为什么我们都应该拥抱“无所事事”的甜蜜艺术?

为什么我们都应该拥抱“无所事事”的甜蜜艺术?

A very long time ago, someone without any friends, who people crossed the street to avoid and probably worked himself to death said, "The devil makes work for idle hands to do."

很久很久以前，有一个没有朋友的人，人们为了躲避他而穿过马路，他很可能工作到死，他说:“魔鬼为游手好闲的人干活。”

And, unfortunately, for many of us, those words stuck. And so sloth became a deadly sin. If we can't be busy all the time, at least, let's make it appear that way so the devil doesn't get any ideas.

不幸的是，对我们许多人来说，这句话仍然适用。所以懒惰成了一种致命的罪。如果我们不能一直很忙，至少，让我们让它看起来像这样，这样魔鬼就不会有任何想法。

If you're looking to embrace la dolce far niente, a good solid tree could have your back. (Photo: frankie's/Shutterstock)

But then there's the Italian philosophy of dolce far niente. It literally means the sweetness of doing nothing. It was most famously articulated by a man sitting, appropriately enough, at an Italian barbershop in the movie "Eat, Pray Love."

但还有dolce far niente的意大利哲学。字面意思是什么都不做的甜蜜。在电影《美食、祈祷与爱》(Eat, Pray Love)中，一名男子恰如其分地坐在一家意大利理发店里，说出了这句话。

From barbershop chairs to font porches to public terrazas, Italians have been living la dolce far niente for centuries. And so far, the devil hasn't shown up.

从理发店的椅子到字型门廊再到公共的特拉扎斯，几个世纪以来，意大利人一直生活在遥远的尼恩特。到目前为止，魔鬼还没有出现。

Rather, the philosophy embraces easy moments: Take the dog for a slow walk. Let her lead the way. Find a nice perch — a park bench or a patio — and look at all the people passing by.

相反，这一理念包含了简单的时刻:带着狗狗慢慢地走一走。让她带路吧。找一个不错的落脚点——公园长椅或露台——看看所有经过的人。

If you're one of those people who need structure, even in leisure, there are precious few guidelines on getting started.

如果你是那种需要结构的人，即使在休闲的时候，也很少有宝贵的指导方针。

For one thing — and in a society that starts staring at screens early in life, this might seem like work at first — unplugging is essential. Banish the beeps, buzzes and all the pretty lights of your online self. No Facebook. No news sites. No reading this … unless it's on a printed page.

首先，在一个很早就开始盯着屏幕的社会里，这乍一看可能像是工作，拔掉插头是必要的。消除网络上的哔哔声、蜂鸣声和所有美丽的光芒。没有Facebook。没有新闻网站。不要读这个…除非它在印刷的纸上。

Another thing? Don't fret the time you spend out of the matrix.

另一件事吗?不要担心你花在矩阵之外的时间。

A park bench with a friend who doesn't talk too much is also a good way to practice the art of doing nothing. (Photo: takayuki/Shutterstock)

With screens off, chores skipped and worries about tomorrow gone, you might be surprised by all that extra space in the day — and how naturally nothing activities ooze in to fill those gaps.

随着屏幕的关闭、家务的跳过和对明天的担忧的消失，你可能会惊讶于一天中有那么多额外的空间——自然没有任何活动可以填补这些空白。

"What if instead of saving up seven vacation days out of 365 to finally enjoy life, you spread those out in hours among each day?" Long asks. "What if you didn't look at Saturday/Sunday as your only day to cut loose and chill out?

“如果你不是把365天中的7天用来享受生活，而是把它们分散在每天的几个小时里，那会怎么样?”“如果你不把周六/周日看作是你放松和休闲的唯一一天呢?”

"Maybe you sit and read a book. Maybe you stare out the window or balcony and listen to your favorite musician. Maybe you learn how to whistle … What can you do today to begin doing nothing?"

“也许你坐下来读一本书。也许你凝视着窗外或阳台，听着你最喜欢的音乐家的音乐。也许你学会了吹口哨……今天你能做些什么来开始无所事事呢?”

Those are big, important questions worth pondering. If only you were in a pondering mood. But let's embrace la dolce far niente — and take a nap instead.

这些都是值得思考的重大问题。要是你在沉思就好了。不过，让我们拥抱《甜蜜的天使》，还是睡个午觉吧。