第43章：Of Beauty 论美（中英对照）

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？
对于喜欢阅读名著的读者，这是一个最好的时代，因为有成千上万的书可以选择；这又是一个不好的时代，因为在浩繁的卷帙中，很难找到适合自己的好书。而培根的散文随笔，浓缩的不仅仅是文学，还是智慧。相信对阅读和写作都有很好的帮助。
43 of beauty 论美
irtue is like a rich stone,best plain set;and surely vitue is best,in a body that is comely,though not of delicate features;and that hath rather dignity of presence,than beauty of aspect.
美德好比宝石，它在朴素背景的衬托下反而更华丽。同样，一个打扮并不华贵却端庄严肃而有美德者是令人肃然起敬的。

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.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.
外表美丽的人，未必也具有内在的美。因为造物主似乎是吝啬的，他给了此就不再予彼。所以许多容颜俊秀的人却不足为训，他们过于追求外形美丽而忽略了内心的美。但这也许不全对，因为奥古斯都·撒、菲斯帕斯、法兰西的菲力普王、英格兰的爱德华四世、雅典的阿尔西巴蒂斯、波斯的伊斯梅尔等既是大丈夫，又是美男子。就形貌而言，自然之美要胜过粉饰之美，而优雅行为之美又胜于单纯礼仪之美。

that is the best part of beauty,which a picture cannot express;no nor the first sight of the life.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.
最高的美是画家说无法表现的，因为它是难于直观的。没有哪种美能极致到不存在比例上的瑕疵。曾经有两位画家——阿皮雷斯和艾伯特·丢勒滑稽地认为，可以按照几何比例，或者通过摄取不同人身上最美的特点，用画合成一张最完美的人像。其实像这样画出来的美人，恐怕只表现了画家本人的某种偏爱。

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.
画家不能通过这样画出更好看的脸，（正如为曲子营造氛围的音乐家），创造它的常常是构思，而不是公式。有许多的脸，就他们的部分看并不优美，但作为整体却非常动人。
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.
虽然美之菁华无疑在于优雅的举止，但有些老人更显得可爱，这印证了一句拉丁谚语：“暮色之色更美。”而尽管有的年轻人具有美貌，却由于缺乏完美的修养而不配得到最好的赞美。

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.
美犹如盛夏的水果，是容易腐烂而难保持的。世上有许多美人，他们有过放荡的青春，却迎受着愧悔的晚年。因此，应该把美的形貌与美的德行结合起来。这样，美才会发出夺目的光辉。