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This is a philosopher who helps us think about money, capitalism, and our runaway consumer societies
这位哲学家能帮助我们思考金钱、资本主义、消费社会
Epicurus was an Ancient Greek born in 341 BC.
伊比鸠鲁，古希腊人，生于西元前341年
What made him famous was that he spent all his life trying to work out the largest puzzle there is: what makes people happy?
他最有名的，是花了一辈子的时间研究一个问题：什么事物能让人真正快乐?
Philosophers before him had discussed at length what could make people good
在此之前，哲学家普遍专注研究 "善" (Good)
Epicurus preferred to look at what is fun
伊比鸠鲁却认真探讨 "什麽是有趣的、快乐的"
Unfortunately, the world was bitter and bitchy
不幸的是，这世界从古希腊时期就充满挖苦和恶意
even then and when people heard that Epicurus had set up a school to study happiness the rumors went off the scale
当人们听到伊比鸠鲁创办了一所 "学习快乐" 的学校时，流言传得满城风雨
There were tales that the school hosted ten course feasts, and orgies every night
甚至有谣传说，这学校举办丰盛的酒席、夜夜笙歌
Epicurus was said, by one critic, to have orgasmed 18 times in a single evening in a bed full of virgins
有人还批评伊比鸠鲁在满是处女的床上一晚高潮了18次!
It wasn't true. Epicurus and his team were studying happiness, but they were doing it very soberly
这当然不是真的。伊比鸠鲁和他的友人，是以一种严肃的态度在研究快乐
The philosopher owned only two cloaks, and lived on bread, olives, and for a treat, an occasional slice of cheese
这位哲学家只有两件斗篷，赖以维生的是麵包、橄榄、 和请客时偶尔才有的起司
As for the bedroom, he merely responded demurely that he'd married philosophy
至于卧室，他端庄地回应说，他宁愿与哲学共结连理。
Having patiently studied happiness for many years
在多年来耐心地研究快乐之后，
Epicurus came to a set of remarkable and revolutionary conclusions about what we actually need to be happy
伊比鸠鲁对于 "快乐生活真正需要哪些事物? " 提出了一组不同凡响的答案。
He proposed that we typically make 3 mistakes when thinking about happiness:
他首先指出，人们思考 "快乐" 时，通常犯了3个错误：
Firstly, we think happiness means having romantic, sexual relationships
1. 我们以为快乐是拥有浪漫美好的性关系
but Epicurus looked around and saw so many unhappy couples
但伊比鸠鲁环顾四周，看到了太多不快乐的情侣
their unions marred by jealousy, misunderstanding, cheating, and bitterness
他们的结合被嫉妒、误解、背叛、痛苦所破坏
at the same time, he observed how much nicer friendships are:
同时，他却观察到"友谊"相较之下美好多了：
How people tend to be so decent and unpossessive with their friends
和朋友在一起时，人们更容易举止合宜、大方无私
Friendship seemed to be where human nature was at its sweetest
友谊，似乎是人性最甜美的时刻
The only problem Epicurus noted was that we don't see our friends enough
他认为唯一的问题只有：我们与朋友相处的时间不够
The next thing we ordinary think that we need to be happy is a lot of money
2. 另一个普遍的想法是，我们需要非常多钱才会快乐
but we tend not properly to factually the unbelievable sacraficies we gotta have to make to get this money:
但我们通常未能适当地认清事实， 那就是要做出多大的牺牲才能换得这些财富：
The jealousy, the backbiting, the long hours
那些嫉妒、诽谤、以及大量的时间。
What makes work really satisfying, Epicurus believed, isn't money
伊比鸠鲁相信，工作真正让人感到满足的原因，不是钱
but it was able to work alone, or in small groups, like in a bakery, or boat repair shop
而是当我们能独立工作、或是在小群体中工作， 比如在麵包店、修船厂
and when we feel we helping others in our own, minor way improving the world
以及当我们感受到自己正在帮助他人，用我们自己微薄的方式改善这个世界。
Isn't really large sums or status that we want deep down
我们内心真正想要的，并不是大量的收入或很高的地位，
Its a sense of making a diference
而是一种 "让世界有所不同" 的成就感。
And lastely, Epicurus observes how obsessive we are with luxury
3. 最后一点，伊比鸠鲁观察到人们有多沉迷于奢华
especially involving houses and beautiful serene locations
尤其是豪宅与美景
but beneath our love of luxury there is really something else we trying to get out
但在喜爱奢华的背后，其实是另一个我们渴求的事物：
What we want is a feeling of calm. We want our minds pure, free...
我们真正想要的，是感受到内心的平静。我们希望我们的心灵纯净、自由，
Not full of the normal boredom and chaos
而不是充斥著日常的无聊与混乱。
But the great question is: Does luxury actually make us calm?
然而最大的问题在于：奢华真的能为我们带来平静吗?
Epicurus wasn't so sure...
这伊比鸠鲁就不确定了
Having looked happiness in depth
在深入检视 "快乐" 之后，
Epicurus anounces a revolution reset of insights
伊比鸠鲁发表了革命性的洞见：
That we really need only three things to be happy in this life
想拥有快乐生活，我们真正需要的只有3件事。
Firstly, You need your friends around
1. 你需要有朋友在身边
No sex, no orgy, just your mates
不需要性、不需要狂欢，只需要你的好朋友。
Enough of seen them only now and then, its regularity of contact that counts
不只是偶尔与朋友见见面，而要是频繁、定期的联系才算。
So he did that thing that most of us ocasionally dream of doing, but never actualy get around do
所以伊比鸠鲁做了一件我们也许都曾梦想这麽做、但从没真正实行过的事，
He bought a big house and start living with all his friends
他买了一栋大房子，开始与他的朋友们一起生活。
Everyone had your own quarters and there was pleasant share areas too
每个人都有属于自己的房间，但也有愉快的公共空间
There's always someone nice to talk to you in the kitchen
厨房裡总是有好朋友能与你聊天
Secondly, everyone downshifted
2. 每个人在工作上降低一个层级
All the members of the comune stop working for other people
和伊比鸠鲁同住的朋友们全都不再为他人工作，
They took big pay cuts in return for doing their own stuff
虽然薪水大减，但换得的是只需为自己工作。
some farming, some cooking, some potring or writing
有些人耕种、有些人下厨、有些人绘画、有些人写作
And thirdly, Epicurus and his friends stop thinking you could be calm just by having a beautiful view to look out to
3. 伊比鸠鲁和朋友都不再认为欣赏美景就能带来平静，
They devote themselfes to finding calm in their own minds
他们致力于从自己的思想中寻求平静，
To spending time on their own, reflecting, writing stuff down, reading things, meditating
花时间独处、反思、写作、读书、沉思。
The experiment was so successful, the members of the comune so happy
这个实验非常成功，伊比鸠鲁和朋友们都过得非常快乐
the idea spread like wildfire
因此这个想法如火如荼地传开了。
Epicurean communities open up all around the mediterranean
地中海一带有许多人建立起伊比鸠鲁式的社群，
at height of the movement, there was four hundred thousand people living in comunes from Spain to Palestine
在全盛时期，从西班牙到巴勒斯坦，共有40万人住在这样的社群里!
It was only the christian church that ending things in the fifth century
直到基督教会在五世纪兴起，这些社群才逐渐没落
But in most of the respect to the community somehow, cause they converted all in to monasteries
但基督教也多少反映了伊比鸠鲁式社群的概念，因为他们只不过转换成了修道院，
what we know as monasteries are really just epicurean comunes with a christian top soil
我们所知的修道院，其实就是伊比鸠鲁式的社群、再加上基督信仰。
Another interesting fact: Karl Marx it's Ph.D thesis on Epicurus
另外一个有趣的事实是： 卡尔·马克思的博士论文主题也是伊比鸠鲁。
and what we call communism, a gigantic failed system
而我们称之为共产主义的那个庞大而失败的体系，
it's really a grown up, corrupted, not very successful version of epicureanism
其实是伊比鸠鲁主义放大、但腐败而不太成功的变形。
The real Legacy of Epicurus is that human beings aren't very good make themselves happy
伊比鸠鲁影响后世最深的，是人类并不擅于让自己快乐
especially because they think it's so easy
就只是因为人们以为快乐太简单了，
We think we know, it's about sex, money, luxury
我们自以为了解快乐是性、金钱、奢华，
We just want to how to secure all this, but no, says Epicurus
而只想知道如何保有这些东西；但伊比鸠鲁说：大错特错。
Reflect on the moments that truly bring you happiness and they are to do with this
认真反思那些真正带来快乐的时刻，其实与性、金钱、奢华毫无关联。
Have the courage to change your life, in accordance with the moments that actually delivery satisfaction
勇敢地依那些真正带来满足感的时刻、改变自己的生活
You might end up living in a very different way
你也许终究会以一种很不一样的方式生活
Out in the country with just some cheese, a couple of clothes, a few philosophy books and some very good friends down the corridor
住在乡村，只有少许起司、几件衣服、几本哲学书以及一些非常要好的朋友，总在楼下大厅等你。
