西洋幽默语录(之八十三)
蒙旦 (MONTAIGNE, Michel Eyquem de), 1533-1592
法国散文作家
A doctor gets no pleasure out of the health of his friends.
一个医生不会从他的朋友的健康得到快乐.
Eloquence flourished most in Rome when public affairs were in the worst condition.
巧言善辩在罗马盛行, 正是公共事务最糟的时候.
A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.
好的婚姻是介於一个盲的妻子和一个聋的丈夫之间.
I don’t remember ever having had the itch, and yet scratching is one of nature’s sweetest pleasures, and so handy.
我不记得我可曾有过那种痒, 但抓痒却是自然最美妙的乐趣之一, 而且只是举手之劳.
If the world complains that I speak too much about myself, I complain that the world doesn’t think of itself at all.
假如世界控诉我讲得太多关於我自已, 我要控诉世界完全不理它自已.
It is easier to write a mediocre poem than to understand a good one.
写一首不怎样的诗容易过了解一首好诗.
孟德斯鸠 (MONTESQUIEU, Baron de), 1689-1755
法国政治哲学家和文士
An author is a fool who, not content with having bored those who have lived with him, insists on boring future generations.
作家是一个傻子, 不仅不满足於让和他同时代的人感到无聊, 还要继续让下一代人感到无聊.
I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should seem a fool, but be wise.
我常观察到, 一个人要在这个世界成功, 他应该看来大智若愚.
What orators lack in depth they give you in length.
演讲者若缺乏深度, 他们会给你长度.
When God endowed human being with brains, he did not intend to guarantee them.
当上帝赐与人类脑, 他并无意担保它们一定好.
乔治摩尔 (MOORE, George), 1852-1933
爱尔兰小说家, 文艺评论家, 和散文作家
Faith goes out through the window when beauty comes in at the door.
信仰可抛出窗外, 当美女从大门进来.
Heaven may be for the laity, but this world is certainly for the clergy.
天堂可能为凡人而设,但这个世界肯定是为牧师而设.
If good books did good, the world would have been converted long ago.
假如好书真做了好事, 世界早就改变了.
If there were no husbands, who would look after our mistresses?
假如没有丈夫们, 谁来照顾我们的情妇?
Remorse is beholding heaven and feeling hell.
後悔是抱着天堂感觉在地狱.
Taking something from one man and making it worst is plagiarism.
从一个人那里拿走一些东西而把它弄得更坏叫做抄袭.
There is nothing so consoling as to find that one’s neighbour’s troubles are at least as great as one’s own.
发现邻居的问题至少和我们的一样大, 没有比这更值得宽慰的事了.
To be able to distinguish between a badly- and well-written book is not enough; a professor of literature can do that occasionally.
能够分辨出一本书写得好或坏并不足够; 一个文学教授有时就会这样做.
You must have women dressed, if it is only for the pleasure of imagining them as Venuses.
你非要女人穿上衣服, 如果你只是为了享受想象她们是维纳斯女神的乐趣.
There is always a right and a wrong way, and the wrong way always seems the more reasonable.
事情常常有对和错的办法, 而错的办法往往看来较为有理.
Everybody sets out to do something, and everybody does something, but no one does what he sets out to do.
每个人都立志做一些事, 而每个人都做一些事, 但无人做他立志做的事.
