雙語智慧書·不要坐以待斃

110．不要坐以待斃
　　不要坐以待斃。在被拋棄之前，自己先舍棄，這是智者的格言。你應(yīng)以勝利收場，要像太陽那樣，在最耀眼之時隱身于云朵之后，以免讓人看到落日西沉，且猜測：它是落了還是未落？一旦有可能發(fā)生不幸，就應(yīng)明智地退出，以免當(dāng)災(zāi)禍降臨才被迫后退。不要等到人們對你冷眼相待并把你送入墳?zāi)?-那時你就沒了尊嚴(yán)，只剩感慨。聰明的馴馬師懂得何時把馬放回牧場，以免馬跑到中途頹然倒斃，被人恥笑。美人應(yīng)及早砸碎鏡子，而不要等到人老珠黃。


110．Do not wait till you are a sinking sun
　Do not wait till you are a sinking sun. It is a maxim of the wise to leave things before things leave them. One should be able to snatch a triumph at the end, just as the sun even at its brightest often retires behind a cloud so as not to be seen sinking, and to leave in doubt whether he has sunk or no. Wisely withdraw from the chance of mishaps, lest you have to do so from the reality. Do not wait till they turn you the cold shoulder and carry you to the grave, alive in feeling but dead in esteem. Wise trainers put racehorses to grass before they arouse derision by falling on the course. A beauty should break her mirror early, lest she do so later with open eyes.