Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does no

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问题     Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead. One’s thoughts must be directed to the future, and to things about which there is something to be done. This is not always easy; one’s own past is a gradually increasing weight. It is easy to think to oneself that one’s emotions used to be more vivid than they are and one’s mind more keen. If this is true it should be forgotten, and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.
    The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are unusually callous. I do not mean that one should be without interest in them, but one’s interest should be contemplative and, if possible, philanthropic, but not unduly emotional. Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves, but human beings, owing to the length of infancy, find this difficult.
    I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interest involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grownup children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education. And you must realize that you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.
    Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. But I think for an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interest gradually more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like river—small at first, gradually grows, wider, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who in old age can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.
In what manner will the youth consider the elderly?

选项 A、They will always find the companionship of the elderly ungrateful.
B、They look up to the elderly and admire the elderly.
C、The companionship of persons of their own age is an onerous burden.
D、They always ask for material services from their parents.

答案A

解析 第二段第二句指出孩子们长大后,就会想要过自己的生活,如果父母还像孩子们小的时候那样对他们兴趣不减,那么除非孩子们极其麻木不仁,否则父母极有可能成为孩子们的负担。因此A项“他们通常会不太喜欢年长者的陪伴”为关于年轻人对于年长者的正确态度。该项中ungrateful相当于disagreeable,指“讨厌的;不受欢迎的”。
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