英譯漢模擬（四）

The art of pleasing is a very necessary one to possess; but a very difficult one to acquire. It can hardly be reduced to rules; and your own good sense and observation will teach you more of it than I can. Do as you would be done by, is the surest method that I know of pleasing. Observe carefully what pleases you in others, and probably the same things in you will please others. If you are pleased with the complaisance and attention of others to your humors, your tastes, or your weaknesses, depend upon it, the same complaisance and attention, on your part, to theirs, will equally please them. Take the tone of the company, that you are in, and do not pretend to give it;

be serious, gay, or even trifling, as you find the present humor of the company; this is an attention due from every individual to the majority. Do not tell stories in company, there is nothing more tedious and disagreeable; if by chance you know a very short story, and exceedingly applicable to the present subject of conversation, tell it in as few words as possible.

參考譯文

取悅于人的藝術(shù)是非常必要具備的，然而又很難學(xué)到。不可能把它簡化成幾條規(guī)則;你自己的辨別力和觀察力能教給你的東西比我所能教給你的多。就我所知，最可靠的辦法是你愿意別人如何對(duì)待你，你就這樣對(duì)待別人。務(wù)必仔細(xì)觀察，在別人身上有什么使你喜歡他的地方，很可能你身上同樣的東西會(huì)使別人喜歡你。如果別人彬彬有禮并關(guān)心注意你風(fēng)趣的談吐、你的愛好、或是你的弱點(diǎn)，你因此感到高興;我敢說，你的彬彬有禮與關(guān)心注意，同樣會(huì)使別人高興。談吐要與大家的氣氛一致，不要想去定調(diào)子;嚴(yán)肅、歡快，甚至輕浮無聊，都得適合你所處的當(dāng)時(shí)人們的心境;這是個(gè)人對(duì)多數(shù)人應(yīng)有的禮貌。切勿當(dāng)眾講故事;使人討厭、不愉快的事莫過于此了。如果碰巧你有個(gè)小故事，又極適合當(dāng)時(shí)的話題，盡量講得簡短些。