3. Once in bed, when it is time to close the five ports of knowledge, most folks I know seem to find no difficulty in plunging their earthly parts into oblivion. It is not so with me, to whom sleep is a coy mistress, much given to a teasing inconsistency and for ever demanding to be wooed -- "lest too light winning make the prize light." I used to read, with wonder, those sycophantic stories of the warlike supermen, the great troublers of the world's peace, Cromwell, Napoleon, and the like, who, thanks to their "iron wills," could lie down and plunge themselves immediately into deep sleep, to wake up, refreshed, at a given time. Taking these fables to heart, I would resolve to do likewise, and, going to bed, would clench my teeth, look as determined as possible in the darkness, and command the immediate presence of sleep. But alas! The very act of concentration seemed to make me more wakeful than ever, and I would pass hours in tormenting sleeplessness. I had overlooked the necessity of having an "iron will," my own powers of will having little or none of this peculiar metallic quality. But how uncomfortable it must have been living with these ironwilled folks! Who would want to remonstrate and argue with them? It would be worse than beating an anvil with a sledge-hammer. I must confess that I always suspect the men who boast that they unvaryingly fall asleep as soon as they get into bed -- those "as soon as my head touches the pillow" fellows. To me, there is something inhuman, something callous and almost bovine, in the practice. I suspect their taste in higher matters. Iron wills apart, there must be a lack of human sympathy or depth in a man who can thus throw off, with his clothes, his waking feelings and thoughts, and ignore completely those memories and fancies which

    ... will sometimes leap,
    From hiding-places ten years deep.

    3)在该关上获取知识的5个孔道时，我所认识的大多数人一旦上了床似乎很容易地就能忘掉它们尘世上的功能。我可不行。对我说来睡眠是个忸怩羞怯的情人，专喜反复无常地挑逗，永远要求不断地对她进行追求——“唯恐得来太易，身价太轻。”我曾惊异地读到吹捧克伦威尔、拿破仑之类的好战的超人、世界和平的巨大威胁者的故事。他们由于有“钢铁般的意志”，能够躺下就立刻沉入熟睡之中，并在某一时间醒来，精力完全恢复。我把这些说法当了真，就决定也这么办，于是上床后紧咬牙关，在黑暗里尽量显得决心很大，命令睡眠立即到来。但是，哎呀!精神高度集中这一行动本身似乎使我比任何时候都更清醒，我于是便几个小时都在折磨人的失眠下度过。我忽视了必须有“钢铁般的意志”，我本人的意志力中极少或没有这种特殊的金属品质。但是和这些有钢铁意志的人共同生活一定会多么的不舒服啊! 谁会愿意去告诫他们，与他们争辩呢? 这比用大锤敲打铁砧更糟。我必须承认我一向怀疑那些吹嘘自己永远是一上床就能睡着的人——那些“脑袋一沾枕头就着”的家伙们。我觉得这种习惯中有着某种不像人有的、某种麻木的、牛一样的东西。我对这种人对较高级的事物的鉴赏力表示怀疑。撇开钢铁意志不谈，一个人能够这样和衣服一起把他醒着时的感情和思想脱下扔在一边，完全无视那些
    ……有时会从隐藏了10年之久的深处跳出的记忆与幻想。
    他必定缺乏人类的同情与深刻性。