培根散文隨筆美文：Of Simulation & Dissimulation 論作僞與

培根散文隨筆集中英對照，通過閱讀文學名著學語言，是掌握英語的絕佳方法。既可接觸原汁原味的英語，又能享受文學之美，一舉兩得，何樂不爲?

　　6 Of Simulation & Dissimulation 論作僞與掩飾

Dissimulation is but a faint kind of policy, or wisdom; for it asketh a strong wit, and a strong heart, to know when to tell truth, and to do it Therefore it is me weaker sort of politics, that are the great dissemblers.

掩飾不過是策略或智謀中較弱的一種，因爲要知道何時當說真話，何時當行真事需要強壯的腦筋和心胸也。因此政治家之中較弱的一流方是善於掩飾者。

Tacitus saith; Livia sorted well, with the arts of her husband, and dissimulation of her son: attributing arts or policy to Augustus, and dissimulation to Tiberius. And again, when Lucianus encourageth Vespasian, to take arms against Vitellius, he saith; We rise not, against the piercing judgment of Augustus, nor the extreme caution or closeness of Tiberius. These properties of arts or policy, and dissimulation or closeness, are indeed habits and faculties, several, and to be distinguished. For if a man have that penetration of judgment, as he can discern, what things are to be laid open, and what to be secreted, and what to be showed at half lights, and to whom, and when (which indeed are arts of state, and arts of life, as Tacitus well calleth mem), to him, a habit of dissimulation is a hindrance, and a poorness. But if a man cannot obtain to that judgment, then it is left to him, generally, to be close, and a dissembler. For where a man cannot choose, or vary in particulars, there it is good to take the safest and wariest way in general; like the going softly by one that cannot well see. Certainly the ablest men that ever were, have had all an openness, and frankness of dealing; and a name of certainty, and veracity; but then they were like horses, well managed; for they could tell passing well when to stop, or turn: and at such times, when they thought the case indeed required dissimulation, if then they used it, it came to pass, that me former opinion, spread abroad of their good faith, and clearness of dealing, made them almost invisible.

泰西塔斯說：“裏維亞同她丈夫底智略和她兒子底虛僞都很融洽”就是說奧古斯塔斯有智略而泰比瑞阿斯善掩飾的意思。又當繆西阿奴斯勸外斯帕顯舉兵攻委泰立阿斯的時候，他說：“我們現在起事，所與爲敵者既不是奧古斯塔斯底洞察的判斷力，也不是泰比瑞阿斯底極端審慎或隱密”這些特質——權謀或策略與掩飾或隱密——確是不同的習慣與能力，並且是應當辨別的。因爲假如一個人有那種明察的能力，能夠看得出某事應當公開，某事應當隱祕，某事應當在半明半暗之中微露，並且看得出這事底或隱或顯應當是對何人，在何時(這些正即是泰西塔斯所謂的治國與處世的要術)，那末在他這樣的一個人，一種掩飾的習慣是一種阻撓，一個弱點。但是假如一個人達不到那種明察的能力，那末他就不得不常趨隱祕，並且爲一個掩飾者了。因爲一個人在不能隨機應變有所選擇的時候，自以取那一般地最安全最謹慎的途徑爲佳;就好象目力不濟的人走路是輕而且慢一樣。無疑地，從來最有能力的人都是有坦白直爽的行爲，信實不欺的名譽的;可是他們是象訓練得很好的馬一樣，因爲他們極能懂得何時當止，何時當轉，並且在他們以爲某事真需要掩飾的時候，如果他們果然掩飾了，以往流傳各處的關於他們底信實和正直坦白的見解也使他們差不多不至爲人所疑的。

There be three degrees, of this hiding and veiling of a man's self. The first closeness, reservation, and secrecy; when a man leaveth himself without

observation, or without hold to be taken, what he is. The second dissimulation, in the negative; when a man lets fall signs, and arguments, that he is not, that he is. And the third simulation, in the affirmative; when a man industriously, and expressly, feigns and pretends to be that he is not.

這種自我底掩藏有三等。第一是隱密、緘默和守祕密;就是一個人不讓別人有機會看出或推測出他底爲人。第二是掩飾，是消極的;就是一個人故意露出跡象端倪，教別人錯認他底真正爲人，以真爲假。第三是作僞，是積極的，就是一個人有意並且顯著地裝出他實際非是的那種爲人來。

For the first of these, secrecy: it is indeed, the virtue of a confessor, and assuredly, the secret man heareth many confessions; for who will open himself to a blab or a babbler? But if a man be thought secret, it inviteth discovery; as the more close air, sucketh in the more open: and as in confession, the revealing is not for worldly use, but for the ease of a man's heart, so secret men come to the knowledge of many things, in that kind; while men rather discharge their minds, than impart their minds. In few words, mysteries are due to secrecy. Besides (to say truth) nakedness is uncomely, as well in mind, as body; and it addeth no small reverence, to men's manners, and actions, if they be not altogether open. As for talkers and futile persons, they are commonly vain, and credulous withal. For he that talketh what he knoweth, will also talk what he knoweth not. Therefore set it down; that an habit of secrecy is both politic and moral. And in this part, it is good, that a man's face give his tongue leave to speak. For the discovery of a man's self by the tracts of his countenance,

is a great weakness, and betraying; by how much, it is many times more marked and believed, than a man's words.

講起這第一件事——隱祕——來，這真是一位聽人懺悔者底德能。隱祕的人確實常是聽得到許多的懺悔的。因爲誰肯向一個喋喋多言的人自白呢?但是假如一個人被人認爲隱密，這就會招致他人底自白的;就好象密閉的空氣會吸攝空曠的空氣一樣;又在懺悔中的暴露既不是爲任何實際用處而是爲一個人心裏痛快的，如斯，隱密的人乃能得知許多的事;蓋人多樂於宣泄心事而不樂於增加心事也。簡言之，隱密直似有接受祕事之權也。再者(說真的)，裸露——精神的與肉體的，——均是不美的;一個人底舉止與行爲若不完全暴露，便增加尊嚴不少。至於多言饒舌之人多虛妄而且輕信。蓋言其所知之人，也會言其所不知也。因此，“隱密底習慣是於處世及修身，兩俱有益的”。這句話竟可作爲定律。在這一方面，一個人底面容最好能讓他底舌頭自由說話。因爲一個人底自我可由其面上的徵狀而看出者，乃是一個大弱點，大泄漏;這弱點和泄漏有多大，由人面之受人注意與信任勝過言語若干倍而可見也。

For the second, which is dissimulation. It followeth many times upon secrecy, by a necessity: so that, he that will be secret, must be a dissembler, in some degree. For men are too cunning, to suffer a man to keep an indifferent carriage between both, and to be secret, without swaying the balance, on either side. They will so beset a man with questions, and draw him on, and pick it out of him, that without an absurd silence, he must show an inclination, one way; or if he do not, they will gather as much by his silence, as by his speech. As for equivocations, or oraculous speeches, they cannot hold out long. So that no man can be secret, except he give himself a little scope of dissimulation; which is, as it were, but the skirts or train of secrecy.

說到第二種，那就是掩飾;掩飾常常是必然的，不得不與隱密俱來的;所以一個人若要隱密，他就不得不在某種程度上作一個掩飾者。因爲一般的人都是狡黠得斷不能允許一個人在坦白與掩飾之間保持一種中立的態度，並且實際隱密而表面上不偏向任何一方的。這樣的一個人，人們一定會用問題包圍他，設法引誘他，並且探出他底口氣。所以除非他有一種一概不理的沉默，他就不免要顯露他是傾向何方的;或者即令他自己無表示，那些人也會由他的沉默中推測出來，猶如他自己說了一樣。至於模棱兩可，含糊其辭的話，那是不能持久的。所以沒有人能夠隱密，除非他給自己留一點掩飾底餘地;掩飾可說僅僅是隱密底裙或裳。

But for the third degree, which is simulation, and false profession; mat I hold more culpable, and less politic; except it be in great and rare matters. And therefore a general custom of simulation (which is this last degree) is a vice, rising either of a natural falseness, or tearfulness; or of a mind, that hath some main faults; which because a man must needs disguise, it maketh him practise simulation in other things, lest his hand should be out of use.

但是說到第三等，那就是作僞或冒充。那我認爲，除非在重大與稀有的事件之中，是罪過多於智謀的。因此，一種普遍的作僞底習慣(那就是這最後的一等)是一種惡德。其起因或由於天性的喜僞或多畏，或由於一種有重大缺陷的心智。這種缺陷因爲一個人不得不設法掩蓋，遂使他在別的方面也作僞，以免有荒疏之虞也。

The great advantages of simulation and dissimulation are three. First to lay asleep opposition, and to surprise. For where a man's intentions are published, it is an alarum, to call up all that are against them. The second is, to reserve to a man's self a fair retreat: for if a man engage himself, by a manifest declaration, he must go through, or take a fall. The third is, the better to discover the mind of another. For to him that opens himself, men will hardly show themselves adverse; but will (fair) let him go on, and turn their freedom of speech, to freedom of thought.

作僞與掩飾底大益有三。第一是使反對者不疑而我可以出其不意。因爲一個人底意向若是公開那就等於一聲喚起一切敵人的警報。第二是爲一己留一個安全的退步。因爲一個人要是明說要如何如何，因而束縛了自己，那末他就只有幹到底，或者被人打倒之一途了。第三是可以有較好的機會來看破別人的心思。因爲對一個暴露自己的人，別人是不會公開反對他的;他們將乾脆讓他繼續說下去而把他們自己言論底自由變爲思想底自由

And therefore, it is a good shrewd proverb of the Spaniard; tell a lie, and find a troth. As if there were no way of discovery, but by simulation. There be also three disadvantages, to set it even. The first, that simulation and dissimulation commonly cany with them a show of fearfulness, which in any business doth spoil the feathers, of round flying up to the mark. The second, that it puzzleth and perplexeth the conceits of many that perhaps would otherwise cooperate with him; and makes a man walk, almost alone, to his own ends. The third, and greatest is, mat it depriveth a man of one of the most principal instruments for action; which is trust and belief. The best composition and temperature is to have openness in fame and opinion; secrecy in habit; dissimulation in seasonable use; and a power to feign, if there be no remedy.

因此西班牙人有句成語：“撒一個謊以便發現一件真事”。這是一句很好、很精明的成語。這話底意思猶雲。除了作僞並無發現真情之術也。持平言之，作僞與掩飾也有三種害處。第一，作僞與掩飾平常總帶着一種畏怯的模樣。這種恐懼底態度在任何事件之中，都不免有阻撓直達目的之處，第二，作僞與虛飾使得許多人心中迷惘，莫明其妙，而這般人與那個作僞掩飾的人在相反的情形下也許會合作的;作僞與掩飾使人獨自跋涉，去達到他自己底目的。第三種而且是最大的害處，就是作僞與掩飾剝奪一個人作事底主要工具——信與任。最好的結合是有坦白之名，隱密之習，掩飾之適當應用;並且有作僞底能力，假如沒有別的辦法。