《道德情操论·卷一·论行为的合宜性·二之一·论起于身体的情感》第5节
The little sympathy which we feel with bodily pain, is the foundation of the propriety of constancy and patience in enduring it. The man, who under the severest tortures allows no weakness to escape him, vents no groan, gives way to no passion which we do not entirely enter into, commands our highest admiration. His firmness enables him to keep time with our indifference and insensibility. We admire and entirely go along with the magnanimous effort which he makes for this purpose. We approve of his behaviour, and from our experience of the common {30} weakness of human nature, we are surprised, and wonder how he should be able to act so as to deserve approbation. Approbation, mixed and animated by wonder and surprise, constitutes the sentiment which is properly called admiration, of which, applause is the natural expression, as has already been observed.
注释摘要
这一段在论证一个看似矛盾的现象：我们最难对别人的身体疼痛产生同感，却恰恰因此最敬佩那些能忍住疼痛不流露痛苦的人。整节的论证到这里收束为一个关于钦佩的心理学分析。 斯密的推理可以这样拆开。他前面已经说过，身体疼痛很难唤起旁观者的同感。别人胃痛、痛风、牙痛，我们几乎无法在自己的身体里复现那种折磨；即便看见铁器撕裂皮肉，我们会本能地一缩，那份共感也极其微弱，与受…