雙語智慧書·展示你自己

277．展示你自己
　　展示你自己。這能讓你的才干更耀眼：每個人都有展示自己的時機，你要善加利用，并不是每天都有成功的機會。即便是小小的才干，踴躍者也會把它展示一番；如果他們有更多的東西，便可舉辦一場大型展覽。一個人若多才多藝又善于展示，則被認(rèn)為是奇跡。有的國家全民都慣于展示，西班牙人為最。萬物要想有光彩，必須要有光線(1)。展示讓事物得到補充，獲得供給，且被賦予新生--如果真的卓越，則更是如此。上天賦予完美之物，也提供展示之道，因為二者缺一則不會有結(jié)果。然而展示也需要高超的技巧。即便非凡之才也有賴于環(huán)境，并非總是那么適宜。不合時宜的賣弄是不恰當(dāng)?shù)?。展示之道，比其他任何素養(yǎng)更要避免任何故作。否則，它便讓人憎惡，又因為流于虛榮而招致輕蔑。展示自己的才華要適當(dāng)，以免流俗。任何過分之舉皆為智者所不屑。有時，要的就是一種無聲的雄辯，不經(jīng)意的展示。明智的隱藏是最有效的夸耀，正是因為避開視線，反而將他人的好奇心激發(fā)至極點。不一次將長處全盤托出也是高明的；只讓別人略知一二，隨著時間推移，別人會發(fā)現(xiàn)你的長處越來越多。你的每項業(yè)績，都是更多業(yè)績的誓言，當(dāng)別人對更多業(yè)績產(chǎn)生期望之時，起初的掌聲便會漸漸消失。



277．Display yourself
　Display yourself. It is the illumination of talents: for each there comes an appropriate moment; use it, for not every day comes a triumph. There are some dashing men who make much show with a little, a whole exhibition with much. If ability to display them is joined to versatile gifts, they are regarded as miraculous. There are whole nations given to display: the Spanish people take the highest rank in this. Light was the first thing to cause Creation to shine forth. Display fills up much, supplies much, and gives a second existence to things, especially when combined with real excellence. Heaven that grants perfection, provides also the means of display; for one without the other were abortive. Skill is however needed for display. Even excellence depends on circumstances and is not always opportune. Ostentation is out of place when it is out of time. More than any other quality it should be free of any affectation. This is its rock of offence, for it then borders on vanity and so on contempt: it must be moderate to avoid being vulgar, and any excess is despised by the wise. At times it consists in a sort of mute eloquence, a careless display of excellence, for a wise concealment is often the most effective boast, since the very withdrawal from view piques curiosity to the highest. It is a fine subtlety too not to display one's excellence all at one time, but to grant stolen glances at it, more and more as time goes on. Each exploit should be the pledge of a greater, and applause at the first should only die away in expectation of its sequel.
　　
(1) 指《圣經(jīng)·創(chuàng)世紀(jì)》開端描述的情景。