雙語智慧書·生活講求實際

120．生活講求實際
　　生活講求實際。知識也要與時俱進(jìn)。在某些領(lǐng)域你顯得落伍，也要明智地裝作一無所知。思想和品味隨時日而改變。不要讓自己的思維方式落伍，要讓自己的品味跟上潮流。在任何領(lǐng)域，品味都是由大多數(shù)人主導(dǎo)；你必須暫時追隨著它，好將它引入更高層次。不管是思想的外衣還是身體的包裝，都要與時代相適應(yīng)，哪怕過去的似乎更好。但對于"善"字，這一規(guī)則并不適合，因為在任何時代，人們都需要它。現(xiàn)在，善良已被忽視，好像已經(jīng)過時。說真話、重承諾，似乎屬于美好的過去，其實它們?nèi)匀皇苋藲g迎。不過，當(dāng)今世上即便仍有這種美德、這種好人存在，也不再時髦，沒人會效仿。美德罕見、邪惡當(dāng)?shù)溃覀兲幱谝粋€多么可悲的時代?。∪绻氵€算明智，就算不能按意愿生活，也要按才能生活。與其掛念命運(yùn)拒絕賜予的東西，不如珍惜命運(yùn)已經(jīng)賜予的一切。



120．Live practically
　Live practically. Even knowledge has to be in the fashion, and where it is not it is wise to affect ignorance. Thought and taste change with the times. Do not be old-fashioned in your ways of thinking, and let your taste be in the modern style. In everything the taste of the many carries the votes; for the time being one must follow it in the hope of leading it to higher things. In the adornment of the body as of the mind adapt yourself to the present, even though the past appear better. But this rule does not apply to kindness, for goodness is for all time. It is neglected nowadays and seems out of date. Truth-speaking, keeping your word, and so too good people, seem to come from the good old times, yet they are liked for all that, but in such a way that even when they all exist they are not in the fashion and are not imitated. What a misfortune for our age that it regards virtue as a stranger and vice as a matter of course! If you are wise, live as you can, if you cannot live as you would. Think more highly of what fate has given you than of what it has denied.