雙語智慧書·不要被看成偽君子

219．不要被看成偽君子
　　不要被看成偽君子。盡管你現(xiàn)在不可能不遇見偽君子，也不要被人看成偽君子。要讓人認(rèn)為你是謹(jǐn)慎而不是狡猾。人們喜歡真誠的行為，雖然不是每個人都能把這個體現(xiàn)在行動上。真誠不應(yīng)成為天真，睿智不應(yīng)退為狡黠。要因聰明而贏得愛戴，不因狡詐而被人懼怕。敞開心扉受人喜歡，也會被人欺騙。要掩藏被看成是欺詐的行為，需要高超的技巧。純樸興盛于黃金時代(1)，而狡詐則盛行于如今這冷鐵時代。因識時務(wù)而聞名是一種榮譽，可以引發(fā)別人對你的信任；但是，如果被看成偽君子，就會失去別人對你的信任。


219．Do not pass for a hypocrite
　Do not pass for a hypocrite, though such men are indispensable nowadays. Be considered rather prudent than astute. Sincerity in behaviour pleases all, though not all can show it in their own affairs. Sincerity should not degenerate into simplicity nor sagacity into cunning. Be rather respected as wise than feared as sly. The open-hearted are loved but deceived. The great art consists in disclosing what is thought to be deceit. In the golden age simplicity flourished, in these days of iron cunning. The reputation of being a man who knows what he has to do is honourable and inspires confidence, but to be considered a hypocrite is deceptive and arouses mistrust.
　　
(1) 指希臘神話中和平、興隆和幸福的時期。