《智慧书·第二辑·五一至一百》第46则
The highest Discretion. It is the throne of reason, the foundation of prudence: by its means success is gained at little cost. It is a gift from above, and should be prayed for as the first and best quality. "Tis the main piece of the panoply, and so important that its absence makes a man imperfect, whereas with other qualities it is merely a question of more or less. All the actions of life depend on its application; all require its assistance, for everything needs intelligence. Discretion consists in a natural tendency to the most rational course, combined with a liking for the surest.
注释摘要
这则格言在西班牙原文的标题是“La mayor discreción”，直译过来就是“最高的审慎”或“至高的明断”。在葛拉西安的语汇里，“discreción”（明断）这个词的分量极重，它并非指言语上的谨小慎微，而是指一种近乎完美的实践理性：能在复杂处境中一眼看透什么是此时此地最合理、最稳妥的做法，并自然地倾向于它。接着看格言的正文部分。他一上来就连用两个…