雙語智慧書·勿炫耀你的地位

106．勿炫耀你的地位
　　勿炫耀你的地位。吹噓自己尊貴比吹噓自己有魅力更令人討厭。動不動就擺出大人物的姿態(tài)讓人討厭--肯定會遭到許多妒忌。你越想獲得他人的尊敬，就越得不到，因為值不值得尊敬取決于別人的看法。你不能白白得到它，你只能從別人那里贏得它。重要的職位要求你有足夠的威信--若沒有威信，你就不能盡職。所以，你要保持足夠的尊嚴(yán)，以履行你的職責(zé)。要試圖讓別人尊敬你，而不是強迫別人尊敬你。有些人一味強調(diào)自己職位的尊嚴(yán)，反而顯得他們不配--這個職位對他們來說過高了。如果你想被尊重，就讓別人尊重你的才能，而非任何偶然所得。即便是國王，也愿意以其資質(zhì)而非地位贏得榮耀。


106．Do not parade your position
　Do not parade your position. To outshine in dignity is more offensive than in personal attractions. To pose as a personage is to be hated: envy is surely enough. The more you seek esteem the less you obtain it, for it depends on the opinion of others. You cannot take it, but must earn and receive it from others. Great positions require an amount of authority sufficient to make them efficient: without it they cannot be adequately filled. Preserve therefore enough dignity to carry on the duties of the office. Do not enforce respect, but try and create it. Those who insist on the dignity of their office, show they have not deserved it, and that it is too much for them. If you wish to be valued, be valued for your talents, not for anything adventitious. Even kings prefer to be honoured for their personal qualifications rather than for their station.