36．进退之际，了解时运

进退之际，了解时运。把握自己的时运比了解自己的脾气秉性更为重要。如果人到四十才向希波克拉底(1)要健康，无疑是愚蠢的；如果这时才知道向塞涅卡(2)要智慧，就更愚蠢了。懂得在等待好运的同时如何引导运气，需要有高超的技巧。有的事只要等待好运便能完成，因为运气是有周期的且能提供机会——尽管它没有规律，难以捉摸。如果受到幸运女神的青睐，你就应大胆向前，因为幸运女神喜欢勇敢的人。作为女性，她也喜欢年轻人。假使你时运不济，你就应撤退，以免一失再失。

36．In acting or refraining, weigh your luck

In acting or refraining, weigh your luck. More depends on that than on noticing your temperament. If he is a fool who at forty applies to Hippocrates for health, still more is he one who then first applies to Seneca for wisdom. It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it. For something is to be done with it by waiting so as to use it at the proper moment, since it has periods and offers opportunities, though one cannot calculate its path, its steps are so irregular. When you find Fortune favourable, stride boldly forward, for she favours the bold and, being a woman, the young. But if you have bad luck, keep retired so as not to redouble the influence of your unlucky star.