David Hume -- Delicacy of Taste and&nb ...

    There is a certain delicacy of passion to which some people are subject that makes them extremely sensible to all the accidents of life, and gives them a lively joy upon every prosperous event, as well as a piercing grief, when they meet with misfortunes and adversity. Favours and good offices easily engage their friendship; while the smallest injury provokes their resentment. Any honour or mark of distinction elevates them above measure; but they are as sensibly touched with contempt. People of this character have, no doubt, more lively enjoyments, as well as more pungent sorrows, than men of cool and sedate tempers: But, I believe, when everything is balanced, there is no one, who would not rather be of the latter character, were he entirely master of his own disposition. Good or ill fortune is very little at our disposal: And when a person, that has this sensibility of temper, meets with any misfortune, his sorrow or resentment takes entire possession of him, and deprives him of all relish in the common occurrences of life; the right enjoyment of which forms the chief part of our happiness. Great pleasures are much less frequent than great pains; so that a sensible temper must meet with fewer trials in the former way than in the latter. Not to mention, that men of such lively passions are apt to be transported beyond all bounds of prudence and discretion, and to take false steps in the conduct of life, which are often irretrievable.
    There is a delicacy of taste observable in some men, which very much resembles this delicacy of passion, and produces the same sensibility to beauty and deformity of every kind, as that does to prosperity and adversity, obligations and injuries. When you present a poem or a picture to a man possessed of this talent, the delicacy of his feeling makes him be sensibly touched with every part of it; nor are the masterly strokes perceived with more exquisite relish and satisfaction, than the negligences or absurdities with disgust and uneasiness. A polite and judicious conversation affords him the highest entertainment; rudeness or impertinence is as great a punishment to him. In short, delicacy of taste has the same effect as delicacy of passion: It enlarges the sphere both of our happiness and misery, and makes us sensible to pains as well as pleasures, which escape the rest of mankind.
    I believe, however, there is no one who will not agree with me, that, notwithstanding this resemblance, delicacy of taste is as much to be desired and cultivated as delicacy of passion is to be lamented, and to be remedied, if possible. The good or ill accidents of life are very little at our disposal; but we are pretty much masters what books we shall read, what diversions we shall partake of, and what company we shall keep. Philosophers have endeavoured to render happiness entirely independent of everything external. That degree of perfection is impossible to be attained: But every wise man will endeavour to place his happiness on such objects chiefly as depend upon himself: and that is not to be attained so much by any other means as by this delicacy of sentiment. When a man is possessed of that talent, he is more happy by what pleases his taste, than by what gratifies his appetites, and receives more enjoyment from a poem or a piece of reasoning than the most expensive luxury can afford.

刘士聪 译:

品味之微妙与情感之微妙
 
    有一种微妙的情感很容易对一些人产生影响，使他们对生活中发生的一切都极为敏感。每逢顺利的时候就兴奋喜悦，遇到苦难和挫折就伤心悲痛。别人的帮助和善意很容易唤起他们的友情，然而很微小的伤害也能引起他们的怨恨。荣誉或示其优秀的奖励使他们无比振奋，但被人蔑视会对他们产生明显的影响。无疑，这种性格的人，比那些头脑冷静、镇定自若的人，往往能体会更加愉悦的心情和更加强烈的悲伤。但是，我相信，当一切处于平衡状态时，谁也不会不愿意成为具有后者性格的人，假如他能完全控制自己的性情。运气，无论好坏，都不是我们自己所能掌控的：当一个具有这种敏感性情的人遇到不幸时，悲伤和怨恨就会完全控制他，并使他失去对生活日常事务的乐趣，而适当享受这些乐趣构成了我们幸福的绝大部分。生活中的大喜比大悲要少得多；因此，敏感的性情受到前者的考验肯定比后者少。更不用说这种情感活跃的人易于激动而失之慎重，易于行止失当而导致无可挽回的损失。
    有些人具有一种微妙的品味，和前面所说的微妙的情感很相似，它产生一种对于各种美与丑的敏感，正像它产生对成功与不顺、对义务与伤害的敏感一样。当你向一个具有这种才能的人展示一首诗歌或一幅画作时，他的微妙的感觉或态度显然会使他受到它的各个部分的影响；他不会以更多的雅趣和满意去感受它精湛的笔触，而会以更少的反感和不安去感受它的疏忽和荒谬之处。一次优雅而有见地的谈话让他感到兴趣盎然。粗鲁或无礼对他同样是莫大的刑罚。简而言之，微妙的品味和微妙的情感能起到同样的作用：它扩大我们幸福的领域，也扩大我们苦恼的范围，使我们对其他人所忽略的快乐和痛苦都很敏感。
    然而，我相信，没有人会反对我的看法：尽管这二者相似，但微妙的品味是人所渴望的，也是应该培养的，正如微妙的情感是人们感到遗憾的，如果可能，也是应该纠正的。虽然生活中发生的事情，不论好与坏，很少以我们的意志为转移，但阅读什么书籍，参与什么娱乐，与什么人交游，却是由我们自己决定的。古代哲人竭力不依赖外界事物来营造幸福。那是不可能得到幸福的：但每一位智者都努力把他的幸福建立在那些主要依靠自己完成的事情上；与其说幸福是运用别的方式还不如说是运用这种微妙的态度得到的。对于一个具备这种才能的人，满足他的品味比满足他的胃口更能让他感到幸福，他从一首诗或一个精辟的推论中所得到的愉悦比从最昂贵的奢侈品中所得到的还要多。