
中英美文《论美》.doc
4页中英美文《论美》 Ofbeauty ByFrancisBacon Virtueislikearichstone,bestplainset;andsurelyvirtueisbest,inabodythatisely,thoughnotofdelicatefeatures;andthathathratherdignityofpresence,thanbeautyofaspect. Neitherisitalmostseen,thatverybeautifulpersonsareotherwiseofgreatvirtue;asifnaturewereratherbusy,nottoerr,thaninlabortoproduceexcellency.Andthereforetheyproveacplished,butnotofgreatspirit;andstudyratherbehavior,thanvirtue. Butthisholdsnotalways:forAugustusCaesar,TitusVespasianus,PhilipleBelleofFrance,EdwardtheFourthofEngland,AlcibiadesofAthens,IsmaeltheSophyofPersia,wereallhighandgreatspirits;andyetthemostbeautifulmenoftheirtimes. Inbeauty,thatoffavor,ismorethanthatofcolor;andthatofdecentandgraciousmotion,morethanthatoffavor. Thatisthebestpartofbeauty,whichapicturecannotexpress;no,northefirstsightofthelife. Thereisnoexcellentbeauty,thathathnotsomestrangenessintheproportion. AmancannottellwhetherApelles,orAlbertDurer,werethemoretrifler;whereoftheone,wouldmakeapersonagebygeometricalproportions;theother,bytakingthebestpartsoutofdiversfaces,tomakeoneexcellent.Suchpersonages,Ithink,wouldpleasenobody,butthepainterthatmadethem.NotbutIthinkapaintermaymakeabetterfacethaneverwas;buthemustdoitbyakindoffelicity(asamusicianthatmakethanexcellentairinmusic),andnotbyrule. Amanshallseefaces,thatifyouexamihempartbypart,youshallfindneveragood;andyetaltogetherdowell.Ifitbetruethattheprincipalpartofbeautyisindecentmotion,certainlyitisnomarvel,thoughpersonsinyearsseemmanytimesmoreamiable;pulchrorumautumnuspulcher;fornoyouthcanbeelybutbypardon,andconsideringtheyouth,astomakeuptheeliness.Beautyisassummerfruits,whichareeasytocorrupt,andcannotlast;andforthemostpartitmakesadissoluteyouth,andanagealittleoutofcountenance;butyetcertainlyagain,ifitlightwell,itmakethvirtueshine,andvicesblush. 论美 弗兰西斯.培根 美德好比宝石,它在朴素背景的衬托下反而更华丽;同样,一个打扮并不华贵却端庄严肃而有美德者是令人肃然起敬的。
外表美丽的人,未必也具有内在的美因为造物主似乎是吝啬的,他给了此就不再予彼所以许多容颜俊秀的人却不足为训,他们过于追求外形美丽而忽略了内心的美 但是这也不全对:因为奥古斯都、菲斯帕斯、菲力普王、爱德华四世、阿尔西巴底斯、伊斯梅尔等都既是大丈夫,又是美男子就形貌而言,自然之美要胜于粉饰之美,而优雅行为之美又胜于单纯仪容之美最高的美是画家所无法表现的,因为它是难于直观的,这是一种奇妙的美虽然没有完美,但是有一些奇妙的可取点 曾经有两位画家--阿皮雷斯和艾伯特丢勒滑稽地认为,可以按照几何比例,或者通过摄取不同人身上最美的特点,用画合成一张最完美的人像其实像这样画出来的美人,恐怕只表现了画家本人的某种偏爱 美是很难制订规范的(正如同音乐一样),创造它的常常是机遇,而不是公式有许多的脸型,就它的部分看并不优美,但作为整体却非常动人有些老人显得很可爱,因为他们的作风优雅而美 有一句拉丁谚语说过:“暮秋之色更美而尽管有的年轻人具有美貌,却由于缺乏完美的修养而不配得到最好的赞美美犹如盛夏的水果,是容易腐烂而难保持的世上有许多美人,他们有过放荡的青春,却迎受着愧悔的晚年。
因此,应该把美的形貌与美的德行结合起来这样,美才会放射出夺目的光辉 。












