培根《论美》

VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect.

德行犹如宝石，朴素最美;其于人也：则有德者但须形体悦目，不必面貌俊秀，与其貌美，不若气度恢宏。

Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce excellency. And therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather behavior, than virtue. But this holds not always: for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle of France, Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, were all high and great spirits; and yet the most beautiful men of their times.

人不尽知：绝色无大德也;一如自然劳碌终日，但求无过，而无力之制成上品。因此美男子有才而无壮志，重行而不重德。但亦不尽然。罗马大帝奥古斯提与泰特思，法王菲律浦，英王爱德华四世，古雅典之亚西拜提斯，波斯之伊斯迈帝，皆有宏图壮志而又为当时最美之人也。

In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent and gracious motion, more than that of favor. That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express; no, nor the first sight of the life. There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. A man cannot tell whether Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler; whereof the one, would make a personage by geometrical proportions; the other, by taking the best parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent. Such personages, I think, would please nobody, but the painter that made them. Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was; but he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by rule. A man shall see faces, that if you examine them part by part, you shall find never a good; and yet altogether do well.

美不在颜色艳丽而在面目端正，又不尽在面目端正而在举止文雅合度。美之极致，非图画所能表，乍见所能识。举非凡最美之人，其部位比例，必有异于常人之处。阿贝尔与杜勒皆画家也，共画人像也，一则按照几何学之比例，一则集众脸形之长于一身，二者谁更不智，实难断言，窃以为此等画像除画家本人外，恐无人喜爱也。余不否认画像之美可以超绝尘寰，但此美必为神笔，而非可依规矩得之者，乐师之谱成名曲亦莫不皆然。人面如逐部细察，往往一无是处，观其整体则光彩夺目。

If it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel, though persons in years seem many times more amiable; pulchrorum autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely but by pardon, and considering the youth, as to make up the comeliness.

美之要素既在于举止，则年长美过年少亦无足怪。古人云："美者秋日亦美"。年少而著美名，率由宽假，盖鉴其年事之少，而补其形体之不足也。

Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth, and an age a little out of countenance; but yet certainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine, and vices blush.

美者犹如夏日蔬果，易腐难存;要之，年少而美者常无行，年长而美者不免面有惭色。虽然，但须托体得人，则德行因美益彰，恶行见美而愈愧。(王佐良译)