英语散文美文爱情(2)

　　It's a poor saying of Epicurus,"Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus";as if man ,made for the contemplation of heaven,and all noble objects,should do nothing but kneel before a little idol,and make himself a subject.though not of the mouth.yet of the eye;which was given him for higher purposes.

　　埃辟克拉斯曾说过一句傻话：“人生不过是一座大戏台。”似乎本应努力追求高尚事业的人类，却只像玩偶般地逢场作戏。虽然爱情的奴隶并不同于那班只顾吃喝的禽兽，但毕竟也只是眼目色相的奴隶，而上帝赐人以眼睛本来是有更高尚的用途的。

　　It's a strange thing,to note the excess of this passion,and how it braves the natureand value of things.by this:that th speaking in a perpetual hyperbole,is comely in nothing but in love.Neither is it merely in the phrase;for where as it hath been well said,that the arch-flatterer,with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence,is a man's self;certainly the lover is more.For there was never proud man though so absurdly well of himself,as the lover doth of the person loved;and therefore it was well said,that it is impossible to love,and to be wise,Neither doth this weakness appear to others only,and not to be party loved;but to the loved most of all,except the be reciproque .For it is a true rule,that love is ever rewarsed,either with the reciproque ,or with an inward and secret contempt.

　　过度的爱情追求，必然会降低人本身的价值。例如，只有在爱情中，才总是需要那种浮夸谄媚的词令。而在其他场合，同样的词令只能招人耻笑。古人有一句名言：“最大的奉承，人总是给自己的。”——只有对情人的奉承要算例外。因为甚至最骄傲的人，也甘愿在情人面前自轻自贱。所以古人说得好：“就是神在爱情中也难保持聪明。 情人的这种弱点不仅在外人眼中是明显的，就是在被追求者的眼中也会很明显——除非她(他)也在追求他(她)。所以，爱情的代价就是如此，不能得到回爱，就会得到一种深藏于心的轻蔑，这是一条永恒的定律。