04 切斯特菲尔德伯爵致儿子(2) Lord Chesterfield to His Son (2)
切斯特菲尔德伯爵(Lord Chesterfield)
简介与鉴赏
在信中，切斯特菲尔德伯爵表扬了儿子取得的进步，并以英国人和法国人为例，一再重申仪态和教养的重要性。与本书所选的另一封切斯特菲尔德伯爵写给儿子的信稍有不同，这封信短小精悍，用生动的类比出色地完成了道理的阐述。
与前一篇相比，这封信对于当今中国读者的现实意义更为深远。在全球化的今天，跨国交往与合作的机会越来越多，国人不单需要具备基本的语言技能，更需要建立在语言基础上的教养和仪态的全方位提升。如何展现出一个大方、得体、自信的中国人形象，是每个人需要学习和锤炼的。
英文正文
Dear boy,
Whatever you do, will always affect me, very sensibly, one way or another; and I am now most agreeably affected by two letters, which I have lately seen from Lausanne, upon your subject; the one was from Madame St. Germain, the other from Monsieur Pampigny: they both give so good an account of you, that I thought myself obliged1, in justice both to them and to you, to let you know it.
Those who deserve a good character ought to have the satisfaction of knowing that they have it, both as a reward and as an encouragement. They write, that you are not only décrotté, but tolerably well-bred2; and that the English crust3of awkward bashfulness4, shyness, and roughness, (of which, by the bye, you had your share) is pretty well rubbed off5.I am most heartily glad of it; for, as I have often told you, those lesser talents, of an engaging, insinuating6manner, an easy good breeding, a genteel7behaviour and address, are of infinitely more advantage than they are generally thought to be, especially here in England.
Virtue and learning, like gold, have their intrinsic8v.lue; but if they are not polished, they certainly lose a great deal of their lustre9; and even polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.
What a number of sins does the cheerful, easy good breeding of the French frequently cover! Many of them want common sense, many more common learning; but, in general, they make up so much, by their manner, for those defects10, that, frequently, they pass undiscovered.
I have often said, and do think, that a Frenchman, who, with a fund of virtue, learning, and good sense, has the manners and good breeding of his country, is the perfection of human nature. This perfection you may, if you please, and I hope you will, arrive at.
You know what virtue is: you may have it if you will; it is in every man’s power; and miserable is the man who has it not. Good sense God has given you. Learning you already possess enough of, to have, in a reasonable time, all that a man need have. With this, you are thrown out early into the world, where it will be your own fault if you do not acquire all the other accomplishments necessary to complete and adorn11your character.
You will do well to make your compliments to Madame St. Germain and Monsieur Pampigny; and tell them how sensible you are of their partiality12to you, in the advantageous testimonies13which, you are informed, they have given of you here.
Adieu ! Continue to deserve such testimonies; and then you will not only deserve, but enjoy, my truest affection.
London,
March 6, O.S.1747
经典语句
Those who deserve a good character ought to have the satisfaction of knowing that they have it, both as a reward and as an encouragement.
Virtue and learning, like gold, have their intrinsic value; but if they are not polished, they certainly lose a great deal of their lustre; and even polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.
单词/词组
1 obliged4adj. 有责任的
2 well-bred4adj. 有教养的；受过良好教育的
3 crust6n. 外壳；坚硬外皮
4 bashfulness8n. 羞怯；腼腆
5 rub off4phr. 擦掉；使显得暗淡
6 insinuating8adj. 暗示的；讨好的
7 genteel4adj. 有教养的，文雅的
8 intrinsic6adj. 本质的，固有的
9 lustre4n.光泽，光彩
10 defect4n. 缺 点，缺陷；不足之处
11 adorn6vt. 装饰；使生色
12 partiality4n. 偏心；偏袒；偏爱
13 testimony6n. 证词，证言
中文译文
亲爱的孩子：
无论你做出什么样的举动，都会在某种程度上对我产生非常明显的影响。最近我收到两封洛桑的来信，一封寄自圣日耳曼夫人，另一封寄自庞比尼先生，他们都对你赞赏有加，我感到十分欣慰。因此，为了不辜负他们，也为了不辜负你，我觉得有必要写信让你知道。
那些配得上享有美名的人，应该让他们了解自己享有的名声，从而感到快慰。这不仅是一种奖赏，而且是一种激励。他们在信中夸你不仅彬彬有礼，而且很有教养；他们还说，原来你所具有的拘谨、害羞、胆怯和粗鲁的英国式的外表(在我看来，你以前的确有过这些毛病)，现在几乎全都消失了。听了这些我十分高兴，因为就像我经常对你说的那样，那些和蔼可亲的风度、落落大方的仪表、温文尔雅的举止等次要的修养，比一般人所想象的要更为重要，尤其是在英国。
品格和学识就像黄金般珍贵，它们具有永恒的价值，然而如果不加以雕琢，它们肯定会失去绝大部分的光泽，人们甚至会把闪闪发光的黄铜看得比粗糙的黄金更珍贵。
法国人良好的仪态和教养不知掩盖了多少瑕疵啊！有很多法国人缺乏常识，甚至更多的法国人非常浅薄。但是，他们总会用仪态弥补这些缺点，因此人们往往察觉不到。
我常常这样说，也这样想，一个品德高尚、学识渊博、理性健全的法国人，再加上他们特有的仪态和良好的教养，可以说具有十全十美的人格了。只要你愿意，你一样也能(我也期望你一定会)达到这种十全十美的境界。
你应该明白什么叫品德，只要你乐意，你就能得到它；它是人人都做得到的事情，没有得到它的人非常不幸。上天已经赋予你远见卓识，你的学问也足够用了——你在不算太长的时间里学会了应该学的东西。你在拥有这些之后，很早就被送出去增长见识。你在外面如果吸取不到其他能使你的品格变得更加完美的修养，那就是你自己的问题了。
你应该再去拜访圣日耳曼夫人和庞比尼先生，告诉他们你从我这里了解到他们对你的溢美之词，并向他们表示感谢。
再见！继续努力吧，孩子！你要让自己配得上这些赞美之词，这样的话，你就值得并且享有我的真爱。
旧历1747年3月6日于伦敦
