们口头上说着
We give lip service to the claim
我们会死
that we're going to die,
但在某种层面上
but at some level,
我们并不相信这句话
we don't really believe it.
再次提醒大家注意
And notice again,
我只强调一下重点
just to emphasize the point,
相关的信仰缺失
the relevant lack of belief here
与肉体死亡是有关联的
has to do with the death of the body.
这也正是伊万里奇所质疑的
That's the thing that Ivan Ilyich is skeptical about.
他的肉体会死吗
Is his body going to die?
这么说来他是会死的吗
Is he mortal in that sense?
这件事突然让他
This is what takes him aback,
意识到他是会死的
to discover that he's mortal.
我们都知道
For all we know,
伊万里奇仍然相信灵魂是存在的
Ivan Ilyich still believes in souls,
相信他会上天堂什么的
believes he's going to go to heaven and so forth.
所以他并不是在疑惑
So it's not his death as a person
他作为一个人会死亡
that he's puzzled by.
他不是想到他是作为一个人死去
He may not think he's going to die as a person.
他惊讶的是他的肉体会死亡
It's his bodily death that surprises him,
他的肉体竟然不是永生的
his bodily mortality that surprises him.
托尔斯泰高度现实并且可信地
Tolstoy draws a highly realistic
刻画出了一个
and believable portrait of somebody
因发现自己会死而大为惊讶的人
who is surprised to discover that he's mortal.
正如他所描述的
As he puts it,
人们从亚里士多德的逻辑课那里
there's a famous syllogism
学到过一个著名的三段论
that people learn in their logic classes from Aristotle.
所有人都会死
All men are mortal.
苏格拉底是人
Socrates is a man,
所以苏格拉底会死
so Socrates is mortal.
伊万里奇说 "对对 我知道
Ivan Ilyich says, "Yes, yes, I knew that.
但那跟我有什么关系呢"
But what did that have to do with me?"
这可能有点不太合理
Well, it may be a kind of irrationality.
可能无法推导出这个逻辑
It may be a kind of failure to conduct the logic.
但我们并不是在问
But we're not asking,
不相信你的肉体会死
is it rational or irrational to not believe
到底是理性的还是非理性的
that your body's going to die,
我们只是希望
we're simply asking,
大家注意到这个事实 即有些人
noting the fact that, there do seem to be cases
会惊讶地发现
where people are surprised to discover
他们并不是永生的
that they're mortal.
尽管如此 请注意
Now, for all that, notice,
我假定伊万里奇是有遗嘱的
I presume that Ivan Ilyich had a will.
据我所知 他还买了人寿保险
And for all I know, Ivan Ilyich had life insurance.
于是我们现在在一个特殊的情境下
So we're in the p