François de La Rochefoucauld: Citáty v angličtine (page 2)

Il est du véritable amour comme de l'apparition des esprits: tout le monde en parle, mais peu de gens en ont vu.
Variant translation: With true love it's like with the appearance of ghosts: everyone talks about it but few have seen it.
Maxim 76.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), VII. On Air and Manner
Kontext: Few men, nevertheless, can have unison in many matters without being a copy of each other, if each follow his natural turn of mind. But in general a person will not wholly follow it. He loves to imitate. We often imitate the same person without perceiving it, and we neglect our own good qualities for the good qualities of others, which generally do not suit us.

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), III. On Taste
Kontext: Some have a species of instinct (the source of which they are ignorant of), and decide all questions that come before them by its aid, and always decide rightly. These follow their taste more than their intelligence, because they do not permit their temper and self-love to prevail over their natural discernment. All they do is in harmony, all is in the same spirit. This harmony makes them decide correctly on matters, and form a correct estimate of their value. But speaking generally there are few who have a taste fixed and independent of that of their friends, they follow example and fashion which generally form the standard of taste.

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), VII. On Air and Manner
Kontext: There is an air which belongs to the figure and talents of each individual; we always lose it when we abandon it to assume another. We should try to find out what air is natural to us and never abandon it, but make it as perfect as we can. This is the reason that the majority of children please. It is because they are wrapt up in the air and manner nature has given them, and are ignorant of any other. They are changed and corrupted when they quit infancy, they think they should imitate what they see, and they are not altogether able to imitate it. In this imitation there is always something of falsity and uncertainty. They have nothing settled in their manner and opinions. Instead of being in reality what they want to appear, they seek to appear what they are not.

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), VII. On Air and Manner

Les petits esprits sont blessés des plus petites choses
Maxime 34 from the 1705 Amsterdam edition https://books.google.com/books?id=pBJgAAAAcAAJ&q=%22des+plus+petites+choses%22#v=snippet&q=%22des%20plus%20petites%20choses%22&f=false
Later Additions to the Maxims

Le soleil ni la mort ne se peuvent regarder fixement.
Maxim 26. Sometimes incorrectly translated as "with a steady eye".
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

C'est une ennuyeuse maladie que de conserver sa santé par un trop grand régime.
Maxim 72 of the Maximes supprimées.
Later Additions to the Maxims

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), VII. On Air and Manner

Il ne faut pas s’offenser que les autres nous cachent la vérité puisque nous nous la cachons si souvent à nous-mêmes.
Maxim 11 from the Manuscrit de Liancourt.
Later Additions to the Maxims

Le trop grand empressement qu'on a de s'acquitter d'une obligation est une espèce d'ingratitude.
Maxim 226.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Ce qui nous fait croire si facilement que les autres ont des défauts, c'est la facilité que l'on a de croire ce qu'on souhaite.
Variant translation: What makes us believe so easily that others have faults is the ease with which we believe what we hope for.
Maxim 25 from the Manuscrit de Liancourt.
Later Additions to the Maxims

Nous promettons selon nos espérances, et nous tenons selon nos craintes.
Maxim 38.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Il n'y a point de gens qui aient plus souvent tort que ceux qui ne peuvent souffrir d'en avoir.
Maxim 386.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), VII. On Air and Manner

L'amour-propre est le plus grand de tous les flatteurs.
Maxim 2.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), II. On Difference of Character

Si nous résistons à nos passions, c'est plus par leur faiblesse que par notre force.
If we conquer our passions, it is more from their weakness than from our strength.
Maxim 122.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Il faut écouter ceux qui parlent, si on veut en être écouté.
Réflexions diverses, IV: De la conversation.
Later Additions to the Maxims