12．自然和人工：原料与加工

自然和人工：原料与加工。世上没有未经修饰的美；若无人工修饰，优点都将变得粗俗。人工技巧可弥补短处，提升长处。天生之物很少完美，因此我们必须求助人工技术。若无陶冶，最好的秉性也会变得毫无教养；若无培养，任何天赋都将折损一半。若无人为的修炼，任何人都有不够完美的一面；任何优点都需要打磨。

12．Nature and art

Nature and art: material and workmanship. There is no beauty unadorned and no excellence that would not become barbaric if it were not supported by artifice: this remedies the evil and improves the good. Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art. Without this the best of natural dispositions is uncultured, and half is lacking to any excellence if training is absent. Every one has something unpolished without artificial training, and every kind of excellence needs some polish.