培根散文随笔集第23章：Of Wisdom for a Man/'s Self 论自谋（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？
23 of wisdom for a man's self 论自谋
an ant is a wise creature for itself; but it is a shrewd thing, in an orchard, or garden. and certainly, men that are great lovers of themselves, waste the public.
蚂蚁是一种为自己打算起来很聪明的动物，但是在一座果园或花园里它就是一种有害的动物了。那深爱自身的人的确是有害于公众的。
divide with reason between self-love, and society: and be so true to thy self, as thou be not false to others; specially to thy king, and country. it is a poor centre of a man's actions, himself. it is right earth. for that only stands fast upon his own centre; whereas all things that have affinity with the heavens, move upon the centre of another, which they benefit. the referring of all to a man's self, is more tolerable in a sovereign prince; because themselves are not only themselves; but their good and evil, is at the peril of the public fortune. but it is a desperate evil in a servant to a prince, or a citizen in a republic.
所以一个人应当把利己之心与为人之心以理智分开，对自己忠实，要做到无欺于人的地步，尤其是对他底君主与国家为然。把一个人底私利，作为他底行动底中心，是很不好的。那就完全和地球一样。因为只有地球是固定在自己底中心上的；而一切与天体有关之物则是依他物底中心而行动的，并且对这些别的物体是有利的。对一切事物都拿自己做标准，这在一个君主方面是较为可恕的，因为君主们底自身并不就是个人而已，反之，他们底善恶乃是公众底安危之所系也。但是这种情形若在一位君主底臣仆身上或在一个共和国底公民身上有之，则是一件极坏的恶事。
本文地址：http://www.dioenglish.com/writing/essay/9786.html
