雙語智慧書·自然和人工：原料與加工

12．自然和人工：原料與加工
自然和人工：原料與加工。世上沒有未經(jīng)修飾的美；若無人工修飾，優(yōu)點(diǎn)都將變得粗俗。人工技巧可彌補(bǔ)短處，提升長處。天生之物很少完美，因此我們必須求助人工技術(shù)。若無陶冶，最好的秉性也會變得毫無教養(yǎng)；若無培養(yǎng)，任何天賦都將折損一半。若無人為的修煉，任何人都有不夠完美的一面；任何優(yōu)點(diǎn)都需要打磨。

12．Nature and art
Nature and art: material and workmanship. There is no beauty unadorned and no excellence that would not become barbaric if it were not supported by artifice: this remedies the evil and improves the good. Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art. Without this the best of natural dispositions is uncultured, and half is lacking to any excellence if training is absent. Every one has something unpolished without artificial training, and every kind of excellence needs some polish.