培养高雅的品味。和聪明才智一样,高雅的品味是能够培养的。透彻的领悟能力可刺激你的胃口,增加你的快乐。判断一个人的精神是否高贵,可看其品味是否高雅——只有伟大的事物才能满足伟大的心灵。嘴巴越大,能吞下的东西才越多;那些高尚的事业只有崇高之人能为之。在鉴赏大家面前,即便是最勇敢的人也会胆战心惊,最完美的人也会丧失信心。一流的事物是罕见的,因此,不要轻易欣赏。品味可通过人际交往而传授。能与品味最高雅的人结交,将是一大幸运。但是,千万不要宣称自己对什么都不满意,这是极其愚蠢的。若出于装腔作势,那就比出自不切实际的幻想更让人讨厌。有人会期望上帝另造一个世界,另造其他理想的事物,以满足他们不可思议的幻想。
Elevated taste. You can train it like the intellect. Full knowledge whets desire and increases enjoyment. You may know a noble spirit by the elevation of his taste: it must be a great thing that can satisfy a great mind. Big bites for big mouths, lofty things for lofty spirits. Before their judgment the bravest tremble, the most perfect lose confidence. Things of the first importance are few; let appreciation be rare. Taste can be imparted by intercourse: great good luck to associate with the highest taste. But do not profess to be dissatisfied with everything: it is the extreme of folly, and more odious if from affectation than if from Quixotry. Some would have God create another world and other ideals to satisfy their fantastic imagination.