《道德情操论·卷一·论行为的合宜性·二之五·论自私的情感》第4节
Our sympathy, on the contrary, with deep distress, is very strong and very sincere. It is unnecessary to give an instance. We weep even at the feigned representation of a tragedy. If you labour, therefore, under any signal calamity, if by some extraordinary misfortune you are fallen into poverty, into diseases, into disgrace and disappointment; even though your own fault may have been, in part, the occasion, yet you may generally depend upon the sincerest sympathy of all your friends, and, as far as interest and honour will permit, upon their kindest assistance too. But if your misfortune is not of this dreadful kind, if you have only been a little baulked in your ambition, if you have only been jilted by your mistress, or are only hen-pecked by your wife, lay your account with the raillery of all your acquaintance. {42}
注释摘要
这段论证承接了前文对欢乐与悲伤的对比观察，但在这里斯密把注意力完全转向悲伤那一边，而且把话说得非常干脆。前文已经提出了一个看似不对称的规律：我们愿意同情小的欢乐，却不愿意同情小的悲伤；真正激起强烈同情的，是深重的痛苦。现在他要为这个规律给出更透彻的说明，并且用一系列生活化的情境把这一机制的边界描画清楚。 斯密从悲剧的观赏经验入手，这个例子经过精心挑选。我们…