“Why then,” argues our
adversary1, “did your
Stoic2 philosopher Zeno, when he had promised a loan of five hundred denarii to some person, whom he afterwards discovered to be of doubtful character, persist in lending it, because of his promise, though his friends
dissuaded3 him from doing so?” In the first place a loan is on a different footing to a benefit. Even when we have lent money to an
undesirable4 person we can recall it; I can demand payment upon a certain day, and if he becomes bankrupt, I can obtain my share of his property; but a benefit is lost
utterly5 and instantly. Besides, the one is the act of a bad man, the other that of a bad father of a family. In the next place, if the sum had been a larger one, not even Zeno would have persisted in lending it. It was five hundred denarii; the sort of sum of which one says, “May he spend it in sickness,” and it was worth paying so much to avoid breaking his promise. I shall go out to supper, even though the weather be cold, because I have promised to go; but I shall not if snow be falling. I shall leave my bed to go to a
betrothal6 feast, although I may be suffering from indigestion; but I shall not do so if I am
feverish7. I will become
bail8 for you, because I promised; but not if you wish me to become bail in some transaction of uncertain issue, if you expose me to
forfeiting9 my money to the state. There runs through all these cases, I argue, an implied exception; if I am able, provided it is right for me to do so, if these things be so and so. Make the position the same when you ask me to fulfil my promise, as it was when I gave it, and it will be
mere10 fickleness11 to disappoint you; but if something new has taken place in the meanwhile, why should you wonder at my intentions being changed when the conditions under which I gave the promise are changed? Put everything back as it was, and I shall be the same as I was. We enter into recognizances to appear, yet if we fail to do so an action will not in all cases lie against us, for we are excused for making default if forced to do so by a power which we cannot resist.
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1
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 |
参考例句： |
- He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
- They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。
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2
stoic
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| n.坚忍克己之人，禁欲主义者 |
参考例句： |
- A stoic person responds to hardship with imperturbation.坚忍克己之人经受苦难仍能泰然自若。
- On Rajiv's death a stoic journey began for Mrs Gandhi,supported by her husband's friends.拉吉夫死后，索尼亚在丈夫友人的支持下开始了一段坚忍的历程。
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3
dissuaded
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| 劝（某人）勿做某事，劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He was easily dissuaded from going. 他很容易就接受劝告不走了。
- Ulysses was not to be dissuaded from his attempt. 尤利西斯想前去解救的决心不为所动。
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4
undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 |
参考例句： |
- They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
- Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。
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5
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 |
参考例句： |
- Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
- I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
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6
betrothal
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| n. 婚约, 订婚 |
参考例句： |
- Their betrothal took place with great pomp and rejoicings. 他们举行了盛大而又欢乐的订婚仪式。
- "On the happy occasion of the announcement of your betrothal," he finished, bending over her hand. "在宣布你们订婚的喜庆日。" 他补充说，同时低下头来吻她的手。
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7
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 |
参考例句： |
- He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
- They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。
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8
bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 |
参考例句： |
- One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
- She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。
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9
forfeiting
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的现在分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- In his eyes, giving up his job and forfeiting his wages amounted practically to suicide. 辞事，让工钱，在祥子看就差不多等于自杀。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
- That would be acknowledging the Railroad's ownership right away-forfeiting their rights for good. 这一来不是就等于干脆承认铁路公司的所有权-永久放弃他们自己的主权吗？
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10
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 |
参考例句： |
- That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
- It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
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11
fickleness
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| n.易变；无常；浮躁；变化无常 |
参考例句： |
- While she always criticized the fickleness of human nature. 她一方面总是批评人的本性朝三暮四。 来自互联网
- Cor.1:17 This therefore intending, did I then use fickleness? 林后一17我有这样的意思，难道是行事轻浮么？ 来自互联网
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