《智慧书·第二辑·五一至一百》第17则
Prefer Callings "en Evidence." Most things depend on the satisfaction of others. Esteem is to excellence what the zephyr is to flowers, the breath of life. There are some callings which gain universal esteem, while others more important are without credit. The former, pursued before the eyes of all, obtain the universal favour; the others, though they are rarer and more valuable, remain obscure and unperceived, honoured but not applauded. Among princes conquerors are the most celebrated, and therefore the kings of Aragon earned such applause as warriors, conquerors, and great men. An able man will prefer callings en evidence which all men know of and utilise, and he thus becomes immortalised by universal suffrage.
注释摘要
这一则的标题与正文原是一句话的两半：要偏爱那些“在明处”的志业。“en evidence”这个法文短语用斜体嵌在西班牙文正文里，本身就带着宫廷与外交圈的时髦气味——它在十七世纪欧洲通用，指的就是处于众人视线之下、公开可见、被谈论的那个位置。葛拉西安在这里不是在谈任何抽象的职业选择，而是在说一件很具体的事：呼与不呼、誉与不誉，很大程度上取决于你是否站对了窗口…