經(jīng)典美文：論嫉妒

　　以下是小編整理的情感類(lèi)英語(yǔ)美文欣賞：論嫉妒， 希望使你的心靈有所觸動(dòng)。

　　THERE be none of the affections, which have beennoted to fascinate or bewitch, but love and envy.They both have vehement wishes; they framethemselves readily into imaginations andsuggestions; and they come easily into the eye,especially upon the present of the objects; which arethe points that conduce to fascination, if any suchthing there be. We see likewise, the Scripture callethenvy an evil eye; and the astrologers, call the evilinfluences of the stars, evil aspects; so that stillthere seemeth to be acknowledged, in the act ofenvy, an ejaculation or irradiation of the eye.Nay, some have been so curious, as to note,that the times when the stroke or percussion of an envious eye doth most hurt, are when theparty envied is beheld in glory or triumph; for that sets an edge upon envy: and besides, atsuch times the spirits of the person envied, do come forth most into the outward parts, and someet the blow.

　　But leaving these curiosities (though not unworthy to be thought on, in fit place), we willhandle, what persons are apt to envy others; what persons are most subject to be enviedthemselves; and what is the difference between public and private envy.

　　A man that hath no virtue in himself, ever envieth virtue in others. For men's minds, will eitherfeed upon their own good, or upon others' evil; and who wanteth the one, will prey upon theother; and whoso is out of hope, to attain to another's virtue, will seek to come at even hand,by depressing another's fortune.

　　A man that is busy, and inquisitive, is commonly envious. For to know much of other men'smatters, cannot be because all that ado may concern his own estate; therefore it must needsbe, that he taketh a kind of play-pleasure, in looking upon the fortunes of others. Neither canhe, that mindeth but his own business, find much matter for envy. For envy is a gaddingpassion, and walketh the streets, and doth not keep home: Non est curiosus, quin idem sitmalevolus.

　　Men of noble birth, are noted to be envious towards new men, when they rise. For the distanceis altered, and it is like a deceit of the eye, that when others come on, they think themselves,go back.

　　世人歷來(lái)注意到，所有情感中最令人神魂顛倒著莫過(guò)于愛(ài)情和嫉妒。這兩種感情都會(huì)激起強(qiáng)烈的欲望，而且均可迅速轉(zhuǎn)化成聯(lián)想和幻覺(jué)，容易鉆進(jìn)世人的眼睛，尤其容易降到被愛(ài)被妒者身上;這些便是導(dǎo)致蠱惑的要點(diǎn)，如果世間真有蠱惑的話(huà)。我們同樣可以見(jiàn)到，《圣經(jīng)》中把嫉妒稱(chēng)為“毒眼”①，占星術(shù)上則把不吉之星力叫作“兇象”③，以致世人似乎至今還承認(rèn)，當(dāng)嫉妒行為發(fā)生時(shí)，嫉妒者會(huì)眼紅或曰紅眼。而且有人更為明察秋毫，竟注意到紅眼最傷人之際莫過(guò)于被嫉妒者正躊躇滿(mǎn)志或春風(fēng)得意之時(shí)，因?yàn)槟欠N得意勁兒會(huì)使?fàn)t火燃得更旺。另外在這種時(shí)候，被嫉妒者的情緒最溢于言表，因此最容易遭受打擊。

　　但暫且不談這些蹊蹺之處(雖說(shuō)這些蹊蹺并非不值得在適當(dāng)?shù)膱?chǎng)合思量思量)，筆者在此只想探討一下哪些人好嫉妒他人，哪些人會(huì)遭受嫉妒，以及公眾的嫉妒和私人間的嫉妒有何不同。

　　自身無(wú)德者常嫉妒他人之德，因?yàn)槿诵牡淖甜B(yǎng)要么是自身之善，要么是他人之惡，而缺乏自身之善者必然要攝取他人之惡，于是凡無(wú)望達(dá)到他人之德行境地者便會(huì)極力貶低他人以求得平衡。

　　好管閑事且好深隱私者通常都好嫉妒，因?yàn)閯谏褓M(fèi)力地去打探別人的事情絕非是由于那些事與打探者的利害有關(guān)，所以其原因必定是打探者在旁觀他人禍福時(shí)能獲得一種視劇般的樂(lè)趣。而一心只管自家事的人無(wú)甚嫉妒的由來(lái)，因?yàn)榧刀适且环N愛(ài)游蕩的感情，它總在街頭閑逛，不肯呆在家里，所以古人說(shuō)：

　　“好管閑事者必定沒(méi)安好心。”

　　出身貴族者在新人晉爵時(shí)常生妒意，因?yàn)閮烧咧g的差距縮短;而且這就像是看朱成碧，明明是別人上升，他們卻看成是自己下降。

　　Deformed persons, and eunuchs, and old men, and bastards, are envious. For he that cannotpossibly mend his own case, will do what he can, to impair another's; except these defectslight upon a very brave, and heroical nature, which thinketh to make his natural wants part ofhis honor; in that it should be said, that an eunuch, or a lame man, did such great matters;affecting the honor of a miracle; as it was in Narses the eunuch, and Agesilaus andTamberlanes, that were lame men.

　　The same is the case of men, that rise after calamities and misfortunes. For they are as menfallen out with the times; and think other men's harms, a redemption of their own sufferings.

　　They that desire to excel in too many matters, out of levity and vain glory, are ever envious.For they cannot want work; it being impossible, but many, in some one of those things,should surpass them. Which was the character of Adrian the Emperor; that mortally enviedpoets, and painters, and artificers, in works wherein he had a vein to excel.

　　Lastly, near kinsfolks, and fellows in office, and those that have been bred together, are moreapt to envy their equals, when they are raised. For it doth upbraid unto them their ownfortunes, and pointeth at them, and cometh oftener into their remembrance, and incurrethlikewise more into the note of others; and envy ever redoubleth from speech and fame. Cain'senvy was the more vile and malignant, towards his brother Abel, because when his sacrificewas better accepted, there was no body to look on. Thus much for those, that are apt to envy.

　　Concerning those that are more or less subject to envy: First, persons of eminent virtue, whenthey are advanced, are less envied. For their fortune seemeth , but due unto them; and noman envieth the payment of a debt, but rewards and liberality rather. Again, envy is everjoined with the comparing of a man's self; and where there is no comparison, no envy; andtherefore kings are not envied, but by kings. Nevertheless it is to be noted, that unworthypersons are most envied, at their first coming in, and afterwards overcome it better; whereascontrariwise, persons of worth and merit are most envied, when their fortune continueth long.For by that time, though their virtue be the same, yet it hath not the same lustre; for freshmen grow up that darken it.

　　宦官、老人、殘疾者和私生子都好嫉妒，因沒(méi)法彌補(bǔ)自身缺陷的人總要干方百計(jì)給別人也造成缺陷，除非有上述缺陷者具有勇敢無(wú)畏的英雄氣概，有志把自身的固有缺陷變成其榮譽(yù)之一部分。這樣人們就會(huì)說(shuō)：某宦官或瘸子竟創(chuàng)下如此殊勛偉業(yè);正如宦官納西斯以及瘸子阿偈西勞和帖木兒曾努力求得奇跡般的榮譽(yù)一樣①。

　　在大苦大難后升遷的人也好嫉妒，因?yàn)樗麄兙拖駮r(shí)代的落伍者似的，以為別人受到傷害就可補(bǔ)償自己曾經(jīng)歷的苦難。

　　那些因其輕薄和自負(fù)而想在各方面都勝過(guò)他人者亦常嫉妒，因?yàn)樗麄兘^不會(huì)缺少嫉妒的對(duì)象，在他們想爭(zhēng)勝的諸多方面之某一方面，不可能沒(méi)有許多人會(huì)勝過(guò)他們。羅馬皇帝哈德良就是這種嫉妒者，他善詩(shī)畫(huà)和工藝，因此他非常嫉妒真正的詩(shī)人、畫(huà)家和技師。

　　最后還有同族親友、官場(chǎng)同僚和少時(shí)伙伴，這些人在平輩人升遷時(shí)更容易產(chǎn)生嫉妒。因?yàn)閷?duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)，平輩的升遷不啻是在批評(píng)自己的身份，是在對(duì)自己進(jìn)行指責(zé)。這種升遷會(huì)更經(jīng)常地進(jìn)入他們的記憶，同樣也會(huì)更多地引起旁人的注意，而旁人對(duì)這種升遷的傳揚(yáng)往往會(huì)令嫉妒者妒意更濃。該隱對(duì)其弟亞伯的嫉妒之所以更為卑鄙邪惡，就因?yàn)閬啿墓┓畋簧系蹛偧{時(shí)并沒(méi)有旁人看見(jiàn)。①關(guān)于好嫉妒之人暫且就說(shuō)到這里。

　　接下來(lái)筆者要談?wù)勀切┗蚨嗷蛏贂?huì)遭嫉妒的人的情況。首先，有大德者步入老年后較少遭人嫉妒，因?yàn)樗麄兊男疫\(yùn)已顯得不過(guò)是他們應(yīng)得的報(bào)償，而對(duì)應(yīng)得的報(bào)償誰(shuí)也不會(huì)嫉妒，世人只嫉妒過(guò)于慷慨的獎(jiǎng)賞和施舍。另一方面，嫉妒常產(chǎn)生在與人攀比之時(shí)，可以說(shuō)沒(méi)有攀比就沒(méi)有嫉妒，故此為君者不會(huì)被其他人妒忌，除非妒忌者亦是君王。不過(guò)應(yīng)該注意到，卑微之人在發(fā)跡之初最遭人妒忌，其后妒忌會(huì)逐漸減弱;但與此相反，品質(zhì)優(yōu)秀者則是在他們的好運(yùn)賡續(xù)不斷時(shí)遭妒最甚，因此時(shí)他們的優(yōu)點(diǎn)雖依然如故，但已不如當(dāng)初那樣耀眼，后起之秀已使其黯然失色

　　Persons of noble blood, are less envied in their rising. For it seemeth but right done to theirbirth. 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 samereason, those that are advanced by degrees, are less envied than those that are advancedsuddenly 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 everhealeth envy. Wherefore you shall observe, that the more deep and sober sort of politicpersons, in their greataess, are ever bemoaning themselves, what a life they lead; chanting aquanta patimur! Not that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy. But this is to beunderstood, of business that is laid upon men, and not such, as they call unto themselves. Fornothing 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 otherinferior officers, in their full lights and pre-eminences of their places. For by that means, therebe so many screens between him and envy.

　　Above all, those are most subject to envy, whichcarry the greatness of their fortunes, in an insolentand proud manner; being never well, but while theyare showing how great they are, either by outwardpomp, or by triumphing over all opposition orcompetition; whereas wise men will rather dosacrifice to envy, in suffering themselves sometimesof purpose to be crossed, and overborne in thingsthat do not much concern them. Notwithstanding, somuch is true, that the carriage of greatness, in aplain and open manner (so it be without arrogancyand vain glory) doth draw less envy, than if it be in a more crafty and cunning fashion. For inthat course, a man doth but disavow fortune; and seemeth to be conscious of his own wantin 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 somewhatin it of witchcraft, so there is no other cure of envy, but the cure of witchcraft; and that is, toremove the lot (as they call it) and to lay it upon another. For which purpose, the wiser sort ofgreat persons, bring in ever upon the stage somebody upon whom to derive the envy, thatwould come upon themselves; sometimes upon ministers and servants; sometimes uponcolleagues and associates; and the like; and for that turn there are never wanting, somepersons of violent and undertaking natures, who, so they may have power and business, willtake it at any cost.

　　Now, to speak of public envy. There is yet some good in public envy, whereas in private, there isnone. For public envy, is as an ostracism, that eclipseth men, when they grow too great. Andtherefore it is a bridle also to great ones, to keep them within bounds

　　出身貴族者在升遷時(shí)較少遭人嫉妒，因?yàn)槟强瓷先o(wú)非是出身高貴的必然結(jié)果，再說(shuō)這種錦上添花似乎也不會(huì)給他們帶來(lái)更多的好處。且嫉妒猶如日光，它射在陡坡峭壁上比射在平地上更使人感覺(jué)其熱;與此同理，逐漸高升者比驟然騰達(dá)者較少遭人嫉妒。

　　那些一直把自己的顯赫與辛勞、焦慮或風(fēng)險(xiǎn)連在一起的人較少成為嫉妒的對(duì)象，因?yàn)槭廊藭?huì)覺(jué)得他們的高位顯取來(lái)之不易，甚至有時(shí)候還會(huì)可憐他們，而憐憫往往可以治愈嫉妒。故此世人可見(jiàn)，一些較老謀深算的政界人物在位高權(quán)重時(shí)常常向人家訴苦，說(shuō)自己活得多苦多累;其實(shí)他們并非真那樣感覺(jué)，而只是想減輕別人的嫉妒而已。不過(guò)人們能體諒的是那種依命行事的辛勞，而不是那種沒(méi)事找事的忙碌，因?yàn)樽钭屓硕噬霞佣实氖戮褪悄欠N毫無(wú)必要且野心勃勃的事必躬親;所以對(duì)位高權(quán)重者來(lái)說(shuō)，保證各級(jí)屬下的充分權(quán)利和應(yīng)有身份是消除嫉妒的最佳方法，因?yàn)橛眠@種方法不啻在自己與嫉妒之間筑起了一道道屏障。

　　因大富大貴而趾高氣揚(yáng)者尤其易遭妒忌，因?yàn)檫@種人不炫耀其富貴就不舒服，結(jié)果他們或是在舉止言談上神氣活現(xiàn)，或是總要壓倒一切相反意見(jiàn)或競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手?？陕斆魅藙t寧愿吃點(diǎn)虧而給嫉妒者一點(diǎn)實(shí)惠，有時(shí)故意在某些與己關(guān)系不大的事情上讓對(duì)手占占上風(fēng)。但盡管如此，以下事實(shí)仍不謬：以直率坦蕩的態(tài)度對(duì)待富資比用虛偽狡詐的態(tài)度更少遭人妒忌，只要那直率坦蕩中沒(méi)有傲慢與自負(fù)的成分;因?yàn)橛煤笠环N態(tài)度者無(wú)非是否認(rèn)自己的幸運(yùn)，而那會(huì)讓人覺(jué)得他自己都感到他不配享受富貴，因此他恰好是教別人來(lái)嫉妒自己。

　　最后讓筆者贅言幾句來(lái)結(jié)束這個(gè)部分。如本文開(kāi)篇所言，嫉妒行為有幾分巫術(shù)的性質(zhì)，因此治嫉妒的最好方法就是治巫術(shù)的方法，也就是移開(kāi)世人所謂的“符咒”，使之鎮(zhèn)在別人頭上。為達(dá)到這一目的，有些聰明的大人物總是讓別人替自己拋頭露面，從而使本會(huì)降到自己身上的嫉妒降到他人身上，這種他人有時(shí)候是侍從仆役，有時(shí)候是同僚伙伴或諸如此類(lèi)的角色;而要找這種替身，世間還真不乏一些雄心勃勃的冒昧之徒，只要能獲得權(quán)位，這種人不惜付出任何代價(jià)。

　　現(xiàn)在且來(lái)談?wù)劰姷募刀?。雖說(shuō)私人間的嫉妒有百害而無(wú)一利，但公眾的嫉妒卻還有一點(diǎn)好處，因?yàn)樗拖裉掌胖鸱á?，可除去那些位高?zhuān)權(quán)者，所以它對(duì)其他大人物亦是一種制約，可使他們循規(guī)蹈矩。

　　Lastly, to conclude this part; as we said in the beginning, that the act of envy had somewhatin it of witchcraft, so there is no other cure of envy, but the cure of witchcraft; and that is, toremove the lot (as they call it) and to lay it upon another. For which purpose, the wiser sort ofgreat persons, bring in ever upon the stage somebody upon whom to derive the envy, thatwould come upon themselves; sometimes upon ministers and servants; sometimes uponcolleagues and associates; and the like; and for that turn there are never wanting, somepersons of violent and undertaking natures, who, so they may have power and business, willtake it at any cost.

　　Now, to speak of public envy. There is yet some good in public envy, whereas in private, there isnone. For public envy, is as an ostracism, that eclipseth men, when they grow too great. Andtherefore it is a bridle also to great ones, to keep them within bounds.

　　This envy, being in the Latin word invidia, goeth in the modern language, by the name ofdiscontentment; of which we shall speak, in hand-ling sedition. It is a disease, in a state, liketo infection. For as infection spreadeth upon that which is sound, and tainteth it; so whenenvy is gotten once into a state, it traduceth even the best actions thereof, and turneth theminto an ill odor. And therefore there is little won, by intermingling of plausible actions. For thatdoth argue but a weakness, and fear of envy, which hurteth so much the more, as it is likewiseusual in infections; which if you fear them, you call them upon you.

　　This public envy, seemeth to beat chiefly uponprincipal officers or ministers, rather than uponkings, and estates themselves. But this is a surerule, that if the envy upon the minister begreat, when the cause of it in him is small; or if the envy be general, in a manner upon all theministers of an estate; then the envy (though hidden) is truly upon the state itself. And somuch of public envy or discontentment, and the difference thereof from private envy, whichwas handled in the first place.

　　We will add this in general, touching the affection of envy; that of all other affections, it is themost importune and continual. For of other affections, there is occasion given, but now andthen; and therefore it was well said, Invidia festos dies non agit: for it is ever working uponsome or other. And it is also noted, that love and envy do make a man pine, which otheraffections do not, because they are not so continual. It is also the vilest affection, and themost depraved; for which cause it is the proper attribute of the devil, who is called, theenvious man, that soweth tares amongst the wheat by night; as it always cometh to pass,that envy worketh subtilly, and in the dark, and to the prejudice of good things, such as is thewheat.

　　出最后讓筆者贅言幾句來(lái)結(jié)束這個(gè)部分。如本文開(kāi)篇所言，嫉妒行為有幾分巫術(shù)的性質(zhì)，因此治嫉妒的最好方法就是治巫術(shù)的方法，也就是移開(kāi)世人所謂的“符咒”，使之鎮(zhèn)在別人頭上。為達(dá)到這一目的，有些聰明的大人物總是讓別人替自己拋頭露面，從而使本會(huì)降到自己身上的嫉妒降到他人身上，這種他人有時(shí)候是侍從仆役，有時(shí)候是同僚伙伴或諸如此類(lèi)的角色;而要找這種替身，世間還真不乏一些雄心勃勃的冒昧之徒，只要能獲得權(quán)位，這種人不惜付出任何代價(jià)。

　　現(xiàn)在且來(lái)談?wù)劰姷募刀?。雖說(shuō)私人間的嫉妒有百害而無(wú)一利，但公眾的嫉妒卻還有一點(diǎn)好處，因?yàn)樗拖裉掌胖鸱á?，可除去那些位高?zhuān)權(quán)者，所以它對(duì)其他大人物亦是一種制約，可使他們循規(guī)蹈矩。

　　這種在拉丁語(yǔ)中寫(xiě)作invidia的嫉妒在現(xiàn)代語(yǔ)言中又叫“不滿(mǎn)情緒”，關(guān)于這點(diǎn)筆者將在談及叛亂時(shí)加以討論。公眾的嫉妒對(duì)國(guó)家來(lái)說(shuō)是一種可能蔓延的疾病，正如傳染病可侵入健全的肌體并使之犯疾一樣，國(guó)民一旦產(chǎn)生這種嫉妒，他們甚至?xí)磳?duì)最合理的國(guó)家行為，并使這些行為背上惡名;而為此采取寵絡(luò)民心的舉措也幾乎無(wú)濟(jì)于事，因?yàn)檫@正好表明當(dāng)局害怕嫉妒，軟弱可欺，結(jié)果造成的損害更大。這也像通常的傳染病一樣，你越怕它，它越要找上門(mén)來(lái)。

　　這種公眾的嫉妒似乎主要是針對(duì)高官大臣，而不是針對(duì)君王和國(guó)家本身。但有一條千真萬(wàn)確的規(guī)律，那就是如果某位大臣并無(wú)甚過(guò)失卻招來(lái)公眾強(qiáng)烈的嫉妒，或是公眾的嫉妒在某種程度上是針對(duì)一國(guó)之所有大臣，那嫉妒的矛頭(雖隱而不露)實(shí)際上就是指向國(guó)家本身了。以上所言便是公眾的嫉妒，或日公眾的不滿(mǎn)，以及它與私人間的嫉妒之不同，而關(guān)于后者前文已經(jīng)論及。

　　最后筆者再就嫉妒之情泛泛補(bǔ)充幾句。在人類(lèi)所有情感中，嫉妒是一種最糾纏不休的感情，因其他感情的生發(fā)都有特定的時(shí)間場(chǎng)合，只是偶爾為之;所以古人說(shuō)得好：

　　嫉妒從不休假;

　　因?yàn)樗傇谀承┤诵闹凶魉睢Ｊ廊诉€注意到，愛(ài)情和嫉妒的確會(huì)使人衣帶漸寬，而其他感情卻不致如此，原因是其他感情都不像愛(ài)情和嫉妒那樣寒暑無(wú)間。嫉妒亦是最卑劣最墮落的一種感情，因此它是魔鬼的固有屬性，魔鬼就是那個(gè)趁黑夜在麥田里撒稗種的嫉妒者①;而就像一直所發(fā)生的那樣，嫉妒也總是在暗中施展詭計(jì)，偷偷損害像麥?zhǔn)蛑?lèi)的天下良物。