培根散文隨筆美文：Of Revenge論復仇論困厄論作僞與掩飾大綱

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?

　　4 Of Revenge 論復仇

Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out For as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that wrong, putteth the law out of office. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior: for it is a prince's part to pardon. And Solomon, I am sure, saith, It is the glory of a man to pass by an offence. That which is past, is gone, and irrevocable; and wise men have enough to do, with things present, and to come: therefore, they do but trifle with themselves, that labour in past matters. There is no man doth a wrong, for the wrong's sake; but thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honour, or the like. Therefore why should I be angry with a man, for loving himself better than me?

復仇是一種野生的裁判。人類底天性越是向着它，法律就越應當耘除它。因爲頭一個罪惡不過是觸犯了法律;可是報復這件罪惡的舉動卻把法律底位子奪了。無疑地，復了仇不過使一個人和他底仇人得平而已，但若置而不較，他就比他底仇人高出一等了;因爲寬宥仇敵是君王底氣概也。確信所羅門有言：“人有怨仇而不報是他底光榮”。過去的事情是已經過去了，並且是叫不回來了;明智的人留心現在和將來的事情已經夠忙的了;所以那些勞勞於過去的事情的人簡直是枉費心力而已。沒有人是爲了作惡而作惡的;而是爲了要給自己取得利益、樂趣、或榮譽、或類此的事情的。因此爲什麼我要對着某人因爲他愛自己勝於愛我而生氣呢?

And if any man should do wrong, merely out of ill nature, why, yet it is but like the thorn, or briar, which prick, and scratch, because they can do no other. The most tolerable sort of revenge, is for those wrongs which there is no law to remedy: but then, let a man take heed the revenge be such as there is no law to punish: else, a man's enemy is still before hand, and it is two for one. Some, when they take revenge, are desirous the party should know whence it cometh: this is the more generous. For the delight seemeth to be, not so much in doing the hurt, as in making the party repent: but base and crafty cowards are like the arrow that flieth in the dark. Cosmus, Duke of Florence, had a desperate saying, against perfidious or neglecting friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable: You shall read (saith he) mat we are commanded to forgive our enemies; but you never read, that we are commanded to forgive our friends. But yet the spirit of Job, was in a better tune; Shall we (saith he) take good at God's hands, and not be content to take evil also? And so of friends in a proportion. This is certain; that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well. Public revenges, are, for the most part, fortunate; as that for the death of Caesar, for the death of Pertinax; for the death of Henry the Third of France; and many more. But in private revenges it is not so. Nay rather, vindictive persons live the life of witches; who as they are mischievous, so end they unfortunate.

並且即令有人純粹因爲生性本惡而作了惡，那又怎麼樣?也不過象荊棘一樣;荊棘刺人抓人因爲它們不會作別的事啊。復仇中最可原諒的一種就是爲了報沒有法律糾正的那一種仇的;可是在這種情形裏那報仇的人也應當留神，他那報復的行爲要沒有法律懲罰纔好;否則他底仇人仍然要佔先的，因爲二人之間吃虧底比例乃是二比一也。有些人在報仇底時節要對方知道這報復是從那裏來的。這是比較地大量;因爲報仇底痛快處似乎不在使對方受苦而在使對方悔罪也。那些卑劣狡猾的懦夫則有如暗中的飛箭。科斯謨斯，佛羅棱司底大公，曾有句鋒銳的話是說無義和忘恩的朋友的。他底意思好象這些罪過是不可恕似的，他說：“你可以在聖書中讀到基督教我們饒恕我們底敵人的話，可是你永遠讀不到有教我們饒恕我們底朋友的話”。然而約伯底精神則調高一格。他說：“難道我們從上帝手中只要好的而不要壞的麼”?以此例推於朋友，亦當如斯。的確，一個人要是念念不忘復仇，他就是把自己底傷口常使其如新，這傷口若不是這人老在思想報復，是會痊癒的。公仇底報復多半是結局較佳的：例如爲凱撒之死，爲破提拿克斯之死，爲法蘭西王亨利第三之死以及許多類此的復仇事件是也。然而在私仇底報復上則不如斯。反之，銜怨深而喜報復的人所度的生活是妖巫一般的生活。這種人活着的時候於人不利，死了也是於己不幸。