《智慧书·第一辑·一至五十》第23则
Be Spotless: the indispensable condition of perfection. Few live without some weak point, either physical or moral, which they pamper because they could easily cure it. The keenness of others often regrets to see a slight defect attaching itself to a whole assembly of elevated qualities, and yet a single cloud can hide the whole of the sun. There are likewise patches on our reputation which ill-will soon finds out and is continually noticing. The highest skill is to transform them into ornament. So Caesar hid his natural defects with the laurel.
注释摘要
这则原文在西班牙语里的标题不是“清清白白”，而是“无瑕”，一个直接得多的要求。葛拉西安说的并不是道德意义上的清白，而是一种几乎不可能达到的完整：一个人的品质拼图里，不能有一块是裂的。后半句“完美的必要条件”并非强调，而是定义——缺了这一点，完美这个说法本身就不成立。 他紧接着就把调子降下来了：“几乎没有人活着而不带某个弱点”——这里的“弱点”用的不是指道德…