| 277 | 277 | 277．展示你的才干
每人都会遇到一展才华的机会，要善加利用。没人能每天都成功。有些才华横溢的人会把微小的才干也显露出来，使它成为自己身上的发光点，而他们的卓著才能显示出来时足以令人震惊。当你既有才华又知展示之道时，结果一定惊人。有些民族知道怎样炫人眼目，在这方面，西班牙人最出众。这个世界刚被创造，就有光使它显示出来。展示才能令人满足，弥补缺憾，给事物以出头露面的机会。当所展示的才干是立足于现实时，收效就更大了。能力在人，尽善在天。上天赋予我们完美之技，就是鼓励我们展示它。这样做需要技巧，展示最出类拔萃的才华也有赖于环境，如果在不合时宜时这样做就会全然徒劳无功。我们也不应矫揉造作，因为炫耀易流于自大，自大则不免招致轻视。展示也应以谦虚的态度流露，以免流于粗俗。露才过甚，为智者所不屑，应该是无言胜有言，以漫不经心的态度出之。聪明的掩饰是赢得赞扬的最好途径，因为人们对不了解的东西抱有好奇心。不要一下子展露你所有的本领，慢慢来，逐次增多。赢得一次辉煌的成功后再进行下一次，获得热烈的掌声后再期待更大的成功。 | 277 Display yourself.
’Tis the illumination of talents: for each there comes an appropriate moment; use it, for not every day comes a triumph. There are some dashing men who make much show with a little, a whole exhibition with much. If ability to display them is joined to versatile gifts, they are regarded as miraculous. There are whole nations given to display: the Spanish people take the highest rank in this. Light was the first thing to cause Creation to shine forth. Display fills up much, supplies much, and gives a second existence to things, especially when combined with real excellence. Heaven that grants perfection, provides also the means of display; for one without the other were abortive. Skill is however needed for display. Even excellence depends on circumstances and is not always opportune. Ostentation is out of place when it is out of time. More than any other quality it should be free of any affectation. This is its rock of offence, for it then borders on vanity and so on contempt: it must be moderate to avoid being vulgar, and any excess is despised by the wise. At times it consists in a sort of mute eloquence, a careless display of excellence, for a wise concealment is often the most effective boast, since the very withdrawal from view piques curiosity to the highest. ’Tis a fine subtlety too not to display one’s excellence all at one time, but to grant stolen glances at it, more and more as time goes on. Each exploit should be the pledge of a greater, and applause at the first should only die away in expectation of its sequel. |