Of Love

                             Francis Bacon

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 partner of the empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, 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; as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and all noble objects, should do 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 to love, 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 contempt. 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 quarters; 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 ways be true to their own ends. I know not how, but martial men are given to love: I think, it is 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.

                       论爱情

                                  培根/文

                                 颜林海/译

    爱情眷顾舞台甚于人生[1]。舞台之上，爱情时而喜剧，时而悲剧；人生之中，爱情却时时招致不幸，时而犹倩女幽魂，诱人致死，时而似河东狮吼，闻之胆寒[2]。

    君不见：但凡伟人，（无论古今，凡考据能及者，）未见有因情而痴者。由此可见，大义伟业与儿女情长，二者水火难容也[3]。然安东尼与克劳底亚须当例外，前者曾一统罗马帝国半壁江山，生性好色荒淫；后者乃罗马十人执政团成员兼立法者，庄重严肃，足智多谋[4]。此足见，爱情既可撞入衣襟易开之胸怀，虽不常见，若不正襟危坐，亦可渗入壁垒森严之心灵[5]。伊壁鸠鲁尝曰：“人生如戏，舞台而已。”此言差矣。人之为人者，当默祷上天，思宏伟大业；而如今却甘拜石榴裙下。人有嘴口眼目，其嘴口也，非仅务口实（如兽一般）；其眼目也，本为宏图，而如今只求眼福[6]。过度追求爱情，且任其违人之本性、事之本质，实乃罕见。浮夸谄媚之辞，耳惠而矣，唯见于爱情之中，而于他种场合，此般辞令则颇多不宜。古有名言，曰：奉承，无论大小，皆有智慧，奉承之大者，在己非他；然唯独情人例外。即或心高气傲之人，面对情人，亦傲气顿失，自轻自贱。古人所言极是，曰：爱我所欲也，智亦我所欲也；二者不可得兼矣[7]。此般弱点，旁人不觉，情人未必觉然，除非爱有所酬。是故，爱之爱者，未有所酬，必有所怨，此乃千真万确之定律。由此可见，此般情感，须当谨慎。非但使人丧失其他，亦使人迷失本性。若于其他损失，古有诗人早已明言：但凡偏爱海伦者，须放弃财富女神，拒绝智慧女神[8]。换言之，但凡沉溺情欲者，必弃财失智也。人脆弱之时，爱情最易侵入，无论春风得意之际，还是伤心失意之时，后者虽未为常见；得意伤心之时，爱情之火易燃且挚。是故，爱情实乃愚蠢之子。但凡心生爱情且束之以理者，皆能使之有益于事业、行为、生活。若有碍于事业，爱情必致人厄运，人生目标，则难以成真。从戎之士，易坠情网，其中缘由，余不得而知。想必一如嗜酒，盖因危险，须求欢乐而补焉。人之本也，博爱也；爱之不专，必广播于人；爱之广播于人，则成仁善之人，一如僧侣。夫妻之爱，使人繁衍；朋友之爱，使人完善；荒淫之爱，使人堕落，进而卑贱。