《智慧书·第四辑·一五一至二百》第19则
Be more careful not to Miss once than to Hit a hundred times. No one looks at the blazing sun; all gaze when he is eclipsed. The common talk does not reckon what goes right but what goes wrong. Evil report carries farther than any applause. Many men are not known to the world till they have left it. All the exploits of a man taken together are not enough to wipe out a single small blemish. Avoid therefore falling into error, seeing that ill-will notices every error and no success.
注释摘要
这一则的标题与正文原是一句话的两半，合起来的意思是：宁可费心确保不失误一次，也比追求击中的百次更要紧。概念主义在这则里体现得格外集中，太阳的意象被当作一个修辞推论来推进：没有人盯着正午朗照的太阳看，但一旦发生日食，所有人都抬头凝视。葛拉西安用这个自然现象来比附人世间的名声法则，日常做得对的事物无人谈论，一旦出了差错人人瞩目。与之呼应的是后半句：“所有功绩加…