Of Beauty

 

论美

Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set;

德行犹如宝石，朴素最美：

and surely virtue is best in a body that is comely,though not of delicate features;

其于人也，则有德者但须形体悦目，不必面貌俊秀，

and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect.

与其貌美，不若气度恢宏。

Neither is it almost seen,that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtues;

人不尽知：绝色无大德也；

as if nature were rather busy,not to err, than in labor to produce excellency.

一如自然劳碌终日，但求无过，而无力制成上品。

And therefore, they prove accomplished,but not of great spirit;

因而美男子有才而无壮志，

and study rather behavior, than virtue.

重行而不重德。

But this holds not always:

但亦不尽然。

for Augustus Caesar,Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle of France,Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibiades of Athens,Ismael the Sophy of Persia,were all high and great spirits;

罗马大帝奥古斯都与泰特斯，法王腓力四世，英王爱德华四世，古雅典之亚西拜提斯，波斯之伊斯迈帝，皆有宏图壮志而又为当时最美之人也。

and yet the most beautiful men of their times.

美不在颜色艳丽而在面目端正，又不尽在面目端正而在举止文雅合度。

In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color;

美不在颜色艳丽而在面目端正，

and that of decent and gracious motion,more than that of favor.

又不尽在面目端正而在举止文雅合度。

That is the best part of beauty,which a picture cannot express;

美之极致，非图画所能表，

no, nor the first sight of the life.

乍见能所识。

There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.

举凡最美之人，其部位比例，必有异于常人之处。

A man cannot tell whether Apelles, or Albert Durer,were the more trifler;

阿尔贝与杜勒皆画家也，

where of the one,would make a personage by geometrical proportions;

其画人像也，一则按照几何学之比例，

the other; by taking the best parts out of divers faces,to make one excellent.

一则集众脸型之长于一身。

Such personages, I think, would please nobody,but the painter that made them.

二者谁更不智，实难断言，窃以为此等画像除画家本人外，恐无人喜爱也。

Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was;

余不否认画像之美可以超越人寰，

but he must do it by a kind of felicity and not by rule.

但此美必为神笔，而非可依规矩得之者，乐师之谱成明曲亦莫不皆然。

A man shall see faces, that if you examine them part by part,you shall find never a good;

人面如逐部细察，往往一无是处，

and yet altogether do well.

观其整体则光彩夺目。

If it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion,certainly it is no marvel,though persons in years seem many times more amiable;

美之要素既在于举止，则年长美过年少亦无足怪。

pulchrorum autumnus pulcher;

古人云：万美之中秋为最。

for no youth can be comely but by pardon,and considering the youth,as to make up the comeliness.

年少而著美名，率由宽假，盖鉴其年事之少，而补其形体之不足也。

Beauty is as summer fruits,which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last;

美者犹如夏日蔬果，易腐难存；

and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth,and an age a little out of countenance;

要之，年少而美者常无形，年长而美者不免面有惭色。

but yet certainly again, if it light well,it makes virtue shine, and vices blush.

虽然，但须托体得人，则德行因美尔益彰，恶行见美而愈愧。