終於要進入第二章....(按此速度，「樂觀」推想大約2029年之前可以看完這本書...)
II. On the negative spirit
Much has been said, and said truly, of the monkish morbidity, of the hysteria which as often gone with the visions of hermits or nuns. But let us never forget that this visionary religion is, in one sense, necessarily more wholesome than our modern and reasonable morality. It is more wholesome for this reason, that it can contemplate the idea of success or triumph in the hopeless fight towards the ethical ideal, in what Stevenson called, with his usual startling felicity, "the lost fight of virtue." A modern morality, on the other hand, can only point with absolute conviction to the horrors that follow breaches of law; its only certainty is a certainty of ill. It can only point to imperfection. It has no perfection to point to. But the monk meditating upon Christ or Buddha has in his mind an image of perfect health, a thing of clear colours and clean air. He may contemplate this ideal wholeness and happiness far more than he ought; he may contemplate it to the neglect of exclusion of essential THINGS; he may contemplate it until he has become a dreamer or a driveller; but still it is wholeness and happiness that he is contemplating. He may even go mad; but he is going mad for the love of sanity. But the modern student of ethics, even if he remains sane, remains sane from an insane dread of insanity.
[天哪！] 請容許我哀號一下...............
這是一個足以讓2029年延後至2039年的一段...
II. 論負面精神(思想？)
對於苦行僧的異常陰沈已有許多討論，而這些討論也真確指出：他們的激情常與隱士或修女的遠見(異象)一起消失。但讓我們也別忘記，就某方面而言，這個充滿異象的信念(宗教/世界觀)，必定比現今追求合乎理性的道德觀更為有益健康(wholesome)。此信念(宗教/世界觀)較有益健康的原因，在於能在追求道德倫理典範的無望之役中，浮現成功或勝利的意念。Stevenson在這種戰役中，以其尋常但驚人的喜悅稱其為：「為美德而打的敗仗」。相較而言，現代的道德觀卻僅能對那令人驚懼、背離法律之事定罪，只能確定那惡的存在，只能指出不完美，而無法指向完美。而在那沉思默想基督或佛陀的僧侶的心智中，卻存有那完美、整全的善的形象，色彩清晰，且未受污染。這僧侶或許花了太多時間在思索這理想的善與幸福，他也許沈思這理想到了廢寢忘食的程度（原文是neglect of exclusion of essential THINGS，完全沒把握我有翻對…），或是想得太多太久而成了一個說夢者、痴人，但至少他在思索的是完全的善與幸福。他就算最終瘋了，也是為了追求完美的心智整全而瘋狂。但今日道德觀的追隨者，即使保持理智，也不過只是因對瘋狂的不理性恐懼而強裝理性。
The anchorite rolling on the stones in a frenzy of submission is a healthier person fundamentally than many a sober man in a silk hat who is walking down Cheapside. For many such are good only through a withering knowledge of evil. I am not at this moment claiming for the devotee anything more than this primary advantage, that though he may be making himself personally weak and miserable, he is still fixing his thoughts largely on gigantic strength and happiness, on a strength that has no limits, and a happiness that has no end. Doubtless there are other objections which can be urged without unreason against the influence of gods and visions in morality, whether in the cell or street. But this advantage the mystic morality must always have—it is always jollier. A young man may keep himself from vice by continually thinking of disease. He may keep himself from it also by continually thinking of the Virgin Mary. There may be question about which method is the more reasonable, or even about which is the more efficient. But surely there can be no question about which is the more wholesome.
比起穿著華服走過齊普賽街（Cheapside）的許多清醒人，那因瘋狂地崇拜降服而在石頭上打滾的隱士，要更為健康。對許多人而言，這被視為善的理據在於對邪惡的衰敗認識。在此我並無意為這狂熱崇拜者提供超越這最基本優勢的解釋，也就是雖然他把自己搞得又虛弱又頹敗，他仍舊集中目光在那碩大無比的力量與幸福上，那無限的力量與無盡的幸福上。不置可否的，無論在牢房或街道上，都有其他的反對論述可在合理範圍內，反抗神祇與道德觀中異象的影響。但這優勢，這個神秘道德觀（mystic morality）一定擁有的優勢，總是令人較為暢快。年輕人可藉著不斷提醒自己疾病的存在，來讓自己遠離惡習。但她也可藉著不斷思想聖母瑪利亞來達到同樣效果。可能有人會好奇，哪一種方法比較合理，或者哪種方法比較有效。但應該不會有人懷疑哪一種方法比較有益健康。
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