《君主论·第二十五章·命运在人事中的力量·如何抗衡》第5节
I conclude, therefore that, fortune being changeful and mankind steadfast in their ways, so long as the two are in agreement men are successful, but unsuccessful when they fall out. For my part I consider that it is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to keep her under it is necessary to beat and ill-use her; and it is seen that she allows herself to be mastered by the adventurous rather than by those who go to work more coldly. She is, therefore, always, woman-like, a lover of young men, because they are less cautious, more violent, and with more audacity command her.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在这一节的整条论证线索，是把命运比作一条泛滥的河流，它固然可以摧毁一切，但只要人在风平浪静时预先筑好堤坝和水道，就可以减轻下一次洪水的破坏。落到具体的人物和行为，他用的正是教皇朱利叶斯二世的例子。朱利叶斯二世以急躁勇猛著称，他在着手攻打博洛尼亚时，根本没有等到各方势力——威尼斯、西班牙和法国——都谈妥再行动，而是借着个人胆气直接领军杀过去。威尼斯…