97、人们常说，每个人都是他自己的邻舍；也就是说，每个人都应该先照顾好自己；但仁爱的教义教导当如何理解这句话。每个人都应该为自己提供生活必需品，如食物、衣服、住所，以及他所过的文明生活所要求的其它许多事物。这不仅是为他自己，也是为了他自己的人，不仅为现在，也为了将来。事实上，一个人若不为自己获取生活必需品，就无法处于实行仁爱的状态，因为他自己尚缺乏一切。
97、有这样一句话，说每个人都是他自己的友邻。意思是，每个人应该首先照顾好他自己。关于仁爱的教义，告诉我们对此应当如何理解。每个人都应该确保，他能为自己提供生活必需品，比如食物、衣服、住所，以及其他社会生活的必需品。这不仅是为他自己，也为他需要赡养的人；不仅仅为了当前，也是为了长远。因为人若不能提供的自己生活所需，他就绝无能力关爱他人，因为他自己尚需要各种救助。
97. It is often said that we are neighbors to ourselves, 1meaning that we need to look after ourselves first. However, teachings on caring tell us how we should understand this.
We all need to make sure that we have the necessities of life, such as the food, clothing, housing, and more that are necessary for whatever civic life we are involved in. We need to provide these not only for ourselves but also for our dependents, and not only for the present time but also for the future, since unless we acquire the necessities of life for ourselves we are not in any condition to extend caring to others; we ourselves are instead in need of everything.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin proverb here translated "we are neighbors to ourselves," Quisque sibi proximus, is of unknown provenance and antiquity. Its history is long and varied. In the form "we are each our own best friend," it is discussed at some length in the Laws 731e (= Plato 1997, 1414) of Plato (427-347 B. C. E.). For the same thought, compare Aristotle Rhetoric 1371b:19 (= Aristotle 1984, 2183); Aristotle Politics 1263b:2 (= Aristotle 1984, 2005). As a maxim of Roman law, Proximus sum egomet mihi, "I am always next as regards my own interest," the concept applied to cases in which, for instance, an executor could properly pay a debt owed to himself from an estate before discharging others. In this latter version it is quoted by the Roman comic poet Terence (185 or 186-159? B. C. E.) in Andria 4:1:12. As examples of its appearance in later Western literature, it can be seen in Latin in an English play of 1633, The Jew of Malta 1:1:194 (= Marlowe [1633] 1994, 10), by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593); in a Latin epigram by Georg Carolides (1579-1612), the court poet of Prague (Carolides von Carlsperg 1597, 229); and in the work of an eighteenth-century lexicographer and collector of proverbs, Nathan Bailey (?-1742), who connects it not only with Terence but with the Greek proverb Φιλεῖ δ' ἑαυτοῦ μᾶλλον οὐδεὶς οὐδένα (Phileî d' heautoû mâllon oudeìs oudéna), "No one loves anything more than him- or herself" (Bailey [1721] 1917, 6). Swedenborg's version of the proverb appears again in True Christianity 406, 459:6. [SS]
97. People often say we should love ourselves — meaning we should take care of ourselves first. But the perspective on kindness shows how we should understand this idea. We should all provide ourselves with the things we need to live: food, clothes, a place to live, and the many other things we need to live in our society. We should do this not just for ourselves, but for our family too, and not just for the present, but for the future as well. Unless we obtain for ourselves the things we need to live, we will not be in any position to show kindness to other people, since we will not have enough of anything ourselves.
97. It is commonly said that each person is his own neighbour, that is, each person should take care of himself first. But teaching about charity shows how this should be understood. Everyone ought to see to it that he has the necessities of life, for instance, food, clothing, somewhere to live and many more things which the civilised life he leads demands. This too not only for himself, but also for his own, and not only for the present time but also for the future. For unless anyone provides himself with the necessities of life, he cannot be in a position to exercise charity, being himself in want of everything.
97. It is a common saying that every one is a neighbour to himself: by which is meant, that every one ought first to take care of himself. The doctrine of charity, however, teaches how this is to be understood. Every one ought to take care of himself so that he may have the necessaries of life, namely, food, raiment, a place of habitation, and several other things which are required of necessity by the civil life in which he is. These he ought to provide, not only for himself, but for those also belonging to him; and indeed not for the present time only, but also for the future. For unless a man provides for himself the necessaries of life, he cannot be in a condition to practise charity, being himself in want of everything.
97. It is a common saying, that everyone is his own neighbor; that is, that everyone should first consider himself; but the doctrine of charity teaches how this is to be understood. Everyone should provide for himself the necessaries of life, such as food, raiment, habitation, and many other things which the state of civil life, in which he is, necessarily requires, and this not only for himself, but also for his own, and not only for the present time, but also for the future; for unless a man procures for himself the necessaries of life, he cannot be in a state to exercise charity, for he is in want of all things.
97. In communi sermone est, quod quisque sibi proximus sit, hoc est, quod quisque sibi primum consulet sed doctrina charitatis docet quomodo hoc intelligendum est. Quisque sibi prospiciet ut habeat necessitates vitae, ut nempe victum, ut amictum, ut habitationem, et plura, quae in vita civili, in qua est, necessario requiruntur et hoc non modo pro se sed etiam pro suis, nec modo pro tempore praesenti sed etiam pro venturo: nam nisi quis sibi comparat necessitates vitae, non potest esse illi statu exercendi charitatem; in omnium enim egestate est.