《君主论·第十八章·君主应当如何守信·狮子与狐狸》第4节
Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite. And you have to understand this, that a prince, especially a new one, cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed, being often forced, in order to maintain the state, to act contrary to fidelity, friendship, humanity, and religion. Therefore it is necessary for him to have a mind ready to turn itself accordingly as the winds and variations of fortune force it, yet, as I have said above, not to diverge from the good if he can avoid doing so, but, if compelled, then to know how to set about it.
注释摘要
这一段承接了本章前半部分关于狮子和狐狸的著名类比，将讨论推进到一个更为日常却更为根本的层面：君主应当如何处理那些通常被视作美德的东西。他的论证可以这样拆解：首先，他并不否认仁慈、守信、人道、虔敬、正直这些品质在常人眼中是值得称赞的。但他马上指出，一位君主如果真的拥有这些品质、并且在任何情况下都坚持照此行事，反而会给自己带来伤害。为什么？因为世界是危险的，周…