抽空把培根《論美貌》的第二段譯了一下。水平有限，錯誤在所難免。歡迎集思廣益！

論美貌

 

Francis Bacon

弗朗西斯•培根

 

(1561-1626)

 

VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, though not of 

 

delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. Neither is it almost seen, 

 

that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err, than in 

 

labor to produce excellency. And therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather 

 

behavior, than virtue. 

美德如寶石。寶石者，非素雅之鑲嵌不能盡顯其光彩，故美德之光彩，非俊雅而非嬌豔、非端莊而非僅僅美豔之身軀不能盡顯

 

。然，大美之人中鮮見美德者，仿佛造化忙不擇優，為求無過而舍求至美。此何為美人雖有相貌但乏品性，重外表而輕美德也

 

。

 

But this holds not always: for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle of France, Edward the Fourth 

 

of England, Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, were all high and great spirits; and yet the most 

 

beautiful men of their times. In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent and 

 

gracious motion, more than that of favor. That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express; no, 

 

nor the first sight of the life. 

然，此非恒理，奧古斯都•凱撒大帝、提圖斯•威斯帕鹹努斯大帝、法王菲利普、英王愛德華四世、雅典人阿爾西巴阿底斯、波

 

斯王伊斯邁耳皆屬其時代品性高尚且相貌極美之人。就美而言，自然優於打扮，端莊、優雅勝於自然。此係美中極品，非繪畫

 

所能表達，非一目而能了然。

 

There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. A man cannot tell whether 

 

Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler; whereof the one, would make a personage by geometrical 

 

proportions; the other, by taking the best parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent. Such personages, I 

 

think, would please nobody, but the painter that made them. Not but I think a painter may make a better face 

 

than ever was; but he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music), 

 

and not by rule. 

 

A man shall see faces, that if you examine them part by part, you shall find never a good; and yet altogether 

 

do well. If it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel, though 

 

persons in years seem many times more amiable; pulchrorum autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely but by 

 

pardon, and considering the youth, as to make up the comeliness. 

 

Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; and for the most part it makes a 

 

dissolute youth, and an age a little out of countenance; but yet certainly again, if it light well, it maketh 

 

virtue shine, and vices blush.

所有跟帖： 

• Great work! -Lucidus- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/18/2013 postreply 21:15:59

• 多謝誇獎！ -聚曦亭- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/19/2013 postreply 20:01:16

• Great translation! Thanks! -~葉子~- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/19/2013 postreply 16:30:57

• 謝美言！ -聚曦亭- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/19/2013 postreply 20:01:55