16.Of Suspicion 论猜疑-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《培根随笔集The Essays of Bacon》

16.Of Suspicion SUSPICIONS amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds,they ever fly by twilight.Certainly they are to be repressed,or at least well guarded:for they cloud the mind;they leese friends;and they check with business,whereby business cannot go on currently and constantly.They dispose kings to tyranny,husbands to jealousy, wise men to irresolution and melancholy.They are defects,not in the heart,but in the brain;for they take place in the stoutest natures;as in the example of Henry the Seventh of England.There was not a more suspicious man,nor a more stout.And in such a composition they do small hurt.For commonly they are not admitted,but with examination, whether they be likely or no.But in fearful natures they gain ground too fast.There is nothing makes a man suspect much,more than to know little;and therefore men should remedy suspicion by procuring to know more,and not to keep their suspicions in smother.What would men have?Do they think those they employ and deal with are saints? Do they not think they will have their own ends,and be truer to ·122 16.论猜疑 心思中的猜疑有如鸟中的蝙蝠，他们永远是在 ①twilight /twailait/n黄 昏 黄昏里飞的。猜疑确是应当制止，或者至少也应当 ②repress/ri'pres/.抑制 节制，因为这种心理使人精神迷惘，疏远朋友，而 ③leese:losc失去 ④check with=interfere妨 且也扰乱事务，使之不能顺利有恒。猜疑使为君者 碍，干扰 ⑤dispose/dis'pauz,处理 易行虐政，为夫者易生妒心，有智谋者寡断而抑 @tyranny /tirani/n.压治 郁。猜疑不是一种心病，而是一种脑疾，因为即便 统治 ⑦stoutest=bravest最勇敢 天性极为勇健的人也会生猜疑，例如英王亨利七世 的 是也。世间从没有比他再多疑的人，也没有比他更 勇健的人。在像他这样的气质中猜疑是不能十分为 害的，因为有这种气质的人对于种种猜疑多半不会 贸然接受，而一定要先考察考察其是否可能。但是 天性多畏的人则猜疑之滋长太快。使人甚为猜疑 者，无过于自己所知甚少；因此人们应当设法多知 ⑧procure /pra'kju/.获 得 道事情以释疑，而不应当想室息疑念也。 in smother =suppressed 人们究何所求？难道他们以为他们所用和所交 压抑的 的人都是圣人么？难道他们以为这些人不会为自己 打算，并且不是忠于己胜于忠于人的么？因此，为 ·123· The Essays of Bacon themselves than to them?Therefore there is no better way to moderate suspicions,than to account upon such suspicions as true and yet to bridle them as false.For so far a man ought to make use of suspicions, as to provide,as if that should be true that he suspects,yet it may do him no hurt.Suspicions that the mind of itself gathers are but buzzes; but suspicions that are artificially nourished,and put into men's heads by the tales and whisperings of others,have stings.Certainly,the best mean to clear the way in this same wood of suspicions is frankly to communicate them with the party that he suspects;for thereby he shall be sure to know more of the truth of them than he did before;and withal shall make that party more circumspect not to give further cause of suspicion.But this would not be done to men of base natures; for they,if they find themselves once suspected,will never be true.The Italian says,Sospetto licentia fede;as if suspicion did give a passport to faith;but it ought rather to kindle it to discharge itself. ·124· 培根随笔集 控制疑念起见，最好的办法是把所疑者姑且认为真 而同时又严加节制，一如这些疑念是完全不真似 的。因为一个人应当预先防范，如果所疑是真，则 自己不受其害，疑念之利用应限于此。自己心理上 D buzz./bAZ/n嘴嗡声 所生的疑念不过是蜂虫之嗡嗡而已；但是由别人的 闲言碎语而有意助长或产生的猜疑则是有毒刺的。 无疑地，在猜疑之林中，最好的清道方法就是开诚 布公地与所疑的一方相见，如此，关于对方你一定 可以知道得比以前多，而同时又可使对方留意以免 ②circumspect 更有启人猜疑的地方。但是这种办法对于性格卑污 s3:kamspekt/a纽心的 ③Sospetto licentia fede拉丁 的人是不可行的；因为，这样的人，如果发现他们 语，英语的意思为 "suspicion justifics breaking 有一次受疑，则将永远作伪也。意大利人有言： faih”,即“猜疑使不忠实 “疑心解除忠实的责任。”这好像疑心给了忠心一张 合理化了 ④kindle"kind/.燃烧 护照许他离去似的；实则疑心应当更燃起忠心之火 ⑤discharge/dis'tja:d3/u.卸 下 以自祛嫌疑也。 ·125·