No man deserves to be praised for his goodness, who has it not in his power to be wicked. Goodness without that power is generally nothing more than sloth, or an impotence of will.

  • -- Francois VI, Duc De La Rochefoucauld 弗朗索瓦六世,罗切福科公爵

如果一个人没有权力作恶,他的善良就不值得称赞。没有这种力量的善良,通常只不过是懒惰,或者意志的软弱。

相关名言

We call that person who has lost his father, an orphan; and a widower that man who has lost his wife. But that man who has known the immense unhappiness of losing a friend, by what name do we call him? Here every language is silent and holds its peace in impotence.

我们称失去父亲的人为孤儿;一个失去妻子的鳏夫。但是,这个人知道失去朋友的巨大痛苦,我们用什么名字称呼他呢?在这里,每一种语言都是沉默的,在无能为力中保持着平静。

A bad act done will fester and create in its own way. It's not only goodness that creates. Bad things create. They have their own yeast.

一个坏的行为会以它自己的方式溃烂和创造。创造的不只是善。不好的事情。它们有自己的酵母。

Wisdom has its root in goodness, not goodness its root in wisdom.

智慧的根在善,而不是善的根在智慧。