雙語智慧書·贏得智者的好感

281．贏得智者的好感
　　贏得智者的好感。杰出人物一聲淡淡的"是"，比粗俗之人的所有歡呼更有價值。谷殼之煙不能煮熟一頓飯。智者說話富有見地，他們的贊揚(yáng)能給你長久的滿足。圣人安提格諾斯把自己的名聲全部歸于芝諾一人(1)，柏拉圖也說亞里士多德一人就相當(dāng)于他所有的學(xué)生(2)。有的人則使勁用烏合之眾的污濁氣息來填滿自己的胃。即便是君主，也需要有作家為他立傳，他們畏懼作家之筆，勝過丑女畏懼畫家之筆。


281．Find favour with men of good sense
　Find favour with men of good sense. The tepid Yes of a remarkable man is worth more than all the applause of the vulgar: you cannot make a meal off the smoke of chaff. The wise speak with understanding and their praise gives permanent satisfaction. The sage Antigonus reduced the theatre of his fame to Zeus alone, and Plato called Aristotle his whole school. Some strive to fill their stomach albeit only with the breath of the mob. Even monarchs have need of authors, and fear their pens more than ugly women the painter's pencil.
　　
(1) 安提格諾斯是馬其頓國王，曾暫時統(tǒng)一了希臘，亦愛好詩歌及哲學(xué)，十分推崇斯多葛派哲學(xué)的創(chuàng)始人芝諾（約前334-約前262）。
(2) 柏拉圖是古希臘著名哲學(xué)家，蘇格拉底的學(xué)生，亞里士多德（前384-前322）（古希臘著名哲學(xué)家、科學(xué)家）的老師。