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弗朗西斯·培根:随笔·摘录 27

弗朗西斯·培根《随笔》· Essays · 领导 · 认知

I have noted, that some witty and sharp speeches, which have fallen from princes, have given fire to seditions. Caesar did himself infinite hurt in that speech, Sylla nescivit literas, non potuit dictare; for it did utterly cut off that hope, which men had entertained, that he would at one time or other give over his dictatorship. Galba undid himself by that speech, legi a se militem, non emi; for it put the soldiers out of hope of the donative. Probus likewise, by that speech, Si vixero, non opus erit amplius Romano imperio militibus; a speech of great despair for the soldiers. And many the like. Surely princes had need, in tender matters and ticklish times, to beware what they say; especially in these short speeches, which fly abroad like darts, and are thought to be shot out of their secret intentions. For as for large discourses, they are flat things, and not so much noted.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/575
定位:Excerpt 27 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

君主一些机智尖锐的话会点燃叛乱。凯撒说‘苏拉不懂文墨,不会口述’,彻底打消了人们对他放弃独裁的希望;加尔巴说‘士兵是征来的,不是买来的’,让士兵没了赏赐的希望;普罗布斯说‘若我活着,罗马帝国不再需要士兵’,让士兵绝望。所以君主在敏感时期要小心短话,因为短话像飞箭,被当作心声。长篇大论反而没人注意。

上下文

培根《随笔》论叛乱,举罗马史例说明君主言语不慎引发祸乱。

今日一问

在敏感时刻,我们是否注意自己随口说出的短话可能被过度解读?

公版作品;原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg,仅摘录段落并附全书链接。

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