268.蠢人最后做的事,智者會(huì)馬上做
蠢人最后做的事,智者會(huì)馬上做。他們做著同樣的事,只是在不同的時(shí)間里:智者在恰當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)候做,蠢人則在不當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)候做。一開(kāi)始心智就混亂的人,會(huì)持續(xù)這種狀態(tài)到最后。本該敲頭,卻去抱腳;錯(cuò)把右邊當(dāng)左邊,所有的行動(dòng)像小孩般幼稚。唯有一種方法能讓他們朝著正確的方向,那就是迫使他們?nèi)プ鏊麄冏栽缸龅氖虑?。智者則相反,他們馬上就明白早晚必做的是什么事,而且樂(lè)意去做,并因此獲得榮譽(yù)。
268.The wise does at once what the fool does at last
The wise does at once what the fool does at last. Both do the same thing; the only difference lies in the time they do it: the one at the right time, the other at the wrong. Who starts out with his mind topsy-turvy will so continue till the end. He catches by the foot what he ought to knock on the head, he turns right into left, and in all his acts is but a child. There is only one way to get him in the right direction, and that is to force him to do what he might have done of his own accord. The wise man, on the other hand, sees at once what must be done sooner or later, so he does it willingly and gains honour thereby.