I shall be obliged to present one truth under a thousand forms. It is that much courage is exacted for the attainment16 of happiness. Such a man has estimable qualities, an interesting family, tried friends, a fortune equal to his wants. His lot ought to seem a delightful17 one. How differently the public judge! ‘This man,’ says the public, ‘has intelligence. Why has he not increased his fortune? He is able to distinguish himself. Why has he not sought place or office? He seems to stand aloof18, that he may pique19 himself on a proud and foolish originality20. We judge him less favorably. Every one distinguishes himself, that can. To be without distinction is a proof that he has not power to acquire it.’ If the man, of whom this is said, has not courage, mourn over him. The public will end, by rendering21 him ashamed of his happiness.
To hear the false reasoning of the multitude is not what astonishes me. That stupid people, full of self-esteem22, should hold these foolish discourses23, with strong emphasis, is perfectly24 natural. What I wonder at is, that their maxims25 should guide people of understanding.
We are guilty of the whimsical contradiction of judging our own ideas with complacency, and of pronouncing upon those of others with severity. Yet we[92] every day sacrifice principles which we esteem, through fear of being blamed by people whom we despise.[23]
The moment I escape the yoke26 of opinion, what a vast and serene27 horizon stretches out before my eyes! The pleasures of vanity scatter28, like morning mists. Those of repose and independence remain. I no longer sacrifice to the disquieting29 desire of preserving a protector, or eclipsing my rivals. I am no longer the slave of gloomy etiquette30. I henceforward prolong my delightful evenings for my own enjoyment31. The caprices of men have lost their empire over me. If poor, I shall remain a stranger to the pains excited by blasting ridicule32 and overwhelming contempt. If rich, indolent and impertinent people will no longer regulate my expenses; and the happy choice of my pleasures will multiply my riches. These are presented to a wise man in two opposite relations. Do they call for a service? The most tender interest excites him to their aid. Do they show a disposition33 to manage him? He meets the attempt only with profound disdain34. He who possesses a disciplined reason, and a courageous35 mind, does not choose to walk by the faith of a feeble and uncertain guide, who has need himself to be led. Allow yourself to become docile36 to the eccentric laws of opinion, and the slave of its imperious caprices, and follow it with the most earnest perseverance37 of loyalty38; still it will finally terminate in condemning39 you.
But hypocrisy40 opens against me, and feeble men ask me, if it be not dangerous, thus to inculcate contempt of opinion? In following but a part of the ideas, which I announce, my readers might be led astray. The whole must be adopted, for a fair experiment of the result. A physician had chosen many plants, from which to form[93] a salutary decoction. His patient swallowed the juice of but one and was poisoned.
Let us discard that timidity, which conducts to falsehood; and, to subserve morals, let us be faithful to truth. The wicked and the sage41 alike break the yoke of opinion; the former to increase his power of annoyance42; the latter that of doing good.
I can conceive, that a depraved man will commit fewer faults, in yielding to the caprices of opinion, than in abandoning himself to his own errors. There are cruel passions and shameful43 vices44, which he reproves even in the midst of his aberrations45. But in doing so he gives to falsehood the name of politeness, and to cowardice46 the title of prudence47. His favorite inculcation is, the terror of ridicule. To form true men, it is indispensable, that this precept48 should be engraven on their hearts—Fear nothing but remorse49.
The simple and generous mind, that follows these lessons, and is worthy50 of happiness, need not blush, in view of his course. Only let him march on with unshrinking courage. In breaking the yoke of opinion, let him fly the still more shameful chains which the passions impose. In contemning51 the prejudices of the multitude dread52 still more those fatal instructers, who treat morality as a popular fable53, and pretend to the honor of dispelling54 our errors. The aberrations of opinion prove only, that the most bold, not the most virtuous55, press forward to announce their principles. These principles cannot annihilate56 that secret and universal opinion, that voice of conscience, without which the moral world would have presented only a chaos57; and the human race would have perished. Consult those men, who[94] have been instructed by the lessons of wisdom and experience. Consult those whom you would choose to resemble. Their first precept will be, that you descend58 into yourself. If we interrogate59 conscience, in good faith, she will enlighten us. She makes herself heard in the tumult60 of our vices, even against our will. If she become distorted, during the storm of our passions, she recovers the serenity61 of truth, as soon as that passes away; as a river, which has been agitated by a tempest, as soon as calm returns, reflects anew the verdure of the shores and the azure62 of heaven.
If there were a people formed by sage laws, whose words were frank, and whose actions upright, there it would be a duty to hearken to the voice of opinion in religious silence; and to follow its decrees, as though they were those of the divinity. Phocion asked, what foolish thing he had done when the Athenians applauded him? Happy the country, where this would have been a criminal pleasantry, and where the pages of that chapter which condemns63 opinion ought to be torn out.
Perhaps I may be accused of contradiction, in saying that, in the enlightened pursuit of happiness, the opinion of the multitude must be received with neglect; and yet, that it is pleasant to be esteemed64 by the society, of which we are members. We receive their services, and ought to know the pleasure of obliging them. We often share those weaknesses, which we censure in them. Our multiplied relations with them render their affection desirable. It may not be necessary to happiness; but it gives to enjoyment a more vivid charm.
May we be able, in pursuing the path indicated by wisdom, to obtain esteem, and taste the delight of a sentiment[95] still pleasanter, and more precious. Friendship is, to esteem, what the flower is to the stem which sustains it.
But I can never imagine, that we ought to become subservient65 to the caprices of opinion. We should first be satisfied with ourselves; and afterwards, if it may be, with others. To merit affection, I perceive but two methods; to love our kind, and to cultivate those virtues66 which diffuse67 a charm over life.
点击收听单词发音
1 agitated | |
adj.被鼓动的,不安的 | |
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2 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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3 evade | |
vt.逃避,回避;避开,躲避 | |
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4 shafts | |
n.轴( shaft的名词复数 );(箭、高尔夫球棒等的)杆;通风井;一阵(疼痛、害怕等) | |
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5 censure | |
v./n.责备;非难;责难 | |
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6 egregious | |
adj.非常的,过分的 | |
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7 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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8 approbation | |
n.称赞;认可 | |
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9 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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10 frivolous | |
adj.轻薄的;轻率的 | |
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11 seduced | |
诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 ); 勾引; 诱使堕落; 使入迷 | |
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12 devoured | |
吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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13 intrigue | |
vt.激起兴趣,迷住;vi.耍阴谋;n.阴谋,密谋 | |
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14 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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15 tiresome | |
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 | |
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16 attainment | |
n.达到,到达;[常pl.]成就,造诣 | |
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17 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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18 aloof | |
adj.远离的;冷淡的,漠不关心的 | |
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19 pique | |
v.伤害…的自尊心,使生气 n.不满,生气 | |
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20 originality | |
n.创造力,独创性;新颖 | |
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21 rendering | |
n.表现,描写 | |
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22 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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23 discourses | |
论文( discourse的名词复数 ); 演说; 讲道; 话语 | |
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24 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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25 maxims | |
n.格言,座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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26 yoke | |
n.轭;支配;v.给...上轭,连接,使成配偶 | |
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27 serene | |
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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28 scatter | |
vt.撒,驱散,散开;散布/播;vi.分散,消散 | |
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29 disquieting | |
adj.令人不安的,令人不平静的v.使不安,使忧虑,使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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30 etiquette | |
n.礼仪,礼节;规矩 | |
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31 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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32 ridicule | |
v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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33 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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34 disdain | |
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 | |
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35 courageous | |
adj.勇敢的,有胆量的 | |
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36 docile | |
adj.驯服的,易控制的,容易教的 | |
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37 perseverance | |
n.坚持不懈,不屈不挠 | |
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38 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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39 condemning | |
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的现在分词 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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40 hypocrisy | |
n.伪善,虚伪 | |
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41 sage | |
n.圣人,哲人;adj.贤明的,明智的 | |
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42 annoyance | |
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼 | |
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43 shameful | |
adj.可耻的,不道德的 | |
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44 vices | |
缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
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45 aberrations | |
n.偏差( aberration的名词复数 );差错;脱离常规;心理失常 | |
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46 cowardice | |
n.胆小,怯懦 | |
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47 prudence | |
n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
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48 precept | |
n.戒律;格言 | |
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49 remorse | |
n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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50 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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51 contemning | |
v.侮辱,蔑视( contemn的现在分词 ) | |
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52 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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53 fable | |
n.寓言;童话;神话 | |
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54 dispelling | |
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的现在分词 ) | |
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55 virtuous | |
adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的 | |
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56 annihilate | |
v.使无效;毁灭;取消 | |
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57 chaos | |
n.混乱,无秩序 | |
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58 descend | |
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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59 interrogate | |
vt.讯问,审问,盘问 | |
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60 tumult | |
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹 | |
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61 serenity | |
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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62 azure | |
adj.天蓝色的,蔚蓝色的 | |
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63 condemns | |
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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64 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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65 subservient | |
adj.卑屈的,阿谀的 | |
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66 virtues | |
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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67 diffuse | |
v.扩散;传播;adj.冗长的;四散的,弥漫的 | |
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