雙語智慧書·有時(shí)三思而行，有時(shí)立下決斷

13．有時(shí)三思而行，有時(shí)立下決斷
有時(shí)三思而行，有時(shí)立下決斷。生活就是一場(chǎng)與邪惡的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。睿智的斗爭(zhēng)伴隨著意圖的戰(zhàn)略性改變——恐嚇是假，聲東擊西。他總是隱藏自己的意圖，先是老練地虛晃一槍，然后出其不意地猛擊對(duì)方要害。他透露出一個(gè)意圖，只是為了吸引對(duì)方的注意力，然后再伺機(jī)出奇制勝。但是，明智的人可以警惕地預(yù)料到這一招，然后隱藏起來——明智者總能看清對(duì)手希望自己了解的情況之反面，看破對(duì)方每個(gè)虛招詭計(jì)。他會(huì)放過第一次出擊，等待第二個(gè)時(shí)機(jī)，甚至第三次出擊的機(jī)會(huì)。當(dāng)狡詐者發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的陰謀被人識(shí)破，就會(huì)使出更高的招數(shù)：改變策略，以改變欺詐，想要用真相本身來蒙蔽，用不欺騙來達(dá)到欺騙的目的，把欺騙建立在最大程度的坦誠上。但是，明智者更會(huì)警覺起來，發(fā)現(xiàn)其光明外表下暗藏的陰謀詭計(jì)，解讀其每個(gè)行動(dòng)的真實(shí)含義，對(duì)方外表越單純，可能心計(jì)越狡詐。蟒蛇怪皮同(1)用陰謀詭計(jì)與阿波羅的明光相斗時(shí)的情況正是如此。


13．Act sometimes on second thoughts, sometimes on first impulse
Act sometimes on second thoughts, sometimes on first impulse. Man's life is a warfare against the malice of others. Sagacity fights with strategic changes of intention: it never does what it threatens, it aims only at escaping notice. It aims in the air with dexterity and strikes home in an unexpected direction, always seeking to conceal its game. It lets a purpose appear in order to attract the opponent's attention, but then turns round and conquers by the unexpected. But a penetrating intelligence anticipates this by watchfulness and lurks in ambush. It always understands the opposite of what the opponent wishes it to understand, and recognizes every feint of guile. It lets the first impulse pass by and waits for the second, or even the third. Sagacity now rises to higher flights on seeing its artifice foreseen, and tries to deceive by truth itself, changes its game in order to change its deceit, and cheats by not cheating, and founds deception on the greatest candour. But the opposing intelligence is on guard with increased watchfulness, and discovers the darkness concealed by the light and deciphers every move, the more subtle because more simple. In this way the guile of the Python combats the far darting rays of Apollo.

(1) 是古希臘神話中大地女神蓋亞之子，代表黑暗，后被阿波羅用弓箭和火炬殺死。