美腿与丑腿The handsome and deformed leg
Benjamin Franklin
There are two sorts of people in the world,who with equal degrees of health&wealth,and the other comforts of life,become the one happy and the other miserable.This arises very much from the different views in which they consider things,persons and events;and the effect of those different views upon their own minds.
这世上有两种人，他们拥有同样的健康，财富以及其他生活上的享受，但是一种人快乐，另一种人却苦恼。这很大程度上来源于他们对事物观点的不同，比如对人和对事，因此产生了快乐和烦恼的分歧。
In whatever situation Men can be placed,they may find conveniences&inconveniences:In whatever company they may find persons&conversation more or less pleasing.At whatever table,they may meet with meats&drinks of better and worse Taste,dishes better &worse dress'd:In whatever climate they will find good and bad weather:Under whatever government,they may find good&bad laws and good&bad administrations of those laws.In every poem of or work of Genius they may see faults and beauties.In almost every face&every person,they may discover fine features&defects,good&bad qualities.
人无论处于什么境地，总会遇到“幸”与“不幸”.不管在什么场合，接触到的人和进行的交谈，总会让他们开心或烦心；无论在什么样的餐桌前吃饭，酒肉总有对味和不对味的；餐具有精致和粗糙的；无论在什么气候下，他们总能遭遇好天气和坏天气；无论哪个政府统治，法律条文总有好坏之分；再伟大的诗句或著作中，总能挑出精彩的和平庸的；差不多每个人的脸上都有美丽和难看的地方，每个人都有优点和缺点。
Under the circumstances,the two sorts of People above mention'd fix their attention,those who are to be happy,on the conveniencies of things,the pleasant parts of conversation,the well-dressed dishes,the goodness of the wines, the fine weather and enjoy all with chearfulness.
在这种情况下，上面所说的两种人注重的东西刚好相反。快乐的人总是看着事物的长处：交谈中愉快的部分，食物的精致，酒的美味，美好的天气等等并且满心欢喜地享受这一切。
Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the contraries.
那些不快乐的人却总站在对立的一面。
Hence they are continually discontented themselves and by their remarks sour the pleasures of society,offend personally many people and make themselves everywhere disagreeable.
因而他们总是对自己不满意，他们说的话在社交场合很扫兴，既得罪了别人，也让自己闷闷不乐。
If this turn of Mind was founded in Nature,such unhappy Persons would be the more to be pitied.But as the disposition to criticize and be disgusted is perhpas taken up originally by imitation and is unawares grown into a habit which at present strong may nevertheless be cured when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects on their felicity;
如果这种性格与生俱来，那么真值得同情；可是如果盲目模仿别人最后不知不觉成了习惯的，那么他们应该深信不移这种恶习将对他们的幸福人生产生怎样的影响，即使这种恶习已经根深蒂固，也还是可以根除的。
I hope this little admonition may be of service to them and put them on changing a habit which those in the exercise it is chiefly an act of imagination yet has serious consequences in life, as it brings on real griefs and misfortunes.
我希望这点忠告可以给他们一点帮助，改变这不好的习惯。或许这习惯主要作用在心理上，但是却能给生活带来恶劣的影响，带来些现实的悲伤与不幸。
For as many are offended by and nobody well loves this sort of people, no one shows them more than the most common civility and respect and scarcely that;and this frequently puts them out of humour, and draws them into disputes and contentions.
因为总是得罪人，大家都不喜欢他，顶多出示些必不可少的礼节甚至连最起码的尊重都不会给他。这会使他们的生活缺乏情趣，而且会引起各种矛盾和争执。
If they aim at obtaining some advantage in rank of fortune, nobody wishes them success or will stir a step or speak a word,to favour their pretensions.
如果他们想增加财富，没有人会祝福他们，或者愿意为他们出谋划策。
If they incur public censure or disgrace, no one will defend or excuse and many join to aggravate their misconduct and tender them completely odious.
如果他们招致公众的责难和羞辱，也没有人出来为他们辩护或谅解，有的人甚至夸大其词地攻击他们，使他们变得讨厌。
If these people will not change this bad habit and condescend to be pleased with what is pleasing without fretting themselves and others about the contraries,it is good for others to avoid an acquaintance with them;which is always disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient,especially when one finds one's self entangled in their quarrels.
如果这些人不改变这些坏习惯，对那些人们认为美好的事物不屑一顾，一天到晚怨天尤人，那么大家还是少和他们接触的好，因为这种人很难相处，而且当你卷进他们的争吵，你会有更大的麻烦。
An old philosophical friend of mine was grown,form experience,very cautious in this particular and carefully avoided any intimacy with such people.
我有个哲学家老朋友，经历过很多人情世故，按照他的阅历，行为谨慎，尽量避免和这种人打交道。
He had ,like other philosophers,a thermometer to show him the heat of the weather and a barometer to mark when it was likely to prove good or bad;but there being no instrument invented to discover,at first sight,this unpleasing disposition in a person,he for that purpose made use of his legs;
和其他的哲学家一样，他也有显示气温的温度计和一个预报天气好坏的气压计；但世上没有人发明一种仪器可以预测这种人的坏习惯，因此，他用自己的两条腿来测验。
one of which was remarkably handsome,the other,by some accident,crooked and deformed.
他的一条腿长得很好看，另外一条腿因为事故而成了畸形。
If a stranger,at the first interview,regarded his ugly leg more than his handsome one,he doubted him.
如果陌生人初见他时，对丑腿比对他的美腿更专注，那么他就会有所疑虑。
If he spoke of it and took no notice of the handsome leg,that was sufficient to determine my philisopher to have no further acquaintance with him.
如果那人只谈论丑腿，而不注意他的美腿，那我的朋友很快决定不再与他深交。
Everybody has not this two-legged instrument but every one with a little attention,may observe signs of that carping,fault-finding disposition and take the same resolution of avoiding the acquaintance of those infected with it.
不是每个人都有一双腿作为测量仪器，但只要稍加留意，每个人都能看出那种挑三拣四的人的劣迹，从而避免与这种人交往。
I ,therefore advise those critical,querulous,discontented,unhappy people,that if they wish to be respected and beloved by others,and happy in themselves they should leave off looking at the ugly leg.
所以，我奉劝那些爱挑剔，发牢骚，整天愁眉苦脸的人，如果想要受人尊敬并且想自己找乐子的人，就不要总盯着别人的丑腿看。
