雙語(yǔ)智慧書·不要傳播丑聞

228．不要傳播丑聞
　　不要傳播丑聞，更不要被人當(dāng)作長(zhǎng)舌婦，因?yàn)槟菢拥扔诜噶苏u謗罪。不要總是誹謗他人，那樣做很容易，但會(huì)遭人憎恨；而且所有人都會(huì)想要報(bào)復(fù)你，說(shuō)你壞話，因?yàn)槟愎聠我蝗?，而他們?nèi)硕嗔α看?，所以你的失敗是必然的，他們不?huì)相信你散布的謠言。不要對(duì)邪惡之事津津樂(lè)道，決不能把它當(dāng)成談話的主題。背后詆毀他人者令人厭惡，如果偶爾有偉人與之交往，前者也只是樂(lè)于聽他的嘲諷，而不是尊重他的見解。說(shuō)別人壞話的人，別人會(huì)把他說(shuō)得更糟。


228．Do not be a scandal-monger
　Do not be a scandal-monger. Still less pass for one, for that means to be considered a slanderer. Do not be witty at the cost of others: it is easy but hateful. All men have their revenge on such an one by speaking ill of him, and as they are many and he but one, he is more likely to be overcome than they convinced. Evil should never be our pleasure, and therefore never our theme. The backbiter is always hated, and if now and then one of the great consorts with him, it is less from pleasure in his sneers than from esteem for his insight. He that speaks ill will always hear worse.