58、他们以长时间地制作膳食为快乐，倒不是因为他们喜爱食物，而是因为享受那时的交谈。坐下吃饭的时候，他们不是坐在椅子或长凳上，或长满青草的河岸上，也不是坐在青草地上，而是坐在一种树的叶子上。他们不肯告诉我是哪种树的叶子；但我猜了猜，提到几种树名，当我提到无花果叶时，他们最终说，是的。他们还说，他们预备食物不是为使它美味，而是更关注食物的用处，并补充说，有用的食物对他们来说是美味的。
关于这个话题，灵人当中有一次讨论，他们说，这种做法适合人类，因为他们衷心渴望拥有一个在健康身体中的健康心灵。但那些以味觉为主导的人则不然。因此，这使得他们身体患病，或至少内在倦怠，因而他们的心灵也倦怠。心灵的行为取决于身体接受器官的内在状态，正如视觉和听觉取决于眼睛和耳朵的状态。因此，以奢侈和享乐为一生的全部快乐是疯狂的。在诸如需要思维和判断那类事上的迟钝和在诸如涉及身体和世界那类事上的精明也由此而来。这导致人类变得像动物，这种人自比动物并没有错。
58. They enjoy taking their time at meals, not so much because they enjoy the food but because they enjoy the conversation that goes with it.
When they sit at table they do not sit on stools or benches or on raised grassy banks or on the grass but on the leaves from a particular tree. They were reluctant to say what kind of tree the leaves were from, but when I kept guessing and eventually mentioned fig leaves, they said yes. 1
They said further that they do not prepare their food to suit their taste, but primarily for its benefit; in any case, they said, to them any food that is beneficial tastes good.
[2] There was a discussion of this among some spirits, and they said that this is right and proper for people because it shows that they are at heart concerned to have a sound mind in a sound body. 2It is different for people for whom the taste of their food takes precedence. This approach makes the body sicken or at least weaken inwardly; and therefore the mind does too, since its functioning is affected by the inner condition of the parts of our body that receive our mind, just as our sight and hearing depend on the condition of our eyes and ears. Therefore it is a form of insanity to believe that all the joy in life is to be found in luxury and self-gratification. This attitude leads us to be skillful in matters that concern the body and the world but stupid in matters that require thought and judgment. This is the origin of the view that people are just like brute animals-and people who think this way even compare themselves to animals, not inappropriately. 3
Footnotes:
1. Swedenborg often identifies fig trees and leaves with the goodness belonging to the outer, earthly, or material person, and that application seems appropriate for the simple people described here. On this meaning of fig leaves, see, for example, Secrets of Heaven 9960:20, which contains further references. [SS]
2. On the proverb about a sound mind in a sound body, see note 1 in New Jerusalem 98. [Editors]
3. Perhaps the most overt equation of animals with humans in Enlightenment literature is that of Julien Offray de La Mettrie (1709-1751), who compares the two at length and concludes: “Is there a single experiment to convince us that man alone has been accorded a ray of light refused to all other animals? . . . Man is exactly like animals both in his origins and in all the points of comparison which we have already deemed to be essential” (La Mettrie [1747] 1996, 19, 35). La Mettrie represents an extreme view-he was deliberately working to shock the age with his manifesto-but his opinion was shared at least in part by other Enlightenment thinkers. For comments on the theme of animals during the Enlightenment and in Swedenborg’s works, see note 4 in Last Judgment 25. On the soul of animals as a topic in literature of the Enlightenment (specifically, French literature), see Rosenfield 1941. For discussion of the belief among some ancients that animals were actually superior to human beings, see Lovejoy and Boas 1935, 389-420. [SS, DNG]
58. They take great pleasure in protracted meals, not so much because they relish the food, as because of the pleasant conversation which accompanies it. When they sit down to eat, they do not sit on chairs or benches, or raised grassy banks, or even on the grass, but on the leaves of a certain tree. They would not tell me which tree the leaves were from, but when I guessed and named some, they finally said yes when I mentioned fig-leaves. They also said that they did not prepare their food to make it tasty, but more particularly with a view to its usefulness, remarking that useful food tastes good to them.
[2] There was some discussion about this among the spirits, and they said that this practice is suitable for human beings, for it is their heart's desire to have a healthy mind in a healthy body. But it is different for those who make taste the dominant factor. This makes the body ill, or at least internally languid, and this therefore has the same effect on the mind. The mind's behaviour depends on the inward condition of the receiving organs of the body, just as sight and hearing depend on the condition of the eye and ear. It is therefore madness to make luxury and pleasure the whole joy of life; and it also leads to insensitivity in matters demanding thought, judgment and cleverness in matters relating to the body and the world. This results in human beings becoming like animals, and such people are not wrong in comparing themselves with them.
58. They take delight in making long meals; but not so much from enjoyment of the food, as from enjoyment of the conversation at that time. When they sit at table they do not sit on chairs or benches, or raised couches of turf, nor on the grass, but on the leaves of a certain tree. They were not willing to tell of what tree the leaves were; but when I named several by conjecture, they assented at last on my naming the leaves of the fig-tree. They said moreover, that they do not prepare food with reference to the taste, but especially with reference to the use; and they added that to them useful food was savory. On this subject a conversation arose among the spirits, and it was said that this is the right way for man; for thus it is in his heart to have a sound mind in a sound body, but it is otherwise with those whose taste governs, and whose body therefore sickens, or at least inwardly languishes, and consequently their mind also; for the action of this depends upon the interior state of the recipient parts of the body, as the sight and hearing upon the state of the eye and ear. Thus is seen the insanity of placing all the delight of life in luxury and pleasure. From this too, comes dullness in such things as are of thought and judgment, and shrewdness in such things as are of the body and the world. From this arises the likeness between a man and a brute animal, with which also such persons not inaptly compare themselves.
58. Delectant se diu comedendo, non ita ex jucundo cibi, quam ex jucundo sermonis tunc. Dum ad mensam sedent, non sedent super sellis aut scamnis, aut elevatis toris gramineis, nec super herba, verum super foliis cujusdam arboris; non dicere volebant cujus arboris folia essent, sed cum plures ex conjectura nominarem, affirmabant tandem cum dicerem folia ficus. Insuper dicebant, quod non praeparent cibum secundum gustum, sed imprimis secundum usum; ajebant, quod cibus utilis illis sapidus sit. De hac re inter spiritus sermo factus est, et dictum, quod hoc conveniat homini, nam sic ei cordi est, quod mens sana in corpore sano sit; aliter ac apud illos, apud quos gustus imperat; inde corpus aegrotat, ad minimum intus languet, consequenter etiam mens, nam haec se gerit secundum statum interiorem partium recipientium quae sunt corporis, sicut visus et auditus secundum statum oculi et auris; inde insania quod in luxurie et voluptate ponatur omne vitae jucundum; ex eo etiam obesitas in talibus quae cogitationis et judicii sunt, et solertia in talibus quae sunt corporis et mundi; ex hoc fit similitudo hominis cum animali bruto, cum quo etiam tales non incongrue se comparant.