穷理查智慧书(中英对照)
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1735年

当一个人假装自己拥有某种品质时,行为最滑稽可笑。

A man is never so ridiculous by those Qualities that are his own as by those that he affects to have.

亲爱的读者:

这是我的历书第三次出版了,到目前为止,我自己非常满意,也希望大家满意。大家都是心胸宽广的人,对我十分友好,我应当把握每一个时机来表达我的感激之情,否则的话,我就成了忘恩负义的人。所以,请允许我向读者表示衷心的感谢。

天籁如此美妙,灿烂的星空也如此和谐,可占星师之间却无法和谐相处,他们无休止地相互指责,就像狗儿一样,一见面就互相撕咬,也好比粗汉对自己的老婆那样大动肝火。我决定不和他们任何人争吵,尽量与他们和平相处。我希望永远这样,但已经去世的泰坦·利兹对我大加辱骂,我指的是,假冒泰坦·利兹的人还活着,对我进行百般攻击,对我这个人和我的预测不屑一顾,还不断编写和出版历书攻击我。

我不禁要说:尽管我对此忍耐很久,但我对此气愤得很,这种做法对我不友善。无论假冒泰坦·利兹的人如何伪装,我确定他已经去世了,理由有三:首先,聪明人的预言往往是不准确的。你可以看看,我预言的他的死亡日期。其次,他必须按规定的时间去世,只有这样,才算是尊重那些占星术士、利兹本人,还有他父亲。最后,读过1734年与1735年历书的人很清楚,那不是尚在人世的他的著作。

那些文章平淡低俗,读起来晦涩无味,没有一点给人启迪之处,也没有多少警世名言。除了最近一年的历书中排在每个月之前的有关占星术的讽刺诗还算有点意思外,其余的都很无聊,而这种讽刺诗,只有已经不在人世的占星术士能写出来,常人无法完成,我可以用他的话来证明,他的确已经不在人世。他在为自己1734年的历书所写的序言中说:“萨德斯又在他的历书中犯了一个极大的错误,他估计我只能活到1733年10月26日,这一预测并不准确。”如果按利兹说的,他活到1733年10月26日才去世的这一预测不准确,那么他肯定在此之前就已经去世了。假如他在此之前已经过世,那么,无论他有什么样的目的和打算,也无论说了什么自相矛盾的话,他现在都已经不在人世。难道我预测的10月17日,不是他最有可能的离世时间吗?不过,听说有些人死后会四处游荡、惹事生非,那也许是因为这种人天生就有点不正常,如果不彻底改造,这样的脾气个性很难改掉,但也不该因此而自以为是,没有规矩。我深知一个占星术士是无法忍受约束的。我很宽容,说话不会不留分寸。好了,假如那些假冒利兹的人不尽快学会怎样尊重活着的朋友的话,即使我极不情愿,也不得不釆取行动了。

亲爱的读者,我是您忠实的挚友和仆人:

理查·萨德斯

不进步,则退步。

Look before, or you'll fi nd yourself behind.

蹩脚的评论家破坏了一部伟大的作品,

就好比上帝送来魔鬼烹调的晚餐。

Bad Commentators spoil the best of books,

So God sends meat(they say)the devil Cooks.

句句都在恭维你的人,不可全信。

Approve not of him who commends all you say.

锲而舍之,朽木不折;锲而不舍,金石可镂。

By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable.

表面彬彬有礼,心中城府无底。

Full of courtesie, full of craft.

屋子虽小装饰好,田地虽小耕种好,妻子平凡心地好,这都是人生的财富。

A little House well fi ll'd, a little Field well till'd, and a little Wife well will'd, are great Riches.

老女人终身未嫁,那里的老光棍会变成傻瓜。

Old Maids lead Apes there, where the old Batchelors are turn'd to Apes.

有人随机应变,有人撞上南墙不回头。

Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.

穷人为充饥而奔波劳累,富人为减肥而不停散步。

The poor man must walk to get meat for his stomach, the rich man to get a stomach to his meat.

到远处去结婚的人,要么是去骗人,要么就是被骗。

He that goes far to marry, will either deceive or be deceived.

眼睛和牧师,都不容欺骗。

Eyes and Priests Bear no Jests.

全家都是傻子,一定是遗传的缘故。

The Family of Fools is ancient.

急需的东西,不讨价还价。

Necessity never made a good bargain.

如果骄傲在前面领军,那么卑劣必定在后面压阵。

If Pride leads the Van, Beggary brings up the Rear.

自作聪明的人,往往头脑简单,肚子空空。

There's many witty men whose brains can't fi ll their bellies.

深邃有力的提问需要深思熟虑的回答。

Weighty Questions ask for deliberate Answers.

选择朋友要谨慎,更换朋友更要慎之又慎。

Be slow in chusing a Friend, slower in changing.

病痛伤身,享乐损智。

Pain wastes the Body, Pleasures the Understanding.

耍小聪明的人偷马,真正聪明的人不碰它(马易欺生)

The cunning man steals a horse, the wise man lets him alone.

没有什么比金钱更甜蜜。

Nothing but Money, Is sweeter than Honey.

谦虚使伟人更受人尊敬。

Humility makes great men twice honourable.

航行中的船和大肚子的孕妇,是世间常见的最美的两样美景。

A Ship under sail and a big-bellied Woman, Are the handsomest two things that can be seen common.

你把商店管好,商店管你吃饱。

Keep thy shop, & thy shop will keep thee.

国王吃奶酪时浪费一半,却丝毫也不心疼,因为奶酪是人民做的(人民的血汗,国王不珍惜)

The King's cheese is half wasted in parings: But no matter, 'tis made of the peoples milk.

付出,使人光彩照人;索取,使人黯然失色。

What's given shines, What's receiv'd is rusty.

傻子的可贵之处是行动迟缓、言语沉默。

Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues.

有学问的傻瓜蛋我见过不少,没学问的聪明人我也见过很多。

Of learned Fools I have seen ten times ten, Of unlearned wise men I have seen a hundred.

如果三人之中两人死去了,那秘密才有可能守住。

Three may keep a Secret, if two of them are dead.

贫穷之人,索取甚少;奢侈之人,索取甚多;贪婪之人,索取万物。

Poverty wants some things, Luxury many things, Avarice all things.

谎言站不住脚,真理稳步向前。

A Lie stands on 1 leg, truth on 2.

嘴巴无法报复别人,但从嘴巴里说出的话,可能招致别人的凶狠报复。

There's small Revenge in Words, but Words may be greatly revenged.

(诗人说)英雄所见略同,我却认为,聪明的才子跳得高、摔得重。

Great wits jump(says the Poet)and hit his Head against the Post.

当一个人假装自己拥有某种品质时,行为最滑稽可笑。

A man is never so ridiculous by those Qualities that are his own as by those that he affects to have.

自我节制,获益无穷。

Deny Self for Self 's sake.

表面节衣缩食,背地大吃大喝(当面一套,背后一套)

Tim moderate fare and abstinence much prizes, In publick, but in private gormandizes.

傻瓜玩乐尽兴,出过风头之后,才会平静下来想正经事。

Ever since Follies have pleas'd, Fools have been able to divert.

宁可天下人负我,不可我负天下人。

It is better to take many Injuries than to give one.

机遇是值得争夺的东西。

Opportunity is the great Bawd.

早睡早起,让你健康聪明又富有。

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.

对上级谦恭是职责,对平辈谦恭是礼貌,对下级谦恭是高尚。

To be humble to Superiors is Duty, to Equals Courtesy, to Inferiors Nobleness.

演说家来了!他的话滔滔不绝,道理却日益衰减。

Here comes the Orator! with his Flood of Words, and his Drop of Reason.

人年轻,心已老,无异于心还年轻的老年人。

An old young man, will be a young old man.

萨尔喜欢笑别人,为什么?因为她有一副好牙齿。

Sal laughs at every thing you say. Why? Because she has fi ne Teeth.

太阳普照大地,从不求任何回报。

The Sun never repents of the good he does, nor does he ever demand a recompence.

别人令你失望时,你是否愤怒?别忘了你不可能脱离人群。

Are you angry that others disappoint you? remember you cannot depend upon yourself.

纠正一个错误胜过发现两个错误,但是发现一个错误胜过犯两个错误。

One Mend-fault is worth two Find faults, but one Find fault is better than two Make faults.

亲爱的读者,我祝愿你们健康、幸福、富足,一年更比一年好。

Reader, I wish thee Health, Wealth, Happiness, And may kind Heaven thy Year's Industry bless.