雙語智慧書·懂得漠視的技巧

205．懂得漠視的技巧
　　懂得漠視的技巧。想得到你想要的東西，最精明的方法就是：假裝毫不在乎。踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費工夫。世上萬物都是永恒之物的影子，都有影子的性質(zhì)--它們逃離追逐者，卻也追逐逃離它們的人。漠視亦是一種最為精明的報復(fù)方法。智者不會用筆來為自己辯解，這已是永恒的法則。如果你提筆辯護，總會留下痕跡，與其說是懲罰對手，不如說是讓他們出名。小人的招數(shù)就是出來和偉人作對，用卑鄙的手段出名，因為他們不能從正道出名。假如偉人漠視那些卑鄙之徒，也許他們會就此了無聲息。沒有任何報復(fù)能像漠視那樣，可把那些小人掩埋在卑微的塵土之下。無恥之人妄圖借燒毀他們時代的世界奇觀得以永垂青史。還擊他人誹謗的辦法就是漠視。和流言相爭，反而對自己不利--即便讓人相信了我們的清白，依然還會引起懷疑，對我們的對手來說，也是一種滿足。這一點污跡所造成的陰影，即使不能完全抹黑我們的名聲，也會削弱我們的光芒。



205．Know how to play the card of contempt
　Know how to play the card of contempt. It is a shrewd way of getting things you want, by affecting to depreciate them: generally they are not to be had when sought for, but fall into one's hands when one is not looking for them. As all mundane things are but shadows of the things eternal, they share with shadows this quality, that they flee from him who follows them and follow him that flees from them. Contempt is the most subtle form of revenge. It is a fixed rule with the wise never to defend themselves with the pen. For such defence always leaves a stain, and does more to glorify one's opponent than to punish his offence. It is a trick of the worthless to stand forth as opponents of great men, so as to win notoriety by a roundabout way, which they would never do by the straight road of merit. There are many we would not have heard of if their eminent opponents had not taken notice of them. There is no revenge like oblivion, through which they are buried in the dust of their unworthiness. Audacious persons hope to make themselves eternally famous by setting fire to one of the wonders of the world and of the ages. The art of reproving scandal is to take no notice of it, to combat it damages our own case; even if credited it causes discredit, and is a source of satisfaction to our opponent, for this shadow of a stain dulls the lustre of our fame even if it cannot altogether deaden it.