6.Of Love论恋爱-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《培根随笔集The Essays of Bacon》

6.Of Love THE STAGE is more beholding to love,than the life of man.For as to the stage,love is ever matter of comedies,and now and then of tragedies;but in life it doth much mischief;sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury.You may observe that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth,either ancient or recent)there is not one that hath been transported to the mad degree of love:which shows that great spirits and great business do keep out this weak passion.You must except nevertheless Marcus Antonius,the half parmer of the empire of Rome,and Appius Claudius,the decemvir and lawgiver①；whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous⑤man, and inordinate;but the latter was an austere and wise man:and therefore it seems (though rarely)that love can find entrance not only into an open heart,but also into a heart well fortified,if watch be not well kept.It is a poor saying of Epicurus,Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus [Each is to another a theatre large enough];as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven and all noble objects,should do ·034· 6.论恋发 ①behold/bi'hould/.看， 舞台较人生受惠于恋爱者为多。因为在舞台 注视 上，“恋爱”长期可以供给喜剧的材料，有时亦可 ②siren /saiorin/n.魔女 供给悲剧的材料；但在人生中，“恋爱”只是招致 祸患；它有时如一位惑人的魔女，有时似一位复仇 的女神。你可以见到，在一切伟大的人物中（无论 是古人今人，只要是其盛名仍在人记忆中)没有一 个在恋爱中被诱到热狂的程度：可见伟大的人与重 大的事真能排除这种柔弱之情也。然而你必须把曾 3 decemvirate/di'semvirit/ 为罗马帝国一半之统治者的安东尼和十人执政之一 n(古罗马)十大执政官 之 及立法者阿皮亚斯·克劳底亚斯作为例外；这两个 lawgiver /lo:giva (r)/n. 拟定法典者 人之中前者确是一个好色而无度的人；但是后者却 5 voluptuous /va'IApteas/ 是一个严肃而有智的人；所以好像（虽然这是很少 a骄奢淫逸的 ⑥austere/:'stia/a严峻的 见的)恋爱不但是会入于坦露的心胸，而且也可以 进人壁垒森严的心胸中（假如把守不严的话）似 ⑦fortify /fo:tifai/.加强 的。埃皮扣拉斯这句话说得不好：“我们互相看起 来，就是一座够大的舞台了。”好像生来本当旷观 contemplation 天界及一切高贵之物的人类不应该做别的而只应跪 /kontem'pleifan/m.沉思 ·035· The Essays of Bacon nothing but kneel before a little idol,and make himself a subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are),yet of the eye;which was given him for higher purposes.It is a strange thing to note the excess of this passion,and how it braves the nature and value of things,by this; that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole is comely in nothing but in love.Neither is it merely in the phrase;for whereas it hath been well said that the arch-flatterer,with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence,is a man's self;certainly the lover is more.For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself as the lover doth of the person loved;and therefore it was well said,That it is impossible tolove and to be wise.Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved;but to the loved most of all,except the love be reciproque.For it is a true rule,that love is ever rewarded either with the reciproque or with an inward and secret contempt5.By how much the more men ought to beware of this passion,which loseth not only other things,but itself!As for the other losses,the poet's relation doth well figure them:that he that preferred Helena quitted the gifts of Juno and Pallas.For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection quitteth both riches and wisdom.This passion hath his floods in very times of weakness;which are great prosperity and great adversity;though this latter hath been less observed:both which times kindle love,and make it more fervent,and therefore show it to be the child of folly They do best,who if they cannot but admit love,yet make it keep quarter;and sever it wholly from their serious affairs and actions of life;for if it check once with business,it troubleth men's fortunes,and maketh men that they can no waysbe true to their own ends.I know not how,but martial men are given to love:I think it is ·036· 培根随笔集 ①kneel /ni:l/v.跪 在一座小小的偶像前面，自己把自己做成个奴隶似 ②idol /'aidl/n偶像 的，虽然这不是为口舌的奴隶一如禽兽一般 而是为眼目的奴隶（而眼目是上帝赐给人类用于高 贵用途的)。可异者，这种情欲的过度，以及它如 3 hyperbole /hai'pa:bali/n. 何欺凌事物的本性及价值之处，是由此可见的就是 夸张法 长期的夸张的言辞唯有在关于恋爱的言语中是合适 的，在其他事情中总是不宜。不仅言语如此；昔人 说得好，那为首的谄谀者一一切较小的谄谀者都 是与他通消息的—就是一人的自我；而无疑地， 情人是比这为首的谄谀者还厉害的。因为从无一个 骄傲的人重视自己之甚有如一个情人之重视其所爱 也。所以昔人说得好：“要恋爱而又要明哲是不可 能的。”这一种弱点也不是仅仅在旁人眼中看得出 reciproque reciprocal, 来，而在所爱的眼中看不出来的；反之，这种弱点 mutual相互的 5 contempt /kan'tempt/n. 在被爱者的眼中是最显明的，除非其人的爱情得到 轻视 了回报。因为，爱情的报酬永远是这样，要不是回 爱，就是一种内心的隐藏的轻蔑，这条定理是真 的。由此可见人们更应当如何提防这种情欲，因为 @Jumo朱诺，主神朱庇特 它不但使人失去别的事物，简直连自已也保不住。 (Jupiter)之妻 ⑦Pallas（=Pallas Athena) 至于其他的损失，古诗人的故事表现得极好；就是 (希神〉智慧女神帕拉斯· 雅典娜 喜爱海伦的人是舍弃了朱诺和派拉斯的赏赐的。因 ⑧esteem/is'timl:,尊敬 为无论何人若过于重视爱情，则自将放弃财富与智 ②amorous /emaras/a多 情的 慧也。这种情欲泛滥的时候正是在人心力极弱的时 0 fervent'fe:vant/a热 的，炎热的 候；那就是在一个人最繁荣或最困厄的时候一虽 olyf6li/n愚蠢 然困厄是不甚受人注意过的。这两个时候都是燃起 quarter:its own place ⑧sever'seva/.切断 爱火并使之更为热烈的，由此足见“爱”是“愚” 之子也。有些人，即使在心中不能没有爱的时候， 仍能使它受约束，并且把它与人生的要务严格分 martial /ma:jal/a军事 的 开，这些人可算做事极当；因为“爱”一旦参与正 ·037· The Essays of Bacon but as they are given to wine;for perils commonly ask to be paid in pleasures.There is in man's nature a secret inclination and motion towards love of others,which if it be not spent upon some one or a few,doth naturally spread itself towards many,and maketh men become humane and charitable;as it is seen sometime in friars.Nuptial love maketh mankind;friendly love perfecteth it;but wanton love corrupteth and embaseth it. ·038· 培根随笔集 事，就要扰害人们的福利，并且使他们无术坚守 D inclination /inkli'neifan/ 自己的目的。我不懂为什么，可是武人最易堕入 n倾向 爱情。我想这也和他们喜欢喝酒一样；因为危险 的事业多需要娱乐为报酬也。人性之中有一种隐 ②nuptial'nAp∫aa.婚姻 秘地爱他人的倾向和趋势，这种倾向若不消耗在 的 ③wanton/wontan/a.荒唐 一个人或少数人身上，将很自然地普及于众人， 的 并使人变得仁慈，例如在僧侣之中有时就看得到 这样的情形。 夫妇之爱，使人类蕃滋，朋友之爱使人完美； 但是无度的淫爱则使人败坏并卑贱焉。 ·039·