One word is too often profaned

For me to profane it,

有一个被人经常亵渎的字，

我无心再来亵渎；

One feeling too falsely disdained

For thee to disdain it;
有一种被人假意鄙薄的感情，

你不会也来鄙薄。

One hope is too like despair
For prudence to smother,

有一种希望太似绝望，
　　又何须再加提防！

And pity from thee more dear
Than that from another.

你的怜悯无人能比，
　　温暖了我的心房。

I can give not what men call love,
But wilt thou accept not

我拿不出人们所称的爱情，
　　但不知你肯否接受

The worship the heart lifts above
And the Heavens reject not, –

这颗心儿能献的崇敬？
　　连天公也不会拒而不收！

The desire of the moth for the star,
Of the night for the morrow,
犹如飞蛾扑向星星，
　　又如黑夜追求黎明，

The devotion to something afar
From the sphere of our sorrow?

这一种思慕远处之情，
　　早已跳出了人间的苦境！

王佐良译文

夫人之有妻儿也不啻已向命运典质，从此难成大事，无论善恶。兴大业，立大功，往往系未婚无儿者所为，彼辈似已与公众结亲，故爱情产业并以付之。按理而论，有子女者应对未来岁月最为关切，因已将至亲骨肉托付之矣。独身者往往思虑仅及己身，以为未来与己无关。有人则视妻儿为负债。更有贪而愚者，以无儿女为荣，以为如此更可夸其富足。此辈或曾闻人议论，一云此人为大富，另一则云否也，其人有多子负担，其财必损。然独身之原因，最常见者为喜自由，尤其自娱任性之人不耐任何束缚，身上褡带亦视为桎梏。未婚者为最好之友、最好之主、最好之仆，然非最好之臣，因其身轻易遁也，故亡命徒儿全未婚。未婚适合教会中人，因如先须注水于家池则无余泽以惠人矣。然对法官行政官等则无足轻重，彼辈如收礼贪财，劣仆之害五倍于妻。至于士兵，余尝见将军以渠等妻儿所望激励之，而土耳其人鄙视婚姻，故其士兵更为卑劣。妻儿对人确为一种锻炼。单身者本可心慈过人，因其资财少耗也，实则由于不常触其心肠，反而更为严酷(因而适为审判异端之官)。庄重之人守规不渝，为夫常能爱妻，是故人云优利息斯“爱老妻胜过不朽也”。贞节之妇自恃节操，不免骄纵。欲使妻子守贞从夫，夫须有智；如妻疑夫猜忌，则断难听命矣。妻子者，青年之情妇，中年之伴侣，老年之护士也，故如决心结婚，须善择时。昔有智者答人问何时可婚，曾云：“青年未到时，老年不必矣。”常见恶夫有良妻，是否由于此辈丈夫偶尔和善，更见其可贵，抑或此类妻子以忍耐为美德欲？可确言者，如妻子不顾友朋劝告而自择恶夫，则必尽力弥补前夫。(译文选自《王佐良文集》)

Of Beauty

                                        by Sir France Bacon

      VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce excellency. And therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather behavior, than virtue. But this holds not always: for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle of France, Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, were all high and great spirits; and yet the most beautiful men of their times. In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent and gracious motion, more than that of favor. That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express; no, nor the first sight of the life. There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. A man cannot tell whether Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler; whereof the one, would make a personage by geometrical proportions; the other, by taking the best parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent. Such personages, I think, would please nobody, but the painter that made them. Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was; but he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by rule. A man shall see faces, that if you examine them part by part, you shall find never a good; and yet altogether do well. If it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel, though persons in years seem many times more amiable; pulchrorum autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely but by pardon, and considering the youth, as to make up the comeliness. Beauty is as summer fruits,) which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth, and an age a little out of countenance; but yet certainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine, and vices blush.

    德行犹如宝石，朴素最美；其于人也，则有德者但须形体悦目，不必面貌俊秀，与其貌美，不若气度恢宏。人不尽知：绝色无大德也；一如自然劳碌终日，但求无过，而无力制成上品。因此美男子有才而无壮志，重行而不重德。但亦不尽然。罗马大帝奥古斯特与泰特思，法王菲力浦，英王爱德华四世，古雅典之亚西拜提斯，波斯之伊斯迈帝，皆有宏图壮志而又为当时最美之人也。美不在颜色艳丽而在面目端正，又不尽在面目端正而在举止文雅合度。美之极致，非图画所能表，乍见所能识。举凡最美之人，其部分比例，必有异于常人之处。阿贝尔与杜勒皆画家也，其画人像也，一则按照几何学之比例，一则集众脸形之长于一身，二者谁更不智，实难断言，窃以为此等画像除画家本人外，恐无人喜爱也。余不否认画像之美可以超绝尘寰，但此美必为神笔，而非可依规矩得之者，乐师之谱成名曲亦莫不皆然。人面如逐部细察，往往一无是处，观其整体则光彩夺目。美之要素既在于举止，则年长美过年少亦无足怪。古人云：“美者秋日亦美。”年少而著美名，率由宽假，盖鉴其年事之少，而补其形体之不足也。美者犹如夏日蔬果，易腐难存；要之，年少而美者常无行，年长而美者不免面有惭色。虽然，但须托体得人，则德行因美而益彰，恶行见美而愈愧。