205．懂得漠视的技巧

懂得漠视的技巧。想得到你想要的东西，最精明的方法就是：假装毫不在乎。踏破铁鞋无觅处，得来全不费工夫。世上万物都是永恒之物的影子，都有影子的性质——它们逃离追逐者，却也追逐逃离它们的人。漠视亦是一种最为精明的报复方法。智者不会用笔来为自己辩解，这已是永恒的法则。如果你提笔辩护，总会留下痕迹，与其说是惩罚对手，不如说是让他们出名。小人的招数就是出来和伟人作对，用卑鄙的手段出名，因为他们不能从正道出名。假如伟人漠视那些卑鄙之徒，也许他们会就此了无声息。没有任何报复能像漠视那样，可把那些小人掩埋在卑微的尘土之下。无耻之人妄图借烧毁他们时代的世界奇观得以永垂青史。还击他人诽谤的办法就是漠视。和流言相争，反而对自己不利——即便让人相信了我们的清白，依然还会引起怀疑，对我们的对手来说，也是一种满足。这一点污迹所造成的阴影，即使不能完全抹黑我们的名声，也会削弱我们的光芒。

205．Know how to play the card of contempt

Know how to play the card of contempt. It is a shrewd way of getting things you want, by affecting to depreciate them: generally they are not to be had when sought for, but fall into one's hands when one is not looking for them. As all mundane things are but shadows of the things eternal, they share with shadows this quality, that they flee from him who follows them and follow him that flees from them. Contempt is the most subtle form of revenge. It is a fixed rule with the wise never to defend themselves with the pen. For such defence always leaves a stain, and does more to glorify one's opponent than to punish his offence. It is a trick of the worthless to stand forth as opponents of great men, so as to win notoriety by a roundabout way, which they would never do by the straight road of merit. There are many we would not have heard of if their eminent opponents had not taken notice of them. There is no revenge like oblivion, through which they are buried in the dust of their unworthiness. Audacious persons hope to make themselves eternally famous by setting fire to one of the wonders of the world and of the ages. The art of reproving scandal is to take no notice of it, to combat it damages our own case; even if credited it causes discredit, and is a source of satisfaction to our opponent, for this shadow of a stain dulls the lustre of our fame even if it cannot altogether deaden it.