内容导读
无论是对外貌容颜的呵护，还是对品行操守的坚持，无非就是让世界多些美感与和谐。在这篇著名的随笔中，培根（1561—1626）给出了美的等级：品德的高尚优于天生的美貌，而自然的容颜又优于刻意的雕饰。外在美只是一现的昙花；内在美却像是随着时光而更加醇厚的美酒，给生活平添醉人的味道。
英文正文
Virtue is like arich stone,best plain set;and surely virtue is best,in abody that is comely,though not of delicate features;and that hath rather dignity of presence,than beauty of aspect.Neither is it almost seen,that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue;as if nature were rather busy,not to err,than in labor to produce excellency.And therefore they prove accomplished,but not of great spirit;and study rather behavior,than virtue.But this holds not always:for Augustus Caesar,Titus Vespasianus,Philip le Belle of France,Edward the Fourth of England,Alcibiades of Athens,Ismael the Sophy of Persia,were all high and great spirits;and yet the most beautiful men of their times.[4]In beauty,that of favor,is more than that of color;and that of decent and gracious motion,more than that of favor.
That is the best part of beauty,which apicture cannot express;no,nor the first sight of the life.There is no excellent beauty,that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.A man cannot tell whether Apelles,or Albert Durer,were the more trifler;whereof the one,would make apersonage by geometrical proportions;the other,by taking the best parts out of divers faces,to make one excellent.Such personages,I think,would please nobody,but the painter that made them.Not but Ithink apainter may make abetter face than ever was;but he must do it by akind of felicity(as amusician that maketh an excellent air in music),and not by rule.A man shall see faces,that if you examine them part by part,you shall find never agood;and yet altogether do well.
If it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion,certainly it is no marvel,though persons in years seem many times more amiable;pulchrorum autumnus pulcher;for no youth can be comely but by pardon,and considering the youth,as to make up the comeliness.Beauty is as summer fruits,which are easy to corrupt,and cannot last;and for the most part it makes adissolute youth,and an age alittle out of countenance;but yet certainly again,if it light well,it maketh virtue shine,and vices blush.
中文译文
论美丽
弗朗西斯·培根
德行犹如宝石，朴素最美；其于人也，则有德者但须形体悦目，不必面貌俊秀，与其貌美，不若气度恢宏。人不尽知，绝色无大德也；一如自然劳碌终日，但求无过，而无力制成上品。因此美男子有才而无壮志，重行而不重德。但亦不尽然。罗马大帝奥古斯都与提图斯，法王菲利普，英王爱德华四世，古雅典之阿尔西比亚德斯，波斯之伊斯梅尔，皆有宏图壮志而又为当时最美之人也。美不在颜色艳丽而在面目端正，又不尽在面目端正而在举止文雅合度。
美之极致，非图画所能表，乍见所能识。举凡最美之人，其部分比例，必有异于常人之处。阿贝尔与杜勒皆画家也，其画人像也，一则按照几何学之比例，一则集众脸形之长于一身，二者谁更不智，实难断言，窃以为此等画像除画家本人外，恐无人喜爱也。余不否认画像之美可以超绝尘寰，但此美必为神笔，而非可依规矩得之者，乐师之谱成名曲亦莫不皆然。人面如逐部细察，往往一无是处，观其整体则光彩夺目。
美之要素既在于举止，则年长美过年少亦无足怪。古人云：“美者秋日亦美。”年少而著美名，率由宽假，盖鉴其年事之少，而补其形体之不足也。美者犹如夏日蔬果，易腐难存；要之，年少而美者常无行，年长而美者不免面有惭色。虽然，但须托体得人，则德行因美而益彰，恶行见美而愈愧。
（王佐良 译）
词汇速记
comely adj. 有吸引力的，好看的
trifler n. 无聊之徒
whereof adv.&conj. 关于
personage n. 名人，要人
geometrical adj. 几何的
felicity n. 恰当
principal adj. 最主要的
dissolute adj. 放荡的
countenance n. 面容
美句欣赏
① In beauty,that of favor,is more than that of color;and that of decent and gracious motion,more than that of favor.这句话点出了美之世界中的等级：文雅合度胜于容颜绝色，而天生丽质胜于庸脂俗粉。将品行置于美的最高境界，是对其旨归何处的最好回答。
② Beauty is as summer fruits,which are easy to corrupt,and cannot last;and for the most part it makes adissolute youth,and an age alittle out of countenance;but yet certainly again,if it light well,it maketh virtue shine,and vices blush.美如夏日之果这一比喻与“肤浅”一说异曲同工，都告诫人们只有美德才是美丽的源头活水，让它魅力常驻；外表之美本身，只是腐败的温床罢了。