雙語智慧書·不要比上司更耀眼

7．不要比上司更耀眼
不要比上司更耀眼。所有的成功都會引起嫉恨，若超過上司，更是愚蠢，甚至是致命的。優(yōu)越者總是引起他人的憎恨，更別說超過位高權(quán)重之人。人要善于將自己的優(yōu)勢深藏不露。舉個例子，姣好的面容可以用不經(jīng)意的裝束來遮掩。也許有人不在乎你有好的運氣或是溫良的秉性，但是沒人會樂意——尤其是君主——你在判斷力上超過他，因為優(yōu)秀的判斷力是王者特有的能力，你一定要僭越，便是對其不敬。身為君主，自然希望在判斷力這一最高貴之特質(zhì)上遠勝一籌。他們可以允許旁人輔佐，卻不允許有人超越；要讓他們采納建議，就要像是幫他們回想起忘掉的東西，而不是指引他們?nèi)フ移渚脤げ坏弥?。天上的星辰教會了我們這種愉快的處世策略：它們是太陽之子，并且與太陽一樣光亮，卻從不與太陽爭輝。


7．Avoid victories over superiors
Avoid victories over superiors. All victories breed hate, and that over your superior is foolish or fatal. Superiority is always detested, let alone superiority over superiority Caution can gloss over common advantages; for example, good looks may be cloaked by careless attire. There are some that will grant you precedence in good luck or good temper, but none in good sense, least of all a prince; for good sense is a royal prerogative, any claim of superiority in that is a crime against majesty. They are princes, and wish to be so in that most princely of qualities. They will allow a man to help them but not to surpass them, and will have any advice tendered them appear like a recollection of something they have forgotten rather than as a guide to something they cannot find. The stars teach us this finesse with happy tact: though they are his children and brilliant like him, they never rival the brilliancy of the sun.