"I mean: we have to maintain our authority over our emotions. Only with great care, fairness and experience can we remain masters of our senses. He who is violent with himself will fail. It's a wild herd, a herd of senses. They fight man with every weapon, like catch-as-catch-can wrestlers, respecting no rules of the game, kicking, pinching and biting. There is something both fearful and magnificent in their rebellion. Man lives as long as he has passions. But passions can be educated. Selfishness, lust, carnal hunger and thirst can be humanized. Greed can be transformed into a useful human will. Just as wind, fire, and light can be tamed into useful forces fit for human service - even if they are so powerful in the world, whipping the sea and burning forests and cities, man is stronger! -, so may the forces and passions be restrained which pervade the human body, and rule our hearts and nerves. These wild forces can be trained for human service. To do this, it takes a great deal of experience, a great deal of sorrow, a great deal of will and superhuman strength.
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Author
Márai SándorAll Translations
All Translations
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I mean: we have to maintain our authority over our emotions. Only with great care, fairness and experience can we remain masters of our senses. He who is violent with himself will fail. It's a wild herd, a herd of senses. They fight man with every weapon, like catch-as-catch-can wrestlers, respecting no rules of the game, kicking, pinching and biting. There is something both fearful and magnificent in their rebellion. Man lives as long as he has passions. But passions can be educated. Selfishness, lust, carnal hunger and thirst can be humanized. Greed can be transformed into a useful human will. Just as wind, fire, and light can be tamed into useful forces fit for human service - even if they are so powerful in the world, whipping the sea and burning forests and cities, man is stronger! -, so may the forces and passions be restrained which pervade the human body, and rule our hearts and nerves. These wild forces can be trained for human service. To do this, it takes a great deal of experience, a great deal of sorrow, a great deal of will and superhuman strength.
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Úgy értem: meg kell őrizni érzékeinkkel szemben is rangunkat. Csak nagy figyelemmel, méltányossággal és tapasztalattal maradhatunk érzékeink mesterei. Aki erőszakos önmagával szemben, elbukik. Vad horda ez, az érzékek hada. Minden fegyverrel küzdenek az ember ellen, mint a kecseszkecskenbirkózók *, nem tisztelnek semmiféle játékszabályt, rúgnak, csípnek és harapnak. Van valami félelmes és nagyszerű is lázadásukban. Az ember addig él, amíg szenvedélyei vannak. De a szenvedélyeket lehet nevelni. Az önzést, a kéjvágyat, a testi éhséget és szomjúságot lehet emberivé varázsolni. A mohóságot át lehet alakítani hasznos emberi akarattá. Mint ahogy a szélből, a tűzből, a fényből hasznos, emberi szolgálatra alkalmas erőket lehet szelídíteni – ha még oly hatalmasok is a világban, korbácsolják a tengert és felgyújtják az erdőket és városokat, az ember erősebb! –, úgy meg lehet fékezni az erőket és indulatokat, melyek átjárják az emberi testet, uralkodnak szívünk és idegeink fölött. Emberi szolgálatra lehet nevelni e vad erőket. Ehhez nagyon sok tapasztalás, sok szomorúság, sok akarat és emberfeletti erő kell.
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Adică: trebuie să ne menținem autoritatea asupra emoțiilor noastre. Numai cu multă grijă, corectitudine și experiență putem rămâne stăpânii simțurilor noastre. Cel care este violent cu sine însuși va eșua. Este o turmă sălbatică, o armată a simțurilor. Se luptă cu omul cu orice armă, ca niște luptători de catch-as-catch-can, nerespectând nicio regulă a jocului, lovind, ciupind și mușcând. Rebeliunea lor are ceva deopotrivă înfricoșător și magnific. Omul trăiește atâta timp cât are pasiuni. Dar pasiunile pot fi educate. Egoismul, pofta, foamea și setea carnală pot fi umanizate. Lăcomia poate fi transformată într-o voință umană utilă. Așa cum vântul, focul, lumina pot fi îmblânzite în forțe utile, potrivite pentru serviciul uman - chiar dacă sunt atât de puternice în lume, biciuind marea și arzând pădurile și orașele, omul este mai puternic! -, la fel pot fi stăpânite forțele și pasiunile care pătrund în corpul uman și ne stăpânesc inimile și nervii. Aceste forțe sălbatice pot fi antrenate în slujba omului. Pentru a face acest lucru, este nevoie de multă experiență, multă suferință, multă voință și o forță supraomenească.
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