《智慧书·第三辑·一〇一至一五〇》第5则
Don't be a Bore. The man of one business or of one topic is apt to be heavy. Brevity flatters and does better business; it gains by courtesy what it loses by curtness. Good things, when short, are twice as good. The quintessence of the matter is more effective than a whole farrago of details. It is a well-known truth that talkative folk rarely have much sense whether in dealing with the matter itself or its formal treatment. There are that serve more for stumbling-stones than centrepieces, useless lumber in every one's way. The wise avoid being bores, especially to the great, who are fully occupied: it is worse to disturb one of them than all the rest. Well said is soon said.
注释摘要
这则格言的前半段与后半段处理的其实是同一个问题的两个层面：目标与方式。标题里的 Bore 并不是泛指任何惹人厌的人，而是特指那种沉溺于单一事务或单一话题、因而使人感到沉重的交谈者。正文一开头就把这个意思点明：只做一件事、只谈一个话题的人容易沉重，因为这已经意味着他的存在方式本身就是单质的，没有什么可供对话者回旋的空间。接下去葛拉西安用了一连串与商业、交易有…