作者弗朗索瓦.費奈律（1651--1715）态贤，法國著名神學家和作家，曾任主教醋火。
Simplicity is an uprightness of soul that has no reference to self; it is different from? sincerity, and it is a still higher virtue. We? see many people who are sincere, without? being simple; they only wish to pass for? what they are, and they are unwilling to appear what? they are not; they are? always thinking of? themselves, measuring? their words, and recalling their thoughts,? and reviewing their actions, from the fear? that they have done too much or too little.? These persons are? sincere, but they are? not? simple; they are? not at ease with? others,? and others are not at ease? with them; they are not free, ingenuous,? natural; we prefer people who are less? correct, less perfect, and who are less? artificial. This is the decision of man, and it is the judgment of God, who would not have us so occupied with ourselves, and thus, as it were, always arranging our features in a mirror.
To be wholly occupied with others, never to look within, is the state of blindness of? those who are entirely engrossed by what is present and addressed to their sense; this? is the very reverse of simplicity. To be? absorbed in self and in whatever engages? us, whether we are laboring for our fellow? beings or for God – to be wise in our own? eyes reserved, and full of ourselves,? troubled at the least thing that disturbs our self-complacency, is the opposite? extreme. This is false wisdom, which, with all its glory, is but little less absurd than that folly, with pursues only pleasure. The one? is intoxicated with all it sees around it; the? other with all that it imagines it has within; but it is delirium in both. To be absorbed in the contemplation of our own minds is? really worse than to be engrossed by? outward things, because it appears like? wisdom and yet is not, we do not think of? curing it,? we pride ourselves upon it, we? approve of it, it gives us an unnatural? strength, it is a sort of frenzy, we are not? conscious of it, we are dying, and we think ourselves in health.
Simplicity consists in a just medium, in? which we are neither too much excited, nor too composed. The soul is not carried away by ourward things, so that it cannot make? all necessary reflections; neither does it? make those continual references to self,? that a jealous sense of its own excellence multiplies to infinity. That freedom of the? soul, which looks straight onward in its? path, losing no time to reason upon its? steps, to study them, or to contemplate? those that it has already taken, is true? simplicity.
參考譯文悠汽，
真正的淳樸與虛假的淳樸
淳樸是無私的靈魂中一種正直的品質(zhì)，它與真誠不同芥驳，是一種更高層次的品德介粘，我們看到，許多人真誠晚树，但并不單純姻采；他們只希望他們是假扮的樣子，不愿意以本來面目示人；他們總是在想著自己慨亲，說話時真字酌句婚瓜，思考時，一再反省刑棵，行動時再三審視巴刻，因為他們總是擔心做得過多或者過少。這些人是真誠的蛉签，但他們并不淳樸胡陪，與人相處之時，他們總是難以放松碍舍，同樣柠座，別人對他們也十分拘謹；他們不隨意片橡、不率直妈经、不自然，我們更喜歡偶爾犯點錯誤捧书、不那么完美吹泡、不那么做作的人們。人類是如此判斷的经瓷，上帝也如此認為爆哑。上帝不愿讓我們?nèi)绱顺龄嫌谧晕遥缯諏χR子整理自己的容顏舆吮。
另外一種人處于盲目狀態(tài)泪漂，他們完全專注于他人而從不自省。他們所有的注意力都集中于眼前的事物以及感覺到的一切歪泳；這與淳樸恰恰相反。無論在為人類還是為上帝效力露筒，假如我們總是全神貫注于自己呐伞，我們就走向了另外一個極端，自以為聰明含蓄慎式，非常自我伶氢；自命不凡，稍受打擊就覺得心煩意亂瘪吏。這不是真正的智慧癣防；盡管看上去值得夸耀，其實與那些僅僅追求享樂的傻念頭同樣荒謬掌眠。一些人沉迷于其所見到的事物而樂不可支蕾盯，另一些人則沉迷于自己的幻想而欣喜若狂，但是這兩者都是虛幻不實的蓝丙。沉迷于自己的幻想之中级遭，比專注于外界事物更為糟糕望拖，因為這種情況雖然很不明智，可是看起來卻很英明挫鸽，以至于人們非但不會想法去改正说敏，反而會引以為榮。人們贊同這種行為丢郊，它帶給我們一種怪異的力量盔沫，那是一種癲狂，我們卻感知不到----我們已經(jīng)命在旦夕枫匾，卻還以為自己十分健康架诞。
淳樸在于中位。我們既不會對其過度興奮婿牍，也不會過于鎮(zhèn)靜侈贷。靈魂不會受外物迷惑，以至于無力做必要的內(nèi)省等脂，也不會時刻以自我為中心俏蛮，以至于對自己的所謂美好品質(zhì)無窮無盡地患得患失。真正的淳樸上遥，是一種靈魂的自由----它直視道路的前方搏屑，不會浪費時間仔細權衡自己腳下的步伐，也不會再去沉思已經(jīng)走過的道路粉楚。
