译者序:历经时光淘洗而不衰的处世经典/1 1.万物已近极致/3 Everything is at its acme 2.品性与智慧/3 Character and intellect 3.做事时常留有悬念/3 Keep matters for a time in suspense 4.有识亦应有胆/5 Knowledge and courage 5.让别人依赖你/5 Create a feeling of dependence 6.至善至美的境界/7 A man at his highest point 7.不要比上司更耀眼/9 Avoid victories over superiors 8.不被激情左右/11 To be without passions 9.避免土生土长的缺陷/11 Avoid the faults of your nation 10.财富与名望/13 Fortune and fame 11.择师而交/13 Cultivate those who can teach you 12.自然和人工:原料与加工/15 Nature and art 13.有时三思而行,有时立下决断/15 Act sometimes on second thoughts, sometimes on first impulse 14.事物本身及做事的方法/19 The thing itself and the way it is done 15.广纳贤人/19 Keep ministering spirits 16.学识和善心/21 Knowledge and good intentions 17.变换你的行为模式/21 Vary the mode of action 18.能力和努力/23 Application and ability 19.事前不要让人期望过高/25 Arouse no exaggerated expectations on entering 20.生逢其时的人/27 A man of the age 21.幸运之道/27 The art of being lucky 22.学以致用/29 A man of knowledge to the point 23.没有瑕疵/29 Be spotless 24.控制自己的幻想/31 Keep the imagination under control 25.善于领会弦外之音/31 Know how to take a hint 26.揪出他人的把柄/33 Find out each man’s thumbscrew 27.求精深重于求广博/33 Prize intensity more than extent 28.超凡脱俗/35 Common in nothing 29.刚直的人/35 A man of rectitude 30.不做毁誉之事/37 Have naught to do with occupations of ill-repute 31.学会趋利避害/39 Select the lucky and avoid the unlucky 32.因善行而闻名/39 Have the reputation of being gracious 33.知道如何逃避/41 Know how to withdraw 34.了解自己的最强项/41 Know your strongest point 35.遇事斟酌,遇要事则更要斟酌/43 Think over things, most over the most important 36.进退之际,了解时运/45 In acting or refraining, weigh your luck 37.准备一些讥诮话,并善加利用/45 Keep a store of sarcasms, and know how to use them 38.急流勇退/47 Leave your luck while winning 39.了解事物成熟的时机,并善加利用/49 Recognize when things are ripe, and then enjoy them 40.获得人们的好感/49 Gain the goodwill of people 41.切勿言过其实/51 Never exaggerate 42.天生为王/53 Born to wommand 43.心随精英,口随大众/53 Think with the few and speak with the many 44.英雄相惜/55 Sympathy with great minds 45.狡猾可以运用,但不能滥用/57 Use, but do not abuse, cunning 46.控制你的反感情绪/57 Master your antipathies 47.避免“为荣誉而决斗”/59 Avoid “affairs of honour” 48.做一个有深度的人至关重要/59 So much depends on being a person of depth 49.明察善断/61 Observation and judgment 50.不失自尊/61 Never lose self-respect 51.选择有道/63 Know how to choose well 52.从不慌乱/63 Never be put out 53.聪明且勤奋/65 Be diligent and intelligent 54.懂得展示你的勇气/65 Know how to show your teeth 55.善于等待/67 Wait 56.随机应变/67 Have presence of mind 57.慢且稳/69 Be slow and Sure 58.恰当展现自己/69 Adapt yourself to your company 59.要有完美的收场/71 Finish off well 60.判断准确/71 A sound judgment 61.卓越之处求卓越/73 To excel in what is excellent 62.善其事必先利其器/73 Use good instruments 63.抢先为上/75 To be the first of the kind is an excellence 64.远离烦恼/77 Avoid worry 65.培养高雅的品味/77 Elevated taste 66.使结局完美/79 See that things end well 67.选择能够获得殊荣的行业/81 Choose an occupation that wins distinction 68.点拨其心智,胜于助其回忆/81 It is better to help with intelligence than with memory 69.不要冲动行事/83 Do not give way to every common impulse 70.学会拒绝/85 Know how to refuse 71.不要左右摇摆/87 Do not vacillate 72.要当机立断/87 Be resolute 73.安然退避/89 Utilize slips 74.与人为善/89 Do not be unsociable 75.选择一位英雄作为偶像/91 Choose a heroic ideal 76.不要总开玩笑/93 Do not always be jesting 77.做人须八面玲珑/93 Be all things to all men 78.做事有道/95 The art of undertaking things 79.轻松快活的个性/95 A genial disposition 80.获取信息要谨慎/97 Take care to get information 81.勇于推陈出新/97 Renew your brilliance 82.凡事无论好与坏,不要走极端/99 Drain nothing to the dregs, neither good nor ill 83.容许自己有无伤大雅之过/99 Allow yourself some venial fault 84.善用对手/101 Make use of your enemies 85.不做无所不知之人/103 Do not be a wild card 86.预防流言蜚语/103 Prevent scandal 87.文明和高雅/105 Culture and elegance 88.举止高贵大方/107 Let your behaviour be fine and noble 89.了解自己/107 Know yourself 90.长寿的秘密/109 The secret of long life 91.对做某事审慎与否若有疑虑,就别着手去做/109 Never set to work at anything if you have any doubts of its prudence 92.要有超凡的智慧/111 Transcendent wisdom 93.多才多艺/111 Versatility 94.让你的才能高深莫测/113 Keep the extent of your abilities unknown 95.让人们保持对你的期望/113 Keep expectation alive 96.至高无上的辨别力/113 The highest discretion 97.赢得并维护美名/115 Obtain and preserve a reputation 98.掩饰你的意图/115 Write your intentions in cypher 99.本质与表象/117 Reality and appearance 100.做一个清醒的人,智慧的信徒,贤能的臣子/117 Be a man without illusions, a wise christian, a philosophic courtier 101.世上的一半人嘲笑另一半人,其实他们都是蠢人/119 One half of the world laughs at the other, and fools are they all 102.天降大福需有大心胸消受/119 Be able to stomach big slices of luck 103.让每人都保有尊严/121 Let each keep up his dignity 104.明确不同工作的要求/123 Know the demands of different occupations 105.勿遭人烦/123 Don’t be a bore 106.勿炫耀你的地位/125 Do not parade your position 107.勿自鸣得意/127 Show no self-satisfaction 108.与人同行是成为伟人的捷径/129 The path to greatness is along with others 109.不要吹毛求疵/129 Be not censorious 110.不要坐以待毙/131 Do not wait till you are a sinking sun 111.赢得朋友/131 Have friends 112.博取他人的好感/133 Gain good-will 113.未雨绸缪/135 In prosperity prepare for adversity 114.避免与人相争/135 Never compete 115.习惯熟人的缺点/137 Get used to the failings of your familiars 116.只和可敬之人交往/137 Only act with honourable men 117.决不谈论自己/139 Never talk about yourself 118.要赢得谦恭有礼的名声/139 Acquire the reputation of courtesy 119.避免惹人厌烦/141 Avoid becoming disliked 120.生活讲求实际/143 Live practically 121.不要小题大做/145 Do not make a business of what is no business 122.言行应有威信/145 Distinction in speech and action 123.避免矫揉造作/147 Avoid affectation 124.要被他人想念/147 Get yourself missed 125.不要成为污点记录簿/149 Do not be a black list 126.愚蠢并非做了蠢事,而在于做后不知掩饰/151 Folly consists not in committing folly, but in not hiding it when committed 127.凡是从容优雅/151 Grace in everything 128.要有高远的志向/153 Highmindedness 129.从不抱怨/153 Never complain 130.要干,且要让人看见/155 Do and be seen doing 131.慷慨大度/157 Nobility of feeling 132.修正自己的判断/157 Revise your judgments 133.宁可同醉,而不独醒/159 Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone 134.加倍储存你的资源/159 Double your resources 135.不要滋长唱反调的习气/161 Do not nourish the spirit of contradiction 136.抓住事情关键/163 Post yourself in the centre of things 137.圣人自足/163 The sage should be self-sufficing 138.任其自然的艺术/165 The art of letting things alone 139.冷静面对倒霉的日子/165 Recognize unlucky days 140.一眼看到事物好的一面/167 Find the good in a thing at once 141.不要只倾听自己的声音/169 Do not listen to yourself 142.当对手先站在正确的一方时,你不能固执地站在错误的一方/171 Never from obstinacy take the wrong side because your opponent has anticipated you in taking the right one 143.别为免俗而玩弄诡辩之术/173 Never become paradoxical in order to avoid the trite 144.开始于他人,受用于自己/173 Begin with another’s to end with your own 145.藏好你受伤的手指/175 Do not show your wounded finger 146.透过现象看本质/177 Look into the interior of things 147.采纳他人的建议/177 Do not be inaccessible 148.掌握谈话的艺术/179 Have the art of conversation 149.懂得推罪于人/181 Know how to put off ills on others 150.推销得法/181 Know how to get your price for things 151.高瞻远瞩/183 Think beforehand 152.不与令自己黯然失色之人为伍/185 Never have a companion who casts you in the shade 153.不要去填补前人留下的巨大空缺/185 Beware of entering where there is a great gap to be filled 154.不轻易相信,也不轻易喜欢/187 Do not believe, or like, lightly 155.掌控激情的艺术/189 The art of mastering your passions 156.选择你的朋友/189 Select your friends 157.识人别出错/191 Do not make mistakes about character 158.善用朋友/193 Make use of your friends 159.忍受愚蠢/195 Put up with fools 160.说话要谨慎/195 Be careful in speaking 161.认清自身喜爱的缺点/197 Know your pet faults 162.如何战胜对手和诽谤者/197 How to triumph over rivals and detractors 163.决不因同情而卷入他人的不幸/199 Never, from sympathy with the unfortunate, involve yourself in his fate 164.投石问路/201 Throw straws in the air 165.斗争也要讲体面/201 Wage war honourably 166.分辨善言者与善行者/203 Distinguish the man of words from the man of deeds 167.知道怎样依靠自己/203 Know how to take your own part 168.不要沦为愚蠢的怪物/205 Do not indulge in the eccentricities of folly 169.多加小心,避免万一失手胜过百发百中/207 Be more careful not to miss once than to hit a hundred times 170.凡事有所保留/207 In all things keep something in reserve 171.不要滥用人情/209 Do not waste influence 172.决不与一无所有者争斗/209 Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose 173.与人相交,不要像玻璃般易碎,朋友间尤其如此/211 Do not be glass in intercourse, still less in friendship 174.不要活在匆忙中/213 Do not live in a hurry 175.做个实在的人/213 A solid man 176.自知或从知者处知/215 Have knowledge, or know those that have knowledge 177.避免与人太亲近/217 Avoid familiarities in intercourse 178.信赖你的内心/217 Trust your heart 179.缄默是才能的标志/219 Reticence is the seal of capacity 180.决不被敌人误导/221 Never be guided by what your enemy has done 181.说真话,但不要说出所有真话/221 The truth, but not the whole truth 182.凡事都要勇敢/221 A grain of boldness in everything 183.不要固执己见/223 Do not hold your views too firmly 184.不要过分拘礼/225 Do not be ceremonious 185.切莫孤注一掷赌名声/225 Never stake your credit on a single cast 186.认识缺点,不管其地位有多高/227 Recognize faults, however high placed 187.令人愉快之事,自己做;令人不快之事,让他人代劳/229 Do pleasant things yourself, unpleasant things through others 188.成为赞美之人/229 Be the bearer of praise 189.利用他人的欲望/231 Utilize another’s wants 190.在万物中寻觅慰藉/233 Find consolation in all things 191.慎防巧言令色/233 Do not take payment in politeness 192.心境平和则长寿/235 Peaceful life, a long life 193.防备那些利用他人达到自己目的的人/235 Watch him that begins with another’s to end with his own 194.理性看待自己和自己的事/237 Have reasonable views of yourself and of your affairs 195.学会欣赏别人/239 Know how to appreciate 196.知道你的幸运星/239 Know your ruling star 197.不要为蠢人所累/241 Do not carry fools on your back 198.懂得易地而处/243 Know how to transplant yourself 199.获得自己合适的位置,凭德行而非逾越/245 To find a proper place by merit, not by presumption 200.把一些愿望留到以后去满足/245 Leave something to wish for 201.看上去愚蠢的人都是笨蛋,看上去聪明的人也有一半是笨蛋/247 They are all fools who seem so besides half the rest 202.言语和行为共同打造完美之人/247 Words and deeds make the perfect man 203.认识你这个时代的伟人/249 Know the great men of your age 204.举轻若重,且举重若轻/249 Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy 205.懂得漠视的技巧/251 Know how to play the card of contempt 206.要明白平庸者无处不在/253 Know that there are vulgar people everywhere 207.学会控制自己/253 Be moderate 208.不要死于愚蠢/255 Do not die of the fools’ disease 209.超然于世俗的愚蠢/257 Keep yourself free from common follies 210.懂得怎样对待真相/257 Know how to play the card of truth 211.天堂中一切是福,地狱中所有为苦/259 In heaven all is bliss 212.懂得保留绝招的艺术/259 Keep to yourself the final touches of your art 213.懂得如何反驳/261 Know how to contradict 214.不要把一个错误变成两个错误/263 Do not turn one blunder into two 215.提防那些掩饰自己意图的人/263 Watch him that acts on second thoughts 216.清楚地表达自己/265 Be expressive 217.没有永远的爱,也没有永远的恨/267 Neither love nor hate forever 218.行动不可出自固执,而应源于了解/267 Never act from obstinacy but from knowledge 219.不要被看成伪君子/269 Do not pass for a hypocrite 220.不能披狮皮,那就披狐皮/271 If you cannot clothe yourself in lionskin use foxpelt 221.不要动辄使自己和他人感到尴尬/271 Do not seize occasions to embarrass yourself or others 222.缄默是谨慎的表现/273 Reserve is proof of prudence 223.不要因做作或粗心而显得古怪/273 Be not eccentric 224.不看事物的反面,不管事情怎样出现/275 Never take things against the grain 225.知道你最大的缺点/275 Know your chief fault 226.乐于帮助他人/277 Take care to be obliging 227.不要成为第一印象的奴隶/277 Do not be the slave of first impressions 228.不要传播丑闻/279 Do not be a scandal-monger 229.合理规划自己的生活/281 Plan out your life wisely 230.早日睁开你的眼睛/281 Open your eyes betimes 231.不让他人看到未成之事/283 Never let things be seen half-finished 232.要接触实务/285 Have a touch of business sense 233.提供点食物,不要让人难咽/285 Let not the proffered morsel be distasteful 234.决不把名誉托付他人,除非他人以名誉作抵押/287 Never trust your honour to another, unless you have his in pledge 235.求人有术/289 Know how to ask 236.如果日后必求人且需答谢,还不如先施惠于人/289 Make an obligation beforehand of what would have to be a reward afterwards 237.决不分享上司的秘密/291 Never share the secrets of your superiors 238.知道自己缺少什么/293 Know what is wanting in yourself 239.不要打破沙锅问到底/293 Do not be captious 240.学会装傻/295 Make use of folly 241.容忍别人嘲笑,但别嘲弄他人/295 Put up with raillery, but do not practise it 242.做事要有始有终/297 Push advantages 243.不要太过善良/299 Do not be too much of a dove 244.让别人对你感恩/299 Create a feeling of obligation 245.要有独到的见解,这是才智过人的标志/301 Original and out-of-the-way views 246.除非被要求,决不提供解释/303 Never offer satisfaction unless it is demanded 247.求知应多,生活应简/303 Know a little more, live a little less 248.不要认同最新的说法/305 Do not go with the last speaker 249.人生不要本末倒置/305 Never begin life with what should end it 250.何时把他人的话反过来听/307 When to change the conversation 251.运用人道之时,就当神道不存。运用神道之时,只当人道不在/307 Use human means as if there were no divine ones, and divine as if there were no human ones 252.活着并非全为自己,也不是全为他人/307 Neither belong entirely to yourself nor entirely to others 253.不要解释太多/309 Do not explain overmuch 254.勿因恶小而轻视它/311 Never despise an evil, however small 255.行善不求大,但要常去做/313 Do good a little at a time, but often 256.时刻做好防备/313 Go armed, always 257.不要轻易断交/315 Never let matters come to a rupture 258.找人分担你的烦恼/317 Find out someone to share your troubles 259.预见伤害,并将之转化为庇护/317 Anticipate injuries and turn them into favours 260.我们不完全属于任何人,也没有任何人完全属于我们/319 We belong to none and none to us, entirely 261.不要执迷不悟/319 Do not follow up a folly 262.能够忘记/321 Be able to forget 263.许多好东西你不应一味想占有/321 Many things of taste one should not possess oneself 264.每天都不能大意/323 Have no careless days 265.为部下安排最难的任务/325 Set those under you difficult task 266.不要因为太善良而变糟/325 Do not become bad from sheer goodness 267.言语温软,举止优雅/327 Silken words, sugared manners 268.蠢人最后做的事,智者会马上做/327 The wise does at once what the fool does at last 269.利用你刚上任时人们的新鲜感/329 Make use of the novelty of your position 270.众人喜欢之物,个人不要谴责/331 Do not condemn alone that which pleases all 271.不管从事任何工作,如果你所知不多,就走最安全的路线/331 In every occupation if you know little stick to the safest path 272.出售东西,附送殷勤/333 Sell things by the tariff of courtesy 273.了解你所交往的人的性情/333 Comprehend their dispositions with whom you deal 274.要有吸引力/335 Be attractive 275.参加游戏,但应得体/335 Join in the game as far as decency permits 276.知道如何完善自己的品性/337 Know how to renew your character 277.展示你自己/339 Display yourself 278.避免抢眼而招致恶名/341 Avoid notoriety in all things 279.不要回应驳斥你的人/341 Do not contradict the contradicter 280.做个值得信赖的人/343 Be trustworthy 281.赢得智者的好感/343 Find favour with men of good sense 282.不现身,从而使自己更受敬重/345 Make use of absence to make yourself more esteemed or valued 283.拥有善于发现之天赋/345 Have the gift of discovery 284.不要多管闲事/347 Do not be importunate 285.不要死于他人之厄运/347 Never die of another’s ill-luck 286.不要对所有的人和事都负责/349 Do not become responsible for all or for everyone 287.冲动之时决不行动/349 Never act in a passion 288.顺应时势/351 Live for the moment 289.要贬低一个人,莫过于表明他和任何人都没有区别/353 Nothing depreciates a man more than to show he is a man like other men 290.如能赢得人们的喜爱和尊敬,则是莫大的幸运/353 It is a piece of good fortune to combine men’s love and respect 291.懂得如何揣测他人/355 Know how to test people 292.让你自身的素质超过职责的要求/355 Let your personal qualities surpass those of your office 293.做人应成熟/357 Maturity 294.观点不能有所偏颇/357 Be moderate in your views 295.若未奏效,不要邀功/359 Do not affect what you have not effected 296.高贵的品质/361 Noble qualities 297.行动总如处于监视中/361 Always act as if your acts were seen 298.可造就非凡之人的三大要素/363 Three things go to a prodigy 299.让人有饥饿感/363 Leave off hungry 300.总而言之,做一位圣徒/365 In one word, be a saint