The Definition of a Gentleman

何谓君子

Hence it is, that it is almost a definition of a gentleman, to say he is one who never inflicts pain. This description is both refined and, as far as it goes, accurate. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him; and he concurs with their movements rather than takes the initiative himself. His benefits may be considered as parallel to what are called comforts or conveniences in arrangements of a personal nature: like an easy chair or a good fire, which do their part in dispelling cold and fatigue, though nature provides both means of rest and animal heat without them.

一个人行事而不给他人招致痛苦，则于君子之义相去无几。上面这话既不失为雅正，而所指范围也极为确切。他致力于为他周围的人解除行动障碍，使其行事自由自在；他总是与周围的人行动一致，而不是抢占风头。而他所能给予的帮助也多少带有主人待客的性质，即在照顾他人时，尽量使其舒适方便：仿佛安乐椅之能为人解乏或一团炉火之能为人祛寒；虽说没有这些，自然仍能予人以其他休息与取暖之法。

He is never mean or little in his disputes, never takes unfair advantage, never mistakes personalities or sharp sayings for arguments or insinuates evil which he dare not say out. From a long sighted prudence, he observes the maxim of the ancient sage, that we should ever conduct ourselves towards our enemy as if he were one day to be our friend. He has too much good sense to be affronted at insults, he is too well employed to remember injuries, and too engaged to bear malice. He is patient, tolerant, and resigned, on philosophical principles; he submits to pain, because it is inevitable, to the death of family members, because it is irreparable, and to death, because it is his destiny. If he engages in controversy of any kind, his disciplined intellect preserves him from the blundering discourtesy of better, though less educated minds; who, like blunt weapons, tear and hack instead of cutting clean, who mistake the point in argument, waste their strength on trifles, misconceive their adversary, and leave the question more involved than they find it.

在与人辩论时他丝毫也不鄙吝偏狭，既不无道理地强占上风，也不把个人意气与尖刻词语当成论据，或在不敢明言时恶毒暗示。他目光远大，慎思熟虑，每每以古代哲人的格言为自己的行动准则，即我们之对待仇人，须以异日争取其做友人为目标。他深明大义，故不因受辱而生气，他事务繁忙，故不暇对毁镑置念，他尽有他事可做，故再无精力对人怀抱敌意。他耐心隐忍逆来顺受，而这样做都以一定的哲理为根据；他甘愿吃苦，因为痛苦不可避免；他甘愿忍受失去家人的孤独，因为这事无法挽回；他甘愿直面死亡，因为这是他的必然命运。如果他涉入任何问题之争，他那训练有素的头脑总不致使他出现一些也许比他更聪明但却缺乏教养的人所常犯的那种失检无礼的缺点；这类人仿佛一把钝刀那样，只知乱砍一通，但却不中要害，他们往往把辩论的要点弄错，把气力虚抛在一些琐碎细节上面，并且对自己的对手并不理解，反而把问题弄得愈加复杂。

He may be right or wrong in his opinion, but he is too clear headed to be unjust; he is as simple as he is forcible, and as brief as he is decisive. Nowhere shall we find greater candor, consideration, indulgence: he throws himself into the minds of his opponents, he accounts for their mistakes. He knows the weakness of human reason as well as its strength, its province and its limits.

他的看法有时正确有时错误，但由于头脑极为清醒，故颇能避免不公；在他身上，我们充分见到了气势、淳朴、果断、简练。在他身上，坦率、周到、宽容得到了最充分的体现：他对自己对手的心情最能体贴入微，对他们的错误也能找到原因。他对人类的理性不仅能识其长，亦能识其短，既知其领域范围，又颇知其不足。