Of Love 論戀愛

The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as to the stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies: but in life, it doth much mischief: sometimes like a siren; sometimes like a fury. You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) 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 passion.

舞臺較人生受惠于戀愛者為多。因為在舞臺上，“戀愛”長期可以供給喜劇底材料，有時亦可供給悲劇底材料;但在人生中，“戀愛”只是招致禍患;它有時如一位惑人的魔女，有時似一位復仇的女神。你可以見到，在一切偉大的人物中(無論是古人今人，只要是其盛名仍在人記憶中者)沒有一個是在戀愛中被誘到熱狂的程度者：可見偉大的人與重大的事真能排除這種柔弱之情也。

You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius the half partner of the empire of Rome; and Appius Claudius the decemvir, and lawgiver: whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart; but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept It is 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 subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are) yet of the eye; which was given him for higher purposes. It is a strange thing, to note the excess of this passion; and how it braves the nature and value of things; by this, that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely in the phrase; for whereas 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 more. For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself, as the lover doth of me person loved: and therefore, it was well said; mat it is impossible to love, and to be wise. Neither doth (his weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved; but to the loved, most of all: except the love be reciproque.

然而你必須把曾為羅馬帝國一半之統治者的安東尼和十人執政之一及立法者阿皮亞斯·克勞底亞斯作為例外;這兩個人之中前者確是一個好色而無度的人;但是后者卻是一個嚴肅而有智的人;所以好象(雖然這是很少見的)戀愛不但是會入于坦露的心胸，并且也可以進入壁壘森嚴的心胸中(假如把守不嚴的話)似的。埃皮扣拉斯這句話說得不好——“我們互相看起來，就是一座夠大的舞臺了”。好象生來本當曠觀天界及一切高貴之物的人類不應該做別的而只應跪在一座小小的偶像前面，自己把自己做成個奴隸似的，雖然這不是為口舌底奴隸——如禽獸一般——而是為眼目底奴隸(而眼目是上帝給人為高貴的用途的)。可異者，這種情欲底過度，以及它如何欺凌事物底本性及價值之處，是由此可見的，就是，長期的夸張的言辭惟有在關于戀愛的言語中是合適的，在其他的事情中總是不宜。不僅言語如此;昔人說得好，那為首的諂諛者——一切較小的諂諛者都是與他通消息的——就是一人底自我;而無疑地，情人是比這為首的諂諛者還厲害的。因為從無一個驕傲的人重視自己之甚有如一個情人之重視其所愛也。所以昔人說得好。“要戀愛而又要明哲是不可能的”。這一種弱點也不是僅僅在旁人眼中看得出來，而在所愛底眼中看不出來的;反之，這種弱點，在被愛者底眼中是最顯明的，除非其人底愛情是得到了回報。

For it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded, either with the reciproque, or with an inward and secret contempt. 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 Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno, and Pallas. For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches, and wisdom. This passion hath his floods in the 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 folly. They do best, who, if they cannot but admit love, yet make it keep quarter:and sever it wholly from their serious affairs, and actions of life: for if it check once with business, it troubleth men s fortunes, and maketh men, that they can no ways be true to their own ends. 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 paid in pleasures. There 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. Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth and embaseth it.

因為，愛情底報酬永遠是這樣，要不是回愛，就是一種內心的隱藏的輕蔑，這條定理是真的。由此可見人們更應當如何提防這種情欲，因為它不但使人失去別的事物，簡直連自己也保不住。至于其他的損失，古詩人底故事表現得極好;就是喜愛海倫的人是舍棄了攸諾和派拉斯底賞賜的。因為無論何人若過于重視愛情，則自將放棄財富與智慧也。這種情欲泛濫的時候正是在人心力極弱的時候;那就是在一個人最繁榮或最困厄的時候——雖然困厄是不甚受人注意過的。這兩個時候都是燃起愛火并使之更為熱烈的，由此足見“愛”是“愚”之子也。有些人，即在心中不能不有愛的時候，仍能使它受約束，并且把它與人生底要務嚴格分開，這些人可算做事極當;因為“愛”若是一旦參與正事，就要擾害人們底福利，并且使他們無術堅守自己底目的。我不懂為什么，可是武人最易墮入愛情。我想這也和他們喜歡喝酒一樣;因為危險的事業多需要娛樂為報酬也。人性之中有一種隱秘地愛他人的傾向和趨勢，這種傾向若不消耗在一個人或少數人身上，將很自然地普及于眾人，并使人變為仁慈的，例如在僧侶之中有時就看得到這樣的情形夫婦之愛，使人類蕃滋，朋友之愛使人完美;但是無度的淫愛則使人敗壞并卑賤焉。