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You see that I have to write your life to you, and you have to realise it. We have known each other now for more than four years. Half of the time we have been together: the other half I have had to spend in prison as the result of our friendship. Where you will receive this letter, if indeed it ever reaches you, I don’t know. Rome, Naples, Paris, Venice, some beautiful city on sea or river, I have no doubt, holds you. You are surrounded, if not with all the useless luxury you had with me, at any rate with everything that is pleasurable to eye, ear, and taste[37a]. Life is quite lovely to you. And yet, if you are wise, and wish to find Life much lovelier still, and in a different manner, you will let the reading of this terrible letter — for such I know it is — prove to you as important a crisis and turning-point of your life as the writing of it is to me. Your pale face used to flush easily with wine or pleasure. If, as you read what is here written, it from time to time becomes scorched, as though by a furnace-blast, with shame, it will be all the better for you[37b]. The supreme vice is shallowness[37c]. Whatever is realised is right.
你看到我不得不把你的生活写出来给你，而你非得领悟它不可。 我们到现在认识已有四年多了。有一半的时间我们在一起；而另一半我得因为我们的友谊而在牢中度过。你会在什么地方收到这封信，如果这信当真到了你手上，我不知道。罗马，那不勒斯，巴黎，威尼斯，我不怀疑，会是在你驻足的哪个美丽的滨海或沿河城市。包围着你的，即使不全是同我在一起时的那种无用的奢侈，怎么说样样也是令眼耳口腹欢愉[37a]的东西。生活对你是很可爱的。然而，如果你聪明，并希望找到更可爱得多而且是另一种方式的生活的话，你会让读这封可怕的信——我知道是很可怕的——成为你生活中一个重要的突变和转折点，就像我写这封信那样。想当时，酒和欢娱很容易就上了你那苍白的脸。假如读着这信上所写的，会不时地使羞愧像炉火中爆出的火花那样让你脸上发烧，那对你就更好了[37b]。恶大莫过于浮浅[37c]。无论什么，领悟了就是。
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