謊言（LIES ）

馬克吐溫對謊言有眾多精美的論述。他曾寫過一本《論腐朽的謊言藝術》（On The Decay of The Art of Lying）。收集一些並譯成中文供大家欣賞。--柳樹河

 

1. 有一句偉大的諺語：小孩和傻子從不撒謊。由此不難得出：成人和智慧的人從不說實話。（Note that venerable proverb: Children and fools always speak the truth. The deduction is plain: adults and wise persons never speak it.）

 

2. 隻要你竭盡全力，說多大的謊言也會有人相信。（The most outrageous lies that can be invented will find believers if a man only tells them with all his might.）

 

3. 由謊言帶來的榮耀很快就會變成極討厭的累贅。讓人相信一個謊言很容易，但讓人再次相信就很難。

（The glory which is built upon a lie soon becomes a most unpleasant incumbrance. How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again!）

 

4. 謊言—一個在上帝麵前厭惡的東西卻一直是人類麻煩時的幫手。

（Lie -- an abomination before the Lord and an ever present help in time of trouble.）

 

5. 和華盛頓相比，我有更高更偉大的原則標準。華盛頓隻是不會撒謊；可我會，但我不撒。

（I am different from Washington; I have a higher, grander standard of principle. Washington could not lie. I can lie, but I won't.）

6. 禮貌的最高境界不過是一座從底到頂由慈善和無私的謊言榮美所建立起來的優美大廈。

（The highest perfection of politeness is only a beautiful edifice, built, from the base to the dome, of graceful and gilded forms of charitable and unselfish lying.）

 

7. 如果他們願意，就讓他們肆無忌憚、毫無目的地去撒謊吧。至於你和我，我們來個人生約定：我們隻在利益麵前撒謊。

（Let others lie, wantonly, gratuitously, if they will, but let you & me make it the rule of our life to lie for revenue only.）

 

8. 謊言在真理還在穿鞋的時候已經跑了半個世界了。

（A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.）