of love(论爱情）

e文

THE stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as & S% {- d& g! `to the stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a siren, sometimes like : V4 I) H. [4 {* g5 J, G Wa fury. You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) there is not one, ; t# i# a; i$ t' X: `that hath been transported to the mad degree of love: which shows that great spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion. You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire 3 n3 s2 c9 t2 dof Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, 1 A0 \. M) s9 D: t) Gif watch be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus, Satis magnum w% Z* S0 Y7 s6 W( ^/ A alter alteri theatrum sumus; as if man, made for the contemplation + G! R. |+ J/ v$ q0 g t' G of heaven, and all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel be- fore a little idol, and make himself a subject, though not of the mouth 3 _! U$ z$ W8 p. m(as beasts are), yet of the eye; which was given him for higher purposes. N( F( B3 w. b. }% ]2 U/ d1 A

It is a strange thing, to note the excess of this passion, and how it : ?8 o* t" U: V' \braves the nature, and value of things, by this; that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole, is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely , f1 k- w E# p9 a5 A' B$ }6 bin the phrase; for whereas it hath been well said, that the arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self; , L; Z4 o) g, C. Dcertainly the lover is more. For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of him self, as the lover doth of the person loved; and therefore it was well said, That it is impossible to love, and to be wise. Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved; but to the loved most of all, except the love be reciproque. For it is a true 3 p8 b; U2 F& n- E, a( d, z7 [# _( yrule, that love is ever rewarded, either with the reciproque, or with an - ~$ \. T$ r: z7 Q, Einward and secret contempt.

! L" r! z# c& N% g: m% y( O J

By how much the more, men ought to beware of this passion, which loseth 1 f# G! y" ]1 \+ q$ t( S; W" Lnot only other things, but itself! As for the other losses, the poet's & |/ D5 m5 ~6 ^4 L4 i2 B9 ]relation doth well figure them: that he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno and Pallas.

For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches 7 R2 ^ v8 o, Tand wisdom. This passion hath his floods, in very times of weakness; which - E: ~: \: h- |2 U( _9 Uare great prosperity, and great adversity; though this latter hath been ! B+ { ]$ }* I: O+ hless observed: both which times kindle love, and make it more fervent, , v( ]# R m2 E8 q. a. A yand therefore show it to be the child of folly. They do best, who if they cannot but admit love, yet make it keep quarters; and sever it wholly from ) j% b) V b) ^: l: htheir serious affairs, and actions, of life; for if it check once with 1 Z3 w3 q) y# L9 @0 b3 S. gbusiness, it troubleth men's fortunes, and maketh men, that they can noways " U3 ?& e! v& bbe true to their own ends. I know not how, but martial men are given to 5 D C+ { E! r1 n5 @ Q0 J, N0 D0 Olove: I think, it is but as they are given to wine; for perils commonly - w$ i# M; u9 d8 d+ t5 Bask to be paid in pleasures. There is in man's nature, a secret inclination ( C% B; l! X! F/ h8 m( h3 yand motion, towards love of others, which if it be not spent upon some 1 p3 a8 w- k9 Oone or a few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable; as it is seen sometime in friars.

( t7 [8 \, G2 ~$ ]6 J2 v) `

Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth, and embaseth it.

3 e" j3 t/ `" }& i) f# P3 ~2 j

舞台上的爱情比生活中的爱情要美好得多。因为在舞台上，爱情只是喜剧和悲剧的素材。而在人生中，爱情却常常招来不幸。它有时像那位诱惑人的魔女，有时又像那位复仇的女神。你可以看到，一切真正伟大的人物（无论是古人、今人，只要是其英名永铭于人类记忆中的），“没有一个是因爱情而发狂的人：因为伟大的事业抑制了这种软弱的感憎。只有罗马的安东尼和克劳底亚是例外。前者本性就好色荒淫，然而后者却是严肃多谋的人。所以爱情不仅会占领开旷坦阔的胸怀，有时也能闯入壁垒森严的心灵－－假如守御不严的话。 埃皮克拉斯曾说过一句笑话：“人生不过是一座大戏台。”似乎本应努力追求高尚事业的人类，却只应像玩偶奴隶般地逢场作戏似的。虽然爱情的奴隶并不同于那班只顾吃喝的禽兽，但毕竟也只是眼目色相的奴隶－－而上帝赐人以眼睛本来是更高尚的用途的。

& ?3 @/ Y# z8 |2 r/ E

过度的爱情追求，必然会降低人本身的价值。例如，只有在爱情中，才永远需要那种浮夸诌媚的词令。而在其他场合，同样的词令只能招人耻笑。古人有一句名言：“最大的奉承，人总是留给自己的”。－－只有对情人的奉承要算例外。因为甚至最骄傲的人，也甘愿在情人面前自轻自贱。所以古人说得好：“就是神在爱情中也难保持聪明。”情人的这种弱点不仅在外人眼中是明显的，就是在被追求者的眼中也会很明显——除非她（他）也在追求他（她）。所以，爱情的代价就是如此，不能得到回爱，就会得到一种深藏于心的轻蔑，这是一条永真的定律。

' z7 u! ^ N" U5 o" J8 \$ r

由此可见，人们应当十分警惕这种感情。因为它不但会使人丧失其他，而且可以使人丧失自己本身。至于其他方面的损失，古诗人早已告诉我们，那追求海伦的人，是放弃了财富和智慧的。

当人心最软弱的时候，爱情最容易入侵，那就是当人得意春风，忘乎所以和处境窘困孤独凄零的时候，虽然后者未必能得到爱情。人在这样的时候最急于跳入爱情的火焰中，由此可见，“爱情”实在是“愚蠢”的儿子。但有一些人，即使心中有了爱，仍能约束它，使它不妨碍重大的事业。因为爱情一旦干扰情绪，就会阻碍人坚定地奔向既定的目标。 $ [9 F0 z8 c( z& |/ `: t6 y 我不懂是什么缘故，使许多军人更容易陷入爱情，也许这正像他们嗜爱饮酒一样，是因为危险的生活更需要欢乐的补偿。人心中可能普遍具有一种博爱的倾向，若不集中于某个专一的对象身上：就必然会施之于更广泛的大众，使他成为仁善的人，例如像有的僧侣那样。

. l$ k+ A7 Y; [

夫妻的爱，使人类繁衍。朋友的爱，给人以帮助。但那种荒淫纵欲的爱，却只会使人堕落毁灭啊！ . y x" }1 _* B+ n" x8 u % ]+ d# i- t1 y" D- T1 i% H' T