431.乞丐在来世的状态。那些长期乞讨，并最终从中获得乐趣，因而由于懒惰的生活而厌恶通过劳动为自己获得食物和类似生活必需品的人，其状态是这样：他们看上去赤身裸体，身上只有肮脏污秽、令人极其恶心的衣服碎片。在他们自己看来，他们似乎聚成了一个球，以致他们不能分开；于是便紧紧粘在一起。他们一人拿着一个杯子或小器皿去乞讨；所到之处凡遇见人，都以这种方式乞讨。我从他们那里听说，关于乞丐的话都是真的，即：他们除了钱什么都不想要，而且鄙视衣食；他们彼此之间过着邪恶的生活，互相争吵等等；他们厌恶工作，有时放纵地活在各种奢侈的享受之中，挥霍金钱，严厉要求知道每个人都得到了什么；他们在自己人中间建立了一种政府，并希望对这个政府保密。（1747年12月30日）
此处所描述的乞丐是诸如一生当中都在作乞丐的那种人。他们的生活就是这样，因为他们没有其它志向。
431. The state of beggars in the other life
The fantasy of those who had been begging for a long time and finally had come to take pleasure in it, and thus because of their idle life and aversion for working to procure food and like necessaries, is that they appear naked except for filthy shreds as clothing. They seem to themselves to be in a mass, so bunched together that they cannot be distinguished one from another. Having one with a cup, they beg for alms, and wherever they encounter people they beg.
I heard from them that what is said about beggars is true, that they want nothing but money, despise clothing and food, live wickedly amongst themselves, quarreling, and so forth; that they hate work, sometimes living voluptuously in all luxury, squandering money, harshly demanding to know what each one has gotten; that they had set up a sort of government among themselves, and want this to be a secret. 1747, 30 December. Note that the beggars [spoken of] here are such as had been beggars in their lives. So it is their existence, because they had had no other ambition.
431. THE STATE OF BEGGARS IN THE OTHER LIFE
The state of those who have been beggars for a long time, and at length have taken pleasure therein, and thus from a lazy life [have acquired] an aversion to a life of labor whereby they might obtain for themselves food and the like necessities, is that they appear naked, with most loathsome fragments of garments. They seem to themselves about to be gathered together into a globe, so that they cannot be separated; thus they cling together. They have one of their numbers with a small vessel, and they beg alms; wherever they meet others, they beg in this way. I heard from them that what is said about beggars is true: that they desire nothing but money, and have a contempt for garments and food; that among themselves they live wickedly, in bickerings and the like; that they abhor work, and sometimes live luxuriously in every kind of luxury, despising money, inquiring sharply what each has obtained; that they have instituted a kind of government amongst themselves, and desire that this be kept secret. 1747, Dec. 30. Obs. The beggars here described are those who have been such during their life. Their life is like that because they have had no other cupidity.
431. Status mendicantium in altera [vita] 1
Qui diu mendicarunt, et tandem in [eo] voluptatem ceperunt, et sic ex vita otiosa, ac aversionem pro vita laboris, ut sibi comparent victum, et similia, talium 1
est, quod nudi appareant, cum fragmentis teterrimis vestium, conglobatim sibi videntur, sic ut non discemi queant, ita cohaerent, habent unum cum vasculo, et petunt eleemosinam, ubicunque inveniunt alios, ita petunt: ex iis audiebam, quod verum sit, quod de mendicantibus dicitur, quod nihil cupiant nisi pecunias, vestes et victum contemnant, quod inter se impie vivant, in jurgiis, et similibus, abhorreant laborem, vivant quandoque luxuriose, in omni luxuria, contemnentes pecuniam, inquirentes acerbe, quid quisque obtinuerint, inter se regimen quoddam instituerint, et quod hoc secretum esse cupiant 2
. 1747, 30 Dec. Obs. quod mendicantes ii hic sunt, qui tales fuerunt in vita; ita eorum vita est, quia nullam aliam cupiditatem habuerunt.
Footnotes:
1. sic in J.F.I. Tafel's edition
1. inclarum in the Manuscript
2. nisi legeris cupiunt