經典美文欣賞：愛情
The stage is more beholding to love,than the life of man. For as to the stage, love is eyer matter of comedies. and now and then of tragedies, but in life it doth much mischief;sometimes like a siren , sometimes like a fury.
舞臺上的愛情生活比生活中的愛情要美好得多。因爲在舞臺上，愛情只是喜劇和悲劇的素材，而在人生中，愛情卻常常招來不幸。它有時像誘惑人的魔女，有時又像復仇的女神。
You may observe,that amongest all the great and worthy persond there is not one ,that hath been transported to the mad degree of love which shows that great spirits,and great business,do keep out this weak must except,neverthless,Marcus Antonius,the half partner of the empire of Rome,and Appius Claudius,the decemvir and lawgiver;where of the former was indeed a voluptuous man,and inordinate;but the lattrt was an austere and wise man:and therefore it seems that love can find entrance,not only into an open heart,but also into a heart weill fortified ,if watch be not well kept.
你可以看到，一切真正偉大的人物（無論是古人、今人，只要是其英名永銘於人類記憶中的），沒有一個是因愛情而發狂的人，這說明高尚的思想和偉大的事業都與這種軟弱的情感是格格不入的。只有曾爲羅馬帝國一半的統治者的安東尼和十大執政官之一及立法者的阿皮亞斯·克勞底亞例外。前者本性就好色荒淫，然而後者卻是嚴肅多謀的人。這說明愛情不僅會佔領開曠坦闊的胸懷，有時也能闖入壁壘森嚴的心靈——假如守禦不嚴的話。 It's a poor saying of Epicurus,"Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus"；as if man ,made for the contemplation of heaven,and all noble objects,should do nothing but kneel before a little idol,and make himself a gh not of the of the eye；which was given him for higher purposes.
埃闢克拉斯曾說過一句傻話：“人生不過是一座大戲臺。”似乎本應努力追求高尚事業的人類，卻只像玩偶般地逢場作戲。雖然愛情的奴隸並不同於那班只顧吃喝的禽獸，但畢竟也只是眼目色相的奴隸，而上帝賜人以眼睛本來是有更高尚的用途的。
It's a strange thing,to note the excess of this passion,and how it braves the natureand value of this:that th speaking in a perpetual hyperbole,is comely in nothing but in her is it merely in the phrase;for where as it hath been well said,that the arch-flatterer,with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence,is a man's self;certainly the lover is there was never proud man though so absurdly well of himself,as the lover doth of the person loved;and therefore it was well said,that it is impossible to love,and to be wise,Neither doth this weakness appear to others only,and not to be party loved;but to the loved most of all,except the be reciproque it is a true rule,that love is ever rewarsed,either with the reciproque ,or with an inward and secret contempt.
過度的愛情追求，必然會降低人本身的價值。例如，只有在愛情中，才總是需要那種浮誇諂媚的詞令。而在其他場合，同樣的詞令只能招人恥笑。古人有一句名言：“最大的奉承，人總是給自己的。”——只有對情人的奉承要算例外。因爲甚至最驕傲的人，也甘願在情人面前自輕自賤。所以古人說得好：“就是神在愛情中也難保持聰明。 情人的這種弱點不僅在外人眼中是明顯的，就是在被追求者的眼中也會很明顯——除非她（他）也在追求他（她）。所以，愛情的代價就是如此，不能得到回愛，就會得到一種深藏於心的輕蔑，這是一條永恆的定律。
By how much the more,men ought to beware of this passion ,which loseth not only other things,but itself!As for the other losses,the poet's relation doth well figure them;that he that preferred Helen,quitted the gifts of Juno and Pullas whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection ,quitteth both riches and wisdom.
由此可見，人們應當十分警惕這種感情。因爲它不但會使人喪失身外之物，而且可以使人喪失自己本身。古詩人早告訴我們：追求海倫的人是放棄了朱諾和雅典娜的禮物。過分看重愛情的人都終須放棄了財富和智慧。
This passion hath his floods,in very times of weakness;which are great prosperity,and great adversity;though this latter hath been less observed:both which times kindle love,and make it more fervent,and therefore show it to be the child of do best,who if they cannot but admit love,yet make it keep quarters;and sever it wholly from their serious affairs,and actions,of life;for if it check once with business,it thoubleth men's fortunes,and maketh men,that they can no ways be true to their own ends.
當人心最軟弱的時候，愛情最容易入侵，那就是當人春風得意、忘乎所以和處境窘困孤獨悽零的時候，雖然後者未必能得到愛情。人這樣的時候，最急於跳入愛情的火焰中。由此可見，“愛情”實在是“愚蠢”的兒子。但有一些人，即使心中有了愛，仍能約束它，使它不妨礙重大的事業。因爲愛情一旦干擾情緒，就會阻礙人堅定地奔向既定的目標。
I know not how,but martial men are given to love:I think,it is but as they are given to wine;for perils commonly ask to be in e is in man's nature ,a secret inclination and motion,towards love of others,which if it be not spent upon some one or a few ,doth naturally spread itself towards many,and maketh men become humane and charitable;as it is seen sometime in friars.
我不懂是什麼原因，很更容易墜人情網，這也許正嗜酒一樣，因爲危險的生活歡樂的補償.人的心中可能普遍具有一種博愛傾向，若不集中於某個專一的對象身上，就必然施之於更廣泛的大衆，使他成爲仁善的人，像有的僧侶那樣。
Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it;but wanton love corrupteth,and embaseth it.
夫妻的愛，使人類繁衍；朋友的愛，給人以幫助；但荒淫縱慾的愛，卻只會使人墮落毀滅啊！
