培根美文赏析-of--love-论-爱-情

THEstageismorebeholdingtolove,thanthelifeofman.Forastothestage,loveisevermatterofcomedies,andnowandthenoftragedies;butinlifeitdothmuchmischief;sometimeslikeasiren,sometimeslikeafury.Youmayobserve,thatamongstallthegreatandworthypersons(whereofthememoryremaineth,eitherancientorrecent)thereisnotone,thathathbeentransportedtothemaddegreeoflove:whichshowsthatgreatspirits,andgreatbusiness,dokeepoutthisweakpassion.Youmustexcept,nevertheless,MarcusAntonius,thehalfpartneroftheempireofRome,andAppiusClaudius,thedecemvirandlawgiver;whereoftheformerwasindeedavoluptuousman,andinordinate;butthelatterwasanaustereandwiseman:andthereforeitseems(thoughrarely)thatlovecanfindentrance,notonlyintoanopenheart,butalsointoaheartwellfortified,ifwatchbenotwellkept.ItisapoorsayingofEpicurus,Satismagnumalteralteritheatrumsumus;asifman,madeforthecontemplationofheaven,andallnobleobjects,shoulddonothingbutkneelbe-forealittleidol,andmakehimselfasubject,thoughnotofthemouth(asbeastsare),yetoftheeye;whichwasgivenhimforhigherpurposes.Itisastrangething,tonotetheexcessofthispassion,andhowitbravesthenature,andvalueofthings,bythis;thatthespeakinginaperpetualhyperbole,iscomelyinnothingbutinlove.Neitherisitmerelyinthephrase;forwhereasithathbeenwellsaid,thatthearch-flatterer,withwhomallthepettyflatterershaveintelligence,isaman'sself;certainlytheloverismore.Fortherewasneverproudmanthoughtsoabsurdlywellofhimself,astheloverdothofthepersonloved;andthereforeitwaswellsaid,Thatitisimpossibletolove,andtobewise.Neitherdoththisweaknessappeartoothersonly,andnottothepartyloved;buttothelovedmostofall,exceptthelovebereciproque.Foritisatruerule,thatloveiseverrewarded,eitherwiththereciproque,orwithaninwardandsecretcontempt.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。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。Byhowmuchthemore,menoughttobewareofthispassion,whichlosethnotonlyotherthings,butitself!Asfortheotherlosses,thepoet'srelationdothwellfigurethem:thathethatpreferredHelena,quittedthegiftsofJunoandPallas.Forwhosoeveresteemethtoomuchofamorousaffection,quittethbothrichesandwisdom.Thispassionhathhisfloods,inverytimesofweakness;whicharegreatprosperity,andgreatadversity;thoughthislatterhathbeenlessobserved:bothwhichtimeskindlelove,andmakeitmorefervent,andthereforeshowittobethechildoffolly.Theydobest,whoiftheycannotbutadmitlove,yetmakeitkeepquarters;andseveritwhollyfromtheirseriousaffairs,andactions,oflife;forifitcheckoncewithbusiness,ittroublethmen'sfortunes,andmakethmen,thattheycannowaysbetruetotheirownends.Iknownothow,butmartialmenaregiventolove:Ithink,itisbutastheyaregiventowine;forperilscommonlyasktobepaidinpleasures.Thereisinman'snature,asecretinclinationandmotion,towardsloveofothers,whichifitbenotspentuponsomeoneorafew,dothnaturallyspreaditselftowardsmany,andmakethmenbecomehumaneandcharitable;asitisseensometimeinfriars.Nuptiallovemakethmankind;friendlyloveperfectethit;butwantonlovecorrupteth,andembasethit.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。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。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！from:zxsjbzx.com/df888/sjbztqu.com/bsjylc/bxsjbzx.com/slpylc/sjbbfb.com/amcp/sjbgj16.com/bgylc/