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ATreatiseonGoodMannersandGoodBreedingByJonathanSwiftGoodmannersaretheartofmakingthosepeopleeasywithwhomweconverse.Whoevermakesthefewestpersonsuneasyisthebestbredinthecompany.Asthebestlawisfoundeduponreason,soarethebestmanners.Andsomelawyershaveintroducedunreasonablethingsintocommonlaw,solikewisemanyteachershaveintroducedabsurdthingsintocommongoodmanners.礼貌就是使与我们交谈的人安然处之的一种艺术。在一群人中，最越不让人感到局促不安，谁就越有教养。最公正的法律是建立在理智之上的；同样，最好的行为举止也是建立在理智之上的。有的律师把没有道理的东西引进了习惯法；同样，许多教师把荒唐可笑的东西引进了礼貌之中。Oneprincipalpointofthisartistosuitourbehaviourtothethreeseveraldegreesofmen;oursuperiors,ourequals,andthosebelowus.Forinstance,topresseitherofthetwoformertoeatordrinkisabreachofmanners;butafarmeroratradesmanmustbethustreated,orelseitwillbedifficulttopersuadethemthattheyarewelcome.礼貌艺术的一大要素是以适当的行为举止来对待三种不通层次的人，即我们的长者，我们的同辈和低于我们这一层次的人。例如，强迫前两种层次的人吃菜喝酒是失礼的，但是农夫或者商贩就应这样对待，否则要让他们相信他们是受欢迎的是很困难的。Pride,illnature,andwantofsense,arethethreegreatsourcesofillmanners;withoutsomeoneofthesedefects,nomanwillbehavehimselfillforwantofexperience;orofwhat,inthelanguageoffools,iscalledknowingtheworld.Idefyanyonetoassignanincidentwhereinreasonwillnotdirectuswhatwearetosayordoincompany,ifwearenotmisledbyprideorillnature.骄傲自大，性情乖癖，缺乏理性是失礼的三大根源。如果能根除这些弊病，没有人会因为缺乏经验，或者，如某些愚人所说，因为谙于世故而有失礼貌的。我敢说任何人能举出一个事例来说明，要不是受到骄傲情绪或坏脾气的舞蹈，理智总会指引我们与人交往时谈吐得体，举止适度。Therefore,Iinsistthatgoodsenseistheprincipalfoundationofgoodmanners;butbecausetheformerisagiftwhichveryfewamongmankindarepossessedof,thereforeallthecivilizednationsoftheworldhaveagreeduponfixingsomerulesforcommonbehavoiur,bestsuitedtotheirgenernalcustoms,orfancies,asakindofartificialgoodsense,tosupplythedefectsofreson.Withoutwhichthegentlemanlypartofduceswouldbeperpetuallyatcuffs,astheyseldomfailwhentheyhappentobedrunk,orengagedinsquabblesaboutwomenorplay.And,Godbethanked,therehardlyhappensaduelinayear,whichmaynotbeimputedtooneofthosethreemotives.Uponwhichaccout,Ishouldbeexceediglysorrytofindthelegislaturemakeanynewlawsagainstthepracticeofdueling;becausethemethodsareeasyandmanyforawisemantoavoidaquarrelwithhonour,orengageinitwithinnocence.AndIcandiscovernopoliticalevilinsufferingbullies,sharpers,andrakes,toridtheworldofeachotherbyamethodoftheirown;wherethelawhathnotbeenabletofindanexpedient.因此我坚持认为理性是礼貌所需的最重要的基础。但是由于人类之中很少有人具备理性这种天赋才能，所以世界上所有的文明国度都同意制定最能适合他们风俗或想象的规范行为举止的规章制度，作为一种人为的理性以弥补理智的缺乏。没有这种人为的理性，愚蠢的人之中举止尚属文雅的那部分人便会无休止的挥拳相向，他们在喝的酩酊大醉时，或者在大声讨论女人和玩乐时总是这样的。并且谢天谢地，每年之中发生的决斗几乎无一不可归咎于上述三个原因中的一个。由于这一缘故，我将对立法机构制定任何旨在禁止决斗行为的新法律深表遗憾；因为明智的人可以有许多简捷的办法避免体面的决斗或无知的搏杀。并且在法律尚无有效对策的地方，容忍恃强凌弱，诈骗者和浪荡子自己采取的方法来相互铲除，以求清理世界---我看不出这样做有什么政治祸害。Asthecommonformsofgoodmannerswereintendedforregulatingtheconductofthosewhohaveweakunderstandings;sotheyhavebeencorrupedbythepersonsforwhoseusetheywerecontrived.Fortherspeoplehavefallenintoaneedlessandendlesswayofmultiplyingceremonies,whichhavebeenextremelytroublesometothosewhopractisethem,andinsupportabletoeverybodyelse:insomuchthatwisemanareoftenmoreuneasyattheovercivilityoftheserefiners,thantheycouldpossiblybeintheconversationsofpeasantsormechanics.制定良好行为的规范形式，是为了指导调整只是肤浅的人的举止，然而这些规范形式又恰恰为这些规范形式的制定对象所破坏。因为这些人已习惯于无必要和无休止的增加种种繁文缛节，这些繁文缛节使遵守执行的人无所适从，使所有别的人不敢赞同。现在情况已经到了这样的地步，明智的人对这些谨小慎微的人的过分客套感到局促不安，倒不如与农夫商贩的交谈更为轻松自如。Theimpertinenciesofthisceremonialbehaviourarenowherebetterseenthanatthosetableswhereladiespreside,whovaluethemselvesuponaccountoftheirgoodbreeding;whereamanmustreckonuponpassinganhourwithoutdoinganyonethinghehasamindto;unlesshewillbesohardytobreakthroughallthesettleddecorumofthefamily.Shedetermineswhathelovesbest,andhowmuchheshalleat;andifthemasterofthehousehappenstobeofthesamedisposition,heproceedsinthesametyrannicalmannertoprescribeinthedrinkingpart:atthesametime,youareunderthenecessityofansweringathousandapologiesforyourentertainment.Andalthoughagooddealofthishumourisprettywellwornoffamongmanypeopleofthebestfashion,yettoomuchofitstillremains,especiallyinthecountry;whereanhonestgentlemanassuredme,thathavingbeenkeptfourdays,againsthiswill,atafriend'shouse,withallthecircumstancesofhidinghisboots,lockingupthestable,andothercontrivancesofthelikenature,hecouldnotremember,fromthemomenthecameintothehousetothemomentheleftit,anyonething,whereinhisinclinationwasnotdirectlycontradicted;asifthewholefamilyhadenteredintoacombinationtotormenthim.But,besidesallthis,itwouldbeendlesstorecountthemanyfoolishandridiculousaccidentsIhaveobservedamongtheseunfortunateproselytestoceremony.Ihaveseenaduchessfairlyknockeddown,bytheprecipitancyofanofficiouscoxcombrunningtosaveherthetroubleofopeningadoor.Iremember,uponabirthdayatcourt,agreatladywasutterlydesperatebyadishofsauceletfallbyapagedirectlyuponherhead-dressandbrocade,whileshegaveasuddenturntoherelbowuponsomepointofceremonywiththepersonwhosatnexther.MonsieurBuys,theDutchenvoy,whosepoliticsandmannersweremuchofasize,broughtasonwithhim,aboutthirteenyearsold,toagreattableatcourt.Theboyandhisfather,whatevertheyputontheirplates,theyfirstofferedroundinorder,toeverypersoninthecompany;sothatwecouldnotgetaminute'squietduringthewholedinner.Atlasttheirtwoplateshappenedtoe