生活的艺术

林语堂(1895-1976)福建龙溪人。原名和乐，后改玉堂，又改语堂。1912年入上海圣约翰大学，毕业后在清华大学任教。1919年秋赴美哈佛大学文学系。1922年获义学硕士学位。同年转赴德国入莱比锡大学，专攻语言学。1923年获博士学位后回国，任北京大学教授、北京女子师范大学教务长和英文系主任。1924年后为《语丝》主要撰稿人之一。1926午到厦门大学任文学院长。1927年任外交部秘书。l932年主编《论语》半月刊。1934年创办《人间世》，1935年刨办《宇宙风》，提倡“以自我为中心，以闲适为格调”的小品文。1935年后，在美国用英文写《吾国与吾民》、《京华烟云》、《风声鹤唳》等文化著作和长篇小说。1944年曾一度回国到重庆讲学。1945年赴新加坡筹建南洋火学，任校长。1952年在美国与人创办“天风》杂志。1966年定居台湾。1967年受聘为香港中文大学研究教授。1975年被推举为国际笔会副会长。1976年在香港逝世。

《生活的艺术》是林语堂旅美专事创作后的第一部书，也是他继《吾国与吾民》之后再获成功的又一英文作品。该书于1937年在美国出版，次年便居美国畅销书排行榜榜首达52周，且接连再版四十余次，并译成十余种外国文字。

FORWARDPREFACEChapter One THE AWAKENING I.APPROACH TO LIFE II.A PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC FORMULA III.THE SCAMP AS IDEALChapter Two VIEWS OF MANKIND I.CHRISTIAN, GREEK AND CHINESE II.EARTH-BOUND III.A BIOLOGICAL VIEW IV.HUMAN LIFE A POEMChapter Three OUR ANIMAL HERITAGE I.THE MONKEY EPIC II.IN THE IMAGE OF THE MONKEY III.ON BEING MORTAL IV.ON HAVING A STOMACH V.ON HAVING STRONG MUSCLES VI.ON HAVING A MINDChapter Four ON BEING HUMAN I.ON HUMAN DIGNITY II.ON PLAYFUL CURIOSITY: THE RISE OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION III.ON DREAMS IV.ON THE SENSE OF HUMOUR V.ON BEING WAYWARD AND INCALCULABLE VI.THE DOCTRINE OF THE INDIVIDUALChapter Five WHO CAN BEST ENJOY LIFE？ I.FIND THYSELF: CHUANGTSE II.PASSION, WISDOM AND COURAGE: MENCIUS III.CYNICISM, FOLLY AND CAMOUFLAGE: LAOTSE IV."PHILOSOPHY OF HALF-AND-HALF": TSESSE V.A LOVER OF LIFE: T'AO YUANMINGChapter Six THE FEAST OF LIFE I.THE PROBLEM OF HAPPINESS II.HUMAN HAPPINESS IS SENSUOUS III.CHIN'S THIRTY-THREE HAPPY MOMENTS IV.MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF MATERIALISM V.HOW ABOUT MENTAL PLEASURES?Chapter Seven THE IMPORTANCE OF LOAFING I.MAN THE ONLY WORKING ANIMAL II.THE CHINESE THEORY OF LEISURE III.THE CULT OF THE IDLE LIFE IV.THIS EARTH THE ONLY HEAVEN V.WHAT IS LUCK? VI THREE AMERICAN VICESChapter Eight THE ENJOYMENT OF THE HOME I ON GETTING BIOLOGICAL II.CELIBACY A FREAK OF CIVILIZATION III.ON SEX APPEAL IV.THE CHINESE FAMILY IDEAL V.ON GROWING OLD GRACEFULLYChapter Nine THE ENJOYMENT OF LMNG I.ON LYING IN BED II.ON SITTING IN CHAIRS IIl.ON CONVERSATION o IV.ON TEA AND FRIENDSHIP V.ON SMOKE AND INCENSE VI.ON DRINK AND WINE GAMES VII.ON FOOD AND MEDICINE VIII.SOME CURIOUS WESTERN CUSTOMS IX.THE INHUMANITY OF WESTERN DRESS X.ON HOUSE AND iNTERIORSChapter Ten THE ENJOYMENT OF NATURE I.PARADISE LOST? II.ON BIGNESS III.TWO CHINESE LADIES IV.ON ROCKS AND TREES V.ON FLOWERS AND FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS VI.THE "VASE FLOWERS" OF YUAN CHUNGLANG VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AOChapter Eleven THE ENJOYMENT OF TRAVEL I.ON GOING ABOUT AND SEEING THINGS II."THE TRAVELS OF MINGLIAOTSE"Chapter Twelve THE ENJOYMENT OF CULTURE I.GOOD TASTE IN KNOWLEDGE II.ART AS PLAY AND PERSONALITY III.THE ART OF READING IV.THE ART OF WRITINGChapter Thirteen RELATIONSHIP TO GOD I.THE RESTORATION OF RELIGION II.WHY I AMA PAGANChapter Fourteen THE ART OF THINKING I.TIlE NEED OF HUMANIZED THINKING II.THE RETURN TO COMMON SENSE III.BE REASONABLECERTAIN CHINESE NAMESA CHINESE CRITICAL VOCABULARYWADE-GILES TO PINY1N CONVERSION TABLEWORKS IN ENGLISH BY LIN YUTANG