培根散文隨筆美文：Of Revenge論復(fù)仇論困厄論作偽與掩飾

　　培根散文隨筆集中英對照，通過閱讀文學(xué)名著學(xué)語言，是掌握英語的絕佳方法。既可接觸原汁原味的英語，又能享受文學(xué)之美，一舉兩得，何樂不為?

　　4 Of Revenge 論復(fù)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?

　　復(fù)仇是一種野生的裁判。人類底天性越是向著它，法律就越應(yīng)當(dāng)耘除它。因為頭一個罪惡不過是觸犯了法律;可是報復(fù)這件罪惡的舉動卻把法律底位子奪了。無疑地，復(fù)了仇不過使一個人和他底仇人得平而已，但若置而不較，他就比他底仇人高出一等了;因為寬宥仇敵是君王底氣概也。確信所羅門有言：“人有怨仇而不報是他底光榮”。過去的事情是已經(jīng)過去了，并且是叫不回來了;明智的人留心現(xiàn)在和將來的事情已經(jīng)夠忙的了;所以那些勞勞于過去的事情的人簡直是枉費(fèi)心力而已。沒有人是為了作惡而作惡的;而是為了要給自己取得利益、樂趣、或榮譽(yù)、或類此的事情的。因此為什么我要對著某人因為他愛自己勝于愛我而生氣呢?

　　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.

　　并且即令有人純粹因為生性本惡而作了惡，那又怎么樣?也不過象荊棘一樣;荊棘刺人抓人因為它們不會作別的事啊。復(fù)仇中最可原諒的一種就是為了報沒有法律糾正的那一種仇的;可是在這種情形里那報仇的人也應(yīng)當(dāng)留神，他那報復(fù)的行為要沒有法律懲罰才好;否則他底仇人仍然要占先的，因為二人之間吃虧底比例乃是二比一也。有些人在報仇底時節(jié)要對方知道這報復(fù)是從那里來的。這是比較地大量;因為報仇底痛快處似乎不在使對方受苦而在使對方悔罪也。那些卑劣狡猾的懦夫則有如暗中的飛箭?？扑怪兯梗鹆_棱司底大公，曾有句鋒銳的話是說無義和忘恩的朋友的。他底意思好象這些罪過是不可恕似的，他說：“你可以在圣書中讀到基督教我們饒恕我們底敵人的話，可是你永遠(yuǎn)讀不到有教我們饒恕我們底朋友的話”。然而約伯底精神則調(diào)高一格。他說：“難道我們從上帝手中只要好的而不要壞的么”?以此例推于朋友，亦當(dāng)如斯。的確，一個人要是念念不忘復(fù)仇，他就是把自己底傷口常使其如新，這傷口若不是這人老在思想報復(fù)，是會痊愈的。公仇底報復(fù)多半是結(jié)局較佳的：例如為凱撒之死，為破提拿克斯之死，為法蘭西王亨利第三之死以及許多類此的復(fù)仇事件是也。然而在私仇底報復(fù)上則不如斯。反之，銜怨深而喜報復(fù)的人所度的生活是妖巫一般的生活。這種人活著的時候于人不利，死了也是于己不幸。