Delicacy of Taste and Delicacy of Passion
佚名 / Anonymous
There is a certain delicacy of passion to which some people are subject that makes them extremely sensible to all the accidents of life, and gives them a lively joy up on every prosperous event, as well as a piercing a grief when they meet with crosses and adversity. Favours and good offices easily engage their friendship, while the smallest injury provokes their resentment. Any honour or mark of distinction elevates them above measure; but they are as sensibly touched with contempt. People of this character have, no doubt, more lively enjoyments, as well as more pungent sorrows, than men of more cool and sedate tempers. But, I believe, when every thing is balanced, there is no one that would not rather chose to be of the latter character, were he entirely master of his own disposition. Good or ill fortune is very little at our disposal and when a person that has this sensibility of temper meets with any misfortune, his sorrow or resentment takes entire possession of him, and deprives him of all relish in the common occurrences of life, the right enjoyment of which forms the greatest part of our happiness. Great pleasures are much less frequent than great pains, so that a sensible temper must meet with fewer trials in the former way than in the latter.
There is a delicacy of taste observable in some men, which very much resembles this delicacy of passion, and produces the same sensibility to beauty and deformity of every kind, as that does to prosperity and adversity, obligations and injuries. When you present a poem or a picture to a man possessed of this talent, the delicacy of his feelings or sentiments makes him be touched very sensibly by every part of it; nor are the masterly strokes perceived with a more exquisite relish and satisfaction, than the negligences or absurdities with disgust and uneasiness. A polite and judicious conversation affords him the highest entertainment. Rudeness or impertinence is as great a punishment to him. In short, delicacy of taste has the same effect as delicacy of passion: it enlarges the sphere both of our happiness and misery, and makes us sensible to pains as well as pleasures that escape the rest of mankind.
I believe, however, there is no one who will not agree with me, that notwithstanding this resemblance, a delicacy of taste is as much to be desired and cultivated, as a delicacy of passion is to be lamented, and to be remedied, if possible. Every wise man will endeavour to place his happiness on such objects as depend most upon himself and that is not to be attained so much by any other means as by this delicacy of sentiment. When a man is possessed of that talent, he is more happy by what pleases his taste, than by what gratifies his appetites, and receives more enjoyment from a poem, or a piece of reasoning, than the most expensive luxury can afford.
世界上有些人受控于一种细腻的激情，他们会对生活中的每件事极为敏感。他们会为每一件愉悦的事欢呼雀跃，也会为遭遇的挫折和不幸悲痛欲绝。小恩小惠能轻易赢得他们的友谊，同样，即使是再小的伤害也会招来他们的憎恨。任何荣耀或显赫的头衔都会让他们忘乎所以，但他们也会极为敏感地感受到轻蔑。与那种性格平和、稳重的人比起来，这种性格的人无疑会感受到更多的快乐，同时也会感受到更深的痛苦。但是，我相信，如果一个人可以完全控制自己的性格取向，当一切和谐时，没有人愿意选择后一种性格。但我们很少能够掌控命运，而且，当一个人的性格对任何不幸如此敏感时，悲痛和怨恨就会占据他生命的全部，剥夺他对生活中平常事物的兴趣和权利去感受快乐，而这是我们最大快乐的源泉。巨大的喜悦并不像巨大的悲痛那样经常发生，所以，敏感的性格接受后者的考验一定会远远多于前者。
在另外一些人身上，还有一种精妙的雅致引人注目，它跟这种细腻的激情很相似，也能对每一件或美好或残缺的事产生同样的敏感性。（如果前者就顺境、逆境而论，它则是对于美、丑而言。）如果你给这种性格的人看一首诗或一幅画，他细腻丰富的情感会被作品的每一部分深深触动，他不仅能欣赏其精湛的技艺，获得满足感，也能对其中的疏忽或荒谬感到厌恶和不安。他能从有礼貌而有见地的谈话中获得最大的快乐，对他来说，无礼或者鲁莽是最大的虐待。简言之，精妙的雅致能产生与细腻的激情一样的效果：它使我们快乐和痛苦的范畴扩大，让我们敏锐地体会到他人无法体会到的开心和伤痛。
但是，我相信，没有人会否认我的观点，尽管两者有相似之处，但我们更渴望得到和培养出精妙的雅趣，而悲叹细腻的激情，如果可能的话，我们还会去弥补后者。每一个明智的人都会竭力把自己的幸福置于由自己决定的事物之上，而培养这种微妙的情感是达到这种境界最好的方法。当一个人拥有了这种品质，他就会对满足自己品位的事物感受到更多的快乐，而不是出于自我欲望的满足。他会从一首诗或一篇论文中，而不是从那些昂贵的奢侈品中，获得更多的快乐。
1. Any honour or_________of distinction elevates them above measure; _________they are as sensibly touched with contempt. People of this character _________, no doubt, more lively enjoyments, as well as more pungent _________, than men of more cool and sedate tempers.
2. When you present a poem or a _________to a man possessed of this talent, the delicacy of his feelings or sentiments_________him be touched very sensibly by every______of it; nor are the masterly strokes perceived _________a more exquisite relish and satisfaction, than the negligences or absurdities_________disgust and uneasiness.
1. 世界上有些人受控于一种细腻的激情。
2. 对他来说，无礼或者鲁莽是最大的虐待。
3. 每一个明智的人都会竭力把自己的幸福置于由自己决定的事物之上。
1. ...his sorrow or resentment takes entire possession of him...
take possession：成为……的所有者；占有
2. I believe, however, there is no one who will not agree with me, that not with standing this resemblance, a delicacy of taste is as much to be desired and cultivated, as a delicacy of passion is to be lamented, and to be remedied, if possible.
as much：同样多的；也
