英语散文:论嫉妒（培根）

Persons of noble blood, are less envied in their rising.  For it seemeth but right done to their birth. Besides, there seemeth not much added to theirfortune; and envy is as the sunbeams, that beat hotter upon a bank, or steep rising ground, than upon a flat.  And for the same reason, those that are advanced by degrees, are less envied than those that are advanced suddenly and per saltum.   

Those that have joined with their honor great travels, cares, or perils, are less subject to envy. For men think that they earn their honors hardly, and pity them sometimes; and pity ever healeth envy.  Wherefore you shall observe, that the more deep and sober sort of politic persons, in their greataess, are ever bemoaning themselves, what a life they lead; chanting a quanta patimur! Not that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy.  But this is to be understood, of business that is laid upon men, and not such, as they call unto themselves.  For nothing increaseth envy more, than an unnecessary and ambitious engrossing of business.  And nothing doth extinguish envy more, than for a great person to preserve all other inferior officers, in their full lights and pre-eminences of their places.  For by that means, there be so many screens between him and envy. 
  

Above all, those are most subject to envy, which carry the greatness of their fortunes, in an insolent and proud manner; being never well, but while they are showing how great they are, either by outward pomp, or by triumphing over all opposition or competition; whereas wise men will rather do sacrifice to envy, in suffering themselves sometimes of purpose to be crossed, and overborne in things that do not much concern them.  Notwithstanding, so much is true, that the carriage of greatness, in a plain and open manner (so it be without arrogancy and vain glory) doth draw less envy, than if it be in a more crafty and cunning fashion.  For in that course, a man doth but disavow fortune; and seemeth to be conscious of his own want in worth; and doth but teach others, to envy him.
 
 Lastly, to conclude this part; as we said in the beginning, that the act of envy had somewhat in it of witchcraft, so there is no other cure of envy, but the cure of witchcraft; and that is, to remove the lot (as they call it) and to lay it upon another. For which purpose, the wiser sort of great persons, bring in ever upon the stage somebody upon whom to derive the envy, that would come upon themselves; sometimes upon ministers and servants; sometimes upon colleagues and associates; and the like; and for that turn there are never wanting, some persons of violent and undertaking natures, who, so they may have power and business, will take it at any cost.
 
 Now, to speak of public envy.  There is yet some good in public envy, whereas in private, there is none.  For public envy, is as an ostracism, that eclipseth men, when they grow too great.  And therefore it is a bridle also to great ones, to keep them within bounds

                        
 出身贵族者在升迁时较少遭人嫉妒，因为那看上去无非是出身高贵的必然结果，再说这种锦上添花似乎也不会给他们带来更多的好处。且嫉妒犹如日光，它射在陡坡峭壁上比射在平地上更使人感觉其热；与此同理，逐渐高升者比骤然腾达者较少遭人嫉妒。

那些一直把自己的显赫与辛劳、焦虑或风险连在一起的人较少成为嫉妒的对象，因为世人会觉得他们的高位显取来之不易，甚至有时候还会可怜他们，而怜悯往往可以治愈嫉妒。故此世人可见，一些较老谋深算的政界人物在位高权重时常常向人家诉苦，说自己活得多苦多累；其实他们并非真那样感觉，而只是想减轻别人的嫉妒而已。不过人们能体谅的是那种依命行事的辛劳，而不是那种没事找事的忙碌，因为最让人妒上加妒的事就是那种毫无必要且野心勃勃的事必躬亲；所以对位高权重者来说，保证各级属下的充分权利和应有身份是消除嫉妒的最佳方法，因为用这种方法不啻在自己与嫉妒之间筑起了一道道屏障。

因大富大贵而趾高气扬者尤其易遭妒忌，因为这种人不炫耀其富贵就不舒服，结果他们或是在举止言谈上神气活现，或是总要压倒一切相反意见或竞争对手。可聪明人则宁愿吃点亏而给嫉妒者一点实惠，有时故意在某些与己关系不大的事情上让对手占占上风。但尽管如此，以下事实仍不谬：以直率坦荡的态度对待富资比用虚伪狡诈的态度更少遭人妒忌，只要那直率坦荡中没有傲慢与自负的成分；因为用后一种态度者无非是否认自己的幸运，而那会让人觉得他自己都感到他不配享受富贵，因此他恰好是教别人来嫉妒自己。

最后让笔者赘言几句来结束这个部分。如本文开篇所言，嫉妒行为有几分巫术的性质，因此治嫉妒的最好方法就是治巫术的方法，也就是移开世人所谓的“符咒”，使之镇在别人头上。为达到这一目的，有些聪明的大人物总是让别人替自己抛头露面，从而使本会降到自己身上的嫉妒降到他人身上，这种他人有时候是侍从仆役，有时候是同僚伙伴或诸如此类的角色；而要找这种替身，世间还真不乏一些雄心勃勃的冒昧之徒，只要能获得权位，这种人不惜付出任何代价。

现在且来谈谈公众的嫉妒。虽说私人间的嫉妒有百害而无一利，但公众的嫉妒却还有一点好处，因为它就像陶片放逐法①，可除去那些位高专权者，所以它对其他大人物亦是一种制约，可使他们循规蹈矩。