1734年
记住穷理查的话：世间诸事，若始于愤怒，必终于耻辱。
Take this remark from Richard poor and lame, Whate'er's begun in anger ends in shame.
亲爱的读者：
在过去的一年里，您出于仁慈和善良，买了我这么多的智慧书，帮我极大地改善了生活处境，我得真诚地感谢您。我老婆给我们家买了水罐，不用再借邻居家的了，我们的生活慢慢地好了起来。我的老婆还买了一双鞋、两件新的换洗衣裳和一条漂亮而且保暖的衬裙。我也买了一件二手的大衣，还不错，我再也不怕进城了，也不怕在城里被人另眼相看了。这些外在的东西，使我老婆的脾气比以往好了很多，应该说，一年来老婆也不再吵我了，我睡得更舒服了、更安静了。所以，请接受我衷心的感谢，祝愿你们身体健康，事业兴旺。
在去年的智慧书的序言中，我预测了我亲爱的同窗好友、博学而智慧的泰坦·利兹先生将于1733年10月17日下午3时29分的时候，也就是在两颗星星交汇的瞬间离开人世。不过，据他自己推测，他将活到10月26日上午11点钟左右，在月亮消失时死去。他究竟在这两个时间的哪个时间点上去世，或者在我写这本书的时候他是否还健在，我还真不敢向你们保证。由于家中出了点事情，我必须回去，这样一来，我无法像我原来打算的那样，在利兹先生即将永别于人世的时刻陪着他，给他最后的拥抱，我真不知道他是否还健在。天上的星辰只会让聪明灵巧的人知道自然界的因果循环带来的必然后果，有时候也会因为一些合理的、善意的原因，或者是上天的特殊秉性而取消或推迟这些因果循环。上帝的那种特殊的秉性，是无法看出或预测的。然而，很有可能的是（说到这里，我心底的悲伤油然而生），我亲爱的朋友已不在人世了，因为我发现，一本以他的名义写的1734年的历书面世了。在那本书中，我被骂得体无完肤，作者骂我是冒牌的预测家、不学无术的家伙、趾高气扬的人、愚货、谎话连篇的骗子。利兹先生儒雅大度而不失涵养，不会这样粗俗地攻击别人，而且他很尊敬我，对我很信任，所以，那本书不过是有人为了发财而炮制的诡计罢了，他想冒用利兹先生独特的影响力和无可替代的价值，把两三年的历书卖出去。然而，冒用绅士和文人的名义，去说出那些连卑鄙小人和无耻之辈在大发酒疯时也难以启齿的话，假冒利兹先生的名义去攻击他的挚友，这是对利兹先生身后名誉无可原谅的诋毁，也是对公众的欺骗。
利兹先生不但熟练掌握自己本行的科学知识，而且为人庄重理性，重情重理，言必行，行必果。因为他身上这些难能可贵的品质，我非常珍惜和他的这份友谊，当然，事情有可能出乎人们的意料，也可能我的推测与他自己的推测都不准，也就是说，他也许还健在。只要他还健在，我就十分高兴和满足。尽管预测不准确会让我觉得很羞愧，但如果他还健在的话，这的确算不了什么。
善良的读者，我是您贫穷的挚友和忠实的仆人：
理查·萨德斯
宁可脚底打滑摔跤，也不要口无遮拦失言。
Better slip with foot than tongue.
摘好看的玫瑰，就不要怕刺手；娶漂亮的老婆，就不要怕戴绿帽子。
You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns, Nor enjoy a fair wife without danger of horns.
没有正义的勇敢，是软弱的。
Without justice, courage is weak.
饭吃多，易生病；药吃多，愈不易。
Many dishes many diseases, Many medicines few cures.
烂肉引秃鹫，明法聚民心。
Where carcasses are, eagles will gather, And where good laws are, much people fl ock thither.
冷热硬甜蚀尔齿，少吃牙齿更健康。
Hot things, sharp things, sweet things, cold things All rot the teeth, and make them look like old things.
只会夸奖的和只会责备的都是笨蛋。
Blame-all and Praise-all are two blockheads.
少吃还要少喝，戒色更需勤奋，否则百病缠身，令你痛苦万分。
Be temperate in wine, in eating, girls, & sloth; Or the Gout will seize you and plague you both.
不吃苦中苦，难为人上人。
No man e'er was glorious, who was not laborious.
隐瞒过错使人伤神费心，改正过错使人一身轻松。
What pains our Justice takes his faults to hide, With half that pains sure he might cure 'em quite.
功成勿骄。
In success be moderate.
记住穷理查的话：世间诸事，若始于愤怒，必终于耻辱。
Take this remark from Richard poor and lame, Whate'er's begun in anger ends in shame.
笨人多干蠢事。
Fools multiply folly.
美丽与愚蠢，总是凑在一起。
Beauty & folly are old companions.
心想着明天的收获，不记得眼下的辛劳。
Hope of gain Lessens pain.
勤人眼里无难事，懒人面前事事难。
All things are easy to Industry, All things diffi cult to Sloth.
骑马要贴紧马背，驭人要适当宽待。
If you ride a Horse, sit close and tight, If you ride a Man, sit easy and light.
真理再新，也是真理；错误再老，也是错误。傻瓜们总是搞反。
A new truth is a truth, an old error is an error, Tho' Clodpate wont allow either.
一只狗，追不到两只兔子（一心不能二用）。
Don't think to hunt two hares with one dog.
爱在五月时分。
Astrologers say, This is a good Day, To make Love in May.
给别人带去欢乐，也会获得欢乐。
Who pleasure gives, Shall joy receive.
病痛不要来得太晚，幸福不必来得太早。
Be not sick too late, nor well too soon.
既然有无爱的婚姻，那么也会有无婚姻的爱。
Where there's Marriage without Love, there will be Love without Marriage.
律师和牧师就像山雀蛋，孵出的多，成才的少。
Lawyers, Preachers, and Tomtits Eggs, there are more of them hatch'd than come to perfection.
不蠢不奸佞，做个明白人。
Be neither silly, nor cunning, but wise.
在开始讨价还价之后，堡垒和处女膜都不能维持长久。
Neither a Fortress nor a Maidenhead will hold out long after they begin to parly.
耕耘少，收获便少（一分耕耘一分收获）。
Jack Little sow'd little, & little he'll reap.
对于节俭之人，什么东西都便宜；对于浪费之人，什么东西都昂贵。
All things are cheap to the saving, dear to the wasteful.
空谈道理，无以服人；重赏之下，必有勇夫。
Would you persuade, speak of Interest, not of Reason.
有人因为学识过多而发疯，
但没有人因为学习种田而发疯。
Some men grow mad by studying much to know,
But who grows mad by studying good to grow.
祸福相依，朝夕难料。
Happy's the Woing, that's not long a doing.
不要太在意别人的缺点，要多关注别人的优点。
Don't value a man for the Quality he is of, but for the Qualities he possesses.
亚历山大的马和他一样万古长青。
Bucephalus the Horse of Alexand hath as lasting fame as his Master.
时间自会证明一切。
Rain or Snow, To Chili go, You'll fi nd it so, For ought we know. Time will show.
有的人虽不出名，却有着名人般高尚的灵魂。
There have been as great Souls unknown to fame as any of the most famous.
善待朋友以留住他，宽待敌人以争取他。
Do good to thy Friend to keep him, to thy enemy to gain him.
好人好心常自在，坏人坏心永不安。
A good Man is seldom uneasy, an ill one never easie.
教孩子学会缄默，他会迅速学会说话（并喋喋不休）。
Teach your child to hold his tongue, he'l learn fast enough to speak.
不懂服从，何以发令？
He that cannot obey, cannot command.
纯朴的农夫胜过邪恶的君主。
An innocent Plowman is more worthy than a vicious Prince.
魅力是浮云，糊涂很难得。
As Charms are nonsence, Nonsence is a Charm.
今天的一个蛋，胜过明天的一只鸡。
An Egg to day is better than a Hen to-morrow.
戒掉酒，多喝水，既省钱又健康。
Drink Water, Put the Money in your Pocket, and leave the Dry-bellyach in the Punchbowl.
富裕之人不必清贫生活，能清贫度日之人无需变得富有。
He that is rich need not live sparingly, and he that can live sparingly need not be rich.
遇到报复的敌人，须保持冷静和克制。
If you wou'd be reveng'd of your enemy, govern your self.
邪恶的英雄看不起无知的懦夫。
A wicked Hero will turn his back to an innocent coward.
法律如蛛网，只能逮住小蝇虫，大蝇虫却能在你眼前逃之夭夭。
Laws like to Cobwebs catch small Flies, Great ones break thro' before your eyes.
拆东墙补西墙过日子的人永远不能独立生活。
Strange, that he who lives by Shifts, can seldom shift himself.
伤口发痒易被挠破，骄傲自满常遭奚落。
As sore places meet most rubs, proud folks meet most affronts.
政府依法行政，百姓守法行事。
The magistrate should obey the Laws, the People should obey the magistrate.
居安思危。
When 'tis fair be sure take your Great coat with you.
无法正确看待财富，便会成为财富的奴隶。
He does not possess Wealth, it possesses him.
必需的东西，没什么道理可讲，花再多的钱，也要花。
Necessity has no Law; I know some Attorneys of the name.
洋葱能使人流泪，无论是欣喜若狂的继承人还是痛彻心扉的寡妇。
Onions can make ev'n Heirs and Widows weep.
贪心和幸福像两条平行线，永远不会相交。
Avarice and Happiness never saw each other, how then shou'd they become acquainted.
谨慎的荷兰人谨遵节俭格言：把所有能节省下来的钱都节省下来。
The thrifty maxim of the wary Dutch, Is to save all the Money they can touch.
只等老天眷顾，一日三餐不定。
He that waits upon Fortune, is never sure of a Dinner.
有知识的蠢蛋，比没有知识的蠢蛋，还要蠢三分。
A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.
找儿媳可以慢慢来，嫁女儿则越快越好。
Marry your Son when you will, but your Daughter when you can.
智者千虑，必有一失；愚者千虑，必有一得。
He that knows nothing of it, may by chance be a Prophet; while the wisest that is may happen to miss.
如果客人不喜欢听你谈论你高兴的事情，就把它们放在心底，至少不要表露出来。
If you wou'd have Guests merry with your cheer, Be so your self, or so at least appear.
饥荒、瘟疫、战争和数不清的报复人类罪恶的疾病，都是人类所有。
是不是饥荒、瘟疫、战争的出现，
都不足以惩罚我们的罪恶，
我们的老婆的智慧，
却足以制服我们那颗不安分的心。
Famine, Plague, War, and an unnumber'd throng,
Of Guilt-avenging Ills, to Man belong;
Is't not enough Plagues, Wars, and Famines rise,
To lash our crimes, but must our Wives be wise?
亲爱的读者，愿幸福常在您左右，
愿您年年更富有，事事更如意。
Reader, farewel, all Happiness attend thee:
May each New-Year better and richer fi nd thee.