Of Adversity Author：Francis Bacon
It was an high speech of Seneca , that the good things, which belong to prosperity, are to be wished; but the good things, that belong to adversity, are to be admired. Certainly if miracles be the command over nature, they appear most in adversity. It is yet a higher speech of his, than the other . It is true greatness, to have in one the frailty of a man, and the security of a God. This would have done better in poesy, where transcendences are more allowed.
The virtue of prosperity, is temperance; the virtue of adversity, is fortitude; which in morals is the more heroical virtue.
Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.
We see in needle-works and embroideries, it is more pleasing to have a lively work, upon a sad and solemn ground, than to have a dark and melancholy work, upon a lightsome ground: judge therefore of the pleasure of the heart, by the pleasure of the eye.
Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.
论逆境 作者：培根 翻译：何新
“一帆风顺固然令人羡慕，但逆水行舟则更令人钦佩。” 这是塞涅卡效仿斯多派哲学讲出的一句名言。确实如此。如果奇迹就是超乎寻常，那么它常常是在对逆境的征服中显现的。塞涅卡还说过一句更深刻的格言：“真正的伟大，即在于以脆弱的凡人之躯而具有神性的不可战胜。” 这是宛如诗句的妙语，其境界意味深长。
面幸运所需要的美德是节制，而面对逆境所需要的美德是坚韧，从道德修养而论，后者比前者更为难能。
一切幸福都绝非没有忧虑和烦恼，而一切逆境也都绝非没有慰藉与希望。
最美好的刺绣，是以暗淡的背景衬托明丽的图案，而绝不是以暗淡的花朵镶嵌于明丽的背景上。让我们从这种美景中去汲取启示吧。
人的美德犹如名贵的檀木，只有在烈火的焚烧中才会散发出最浓郁的芳香。正如恶劣的品质会在幸福而无节制中被显露一样，最美好的品质也正是逆境中而灼放出光辉的。
Rebecca Lin 2008 Summer In USA
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