1734年

記住窮理查的話：世間諸事，若始于憤怒，必終于恥辱。

Take this remark from Richard poor and lame, Whate'er's begun in anger ends in shame.

親愛的讀者：

在過去的一年里，您出于仁慈和善良，買了我這么多的智慧書，幫我極大地改善了生活處境，我得真誠地感謝您。我老婆給我們家買了水罐，不用再借鄰居家的了，我們的生活慢慢地好了起來。我的老婆還買了一雙鞋、兩件新的換洗衣裳和一條漂亮而且保暖的襯裙。我也買了一件二手的大衣，還不錯，我再也不怕進城了，也不怕在城里被人另眼相看了。這些外在的東西，使我老婆的脾氣比以往好了很多，應該說，一年來老婆也不再吵我了，我睡得更舒服了、更安靜了。所以，請接受我衷心的感謝，祝愿你們身體健康，事業興旺。

在去年的智慧書的序言中，我預測了我親愛的同窗好友、博學而智慧的泰坦·利茲先生將于1733年10月17日下午3時29分的時候，也就是在兩顆星星交匯的瞬間離開人世。不過，據他自己推測，他將活到10月26日上午11點鐘左右，在月亮消失時死去。他究竟在這兩個時間的哪個時間點上去世，或者在我寫這本書的時候他是否還健在，我還真不敢向你們保證。由于家中出了點事情，我必須回去，這樣一來，我無法像我原來打算的那樣，在利茲先生即將永別于人世的時刻陪著他，給他最后的擁抱，我真不知道他是否還健在。天上的星辰只會讓聰明靈巧的人知道自然界的因果循環帶來的必然后果，有時候也會因為一些合理的、善意的原因，或者是上天的特殊秉性而取消或推遲這些因果循環。上帝的那種特殊的秉性，是無法看出或預測的。然而，很有可能的是（說到這里，我心底的悲傷油然而生），我親愛的朋友已不在人世了，因為我發現，一本以他的名義寫的1734年的歷書面世了。在那本書中，我被罵得體無完膚，作者罵我是冒牌的預測家、不學無術的家伙、趾高氣揚的人、愚貨、謊話連篇的騙子。利茲先生儒雅大度而不失涵養，不會這樣粗俗地攻擊別人，而且他很尊敬我，對我很信任，所以，那本書不過是有人為了發財而炮制的詭計罷了，他想冒用利茲先生獨特的影響力和無可替代的價值，把兩三年的歷書賣出去。然而，冒用紳士和文人的名義，去說出那些連卑鄙小人和無恥之輩在大發酒瘋時也難以啟齒的話，假冒利茲先生的名義去攻擊他的摯友，這是對利茲先生身后名譽無可原諒的詆毀，也是對公眾的欺騙。

利茲先生不但熟練掌握自己本行的科學知識，而且為人莊重理性，重情重理，言必行，行必果。因為他身上這些難能可貴的品質，我非常珍惜和他的這份友誼，當然，事情有可能出乎人們的意料，也可能我的推測與他自己的推測都不準，也就是說，他也許還健在。只要他還健在，我就十分高興和滿足。盡管預測不準確會讓我覺得很羞愧，但如果他還健在的話，這的確算不了什么。

善良的讀者，我是您貧窮的摯友和忠實的仆人：

理查·薩德斯

寧可腳底打滑摔跤，也不要口無遮攔失言。

Better slip with foot than tongue.

摘好看的玫瑰，就不要怕刺手；娶漂亮的老婆，就不要怕戴綠帽子。

You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns, Nor enjoy a fair wife without danger of horns.

沒有正義的勇敢，是軟弱的。

Without justice, courage is weak.

飯吃多，易生病；藥吃多，愈不易。

Many dishes many diseases, Many medicines few cures.

爛肉引禿鷲，明法聚民心。

Where carcasses are, eagles will gather, And where good laws are, much people fl ock thither.

冷熱硬甜蝕爾齒，少吃牙齒更健康。

Hot things, sharp things, sweet things, cold things All rot the teeth, and make them look like old things.

只會夸獎的和只會責備的都是笨蛋。

Blame-all and Praise-all are two blockheads.

少吃還要少喝，戒色更需勤奮，否則百病纏身，令你痛苦萬分。

Be temperate in wine, in eating, girls, & sloth; Or the Gout will seize you and plague you both.

不吃苦中苦，難為人上人。

No man e'er was glorious, who was not laborious.

隱瞞過錯使人傷神費心，改正過錯使人一身輕松。

What pains our Justice takes his faults to hide, With half that pains sure he might cure 'em quite.

功成勿驕。

In success be moderate.

記住窮理查的話：世間諸事，若始于憤怒，必終于恥辱。

Take this remark from Richard poor and lame, Whate'er's begun in anger ends in shame.

笨人多干蠢事。

Fools multiply folly.

美麗與愚蠢，總是湊在一起。

Beauty & folly are old companions.

心想著明天的收獲，不記得眼下的辛勞。

Hope of gain Lessens pain.

勤人眼里無難事，懶人面前事事難。

All things are easy to Industry, All things diffi cult to Sloth.

騎馬要貼緊馬背，馭人要適當寬待。

If you ride a Horse, sit close and tight, If you ride a Man, sit easy and light.

真理再新，也是真理；錯誤再老，也是錯誤。傻瓜們總是搞反。

A new truth is a truth, an old error is an error, Tho' Clodpate wont allow either.

一只狗，追不到兩只兔子（一心不能二用）。

Don't think to hunt two hares with one dog.

愛在五月時分。

Astrologers say, This is a good Day, To make Love in May.

給別人帶去歡樂，也會獲得歡樂。

Who pleasure gives, Shall joy receive.

病痛不要來得太晚，幸福不必來得太早。

Be not sick too late, nor well too soon.

既然有無愛的婚姻，那么也會有無婚姻的愛。

Where there's Marriage without Love, there will be Love without Marriage.

律師和牧師就像山雀蛋，孵出的多，成才的少。

Lawyers, Preachers, and Tomtits Eggs, there are more of them hatch'd than come to perfection.

不蠢不奸佞，做個明白人。

Be neither silly, nor cunning, but wise.

在開始討價還價之后，堡壘和處女膜都不能維持長久。

Neither a Fortress nor a Maidenhead will hold out long after they begin to parly.

耕耘少，收獲便少（一分耕耘一分收獲）。

Jack Little sow'd little, & little he'll reap.

對于節儉之人，什么東西都便宜；對于浪費之人，什么東西都昂貴。

All things are cheap to the saving, dear to the wasteful.

空談道理，無以服人；重賞之下，必有勇夫。

Would you persuade, speak of Interest, not of Reason.

有人因為學識過多而發瘋，

但沒有人因為學習種田而發瘋。

Some men grow mad by studying much to know,

But who grows mad by studying good to grow.

禍福相依，朝夕難料。

Happy's the Woing, that's not long a doing.

不要太在意別人的缺點，要多關注別人的優點。

Don't value a man for the Quality he is of, but for the Qualities he possesses.

亞歷山大的馬和他一樣萬古長青。

Bucephalus the Horse of Alexand hath as lasting fame as his Master.

時間自會證明一切。

Rain or Snow, To Chili go, You'll fi nd it so, For ought we know. Time will show.

有的人雖不出名，卻有著名人般高尚的靈魂。

There have been as great Souls unknown to fame as any of the most famous.

善待朋友以留住他，寬待敵人以爭取他。

Do good to thy Friend to keep him, to thy enemy to gain him.

好人好心常自在，壞人壞心永不安。

A good Man is seldom uneasy, an ill one never easie.

教孩子學會緘默，他會迅速學會說話（并喋喋不休）。

Teach your child to hold his tongue, he'l learn fast enough to speak.

不懂服從，何以發令？

He that cannot obey, cannot command.

純樸的農夫勝過邪惡的君主。

An innocent Plowman is more worthy than a vicious Prince.

魅力是浮云，糊涂很難得。

As Charms are nonsence, Nonsence is a Charm.

今天的一個蛋，勝過明天的一只雞。

An Egg to day is better than a Hen to-morrow.

戒掉酒，多喝水，既省錢又健康。

Drink Water, Put the Money in your Pocket, and leave the Dry-bellyach in the Punchbowl.

富裕之人不必清貧生活，能清貧度日之人無需變得富有。

He that is rich need not live sparingly, and he that can live sparingly need not be rich.

遇到報復的敵人，須保持冷靜和克制。

If you wou'd be reveng'd of your enemy, govern your self.

邪惡的英雄看不起無知的懦夫。

A wicked Hero will turn his back to an innocent coward.

法律如蛛網，只能逮住小蠅蟲，大蠅蟲卻能在你眼前逃之夭夭。

Laws like to Cobwebs catch small Flies, Great ones break thro' before your eyes.

拆東墻補西墻過日子的人永遠不能獨立生活。

Strange, that he who lives by Shifts, can seldom shift himself.

傷口發癢易被撓破，驕傲自滿常遭奚落。

As sore places meet most rubs, proud folks meet most affronts.

政府依法行政，百姓守法行事。

The magistrate should obey the Laws, the People should obey the magistrate.

居安思危。

When 'tis fair be sure take your Great coat with you.

無法正確看待財富，便會成為財富的奴隸。

He does not possess Wealth, it possesses him.

必需的東西，沒什么道理可講，花再多的錢，也要花。

Necessity has no Law; I know some Attorneys of the name.

洋蔥能使人流淚，無論是欣喜若狂的繼承人還是痛徹心扉的寡婦。

Onions can make ev'n Heirs and Widows weep.

貪心和幸福像兩條平行線，永遠不會相交。

Avarice and Happiness never saw each other, how then shou'd they become acquainted.

謹慎的荷蘭人謹遵節儉格言：把所有能節省下來的錢都節省下來。

The thrifty maxim of the wary Dutch, Is to save all the Money they can touch.

只等老天眷顧，一日三餐不定。

He that waits upon Fortune, is never sure of a Dinner.

有知識的蠢蛋，比沒有知識的蠢蛋，還要蠢三分。

A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.

找兒媳可以慢慢來，嫁女兒則越快越好。

Marry your Son when you will, but your Daughter when you can.

智者千慮，必有一失；愚者千慮，必有一得。

He that knows nothing of it, may by chance be a Prophet; while the wisest that is may happen to miss.

如果客人不喜歡聽你談論你高興的事情，就把它們放在心底，至少不要表露出來。

If you wou'd have Guests merry with your cheer, Be so your self, or so at least appear.

饑荒、瘟疫、戰爭和數不清的報復人類罪惡的疾病，都是人類所有。

是不是饑荒、瘟疫、戰爭的出現，

都不足以懲罰我們的罪惡，

我們的老婆的智慧，

卻足以制服我們那顆不安分的心。

Famine, Plague, War, and an unnumber'd throng,

Of Guilt-avenging Ills, to Man belong;

Is't not enough Plagues, Wars, and Famines rise,

To lash our crimes, but must our Wives be wise?

親愛的讀者，愿幸福常在您左右，

愿您年年更富有，事事更如意。

Reader, farewel, all Happiness attend thee:

May each New-Year better and richer fi nd thee.