of beauty(论 美）

e文

VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, & t$ i4 Z+ V2 o& n, C/ [& b# _in a body that is comely ,though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. Neither is it almost , |$ R4 B$ d1 z2 w+ yseen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce excellency. And therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather behavior, than virtue. But this holds not always: for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle of France, Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, were all high and great spirits; and yet the most beautiful men of their times. / l# \" z. }1 {( a6 ~% W" w3 J In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent 5 X4 e1 H* C) y3 wand gracious motion, more than that of favor. That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express; no, nor the first sight of the 4 `8 e+ L! F% [4 M$ F; Alife. There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. A man cannot tell whether Apelles, or Albert Durer, were 8 v: h/ s$ E+ athe more trifler; whereof the one, would make a personage by geometrical proportions; the other, by taking the best parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent. Such personages, I think, would please nobody, but ! R( g4 i4 I) ithe painter that made them. Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was; but he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician ) H; F% v* N. z% D* O7 }that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by rule. A man shall see 7 D K2 F" A! I2 `9 |* {% ifaces, that if you examine them part by part, you shall find never a good; : F6 O* i7 {1 v' Eand yet altogether do well. If it be true that the principal part of beauty 2 g0 p* K9 |) n! eis in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel, though persons in years seem many times more amiable; pulchrorum autumnus pulcher; for no youth ) G2 l/ D: q7 E6 R' l( B _ _! S2 f1 ican be comely but by pardon, and considering the youth, as to make up the comeliness. Beauty is as summer fruits,) which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth, and an age 1 W# v x* c8 f9 V! xa little out of countenance; but yet certainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine,and vices blush.

美德好比宝石，在朴素背景的衬托下反而更华丽。同样，一个打扮并不华贵，却端庄严肃而有美德的人是令人肃然起敬的。 & m: |- ^) U9 R 美貌的人并不都有其他方面的才能。许多容貌俊秀的人却一无所有，他们过于追求外形的美而放弃了内在的美。

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仔细分析起来，形体之美要胜于颜色之美，而优雅行为之美又胜于形体之美。最高的美是画家所无法表现的。因为它是难以直观的。这是一种奇妙的美，曾经有两位画家――阿皮雷斯和丢勒滑稽地认为，可以按照几何比例，或者通过摄取不同人身上最美的特点，加以合成的方法，画出最完美的人像。

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其实像这样画出来的美人，恐怕只有画家才喜欢。

有些老人显得很可爱，因为他们的作风优雅而美。“美人的迟暮也是美的。”而尽管有的年轻人具有美貌，却由于缺乏优美的修养而不配得到赞美。

美有如盛夏的水果，而容易腐烂而难保持的,世上有许多美人,他们有过放荡青春，却迎受着愧悔的晚年。

因此，把美的形貌与美的德行结合起来吧。只有这样，美会放射出真正的光辉。