《智慧书·第六辑·二五一至三百》第45则
Do not affect what you have not effected. Many claim exploits without the slightest claim. 'With the greatest coolness they make a mystery of all. Chameleons of applause they afford others a surfeit of laughter. Vanity is always objectionable, here it is despicable. These ants of honour go crawling about filching scraps of exploits. The greater your exploits the less you need affect them: content yourself with doing, leave the talking to others. Give away your deeds but do not sell them. And do not hire venal pens to write down praises in the mud, to the derision of the knowing ones. Aspire rather to be a hero than merely to appear one.
注释摘要
这则格言的标题与正文构成了一气呵成的一句：不要装出你本未成就的事。葛拉西安在这里把"affect"（装作）与"effected"（成就）用头韵对仗，这种写法正是概念主义的标志性手法，用语音上的相近制造语义上的对立——装出来的与做出来的，表面相似，本质截然相反。 全则的核心打击对象是一种人之常情：没有功劳却要摆出有功之臣的姿态。葛拉西安用了一连串极尽刻薄的比…