《智慧书·第二辑·五一至一百》第2则
Never be put out. "Tis a great aim of prudence never to be embarrassed. It is the sign of a real man, of a noble heart, for magnanimity is not easily put out. The passions are the humours of the soul, and every excess in them weakens prudence; if they overflow through the mouth, the reputation will be in danger. Let a man therefore be so much and so great a master over himself that neither in the most fortunate nor in the most adverse circumstances can anything cause his reputation injury by disturbing his self-possession, but rather enhance it by showing his superiority.
注释摘要
“Never be put out”这个标题与正文的第一句实际上应当连读：审慎（prudence）的一大目标，就是永不陷入窘迫、从不失态。在葛拉西安看来，这种沉着不是简单的镇定，而是灵魂力量的标志。他接着便说，这是“真正的人、高贵心灵”的特征，因为“大度之心”（magnanimity）不会轻易被动摇。magnanimity 这个词需要特别留心：它不仅仅指宽…