《智慧书·第四辑·一五一至二百》第25则
A Solid Man. One who is finds no satisfaction in those that are not. 'Tis a pitiable eminence that is not well founded. Not all are men that seem to be so. Some are sources of deceit; impregnated by chimeras they give birth to impositions. Others are like them so far that they take more pleasure in a lie, because it promises much, than in the truth, because it performs little. But in the end these caprices come to a bad end, for they have no solid foundation. Only Truth can give true reputation: only reality can be of real profit. One deceit needs many others, and so the whole house is built in the air and must soon come to the ground. Unfounded things never reach old age. They promise too much to be much trusted, just as that cannot be true which proves too much.
注释摘要
这则格言标题里的"Solid"译得不够精确。西班牙原文用的是"sustancial"，即"有实体、有实质的"，与"表面的、空虚的"相对。英文译者用"Solid"来对应，倒也在英语的"solid foundation / substantial man"这条语义线上，但丢掉了原文与"实体/属性"那一整套经院哲学背景的关联。标题与正文第一句构成一个完整的判断：…