- 窮理查智慧書(中英對照)
- (美)本杰明·富蘭克林
- 1937字
- 2020-11-21 19:56:13
1736年
知道的不全說,見到的不亂說,生活就會很舒心。
He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.
親愛的讀者:
您善意地接受了我前幾年的作品,極大地鼓起了我繼續創作下去的信心和勇氣,但您對我的信任和幫助,使得有些人產生了妒忌,還有些人對我仇視不已。由于我準確地預測了一個人的死期而出了名,那些妒忌我的人千方百計使我出丑,他們散布謠言,說我這個人根本不存在,以至于不認識我的人,經常在我面前說我根本就是子虛烏有的,陰謀剝奪我的存在,想讓我從世人心中消失,這是一種惡毒的方式。不管他們如何造謠,只要我明白自己還健康地活著,我就心滿意足了,世人也會和我一樣感到滿足。試想,如果不存在我這個人,那么,我的書怎么可能印出來擺在成千上萬的讀者面前呢?要不是為了維護出版商的權益,我實在不愿去理會這些無聊的謠言。有的人以為這本書是我的出版商的作品,但我的出版商不愿意扮演這樣的角色,我也不想失去作為作者的榮譽。在這里,為給出版商一個澄清的機會,也為了維護我的權益,我鄭重宣布:到目前為止,我的所有歷書和我正在創作的歷書,都不是另外一個或幾個人寫的。我渴望大家相信這一點,對此仍不相信的人,肯定是不可理喻的。
下面是我今年的勞動成果,親愛的讀者,請您批評指正,不當之處,祈請見諒。歷書為您效勞,如果它有幸能讓它的主人感到愉快,那就是對窮理查所付出的勞動的最大獎勵。
理查·薩德斯
埋頭干活的人不是小丑,做丑事的人才是真正的小丑。
He is no clown that drives the plow, but he that doth clownish things.
如果你懂得怎樣多掙少花,你就掌握了致富的秘訣。
If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the Philosophers-Stone.
好會計是別人錢包的主人。
The good Paymaster is Lord of another man's Purse.
魚死三天會發臭,客呆三天討人嫌。
Fish & Visitors stink in 3 days.
凡親屬中沒有傻瓜、娼妓和乞丐的人必非凡人。
He that has neither fools, whores nor beggars among his kindred, is the son of a thunder-gust.
勤奮是好運之母。
Diligence is the Mother of Good-Luck.
一味靠希望活著的人,死時不值一文。
He that lives upon Hope, dies farting.
不熟悉的就不要去做。
Do not do that which you would not have known.
絕不要炫耀你的蘋果酒、好馬或伙伴。
Never praise your Cyder, Horse, or Bedfellow.
財富不屬于擁有它的人,而屬于享用它的人。
Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.
未來難測。
Tis easy to see, hard to foresee.
在謹慎之人的嘴里,公事也變成隱私。
In a discreet man's mouth, a publick thing is private.
讓你的女仆忠誠、強壯,感到家庭般的溫暖。
Let thy maidservant be faithful, strong, and homely.
亞麻遠離火苗,青年遠離賭博。
Keep fl ax from fi re, youth from gaming.
交易面前無親友。
Bargaining has neither friends nor relations.
崇拜是因為無知。
Admiration is the Daughter of Ignorance.
老酒鬼比老醫生多(喻意:垃圾總比珍寶多)。
There's more old Drunkards than old Doctors.
愛面子的人活得太累。
She that paints her Face, thinks of her Tail.
這就是有些人的勇氣!見到老鼠拔腿就跑,卻還要去抓影兒都沒有的獅子。
Here comes Courage! that seiz'd the lion absent, and run away from the present mouse.
娶個妻子,好好對待她。
He that takes a wife, takes care.
不看他人信件,不偷他人錢財,不聽他人秘密。
Nor Eye in a letter, nor Hand in a purse, nor Ear in the secret of another.
計劃開支,可養百家。
He that buys by the penny, maintains not only himself, but other people.
有耐心,就有一切。
He that can have Patience, can have what he will.
家有牛和羊,人人對我點頭忙。
Now I've a sheep and a cow, every body bids me good morrow.
自助者,天助之。
God helps them that help themselves.
瞎子的老婆化妝給誰看?
Why does the blind man's wife paint herself.
沒有比螞蟻更優秀的牧師了,它布道時什么也不說,只顧埋頭干活兒。
None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing.
缺席總有原因,出席總有理由。
The absent are never without fault, nor the present without excuse.
以柔克剛。
Gifts burst rocks.
一粒老鼠屎,壞了一鍋湯。
The rotten Apple spoils his Companion.
出賣信譽,財友兩空。
He that sells upon trust, loses many friends, and always wants money.
如果你自家的窗子是玻璃的,就別向鄰居家窗子扔石頭。
Don't throw stones at your neighbours, if your own windows are glass.
豬美在于膘肥,人美在于高尚。
The excellency of hogs is fatness, of men virtue.
好丈夫造就好妻子和好莊稼。
Good wives and good plantations are made by good husbands.
你受難時,勿怪罪于他人。
Pox take you, is no curse to some people.
理智便是力量。
Force shites upon Reason's Back.
戀人、旅行者和詩人,付錢也要傳達心聲。
Lovers, Travellers, and Poets, will give money to be heard.
話多誤事。
He that speaks much, is much mistaken.
債主的記性比欠債的好。
Creditors have better memories than debtors.
先警告,再準備干架。除非是戴綠帽的男人,他通常在獲得警告前就被對方采取行動了。
Forwarn'd, forearm'd, unless in the case of Cuckolds, who are often forearm'd before warn'd.
男人最容易被三樣東西欺騙:馬、法官和妻子。
Three things are men most liable to be cheated in, a Horse, a Wig, and a Wife.
會生活的人,才是大學問家。
He that lives well, is learned enough.
貧困、詩歌和榮譽的頭銜,使人變得滑稽可笑。
Poverty, Poetry, and new Titles of Honour, make Men ridiculous.
到處撒播荊棘,就別光腳走路。
He that scatters Thorns, let him not go barefoot.
被自己信任的人騙,是真正的受騙。
There's none deceived but he that trusts.
上帝治好病,醫生只收費。
God heals, and the Doctor takes the Fees.
貪心是個無底洞。
If you desire many things, many things will seem but a few.
瑪麗總是白吃白喝,因為只有別人埋單,她才張嘴吃。
Mary's mouth costs her nothing, for she never opens it but at others expence.
我發現,餓死的人不多,撐死的人很多。
I saw few die of Hunger, of Eating 100000.
美國少女呀,誰弄壞了你的牙齒?
答案是:熱湯和冰凍蘋果。
Maids of America, who gave you bad teeth?
Answ. Hot Soupings & frozen Apples.
嫁女兒,好比及時吃鮮魚。
Marry your Daughter and eat fresh Fish betimes.
如果上帝要眷顧一個男人,就讓他的潑婦老婆生出一堆豬崽來。
If God blesses a Man, his Bitch brings forth Pigs.
知道的不全說,見到的不亂說,生活就會很舒心。
He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.