培根散文随笔美文：Of Revenge 论复仇论困厄论作伪与掩饰

培根散文随笔集中英对照，通过阅读文学名著学语言，是掌握英语的绝佳方法。既可接触原汁原味的英语，又能享受文学之美，一举两得，何乐不为?

4 Of Revenge 论复仇

Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out For as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that wrong, putteth the law out of office. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior: for it is a prince's part to pardon. And Solomon, I am sure, saith, It is the glory of a man to pass by an offence. That which is past, is gone, and irrevocable; and wise men have enough to do, with things present, and to come: therefore, they do but trifle with themselves, that labour in past matters. There is no man doth a wrong, for the wrong's sake; but thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honour, or the like. Therefore why should I be angry with a man, for loving himself better than me?

复仇是一种野生的裁判。人类底天性越是向着它，法律就越应当耘除它。因为头一个罪恶不过是触犯了法律;可是报复这件罪恶的举动却把法律底位子夺了。无疑地，复了仇不过使一个人和他底仇人得平而已，但若置而不较，他就比他底仇人高出一等了;因为宽宥仇敌是君王底气概也。确信所罗门有言：“人有怨仇而不报是他底光荣”。过去的事情是已经过去了，并且是叫不回来了;明智的人留心现在和将来的事情已经够忙的了;所以那些劳劳于过去的事情的人简直是枉费心力而已。没有人是为了作恶而作恶的;而是为了要给自己取得利益、乐趣、或荣誉、或类此的事情的。因此为什么我要对着某人因为他爱自己胜于爱我而生气呢?

And if any man should do wrong, merely out of ill nature, why, yet it is but like the thorn, or briar, which prick, and scratch, because they can do no other. The most tolerable sort of revenge, is for those wrongs which there is no law to remedy: but then, let a man take heed the revenge be such as there is no law to punish: else, a man's enemy is still before hand, and it is two for one. Some, when they take revenge, are desirous the party should know whence it cometh: this is the more generous. For the delight seemeth to be, not so much in doing the hurt, as in making the party repent: but base and crafty cowards are like the arrow that flieth in the dark. Cosmus, Duke of Florence, had a desperate saying, against perfidious or neglecting friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable: You shall read (saith he) mat we are commanded to forgive our enemies; but you never read, that we are commanded to forgive our friends. But yet the spirit of Job, was in a better tune; Shall we (saith he) take good at God's hands, and not be content to take evil also? And so of friends in a proportion. This is certain; that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well. Public revenges, are, for the most part, fortunate; as that for the death of Caesar, for the death of Pertinax; for the death of Henry the Third of France; and many more. But in private revenges it is not so. Nay rather, vindictive persons live the life of witches; who as they are mischievous, so end they unfortunate.

并且即令有人纯粹因为生性本恶而作了恶，那又怎么样?也不过象荆棘一样;荆棘刺人抓人因为它们不会作别的事啊。复仇中最可原谅的一种就是为了报没有法律纠正的那一种仇的;可是在这种情形里那报仇的人也应当留神，他那报复的行为要没有法律惩罚才好;否则他底仇人仍然要占先的，因为二人之间吃亏底比例乃是二比一也。有些人在报仇底时节要对方知道这报复是从那里来的。这是比较地大量;因为报仇底痛快处似乎不在使对方受苦而在使对方悔罪也。那些卑劣狡猾的懦夫则有如暗中的飞箭。科斯谟斯，佛罗棱司底大公，曾有句锋锐的话是说无义和忘恩的朋友的。他底意思好象这些罪过是不可恕似的，他说：“你可以在圣书中读到基督教我们饶恕我们底敌人的话，可是你永远读不到有教我们饶恕我们底朋友的话”。然而约伯底精神则调高一格。他说：“难道我们从上帝手中只要好的而不要坏的么”?以此例推于朋友，亦当如斯。的确，一个人要是念念不忘复仇，他就是把自己底伤口常使其如新，这伤口若不是这人老在思想报复，是会痊愈的。公仇底报复多半是结局较佳的：例如为凯撒之死，为破提拿克斯之死，为法兰西王亨利第三之死以及许多类此的复仇事件是也。然而在私仇底报复上则不如斯。反之，衔怨深而喜报复的人所度的生活是妖巫一般的生活。这种人活着的时候于人不利，死了也是于己不幸。