3. It is a strange thing to observe, how high a rate great kings and monarchs do set upon this fruit of friendship, whereof we speak: so great, as they purchase it, many times, at the hazard of their own safety and greatness. For princes, in regard of the distance of their fortune from that of their subjects and servants, cannot gather this fruit, except (to make themselves capable thereof) they raise some persons to be, as it were, companions and almost equals to themselves, which many times sorts to inconvenience. The modern languages give unto such persons the name of favorites, or privates; as if it were matter of grace, or conversation. But the Roman name attains the true use and cause thereof,naming them participes curarum; for it is that which ties the knot. And we see plainly that this has been done, not by weak and passionate princes only, but by the wisest and most politic that ever reigned; who have oftentimes joined to themselves some of their servants; whom both themselves have called friends, and allowed other likewise to call them in the same manner; using the word which is received between private men.

4. L. Sylla, when he commanded Rome, raised Pompey (after surnamed the Great) to that height, that Pompey vaunted himself for Sylla’s overmatch. For when he had carried the consulship for a friend of his, against the pursuit of Sylla, and that Sylla did a little resent thereat, and began to speak great, Pompey turned upon him again, and in effect bade him be quiet; for that more men adored the sun rising, than the sun setting. With Julius Caesar, Decimus Brutus had obtained that interest as he set him down in his testament, for heir in remainder, after his nephew. And this was the man that had power with him, to draw him forth to his death. For when Caesar would have discharged the senate, in regard of some ill presages, and specially a dream of Calpurnia; this man lifted him gently by the arm out of his chair, telling him he hoped he would not dismiss the senate, till his wife had dreamt a better dream. And it seems his favor was so great,as Antonius, in a letter which is recited verbatim in one of Cicero’s Philippics, calls him venefica, witch; as if he had enchanted Caesar. Augustus raised Agrippa (though of mean birth) to that height, as when he consulted with Maecenas, about the marriage of his daughter Julia, Maecenas took the liberty to tell him, that he must either marry his daughter to Agrippa, or take away his life; there was no third way, he had made him so great. With Tiberius Caesar, Sejanus had ascended to that height, as they two were termed, and reckoned, as a pair of friends. Tiberius in a letter to him says, Haec pro amicitia nostra non occultavi; and the whole senate dedicated an altar to Friendship, as to a goddess, in respect of the great dearness of friendship, between them two. The like,or more, was between Septimius Severus and Plautianus. For he forced his eldest son to marry the daughter of Plautianus; and would often maintain Plautianus, in doing affronts to his son; and did write also in a letter to the senate, by these words: I love the man so well, as I wish he may over-live me. Now if these princes had been as a Trajan, or a Marcus Aurelius, a man might have thought that this had proceeded of an abundant goodness of nature; but being men so wise, of such strength and severity of mind, and so extreme lovers of themselves, as all these were, it proves most plainly that they found their own felicity (though as great as ever happened to mortal men) but as an half piece,except they might have a friend, to make it entire; and yet, which is more, they were princes that had wives, sons, nephews; and yet all these could not supply the comfort of friendship.

5. It is not to be forgotten, what Comineus observes of his first master, Duke Charles the Hardy, namely, that he would communicate his secrets with none; and least of all, those secrets which troubled him most. Whereupon he goes on, and says that towards his latter time, that closeness did impair, and a little perish his understanding. Surely Comineus might have made the same judgment also, if it had pleased him, of his second master,Lewis the Eleventh, whose closeness was indeed his tormentor. The parable of Pythagoras is dark, but true; Cor ne edito; Eat not the heart. Certainly, if a man would give it a hard phrase, those that want friends, to open themselves unto, are carnnibals of their own hearts. But one thing is most admirable (wherewith I will conclude this first fruit of friendship), which is, that this communicating of a man’s self to his friend,works two contrary effects; for it redoubles joys, and cuts griefs in halves. For there is no man, that imparts his joys to his friend, but he joys the more; and no man that imparts his griefs to his friend, but he grieves the less. So that it is in truth, of operation upon a man’s mind, of like virtue as the alchemists use to attribute to their stone, for man’s body; that it works all contrary effects, but still to the good and benefit of nature. But yet without praying in aid of alchemists, there is a manifest image of this, in the ordinary course of nature. For in bodies, union strengthens and cherishes any natural action; and on the other side, weakens and dulls any violent impression: and even so it is of minds.

6. The second fruit of friendship, is healthful and sovereign for the understanding, as the first is for the affections. For friendship makes indeed a fair day in the affections, from storm and tempests; but it makes daylight in the understanding, out of darkness, and confusion of thoughts. Neither is this to be understood only of faithful counsel, which a man receives from his friend; but before you come to that, certain it is, that whosoever has his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits band understanding do clarify and break up, in the communicating and discoursing with another; he tosses his thoughts more easily; he marshals them more orderly, he sees how they look when they are turned into words: finally, he waxes wiser than himself; and that more by an hour’s iscourse,than by a day’s meditation. It was well said by Themistocles, to the king of Persia. That speech was like cloth of Arras, opened and putabroad; whereby the imagery doth appear infigure; whereas in thoughts they lie but as in packs. Neither is this second fruit of friendship, in opening the understanding, restrained only to such friends as are able to give a man counsel; (they indeed are best;) but even without that, a man learns of himself, and brings his own thoughts to light, and whets his wits as against a stone,which itself cuts not. In a word, a man was better relate himself to a statue, or picture,han to suffer his thoughts to pass in smother.

7. Add now, to make this second fruit of friendship complete, that other point, which lies more open, and falls within vulgar observation; which is faithful counsel from a friend.

Heraclitus says well in one of his enigmas. Dry light is ever the best. And certain it is,that the light that a man receives by counsel from another, is drier and purer, than that which comes from his own understanding and judgment; which is ever infused, and drenched, in his affections and customs. So as there is as much difference between the counsel, that a friend gives, and that a man gives himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend, and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as is a man’s self; and there is no such remedy against flattery of a man’s self, as the liberty of a friend.

Counsel is of two sorts: the one concerning manners, the other concerning business. For the first, the best preservative to keep the mind in health, is the faithful admonition of a friend. The calling of a man’s self to a strict account, is a medicine, sometime too piercing and corrosive. Reading good books of morality, is a little flat and dead.

Observing our faults in others, is sometimes improper for our case. But the best receipt (best, I say, to work, and best to take) is the admonition of a friend. It is a strange thing to behold, what gross error sand extreme absurdities many (especially of the greater sort)do commit, for want of a friend to tell them of them; to the great damage both of their fame and fortune: for, as St. James says, they are as men that look sometimes into a glass, and preently forget their own shape and favor. As for business, a man may think,if he win, that two eyes see no more than one; or that a gamester sees always more than a looker-on; or that a man in anger, is as wise as he that has said over the four and twenty letters; or that a musket may be shot off as well upon the arm, as upon a rest; and such other fond and high imaginations, to think him self all in all. But when all is done,the help of good counsel, is that which sets business straight. And if any man think that he will take counsel, but it shall be by pieces; asking counsel in one business, of one man, and in another business, of another man; it is well (that is to say, better, perhaps,than if he asked none at all); but he runs two dangers: one, that he shall not be faithfully counselled; for it is a rare thing, except it be from a perfect and entire friend, to have counsel given, but such as shall be bowed and crooked to some ends, which he has, that gives it. The other, that he shall have counsel given, hurtful and unsafe (though with good meaning), and mixed partly of mischief and partly of remedy; even as if you would call a physician, that is thought good for the cure of the disease you complain of, but is unacquainted with your body; and therefore may put you in way for a present cure, but overthrows your health in some other kind; and so cure the disease, and kill the patient.

But a friend that is wholly acquainted with a man’s estate, will beware, by furthering any present business, how he dashes upon other inconvenience. And therefore rest not upon scattered counsels; they will rather distract and mislead, than settle and direct.

8. After these two noble fruits of friendship (peace in the affections, and support of the judgment), follows the last fruit; which is like the pomegranate, full of many kernels; I mean aid, and bearing a part, in all actions and occasions. Here the best way to represent to life the manifold use of friendship, is to cast and see how many things there are,which a man cannot do himself; and then it will appear, that it was a sparing speech of the ancients, to say, that a friend is another himself; for that a friend is far more than himself. Men have their time, and die many times, in desire of some things which they principally take to heart; the bestowing of a child, the finishing of a work, or the like. If a man has a true friend, he may rest almost secure that the care of those things will continue after him. So that a man has, as it were, two lives in his desires. A man has a body, and that body is confined to a place; but where friendship is, all offices of life are as it were granted to him, and his deputy. For he may exercise them by his friend. How many things are there which a man cannot, with any face or comeliness, say or do himself? A man can scarce allege his own merits with modesty, much less extol them; a man cannot sometimes brook to supplicate or beg; and a number of the like. But all these things are graceful, in a friend’s mouth, which are blushing in a man’s own. So again, a man’s person has many proper relations, which he cannot put off. A man cannot speak to his son but as a father; to his wife but as a husband; to his enemy but upon terms: whereas a friend may speak as the case requires, and not as it sorts with the person. But to enumerate these things were endless; I have given the rule, where a man cannot fitly play his own part; if he has not a friend, he may quit the stage.

1. “喜歡孤獨的人不是野獸便是神靈。”說這話的人若要在寥寥數語之中，更能把真理和邪說放在一處，那就很難了。因為，若說一個人心裏有了一種天生的、隱秘的、對社會的憎恨嫌棄，則那個人不免帶點野獸的性質，這是極其真實的；然而要說這樣的一個人居然有任何神靈的性質，則是極不真實的。隻有一點可為例外，那就是當這種憎恨社會的心理不是出於對孤獨的愛好而是出於一種想把自己退出社會以求更崇高的生活心理的時候；這樣的人異教徒中有些人曾冒充過，如克瑞蒂人埃辟曼尼底斯、羅馬人努馬、西西利人安辟道克利斯、蒂安那人阿波郎尼亞斯；而基督教會中許多的古隱者和長老則確有如此者。但是一般人並不大明白何為孤獨以及孤獨的範圍。因為在沒有“仁愛”的地方，一群的人眾並不能算作一個團體，許多的麵目也僅僅是一列圖畫；而交談則不過是鐃鈸丁零作聲，而且這種情形有句拉丁成語略能形容之：“一座大城市就是一片大荒野”；因為在一座大城市裏朋友們是散居各處的，所以就其大概而言，不像在小一點的城鎮裏，有那樣的交情。但是我們不妨更進一步並且很真實地斷言說，缺乏真正的朋友乃是最純粹最可憐的孤獨；沒有友誼則斯世不過是一片荒野；我們還可以用這個意義來論“孤獨”說，凡是天性不配交友的人其性情可說是來自禽獸而不是來自人類的。

2. 友誼的主要效用之一就在使人心中的憤懣抑鬱之氣得以宣泄弛放，這些不平之氣是各種的情感都可以引起的。閉塞之症於人的身體最為凶險，這是我們知道的；在人的精神方麵亦複如此：你可以服撒爾沙以通肝，服鋼以通脾，服硫華以通肺，服海狸膠以通腦，然而除了一個真心的朋友之外沒有一樣藥劑是可以通心的。對一個真心的朋友你可以傳達你的憂愁、歡悅、恐懼、希望、疑忌、諫淨，以及任何壓在你心上的事情，有如一種教堂以外的懺悔一樣。

3. 許多偉大的人主帝王對於我們所說的友誼的效用之重視在我們看起來實為可異。他們之重視友誼，至於往往不顧自己的安全與尊榮以求之。蓋為人君者，由於他們與臣民之間地位上的距離的原故，是不能享受友誼的——除非他們（為使自己能享受友誼起見）把某人擢升到他們的伴侶或儕輩的地位，然而這樣做的結果往往是有不便的。像這樣的人現代語叫做“寵臣”或“私人”；好像他們之所以能到這種地位僅僅是由於主上的恩意或君臣之間的親近似的。然而羅馬語中的字眼才能算是把這種人的真正用途及其擢升之由表達出來了；羅馬語把這種人叫做“分優者”；因為真能使君臣之間結如斯之友誼者，正即此事也。我們又可以看到像這樣的事情並不限於懦弱易感的君主，即從來最有智有謀的君主，亦往往有與臣下中某人結交，呼之為友，並使旁人亦以君王之友人稱之者；君臣之間所用的這種稱謂就和普遍私人之間所用的一樣。

4. 蘇拉，當他為羅馬的獨裁者的時候，把龐拜（即後來被人稱為“偉大的”龐拜者）擢升到很高的地位以至龐拜自詡為蘇拉所不及。因為有一次龐拜為他的一位朋友爭執政官之職，與蘇拉所推舉之人競選，竟而獲勝。在蘇拉對此表示不滿而開始爭吵的時候，龐拜簡直反唇相向，叫他不要多言，“因為拜朝日的人多過拜夕陽的人”。

在愷撒則有代西瑪斯·布魯塔斯，其影響之巨，竟使愷撒在遺囑中立他為次承繼人，僅次於愷撒的孫外甥。而這人也就是有能力誘致愷撒於死地的人。因為在愷撒為了一些不祥的預兆，尤其是克爾坡尼亞的一場噩夢的原故而想使參議院先行散會，改期再開的時候，布魯塔斯拉著他的胳膊，輕輕地把他從椅子上拉了起來，並告訴他說，他希望愷撒不要叫參議院散會，等愷撒的夫人做一場好一點的夢之後再行開會。

安東尼在一封信裏（這封信在西塞羅的攻擊演說之一中曾經一字不移地引用過）曾呼代西瑪斯·布魯塔斯為“妖人”，好像他用邪術迷惑了愷撒似的，他的得寵之深可見矣。阿葛瑞帕雖然出身微賤，但是奧古斯塔斯卻把他升到很高的地位，以致後來當奧古斯塔斯以他的女兒玖利亞的婚事問麥西那斯的時候，麥西那斯竟敢說“他必須把女兒嫁給阿葛瑞帕，否則就必須把阿葛瑞帕殺了。再沒有第三條路可走，因為他把阿葛瑞帕已造就得如此之偉大了”。在泰比瑞亞斯一方麵西亞努斯升到很高的位置，竟至他們二人被稱並被認為一雙朋友。泰比瑞亞斯在致西亞努斯的一封信裏寫道：“為了我們的友誼的原故，我沒有把這些事對你隱瞞”，並且整個的參議院給“友誼”特造了一座雜壇（就好像“友誼”是一位女神一樣）以表揚他們二人之間的很親愛的友誼。此類或勝乎此的例子又可於塞普諦米亞斯·塞委拉斯與普勞梯亞努斯的友誼中見之。因為塞委拉斯竟強迫他的兒子娶普勞梯亞努斯之女為妻；並且往往袒護普勞梯亞努斯種種欺淩皇子的行為；他並且以這樣的言辭下詔於參議院：“朕愛其人如此之深，願其能後朕而死也。”假如這些君王是圖拉真或馬喀斯·奧瑞利亞斯一流的，那末我們可以認為像上述的舉動乃是出自十分良善的心田的；但是這些君王都是很有智謀，精神強健而嚴厲，並且是極端愛己的，然而他們竟然如此，這就可以證明他們的幸福雖然已達人間之極峰，但是他們對之，仍不滿意，覺得若無朋友使之圓滿，則這種幸福終是殘缺不全也。猶有甚者，這些君主都是有妻有子有甥侄的人，然而這些人竟不能使他們有朋友之樂。

5. 康明奈亞斯關於他的第一位主上，“勇敢的”查理公爵，所說的話是不可忘的，就是，他不肯把他的秘密與任何人共之，尤其不肯把那最使他為難的秘密告人。於是康明奈亞斯繼續又說道：“到公爵的末日將近的時候這種秘而不宣的性情不免稍損他的理智。”其實，如果康明奈亞斯樂意的話，他對於他的第二位主上，路易十一，也大可下同樣的斷語，因為路易十一的好隱秘確是他自己的災星。畢達哥拉斯底格言是難解而真確的；他說，“不要吃你的心。”確實地；說得厲害一點，沒有朋友可以向之傾訴心事的人們可說是吃自己的心的野人。有一件事卻是很值得驚奇的（我把它說了出來就此結束關於友誼的第一種功效的話語），那就是，一個人向朋友宣泄私情的這件事能產生兩種相反的結果，它既能使歡樂倍增，又能使憂愁減半。因為沒有人不因為把自己的樂事告訴了朋友而更為歡欣者，也沒有人因為把自己的憂愁告訴了朋友而不減憂愁者。所以就實際的作用而言，友誼之於人心其價值真有如煉金術士常常所說的他們的寶石之於人身一樣；這寶石，依術土們的話，是能產生種種互相反對的效力，然而總是有利於天稟的。然而，即令不借助於術士，在普通的自然現象中，也可以看到這種情形很明顯的肖像。因為物體相合則足以助長並滋養任何天然的作用，又可以削弱並挫折任何暴烈的外來打擊也：物體如此，人心亦是如此。

6. 友誼的第二種功用就在它能衛養並支配理智，有如第一種功用之衛養並支配感情一樣。因為友誼在感情方麵使人出於烈風暴雨而入於光天化日，而在理智方麵又能使人從黑暗和亂想入於白晝也。這不僅指一個人從朋友處得來的忠諫而言；即在得到這個之前，任何心中思慮過多的人，若能與旁人通言並討論，則他的心智與理解力將變為清朗而有別；他的思想的動作將更為靈活；其排列將更有秩序；他可以看出來把這些思想變成言語的時候它們是什麽模樣；他終於變得比以往的他聰明，而要達到這種情形，一小時的談話比一天的沉思為效更巨——這些都是沒有疑義的。塞密斯陶克立斯對波斯王的話說得極是。他說：“言語有如張掛展覽的花氈，其中的圖形都是顯明的；而思想則有如卷折起來的花氈。”友誼的這第二種功用（就是啟發理智），也不限於那些能進忠言的朋友（他們當然是最好的朋友了），即令沒有這樣的朋友，一個人也能借言談的力量自己增長知識，把自己的思想使之明白表現，並且把自己的機智磨厲得更為鋒利，如磨刃於石，刃銳而石固不能割也。簡言之，一個人，與其使他的思想窒息而滅，毋寧向雕像或圖畫傾訴一切之為愈也。

7. 現在，為充分說明友誼的這第二種功用起見，我們再一談那個顯而易見的、流俗之人也可以注意到的那一點，就是朋友的忠言。赫拉克裏塔斯在他的隱語之一中說得很好，“幹光永遠最佳”。一個人從另一個人的淨言中所得來的光明比從他自己的理解力，判斷力中所出的光明更是幹淨純粹，這是無疑的：一個人從自己的理解力與判斷力中得來的那種光明總不免是受他的感情和習慣的浸潤影響的。因此，在朋友所給的諍言與自己所作的主張之間其差別有如良友的淨言與諂佞的建議之間的差別一樣。因為諂諛我者無過於我；而防禦自諂自諛之術更無有能及朋友之直言者也。

諍言共有兩種：一是關於行為的，一是關於事業的。說到第一種，最能保人心神之健康的預防藥就是朋友的忠言規諫。一個人的嚴厲自責是一種有時過於猛烈，蝕力過強的藥品。讀勸善的好書不免沈悶無味。在別人身上觀察自己的錯誤有時與自己的情形不符。最好的藥方（最有效並且最易服用的）就是朋友的勸諫。許多人（尤其是偉大的人們）因為沒有朋友向他們進忠告的緣故，做出大謬極誤的事來，以致他們的名聲和境遇均大受損失，這種情形看起來是很可驚異的。這些人是，有如聖雅各所說，“有時看看鏡子，而不久就會忘了自己的形貌的。”講到事業方麵，一個人也許以為兩隻眼所見的並不多於一隻眼所見的；或者以為局中人之所見總較旁觀者之所見為多；或者以為一個在發怒中的人和一個默數過二十四個字母的人一般地聰明；或者以為一枝舊式毛瑟槍，托在臂上放和托在架上放一樣地得力；他可以有許多類此的愚蠢驕傲的妄想，以為自己一身就很夠了。然而能使事業趨於正軌者還數忠言。又，假如有人想采納別人的忠告，而願意零碎采納，在某一件事上問某一人，在另一件事上問另一人，這樣的辦法也好（這就是說，總比他全不問人的或者好一點）；可是他冒著兩種危險；一是他將得不到忠實的進言；因為所進的言論必須是來自一位完全誠心的朋友的才好，否則鮮有不被歪屈而傾向於進言人之私利者也。另一種危險是他所得的進言，將為一種有害而不安全的言論（雖然用意是好的）一半是招致禍患的而一半是救濟或預防禍患的；有如你生病請醫，而這位醫生是雖被認為善治你所患的病症，卻是不熟悉你的體質的；因此他也許會使你目前的疾病可以痊愈而將危害你健康的另一方麵；結果是治了病症而殺了病人。一個完全通曉你的事業境遇的朋友則不然，他將小心注意，以免因為推進你目前的某種事業而使你在別的方麵突受打擊。所以最好不要依靠零零碎碎的忠告；它們擾亂和誤引的可能多於安定和指導的可能也。

8. 在友誼的這兩種高貴的功效（心情上的平和與理智上的扶助）之後還有那最末的一種功效：這種功效有如石榴之多核。這句話的意思就是朋友對於一個人的各種行為，各種需要，都有所幫助，有所參加也。在這一點上，若要把友誼的多種用途很顯明生動地表現出來，最好的方法是計算一下，看看一個人有多少事情是不能靠自己去辦理的：這樣計算一下之後，我們就可以看得出古人所謂“朋友者另一己身也”的那句話是一句與事實相較還很不夠的話；因為一個朋友比較一個人的己身用處還要大得多。人的生命有限，有許多人在沒有達到最大的心願——如子女的婚事，工作之完成，等等——之前就死了。要是一個人有了一位真心的朋友，那末他就大可安心，知道這些事件在他死後還是有人照料的。如此，一個人在完成心願上簡直是有兩條性命了。一個人有一個身體，而這個身體是限於一個地方的；但是假如他有朋友，那末所有的人生大事都可算是有人辦理了。就是他自己不能去的地方，他的朋友也可以代表他的。還有，有多少事是一個人為了顏麵的關係，不能自己說或辦的！

一個人不能自承有功而免矜誇之嫌，更不用說是不能表揚自己的功績了；他有時也不能低首下心地去有所懇求；諸如此類的事很多。但是這一切的事，在一個人自己的嘴裏說出來未免赧顏的，在朋友嘴裏說出來卻是很好。類此，一個人還有許多身份上的關係，是他不能棄置不顧的。例如，一個人對兒子講話，就不能不保持父親的身份；對妻子講話就不能不保持丈夫的身份；對仇敵講話就不能不顧慮自己的體麵：但是一個朋友卻可以就事論事，而不必顧慮到人的方麵。這一類的事情要一一列舉出來是說不完的；要之，一個人若是有某種事自己不能很得體地去做時，我對他有一條規則可說，就是，他如果沒有朋友的話，那末他隻有“下台”之一法。

A Thief小偷

1. He is waiting for the airline ticket counter when he first notices the young woman. She has glossy black hair pulled tightly into a knot at the back of her bead-the man imagines it loosed and cascading to the small of her back-and carries over she shoulder of her leather coat a heavy black purse. She wears black boots of soft leather. He struggles to see her face-she is ahead of him in line-but it is not until she has bought her ticket and turns to walk away that he realizes her beauty, which is pale and dark-eyed and full-mouthed, and which quickens his heart beat. She seems aware that he is staring at her and lowers her gaze abruptly.

2. The airline clerk interrupts. The man gives up looking at the woman—he thinks she may be about twenty-five—and buys a round-trip, coach class ticket to an eastern city.

3. His flight leaves in an hour. To kill time, the man steps into one of the airport cocktail bars and orders a scotch and water. While he sips it he watches the flow of travelers through the terminal-including a remarkable number, he thinks, of an unattached pretty women dressed in fashion magazine clothes-until he catches sight of the black-haired girl in the leather coat. She is standing near a Travelers Aid counter, deep in conversation with a second girl, a blond in a cloth coat trimmed with gray fur. He wants somehow to attract the brunette’s attention, to invite her to have a drink with him before her own flight leaves for wherever she is traveling, but even though he believes for a moment she is looking his way he cannot catch her eye from out of the shadows of the bar. In another instant the two women separate; neither of their direction is toward him.

He orders a second Scotch and water.

4. When next he sees her, he is buying a magazine to read during the flight and becomes aware that someone is jostling him. At first he is startled that anyone would be so close as to touch him, but when he sees who it is he musters a smile.

5. “Busy place,” he says.

6. She looks up at him—is she blushing?—and an odd grimace crosses her mouth and vanishes. She moves away from him and joins the crowds in the terminal.

7. The man is at the counter with his magazine, but when he reaches into his back pocket for his wallet the pocket is empty. Where could I have lost it? He thinks. His mind begins enumerating the credit cards, the currency, the membership and identification cards; his stomach churns with something very like fear. The girl who was so near to me,he thinks-and all at once he understands that she has picked his pocked.

8. What is he to do? He still has his ticket, safely tucked inside his suitcoat—he reaches into the jacket to feel the envelope, to make sure. He can take the flight, call someone to pick him up at his destination-since he cannot even afford bus fare-conduct his business and fly home. But in the meantime he will have to do something about the lost credit cards-call home, have his wife get the numbers out of the top desk drawer, phone the card companies-so difficult a process, the whole thing suffocating. What shall he do?

9. First. Find a policeman, tell what has happened, describe the young woman, damn her,he thinks, for seeming to be attentive to him, to let herself stand so close to him, to blush prettily when he spoke-and all the time she wanted only to steal from him. And her blush was not shyness but the anxiety of being caught; that was most disturbing of all.

Damn deceitful creatures. He will spare the policeman the details-just tell what she has down, what is in the wallet. He grits his teeth. He will probably never see his wallet again.

10. He is trying to decide if he should save time for talking to a guard near the X-ray machines when he is appalled-and elated-to see the black-haired girl. She is seated against a front window of the terminal, taxis and private cars moving sluggishly beyond her in the gathering darkness: she seems engrossed in a book. A seat beside her is empty,and the man occupies it.

11. “I’ve been looking for you,” he says.

12. She glances at him with no sort of recognition. “I don’t know you,” she says.

13. “Sure you do.”

14. She sighs and puts the book aside. “Is this all you characters think about—picking up girls like we were stray animals? What do you think I am?”

15. “You lifted my wallet,” he says. He is pleased to have said “lifted”, thinking it sounds more wordly than stole or took or even ripped off.

16. “I beg your pardon?” the girl says.

17. “I know you did—at the magazine counter. If you’ll just give it back, we can forget the whole thing. If you don’t, then I’ll hand you over to the police.”

18. She studies him, her face serious. “All right,” she says. She pulls the black bag onto her lap, reaches into it and draws out a wallet.

19. He takes it from her. “Wait a minute,” he says, “This isn’t mine.”

20. The girl runs, he bolts after her. It is like a scene in a movie—bystanders scattering, the girl zigzagging to avoid collisions, the sound of his own breathing reminding him how old he is—until he hears a woman’s voice behind him:21. “Stop, thief! Stop that man!”

22. Ahead of him the brunette disappears around a corner and in the same moment a young man in a marine uniform puts out a foot to trip him up. He falls hard, banging knee and elbow on the tile floor of the terminal, but manages to hang on to the wallet which is not his.

23. The wallet is a woman’s, fat with money and credit cards from places like Sak’s and Peck & Peck and Lord & Taylor, and it belongs to the blonde in the fur-trimmed coat—the blonde he has earlier seen in conversation with the criminal brunette. She, too,is breathless, as is the police man with her.

24. “That’s him,” the blonde girl says, “He lifted my billfold.”

25. It occurs to the man that he cannot even prove his own identity to the policeman.

26. Two weeks later—the embarrassment and rage have diminished, the family lawyer has been paid, the confusion in his household has receded-the wallet turns up without explanation in one morning’s mail. It is intact, no money is missing, and all the cards are in place. Though he is relieved, the man thinks that for the rest of his life he will feel guilty around policemen, and ashamed in the presence of women.

1. 他第一次注意到那個年輕女人，是在他到航空公司售票處排隊買票的時候。她的烏黑發亮的一頭秀發在腦後緊緊地終成一個客。那人想象著那頭秀發披散開來瀑布般落在腰間的情形，隻見那女人穿著皮外套的肩上挎著一個沉甸甸的黑色坤包，腳上穿著一雙黑色軟皮靴。他竭力想看到她的容貌，她就排在他的前麵。但是，一直到她買好票走開，他才睹她的芳容：雪白的皮膚，馬裏發亮的眼睛，豐滿的嘴唇。他心族搖**，狂跳不止。那年輕女人似乎察覺到他在注視著她，便突然垂下了眼睛。

2. 售票員一說話打斷了他的想象。他不再看那女人——他想她可能有25 歲左右——然後買了一張到東部一個城市的二等往返機票。

3. 飛機過1 個小時才起飛。為了消磨時間，他走進機場的一家雞尾酒吧，要了一杯兌水的蘇格蘭威士忌、他一邊慢慢地喝著酒，一邊望著大廳裏川流不息的乘客——他想，其中有好多一定都是未婚的漂亮女人，她們穿的是時裝雜誌上介紹的那種衣服——直到後來他又瞥見那個穿皮外套的黑發姑娘。她站在旅客服務台旁邊，和另外一個姑娘眉飛色舞地聊著什麽。另外那個姑娘金發碧眼，身穿一件鑲著灰色貓皮的布外套。不知怎麽的，他想引起黑發姑娘的注意，想趁這個姑娘要乘的飛往什麽地方去的班機還沒離開之前，請她喝上一杯。然而，盡管他認為她向他這邊張望了一小會兒，但他在酒吧的陰暗處，吸引不了她的秋波。過了沒多大一會兒，這兩個女人就分手了，都沒有朝這個方向走來。他又要了一杯兌水的蘇格蘭威士忌。

4. 當他再次看見她的時候，他正在買一本雜誌，以便在飛機上看。突然，他覺得有人挨近了他。他先是吃了一驚，怎麽會有人靠得這麽近碰到他的身體呢？但等看清是誰之後，他的臉上浮起了微笑。

5. “這地方人可真多。”他說。

6. 她抬眼看著他——她是害羞臉才紅的嗎？——她的嘴角掠過一絲奇怪的表情，轉眼就消失了。她從他的身邊走開，加入了大廳的人流之中。

7. 他拿著雜誌站在櫃台邊，但當他將手伸進後邊的口袋拿錢夾的時候，發現裏邊什麽也沒有了。他在心裏想著：我可能是在什麽地方把它弄丟的呢？他開始在腦海裏清點裝在錢夾裏的信用卡、鈔票、會員證、身份證等東西。一種酷似恐懼的感覺使他的胃部劇烈地**起來。那個姑娘挨我那樣近，他想——他立馬明白了，是她偷了他的錢夾。

8. 怎麽辦呢？飛機票還在，裝在上衣內袋裏是萬無一失的——他將手伸到衣服裏麵，摸了摸裝機票的紙袋，心才落了地。他可以乘這班飛機，到達目的地，叫人來接。

他連坐公共汽車的錢都沒有了。完事之後，再乘飛機回家。但是，在此期間要對那些信用卡失竊采取措施——要打電話，讓妻子將放在寫字台最上麵抽屜裏的信用卡號碼取出來，和一家家信用卡公司通電話——真是麻煩死了，要全部辦完，準會要命。怎麽辦呢？

9. 首先找警察把事情經過以及那年輕女人的模樣告訴他。這女人真可惡，好像對他很有意思，站得離他是那樣近，聽他說話時她的臉紅得是那樣嫵媚動人——卻要挖空心思想偷他的東西。原來她臉紅不是因為害羞，而是做賊心虛。這是最惱人的。這該死的騙人的娘們。這些細節還是不給警察說好——單講她所做的事情、他的錢夾裏有什麽東西就行了。他咬牙切齒。很可能他再也見不到自己的錢夾了。

10. 他正在考慮為了節省時間，就跟那個站在金屬探測器旁邊的保安員談一下。突然，他眼睛一亮，喜出望外——吃驚地看到了那個黑發女人（報紙上會說：“長著一頭烏黑秀發的女賊。”）靠坐在大廳的前窗。在她身後漸濃的暮色中，出租車和私車在慢慢騰騰地移動。她好像在全神貫注地看書。她旁邊的座位空著。於是，他坐了下來。

11. “我正在找你呢。”他說。

12. 她瞟了他一眼，似乎沒有認出他是誰。“找不認識你。”她說。

13. “你不會不認識我的。”

14. 她歎了口氣，將書放在一邊。“你們這些人怎麽光想這個。好像我們女孩子是迷路的小動物，隨隨便便就能搞到手似的。你把我當成什麽人了？”

15. “你摸走了我的錢夾。”他說。他很得意地說“摸走”，他覺得這個字眼比“偷走”、“盜走”，甚至“掏走”，聽上去更加貼切。

16. “你在說什麽呀？”那女孩說。

17. “我知道是你幹的——在雜誌櫃台邊。隻要你還給我，事情就一筆勾銷，否則就把你交給警察。”

18. 她仔細打量著那人，神情非常嚴肅。“好吧，”她說著，將她那隻黑包拉到膝蓋上，手伸進去，掏出了一隻皮夾。

19. 他從她手裏一把拿過來。“等一下，”他說，“這不是我的。”

20. 那女孩撒腿就跑，他在後麵窮追不舍，真像電影中的場麵——周圍的人紛紛避開。

那女孩飛快地左拐右轉，避免發生碰撞。他的喘息聲使他想起了自己的年紀——後來聽到一個女人的喊叫聲從背後傳來：21. “抓、抓賊！抓住那個男人！”

22. 前麵，黑發女人已經轉過拐角，不見了蹤影。與此同時，一個身穿海軍陸戰隊製服的年輕人伸腳一絆。那人猛地跌倒，膝蓋和胳膊肘都重重地砸在大廳的地板磚上，但他的手裏仍緊緊地攥著那個不屬於他的皮夾。

23. 這隻皮夾是一名婦女的，鼓鼓囊囊地裝著鈔票和像“薩克”、“佩克與佩克”、“洛德與泰勒”這種公司的信用卡。皮夾的主人是那個穿皮毛鑲邊外套的金發女人——他早先看到在和那個作賊的黑發女人交談的金發女人。她也跑得氣喘籲籲，像那個和她一同趕來的警察一樣。

24. “就是他，”金發女人說，“是他偷了我的皮夾。”

25. 他突然想到，他甚至無法向警察證實自己的身份。

26. 時隔兩星期之後——他不再那樣尷尬和惱怒，家庭律師的報酬已經支付，家裏的風波也已經過去——他的錢夾在上午送來的郵件中意外地出現了，沒有附任何解釋。

皮夾原封未動，錢一點也沒少，所有的證卡都在。盡管鬆了口氣，但他覺得，在自己今後的人生旅途中，他在警察旁邊會感到內疚，在女人們麵前會感到羞愧難當。

Confidence自信

1. Some people are born with the belief that they are masters of their own lives. Others feel they are at the mercy of fate.

2. New research shows that parts of those feelings are in the genes.

3. Psychologists have long known that people confident in their ability to control their destinies are more likely to adjust well to growing old than those who feel that they drift on the currents of fate.

4. Two researchers who questioned hundreds of Swedish twins report that such confidence,or lark of it, is partly genetic and partly drawn from experience.

5. They also found that the belief in blind luck—a conviction that coincidence plays a big role in life is something learned in life and has nothing to do with heredity.

6. The research was conducted at the Karolinska Institute-better known as the body that annually awards the Nobel Prize for medicine by Nancy Pedersen of the Institute and Margaret Gatz, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Their results were recently published in the United States in the Journal of Gerontology.

7. People who are confident of their ability to control their lives have an “internal locus of control”, and have a better chance of being well adjusted in their old age, said Pedersen.

8. An “external locus of control”, believing that outside forces determine the course of life,has been linked to depression in latter years, she said.

9. “We are trying to understand what makes people different. What makes some people age gracefully and others have a more difficult time?” she said.

10. The study showed that while people have an inborn predilection toward independence and self-confidence, about 70 percent of this personality trait is affected by a person’s environment and lifetime experiences.

11. Pedersen’s studies, with various collaborators, probe the aging process by comparing sets of twins, both identical and fraternal, many of whom were separated at an early age.

12. The subjects were drawn from a roster first compiled about 30 years ago registering all twins born in Sweden since 1886. The complete list, which was extended in 1971, has 95,000 sets of twins.

1. 有些人天生相信他們是自我生命的主宰，其他人則覺得他們受到命運的支配。

2. 一項新的研究發現這些感覺部份來自基因。

3. 心理學家早就知道有信心掌握自己命運的人比那些覺得自己是受命運擺布的人更能適應老化。

4. 兩位研究學家在詢問了好幾百對瑞典的雙胞胎後報告說，這種信心，或是信心的缺乏，一部份是與基因有關，另一部份則是來自經驗的累積。

5. 他們同時發現，相信盲目運氣的人認為，在生命中扮演一個很重要角色的機遇是在生活過程中學習得來的，而與遺傳毫無關係。

6. 這項研究是在卡洛林司卡機構裏進行的。這個機構亦是每年頒贈諾貝爾醫學獎的團體。該研究是由此機構的南西·皮德森與洛杉磯南加大的心理學教授瑪格麗特·賈茲所主持，他們這項研究結果最近在美國老年學的期刊上登出。

7. 皮德森說，對自己掌握生命的能力有信心的人有一種“內在控製的基因位點”，比較能夠適應老年期。

8. 她說，相信外在力量決定生命之旅的“外在控製的基因位點”與晚年沮喪的情緒有關。

9. 她說：“我們想了解人與人之間相異的原因是什麽。是什麽原因使有些人安然悠哉地步入晚年，而有些人則比較困難?”

10. 這項研究顯示，有人能夠擁有天生的自信與獨立，而百分之七十有這種個性的人，會受到環境與一生的經驗所影響。

11. 皮德森的研究，囊括了許多不同的研究學者，從事雙胞胎的比較，並探討老化的過程。這些同卵及異卵雙胞胎有許多都在很小的時候就分開了。

12. 研究對象是由一本三十年前編纂的名冊所抽出。這本名冊登記有自一八八六年以來，所有在瑞典出生的雙胞胎。這份完整的名單一直延續到一九七一年，共行幾萬五千對雙胞胎。

Differences不同

1. It is curious that our own offenses should seem so much less heinous than the offenses of others. I suppose the reason is that we know all the circumstances that have occasioned them and so manage to excuse in ourselves what we cannot excuse in others.

We turn our attention away from our own defects, and when we are forced by untoward events to consider them, find it easy to condone them. For all I know we are right to do this; they are part of us and we must accept the good and bad in ourselves together.

2. But when we come to judge others, it is not by ourselves as we really are that we judge them, but by an image that we have formed of ourselves fro which we have left out everything that offends our vanity or would discredit us in the eyes of the world. To take a trivial instance: how scornful we are when we catch someone out telling a lie; but who can say that he has never told not one, but a hundred?

3. There is not much to choose between men. They are all a hotchpotch of greatness and littleness, of virtue and vice, of nobility and baseness. Some have more strength of character, or more opportunity, and so in one direction or another give their instincts freer play, but potentially they are the same. For my part, I do not think I am any better or any worse than most people, but I know that if I set down every action in my life and every thought that has crossed my mind, the world would consider me a monster of depravity. The knowledge that these reveries are common to all men should inspire one with tolerance to oneself as well as to others. It is well also if they enable us to look upon our fellows, even the most eminent and respectable, with humor, and if they lead us to take ourselves not too seriously.

1. 讓人奇怪的是，和別人的過錯比起來，我們自身的過錯往往不是那樣的可惡。我想，其原因應該是我們知曉一切導致自己犯錯的情況，因此能夠設法諒解自己的錯誤，而別人的錯誤卻不能諒解。我們對自己的缺點不甚關注，即便是深陷困境而不得不正視它們的時候，我們也會很容易就寬恕自己。據我所知，我們這樣做是正確的。

缺點是我們自身的一部分，我們必須接納自己的好和壞。

2. 但是當我們評判別人的時候，情況就不同了。我們不是通過真實的自我來評判別人，而是用一種自我形象來評判，這種自我形象完全摒棄了在任何世人眼中會傷害到自己的虛榮或者體麵的東西。舉一個小例子來說：當覺察到別人說謊時，我們是多麽地蔑視他啊！但是，誰能夠說自從未說過謊？可能還不止一百次呢。

3. 人和人之間沒什麽大的差別。他們皆是偉大與渺小，善良與邪惡，高尚與低俗的混合體。有的人性格比較堅毅，機會也比較多，因而達個或那個方麵，能夠更自由地發揮自己的稟賦，但是人類的潛能卻都是相同的。至於我自己，我認為自己並不比大多數人更好或者更差，但是我知道，假如我記下我生命中每一次舉動和每一個掠過我腦海的想法的話，世界就會將我視為一個邪惡的怪物。每個人都會有這樣的怪念頭，這樣的認識應當能夠啟發我們寬容自己，也寬容他人。同時，假如因此我們得以用幽默的態度看待他人，即使是天下最優秀最令人尊敬的人，而且假如我們也因此不把自己看得過於重要，那是很有裨益的。