249、⒀第四个是缺乏学习或工作的兴趣，这会造成情欲放荡。人被造是为了履行服务，因为这些服务包含良善与真理；而良善与真理的婚姻是创造的源头，也是婚姻之爱的源头，如有关该主题的那一章（第五章）所论述的那样。我们所说的学习或工作是指变得有用或投入服务的一种努力。因此，当人投入学习或工作，即履行某种服务时，其心智四周就用篱笆围起来，仿佛有一个圈子给它划定范围，它在其中逐步被排列成真正的人形。心智由此，犹如从自己的家中看到自己外面的各种欲望，并靠着健全的理性将它们驱逐出去，进而将淫欲的野蛮疯狂一并逐出。因此缘故，婚姻之热在这种人里面比在其他人里面持续得更好、时间也更长。
那些听任自己犯懒、无所事事之人正好相反。他们的心智没有围上篱笆，也没有划定范围；因此，像这样的人就把整个心智都打开了，任由从尘世和身体流入，并引诱他去爱它们的各种空洞、愚蠢和荒谬的念头进入。显然，此时婚姻之爱也被放逐了。因为懒惰和无所事事的后果就是头脑迟钝、身体麻木，整个人无力感受任何有生机的爱，尤其婚姻之爱。而婚姻之爱是源头，积极进取、充满活力的生命状态便由此，如从一个源泉那样不断涌出。然而，对这种人来说，他们在婚姻中所感受到的冷淡不同于其他人的；毫无疑问，这就是婚姻之爱的缺乏，不过，是由他们能力的丧失造成的。
249、（13）第四是缺乏共同的追求，而造成混乱。
人类生来是要对世界有用的，有益的工作中含有善和真理。善与真理的结合是创世者和婚姻之爱的源泉（见83节）。
这里所讲的是共同的追求或目标，是指努力做有益的活动。当人投身于有益的活动中时，人的思想就会好象是有围栏在保护，使人更成为人。就好象是人从窗户望出去，看到好多污秽的东西，但他能通过理性战胜它们，因此婚姻之爱的热量会持续得更长。
相反，若人整天懒散，他们的头脑则不会受到保护。人就会受到各种愚蠢行为的侵蚀。婚姻之爱也会渐渐被挤出去，当人的躯本处于懒散状态时，整个人就会对婚姻之爱感觉麻木。
这种人所感到的婚姻中的冷漠与其他人是不同的，这是一种婚姻之爱的缺乏或丧失。
249. (xiii) The fourth outward reason for coldness is the lack of interest in any study or business, which results in wandering desire.
Man was created to perform services, because these hold good and truth; and their marriage is the source of creation, and also of conjugial love, as was demonstrated in the chapter on this subject [V]. By any study or business we mean any way in which these can be applied to be service. So when a person devotes himself to any study or business, when, that is, he is performing a service, his mind is bounded and, as it were, has a circle drawn around it, within which it is by stages arranged to become a truly human form. From this, as from its home, it can see various desires outside itself, and is brought by soundness of reason to banish them, and as a result also the wild follies of scortatory lust. That is why in such people the warmth of marriage lasts better and longer than in others.
[2] The result for those who abandon themselves to sloth and idleness is the reverse. In their case the mind is unbounded and uncircumscribed, and so a person allows into it all the empty and absurd ideas emanating from the world and the body, and causes it to love them. It is obvious that then conjugial love too is sent into exile. For the result of sloth and idleness is a mental stupor and a bodily numbness, the whole personality becoming incapable of feeling any vital love, and above all, conjugial love. For this is the source from which industry and keenness in life pour forth. But coldness in marriage in their case is different from that in other cases; it is certainly being deprived of conjugial love, but as the result of their failure.
249. 13. Of these external reasons for coldness, a fourth is an absence of focus on any pursuit or business, resulting in promiscuous lust. Human beings were created to be useful, because useful service is the containing vessel of goodness and truth, and a marriage of good and truth is the origin both of creation and also of conjugial love (as we showed in its own chapter). 1
By pursuit or business we mean any effort to be useful. When as a result a person is engaged in some pursuit or business or other useful activity, his mind is fenced around and circumscribed as though with a circle, within whose bounds it is progressively ordered into truly human form. Then, from this vantage point, as though looking out from its house, it sees various impure passions lurking outside, and from the sanity of its reason within, banishes them, thus banishing as well the wild insanities of licentious lust. Because of this, conjugial warmth lasts better and longer in such people than it does in others.
[2] The contrary happens in the case of people who surrender themselves to laziness and sloth. Their mind is not fenced around or set within bounds; a person like that consequently throws open the whole of it and lets in every sort of nonsense and foolishness which flows in from the world and the body and draws him into a love of them. It is apparent that conjugial love is also then cast out and banished. For laziness and sloth dull the mind and numb the body, and the whole person becomes unresponsive to any vitalizing love - especially conjugial love, from which, as from a fountain, spring active and energetic states of life.
In such people, however, the coldness they feel in marriage is different from the same coldness in others. It is indeed an absence and loss of conjugial love, but from a failure of ability.
Footnotes:
1. See "The Origin of Conjugial Love from the Marriage between Good and Truth," nos. 83 ff.
249. 13. A fourth outward cause of coldness is failure to settle on any goal or career, which promotes a roving lust. People are created for useful activity because it is a container for good and truth. Creation and the love in marriage both come from the marriage of good and truth
(see the chapter on the origin of married love, nos. 83-102).
"Goal or career" means any work at something useful.
Therefore, while a person is at work on some study or business something useful - it keeps his mind within bounds like a circle, within which his mind gradually is pulled together into a truly human form. His mind can look out, as if from a house, at the different lures out there and use sane reason inside to keep them out. Therefore it also keeps out the bestial follies of lusting for fornication. This is why marital warmth lasts better and longer with men like this than with others.
It is just the opposite with those who give themselves up to laziness and idleness. Their minds are without restraint and dimensions, and a person like that lets all sorts of useless and silly things that are physical and worldly flood his whole mind, and he drifts into loving them. Clearly, that banishes the love of marriage, too, because laziness and idleness make the mind stupid and the body slack. The whole person becomes insensitive to every vital love - especially married love, which life's zest and cheer spring from as from a fountain. Marital coldness, however, is different in these people than in the others. It is indeed a lack of married love, but by default.
249. XIII. OF THE EXTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD, THE FOURTH IS LACK OF DETERMINATION TO ANY STUDY OR BUSINESS, WHENCE COMES WANDERING LUST. Man was created for use because use is the containant of good and truth, and from the marriage of these is creation and also conjugial love, as shown in the chapter on the Origin of Conjugial Love. By study and business is meant every application to uses; for while a man is in some study and business, that is, in some use, his mind is limited and circumscribed as by a circle, within which it is successively coordinated into a form truly human. From this as from a house he sees the various concupiscences as outside himself, and from sanity of reason within, banishes them and consequently banishes also the beastly insanities of scortatory lust. With such men, therefore, conjugial heat remains in greater fullness and for a longer period than with others.
[2] The contrary is the case with those who give themselves up to sloth and idleness. Their mind is unrestrained and unbounded, and the man then admits into the whole of his mind all manner of vain and frivolous things which flow in from the world and the body and carry him along into the love of them. That conjugial love also is then cast into exile is evident; for from sloth and idleness, the mind is rendered stupid and the body torpid, and the whole man becomes insensible to every vital love, especially to conjugial love, it being from this love as from a fountain that the activities and alacrities of life emanate. The conjugial cold with such men is, however, different from that cold with others. It is indeed the privation of conjugial love, but from defect.
249. (xiii) The fourth of the external causes of cold is no devotion to any pursuit or business, whence comes a wandering desire. The human being was created for uses, for use is the containant of good and truth, from the marriage of which is creation, and also marital love, as was shown in its chapter. By pursuit and business is meant any application to uses. For while a man is in any pursuit or business or in a use, his mind is limited and circumscribed as by a circle, inside which it is integrated stage by stage into a truly human form, from which as from home it sees various lusts outside itself, and from the sanity of reason within exterminates them and along with them the wild insanities of scortatory lust. As a result, marital warmth lasts better and longer with such than with others. The contrary happens with those who give themselves to inactivity and idleness; with them the mind is unrestrained and undetermined, and hence exposed to everything vain and trivial inflowing from the world or the body and sweeping one into love of world and self. Obviously, marital love is also sent into exile. For as a result of inactivity and idleness, the mind is benumbed, the body grows torpid, and the whole man becomes insensitive to every vital love, especially to marital love, from which as from a fountain emanate the activities and alacrities of life. Marital cold is different in such men from what it is in others; there is absence of marital love, it is true, but now from defect.
249. (13) The fourth of the external causes of cold is, no determination to any pursuit or business whence comes wandering lust. Man was created for use, because use is the containant of good and truth, from the marriage of which is creation, and also conjugial love, as has been shown in its own chapter. By pursuit and business are meant every application to use; for while a man is in some pursuit and business, or is in use, his mind is limited and circumscribed - as by a circle within which it is successively coordinated into a form that is truly human; within which, as from home, he sees the various concupiscences outside of himself, and from sanity of reason within exterminates them, and consequently also the wild insanities of scortatory lust. Hence it comes to pass that with them conjugial heat lasts better and longer than with others. The contrary happens to those who give themselves up to idleness and ease; their mind is unrestrained and indeterminate, and therefore, the man (Latin: homo) admits to the whole of it every vain and frivolous conceit that flows in from the world and from the body, and it bears him along into the love of them. That then also conjugial love is cast into exile is evident; for by idleness and sloth the mind is rendered stupid and the body torpid, and the whole man becomes insensible to every vital love, especially to conjugial love, from which as from a fountain go forth the activities and alacrities of life. But conjugial cold with them is different from that cold with others. It is indeed the privation of conjugial love, but from deficiency.
249. XIII: Causarum externarum frigoris 1Quarta, est nulla determinatio ad aliquod studium aut negotium, ex qua cupiditas vaga. Homo creatus est ad usus, quia usus est continens boni et veri, ex quorum conjugio est creatio, et quoque amor conjugialis, ut in suo Capite ostensum est. Per studium et negotium intelligitur omnis applicatio ad usus; dum itaque homo in aliquo studio et negotio, seu in usu est, tunc mens ejus limitatur et circumscribitur sicut circulo, intra quem illa successive coordinatur in formam vere humanam, ex qua sicut ex domo videt varias concupiscentias extra se, et ex sanitate rationis intra exterminat illas, consequenter etiam feras libidinis scortatoriae insanias; inde est quod calor conjugialis apud illos satius et diutius, quam apud alios permaneat.
[2] Contrarium evenit illis, qui se ignaviae et otio dedunt; horum mens illimitata et interminata est, et inde homo in illam totam admittit omne vanum et ludicrum, quod e mundo et e corpore influit, et fert in amorem illorum; quod tunc etiam amor conjugialis in exilium ejiciatur, patet; ex ignavia enim et otio stupet mens, et torpet corpus, et totus homo fit insensibilis ad omnem amorem vitalem, imprimis ad amorem conjugialem, a quo ut a fonte impigritates et alacritates vitae emanant. Frigus autem conjugiale apud hos est diversum a frigore illo apud alios; est quidem privatio amoris conjugialis, sed ex defectu.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: faigoris