1730-11-19 Benjamin Franklin.ON TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD.
Veritas Luce clarior.
真理更加明亮。
A Friend of mine was the other Day cheapening some Trifles at a Shopkeepers, and after a few Words, they agreed on a Price; at the lapping up this Purchase, the Mistress of the Shop told him, People were grown very hard, for she actually lost by every thing she sold: How then is it possible, replied my Friend, that you can keep on your Business? Indeed, Sir, answer’d she, I must of Necessity shut my Doors, had I not a very great Trade. The Reason, said my Friend, with a Sneer, is admirable.
我的一个朋友前几天在一家商店与店主讨价还价，经过几句交谈后，他们达成了一个价格。在完成这笔交易时，店主告诉他，人们变得非常吝啬，因为她卖的每一件商品她都亏损。我的朋友回应道：那你怎么能继续经营下去呢？她答道：先生，若我没有非常大的生意，我确实必须关门了。我的朋友带着讥笑说，理由真是令人钦佩。
There are a great many Retailers, who falsly imagine that being Historical (the modern Phrase for Lying) is much for their Advantage; and some of them have a Saying, That ’tis a Pity Lying is a Sin, it is so useful in Trade; tho’, if they would examine into the Reason why a Number of Shopkeepers raise considerable Estates, while others, who have set out with better Fortunes have become Bankrupts; they will find, that the former made up with Truth, Diligence and Probity, what they wanted in Stock, and the latter have been guilty of imposing on such Customers as they found had no Skill in their Goods. The former’s Character raises a Credit which supplies the Want of Fortune, and their fair Dealing, brings them Custom; whereas none will return to buy of him, by whom he has been once defrauded. If People in Trade would judge rightly, we might buy blindfold, and they would save, both to themselves and Customers, the uneasiness of Haggling.
有很多零售商错误地认为，做“历史性的”（现代用语就是撒谎）对他们有利；其中一些人甚至说，撒谎虽然是罪过，但在生意中非常有用；然而，如果他们仔细探究为什么一些店主能够积累可观的财富，而其他那些起步时资金更雄厚的人却破产了，他们会发现，前者用真诚、勤奋和正直弥补了他们在库存上的不足，而后者则在面对不懂商品的顾客时欺骗了他们。前者的信誉弥补了财富的不足，他们的公平交易带来了客户；而后者，一旦欺骗过顾客，就再也不会有人回头购买了。如果商界的人能够明智地判断，我们可以闭着眼睛买东西，而他们也能避免讨价还价给自己和顾客带来的不安。
Though there are Numbers of Shopkeepers, who scorn that mean Vice of Lying, and whose Word may very safely be relied on; yet there are too many, who will endeavour to deceive, and, backing their Falsities with Asseverations, pawn their Salvation to raise their Price. As Example works more than Precept, and my sole View being the Good and Interest of my Countrymen, whom I could wish without Vice or Folly, I shall shew the Esteem of Truth, and the Abhorrence of Falsity among the Antients.
虽然有很多商店老板鄙视撒谎这一卑劣的恶习，并且他们的话可以非常安全地依赖；然而，也有太多的人会努力去欺骗，并通过誓言支持他们的虚伪，用他们的灵魂去抵押以提高价格。因为榜样的力量胜于教义，而我唯一的目的就是为了我的同胞们的福祉与利益，我希望他们没有恶习和愚蠢，我将展示古人对真理的尊重与对虚伪的憎恶。
Augustus triumphing over Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, among other Captives, brought to Rome a Priest about 60 Years old. The Senate being inform’d that this Man was never detected in a Lie, and thought never to have been guilty of one, not only restored him to his Liberty, but made him a High Priest, and raised him a Statue. This Priest thus honoured, was an Aegyptian, and an Enemy to Rome, but this Virtue cover’d all Obstacles: Whereas Pamphilus was a Roman Citizen, whose Body was deny’d Burial, his Estate confiscated, his House raz’d, and his Wife and Children banished the Roman Territories, for his having been a noted and irreclaimable Liar. Can there be a greater Demonstration of Respect to Truth than this of the Romans, who raised an Enemy to the greatest Honour, and exposed a Citizen’s Family to the greatest Contumely!
奥古斯都在战胜马克·安东尼和克利奥帕特拉后，带回了一个大约60岁的祭司，作为俘虏之一。参议院得知这个人从未被发现撒谎，且认为他从未犯过谎言，因此不仅恢复了他的自由，还任命他为大祭司，并为他立了像。这位受到如此荣誉的祭司是一个埃及人，且是罗马的敌人，但他的美德克服了所有障碍；而潘菲卢斯则是一个罗马公民，他的尸体被拒绝安葬，他的财产被没收，房屋被拆除，妻子和孩子被流放到罗马境外，因为他是一个著名且不可救药的撒谎者。难道有比这更能展示对真理的尊重的吗？罗马人将一位敌人提升至最高荣誉，却把一位公民的家庭暴露在最大的耻辱之下！
There is no Excuse for Lying, neither is there any equally despicable and dangerous with a Liar, no Man being in Safety who frequents his Company; for who will lie (says the English Proverb) will swear; and such an one may take away my Life, turn my Family a begging, and ruin my Reputation, whenever he shall find it for his Interest: For if a Man will lie and swear in his Shop to get a Trifle, why should we question his doing of it, when he may hope to make his Fortune by his Perjury! the Crime is in itself so mean, that to call a Man a Liar, is every where esteem’d an Affront not to be forgiven. If any have Lenity enough to allow the Dealer’s Excuse for this base Practice, yet I believe they will allow none for the Gentleman who is addicted to this Vice, and must look upon him as a Wretch undeserving the Name; and that the World does so, is visible, by the Contempt with which he is mentioned whenever there is Occasion to name him.
撒谎是没有任何借口的，且没有什么比撒谎者更卑劣和危险的了，与他为伴的人也没有安全感；因为谁撒谎（正如英语谚语所说），谁就会发誓；这样的人随时可以夺走我的生命，令我的家庭乞讨，毁掉我的声誉，只要他觉得对自己有利；因为如果一个人在自己的商店里撒谎并发誓去赚取一点微薄的利益，那么我们为什么要怀疑他在可能通过伪证来发财的情况下继续这么做呢！这一罪行本身如此卑微，以至于称一个人为撒谎者，在哪里都会被视为无法原谅的侮辱。如果有人宽容地接受商贩为这一卑劣行为辩解，我相信他们不会原谅那位沉迷于此恶习的绅士，必须将他视为一个不配拥有这个名字的可怜虫；而世界对他的蔑视，显而易见，每当提到他时，都会充满轻蔑。
Epimenides the Philosopher, gave the Rhodians this Definition of Truth, That she was Companion of the Gods, the Joy of Heaven, the Light of the Earth, the Basis of Justice, and the Foundation of good Policy. Eschines told the same People, that Truth was a Virtue, without which, Force was enfeebled, Justice corrupted; Humility was Dissimulation, Patience intolerable, Chastity dissembled, Liberty lost, and Pity superfluous. Pharmacus the Philosopher; told the Romans, that Truth was the Centre in which all Things rested; a Chart to sail by, a Remedy for all Evils, and a Light to the whole World. Anaxarchus speaking of Truth, to the Lacedemonians, said, It was Health incapable of Sickness; Life not subject to Death; an Elixir which healeth all; a Sun not to be obscur’d; a Moon without Eclipse; an Herb which never withereth; a Gate that is never closed, and a Path which never fatigues the Traveller.
哲学家埃皮美尼德给罗得人下了这样一个定义：真理是神的伴侣，是天堂的喜悦，是大地的光明，是正义的基础，是良好政策的根基。埃斯基尼斯对同样的人说，真理是一种美德，没有真理，力量就会衰弱，正义就会腐化；谦虚就是伪装，耐心变得无法忍受，贞洁是虚伪，自由丧失，怜悯变得多余。哲学家法尔马库斯告诉罗马人，真理是万物依托的中心；是航海的图表，是所有恶行的药方，是整个世界的光明。安那克萨尔库斯在对斯巴达人谈到真理时说，它是无法生病的健康；是不受死亡支配的生命；是治愈一切的灵丹妙药；是永不被遮蔽的太阳；是没有月蚀的月亮；是永不枯萎的草药；是永远不会关闭的门；是永不使旅行者疲惫的小路。
But if we are blind to the Beauties of Truth, it’s astonishing that we should not open our Eyes to the Inconveniencies of Falsities; for a Man given to Romance, must be always on his Guard, for Fear of contradicting, and exposing himself to the Derision of his Hearers: For the most Historical would avoid the odious Character; tho’ ’tis impossible for any, with all their Circumspection, to travel long in this Road, without being discover’d; and then what Shame, what Confusion follows! he is continually anxious to hide himself from the Knowledge of the World, and loads his Memory with Trifles, for fear of being taken with his own Words. Whereas, who is a Votary to Truth, never hesitates for an Answer, never wrecks his Invention, to make the Sequel quadrate with the foregoing Part of his Discourse; is not obliged to burden his Memory with minute Circumstances, since Truth easily recollects them, speaks openly, and will repeat the same Things often, without varying; which a Liar can hardly do, without that necessary Gift, a good Memory.
但如果我们对真理的美丽视而不见，那么我们竟然没有睁开眼睛看清虚伪的种种不便，实在令人震惊。一个沉迷于浪漫的人，必须时刻保持警惕，生怕自己自相矛盾，暴露自己被听众嘲笑的可能；因为最能“讲历史”的人也会避免令人讨厌的角色；然而，任何人即使再小心谨慎，也不可能在这条道路上走得很长时间而不被揭露；然后，什么羞耻，什么混乱就随之而来！他不断焦虑地想隐藏自己不为人知的事，记住一些琐事，生怕被自己的一句话戳穿。相反，那些崇尚真理的人，永远不会对答案犹豫，永远不需要去捏造，来让后续的部分和之前的说辞吻合；他们不必负担记忆里的细节，因为真理自然而然地记住它们，公开地说出来，而且经常重复不变；这是撒谎者所无法做到的，除非他有一个必要的天赋——良好的记忆。
The Pennsylvania Gazette, November 19, 1730
《宾夕法尼亚公报》，1730年11月19日
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