美丽英文(散文卷)-第8部分
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也无法侵占的山岭，那里空气清爽，万籁寂静），观察山谷中的错误、迷茫、薄雾与风暴，那更是叫人欢欣雀跃。并且这种期望的态度是同情，而非自满或自大。的确，假如一个人的想法中满是仁爱，顺应天意，走在真理的前沿，即便生活在人间，也不逊于天堂。前面讲了神学与哲学意义上的真理，现在来讨论一下日常生活中的真理。品格恶劣、精于世故的人，也被迫接受光明正大——人类的一种崇高品德。虚伪如同用金银合金制成硬币，即便可以增大金属的硬度，却贬低了其内在的真正价值。虚伪与欺诈如同弯曲的小路，唯有走路时依靠肚腹而不是双脚的毒蛇，才选择这条道路。假如一个说谎话、背信弃义的人露出了破绽，由此带来的羞耻感是没有办法掩盖的。因此，蒙田在议论“谎言”一词为何如此让人厌恶时，说过这样一句至理明言：“我们不如这样想，一个人说自己在上帝面前肆意妄为，而在凡人面前却很懦弱，这同说谎没有什么区别。”因为谎言可以面对上帝，却不敢面对凡人。当然，在描述虚伪与背信弃义的危害性时，恳求上帝对世世代代的人类进行裁决，他们无疑是最后的警钟。人们预示：耶稣灵魂来到世上后，他在地球上不会找到丝毫信仰。
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追寻真理，即对真理的珍爱；认识真理，信仰真理，即是对真理的享受。站在海岸上，观看颠簸于大海之上的船帆，是一种乐趣；站在城堡垛口，观看激战中的战场，也是一种乐趣；但什么也比不上站在真理的前哨，洞察山谷中的谬误、彷徨、迷雾与风暴更令人欢欣。真理已渗透进我们的生活。
Francis Bacon on Truth
Francis Bacon
In this famous essay； first published in 1625； Francis Bacon declares that truth in the philosophical and theological sense； as well as honesty in the civil1 business sense； are the “sovereign2 good of human nature。”
Truth； which only doth judge itself； teacheth that the inquiry of truth； which is the love…making or wooing of it； the knowledge of truth； which is the presence of it； and the belief of truth； which is the enjoying of it； is the sovereign good of human nature。 The first creature of God； in the works of the days； was the light of the sense； the last was the light of reason； and his sabbath3 work ever since is the illumination of his Spirit。 First he breathed light upon the face of the matter or chaos； then he breathed light into the face of man； and still he breatheth and inspireth light into the face of his chosen。 The poet that beautified the sect that was otherwise inferior to the rest saith yet excellently well： It is a pleasure to stand upon the shore and to see ships tossed upon the sea； a pleasure to stand in the window of a castle and to see a battle and the adventures thereof below； but no pleasure is parable to the standing upon the vantage4 ground of truth （a hill not to be manded； and where the air is always clear and serene）； and to see the errors and wanderings and mists and tempests in the vale below； so always that this prospect be with pity； and not with swelling or pride。 Certainly； it is heaven upon earth to have a man’s mind move in charity； rest in providence； and turn upon the poles of truth。
To pass from theological and philosophical truth to the truth of civil business： it will be acknowledged even by those that practice it not that clear and round dealing is the honor of man’s nature； and that mixture of falsehood is like alloy in coin of gold and silver； which may make the metal work the better； but it embaseth it。 For these winding and crooked courses are the goings of the serpent； which goeth basely upon the belly； and not upon the feet。 There is no vice that doth so cover a man with shame as to be found false and perfidious5。 And therefore Montaigne said prettily； when he inquired the reason why the word of the lie should be such a disgrace and such an odious charge。 Saith he； If it be well weighed； to say that a man lieth is as much to say as that he is brave toward God and a coward toward men。 For a lie faces God； and shrinks from man。 Surely the wickedness of falsehood and breach of faith cannot possibly be so highly expressed as in that it shall be the last peal to call the judgments of God upon the generations of men； it being foretold that when Christ eth； he shall not find faith upon the earth。
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蜉 蝣（1）
＇美国＇本杰明·富兰克林
亲爱的朋友，你可记得，上次我们在芍丽磨坊那儿让人愉快的花园中参加社团活动的那天，我曾在散步时独自停留了一会儿，落在了人群的后面。是因为有人指给我们看了一种苍蝇一类的小昆虫的残尸——蜉蝣。据说，它们的生命非常短，在一天时间里，可以生生死死好几代。那天，我碰巧在一片叶子上见到了一群鲜活的蜉蝣，它们看上去正忙着交谈。你是知道的，我几乎能懂得所有低等动物的语言。也许，我对研究它们语言的极大热心却成为我在学习你们美妙语言时少有进步的最好借口了。我好奇地倾听着这些小生物的对话，然而它们却在以自己的方式，三个一群，四个一伙地讨论着，我只能听清其中一部分对话。尽管如此，我还是从那些只言片语中听出，它们正在热烈地争论着两位国外音乐家谁的成就更为杰出。这两位音乐家中一位是蚋先生，另一位是蚊先生。它们热烈地讨论着，似乎忘了生命的短暂，好像可以活一个月之久似的。多么快乐啊！我想：你们一定是在一种贤明公正、宽仁待民的政府之下。因为你们既没有抱怨与牢骚，也没有任何的党派之争，而是在颇有闲情地讨论着外国音乐的完美与不完美之处。我将头转向它们中一个白头发的老者，它独自在另一片叶子上自言自语。我觉得它的独白非常有趣，于是把它们记了下来，并且希望这些话同样博她一笑，算作我对她的报答。因为我已受到好友太多的深情厚意，她的清风明月的风度，她的妙音雅奏，一向使我倾倒不已。
老蜉蝣说：“这是在很久很久以前，一位著名哲人认为：我们这个世界——即芍丽磨坊，其生存时间不会超过18小时。我想，这个观点一定是有所根据的。因为，太阳通过运动赋予了大自然生命，而在我的这个年代里，太阳正在自东往西地移动，明显已经落得很低了，快要沉到我们地球尽头的海洋里去了。太阳必将结束自己的行程，被围绕在我们周围的海水所吞噬，世界变得寒冷与黑暗，万物都将死亡与毁灭。我已活过了七个小时，一段看起来不短的时间，足足有420分钟！我们中很少有人能够如此长寿。我目睹了一代又一代人繁衍生息，寿终正寝。我现在的朋友，都是我儿时伙伴的孩子或孙子，而我那些儿时的伙伴却早已不在了。不久，我也会随他们而去，这是自然的规律。虽然目前我还很健康，但是我并不奢望我还能活上个七八分钟。现在我所有的精力都集中在收集这片叶子上的蜜露上，虽然我生前已不可能享受了。我一直热心的政治斗争也是为了居住在这个灌木丛中的所有我的同胞们的利益；我所作的哲学研究同样也是为了我们整个民族共同的利益。可是在政治上，法律没有道德的配合，政治仍旧不能清明。我们现在这一族蜉蝣必须随时警惕，不然在几分钟内，就可能变得像别的老一些的灌木丛中的蜉蝣那样腐化，万劫不复！在哲学这方面，我们的成就是多么渺小啊！唉！艺术是永恒的，而生命则是有限的。我的朋友们曾这样安慰我，说我活的时间长得足够让我的名字在我死后流芳千古。但是对于一个已死的蜉蝣来说，名声又有什么意义呢？何况到了第18个小时的时候，整个芍丽磨坊将会消亡，世界末日已来临，还谈得上什么历史呢？”
对我来说，经过了对所有渴望的追求，别无乐趣了，唯有想起世间众生，人虫不分，如能长寿而为大众服务，这是可以引为自慰的；其次则听听蜉蝣太太与蜉蝣小姐们的高谈阔论，或者说偶然从那可爱的白夫人那里，得到巧笑一顾，或者是婉歌一曲，我的暮年也得到安慰了。
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就像这只蜉蝣所说，“艺术是永恒的，而生命则是有限的”，那何不在这短暂的生命中将事情尽量做到完美呢？ 。 想看书来
蜉 蝣（2）
The Ephemera
Benjamin Franklin
You may remember； my dear friend； that when we lately spent that happy day in the delightful garden and sweet society of the Moulin Joly； I stopped a little in one of our walks； and stayed some time behind the pany。 We had been shown numberless skeletons of a kind of little fly； called an ephemera； whose successive generations； we were told； were bred and expired within the day。 I happened to see a living pany of them on a leaf； who appeared to be engaged in conversation。 You know I understand all the inferior animal tongues。 My too great application to the study of them is the best excuse I can give for the little progress I have made in your charming language。 I listened through curiosity to the discourse of these little creatures； but as they； in their national vivacity； spoke three or four together； I could make but little of their conversation。 I found； however； by some broken expressions that I heard now and then； they were disputing warmly on the merit of two foreign musicians； one a cousin； the other a moscheto； in which dispute they spent their time； seemingly as regardless of the shortness of life as if they had been sure of living a month。 Happy people！ Thought I： you are certainly under a wise； just； and mild government； since you have no public grievances to plain of； nor any subject of contention but the perfections and imperfections of foreign music。 I turned my head from them to an old gray…headed one； who was single on another leaf； and talking to himself。 Being amused with his soliloquy； I put it down in writing； in hopes it will likewise amuse her to whom I am so much indebted for the most pleasing of all amusements； her delicious pany and heavenly harmony。
“It was；” said he； “the opinion of learned philosophers of our race； who lived and flourished long before my time； that this vast world； the Moulin Joly； could not itself subsist more than eighteen hours； and I think there was some foundation for that opinion； since； by the apparent motion of the great luminary that gives life to all nature； and which in my time has evidently declined considerably towards the ocean at the end of our earth； it must then finish its course； be extinguished in the waters that surround us； and leave the world in cold and darkness； necessarily producing universal death and destruction。 I have lived seven of those hours； a great age； being no less than four hundred and twenty minutes of time。 How very few of us continue so long！ I have seen generations born； flourish； and expire。 My present friends are the children and grandchildren of the friends of my youth； who are now； alas； no more！ And I must soon follow them； for； by the course of nature； though still in health； I cannot expect to live above seven or eight minutes longer。 What now avails all my toil and labor in amassing honey…dew on this leaf； which I cannot live to enjoy！ What political struggles I have been engaged in for the good of my patriot inhabitants of this bush of my philosophical studies for the benefit of our race in general！ For in politics what can laws do without morals？ Our present race of ephemerae will in a course of minutes bee corrupt； like those of other and older bushes； and consequently as wretched。 And in philosophy how small our progress！ Alas！ Art is long； and life is short！ My friends would fort me with the idea of a name they say I shall leave behind me； and they tell
