《智慧书·第三辑·一〇一至一五〇》第43则
Never become Paradoxical in order to avoid the Trite. Both extremes damage our reputation. Every undertaking which differs from the reasonable approaches foolishness. The paradox is a cheat: it wins applause at first by its novelty and piquancy, but afterwards it becomes discredited when the deceit is foreseen and its emptiness becomes apparent. It is a species of jugglery, and in matters political would be the ruin of states. Those who cannot or dare not reach great deeds on the direct road of excellence go round by way of Paradox, admired by fools but making wise men true prophets. It argues an unbalanced judgment, and if it is not altogether based on the false, it is certainly founded on the uncertain, and risks the weightier matters of life.
注释摘要
葛拉西安在这则格言里攻击的是一个十分具体的智识诱惑：为了显得与众不同，故意站在常理的反面。标题“Never become Paradoxical in order to avoid the Trite”已经把话说得很直白——你不喜欢陈词滥调，这可以理解，但如果你因此刻意去拥抱悖论，你就犯了另一个错误，而且可能更糟。在西班牙概念主义的修辞传统里，“悖论”本是…