1. 奢侈的必然后果风化的解体，反过来又引起了趣味的腐化。

1. The inevitable consequence of luxury is the disintegration of manners, which in turn leads to the corruption of taste.

2. 至于我，当我想学点什么东西的时候，那是为了使自己得到知识而不是为了教育他人；我一贯认为，要教育他人，自己首先得有足够的知识；而我一生中想在人群中进行的全部学习，几乎没有哪一项是我不能在原打算在那里度过余年的荒岛上独自进行的。

2. As for me, when I want to learn something, it is to gain knowledge for myself, not to educate others; I have always believed that to educate others, one must first have sufficient knowledge; and in my lifetime, almost all the learning I want to pursue among people can be carried out alone on a desert island where I originally intended to spend the rest of my years.

3. 一个真正快乐的人是很少把他的快乐形之于言笑的，可以说他是把他的喜悦储藏在他的心里的，闹闹嚷嚷地穷欢作乐是失望和烦恼的烟幕。忧郁和淫乐是相陪伴的，同情和眼泪是随甜蜜的快乐而来的，极端的快乐将使人哭而不会使人笑。?>

3. A truly happy person rarely expresses his joy through laughter and smiles. It can be said that he stores his joy in his heart. Noisy and boisterous enjoyment is just a veil of disappointment and worry. Melancholy and sensuality are companions, and sympathy and tears come with the sweet joy. Extreme happiness will make one cry instead of laugh.

4. 经验告诉他，人类活动的唯一动机就是追求自身幸福。因而，人能区分两种情况：一种是，在少数情况下，由于共同的利益，他可以依靠同伴的帮助；在另一种情况下这种情况更为少见由于彼此的利益发生冲突，他便不能相信他的同伴。在前一种情况下，人们之间结合成群体，或者至少松散地结合在一起，这种结合对成员没有任何约束，而且只要临时结合的需要一旦满足，它立即就会解散。在后一种情况下，每个人都只顾自己的利益，如果他认为自己足够强壮，他就会公开使用武力，如果他认为自己不够强壮，他就会使用谄媚或诡计。

4. Experience has taught him that the only motive for human activity is the pursuit of individual happiness. Therefore, humans can distinguish between two situations: in some rare cases, due to common interests, he can rely on the assistance of his companions; in the other, more rare situation, when their interests conflict, he cannot trust his companions. In the former case, people may form groups, or at least loosely associate with each other, such associations impose no constraints on the members, and they dissolve immediately once the temporary need for association is met. In the latter case, each person is solely concerned with their own interests, and if they believe themselves strong enough, they will openly use force; if they believe themselves not strong enough, they will resort to flattery or cunning.

5. 我愿自由而生，自由而死。这意味着，每个人都遵纪守法，无论是我还是其他任何人，都甘受这种光荣的约束。这种舒适且有益的约束，即使是最高贵的人也甘愿加之己身，因为除此之外，他们无需再受任何其他的束缚。

5. I wish to be born free and to die free. This means that each person adheres to laws and regulations, whether it be me or anyone else, we are willing to submit to this glorious constraint. This comfortable and beneficial constraint is even willing to be imposed upon the most noble individuals, because besides this, they do not need to be subjected to any other restraints.

6. 教育的最大的秘诀是：使身体锻炼和思想锻炼互相调剂。

6. The greatest secret of education is: to balance physical exercise with mental exercise.

7. 我打算做一件前无古人，后无仿者的事情，我要把一个人的真实面目全部地展示在同胞面前，那个人就是我自己。

7. I plan to do something unprecedented and uncopyable, which is to fully reveal the true face of an individual to my fellow citizens, and that person is myself.

8. 性格软弱，至多只能做到不犯罪恶，如果还要侈谈高尚的美德，那就是狂妄和大胆了。

8. With a weak character, one can at most refrain from committing evil. If one goes on to talk about noble virtues, that would be arrogance and audacity.

9. 爱慕一个女子，通常爱她现在的样子；爱慕一个少年，通常着眼于他未来的样子。

9. Admiration for a woman often focuses on her current appearance; admiration for a youth is usually based on his future prospects.

10. 困厄无疑是个很好的老师；然而这个老师索取的学费很高，学生从他那里所得到的时常还抵不上所缴的学费。

10. Adversity is undoubtedly a good teacher; however, this teacher demands a high tuition fee, and what the students often receive from him does not always outweigh the tuition paid.

11. 阅读是童年的祸害，因为书本教我们谈论那些我们一无所知的东西。

11. Reading is a curse of childhood, because books teach us to talk about things we know nothing about.

12. 没有信念，就没有真正的美德。

12. Without belief, there is no true virtue.

13. 看看我们的文明社会，很少有人不抱怨自己的人生，我们甚至能看到许多人甘愿抛弃自己的生命，即使所有神的法律和人的法律都结合在一起也不能制止这种混乱。我还想继续追问，有谁听说过原始人有过这些想法吗？有谁听说过原始人有空就会抱怨人生或者**吗？

13. Look at our civilized society, where few do not complain about their lives. We even see many who are willing to abandon their own lives, a chaos that even the combined laws of gods and humans cannot stop. I would like to continue to ask, has anyone ever heard of primitive people having such thoughts? Has anyone ever heard of primitive people complaining about life or something like that when they have free time?

14. 每个家庭都是一个团结的小社会，自由和相互之间的感情是他们唯一的纽带。

14. Each family is a cohesive little society, with freedom and mutual feelings being their only bond.

15. 人与动物以及人与人之间的不断接触，自然而然地使人们觉察到某种关系，这种关系可以用大小、强弱、快慢、怯懦和勇敢这些词来表示，大多是在必要时无意识比较的结果，这些关系最终使人产生某种思考，或者说是一种机械的审慎，这种审慎促使类为保障自身的安全采取最必要的防备措施。

15. Continuous contact between humans and animals, as well as between individuals, naturally makes people aware of certain relationships, which can be expressed by words such as size, strength, speed, timidity, and bravery. Most of these relationships are the result of unconscious comparisons when necessary. These relationships ultimately lead people to some form of thought, or rather, a kind of mechanical caution, which prompts humans to take the most necessary precautions to ensure their own safety.

16. 问题不在于他学到的是什么样的知识，而在于他所学的知识要有用处。

16. The issue is not what kind of knowledge he has learned, but that the knowledge he has learned should be useful.

17. 一旦法律丧失了力量，一切就都告绝望了；只要法律不再有力量，一切合法的东西也都不会再有力量。

17. Once the law loses its power, everything is doomed to despair; as long as the law no longer has power, everything that is legal will also lose its power.

18. 出自造物主手中的东西，都是好的，而一到了人的手里，就全变坏了。

18. What comes from the hands of the Creator is all good, but once it falls into the hands of humans, it becomes all bad.

19. 当我们只遇到逆风行舟的时候，我们调整航向迂回行驶就可以了；但是，当海面上波涛汹涌，而我们想停在原地的时候，那就要抛锚。当心啊，年轻的舵手，别让你的缆绳松了，别让你的船锚动摇，不要在你没有发觉以前，船就漂走了。

19. When we only encounter adverse winds and currents, we can adjust our course to detour around them; however, when the sea is rough with towering waves and we wish to stay in place, it is necessary to drop anchor. Beware, young helmsman, do not let your ropes become loose, do not let your ship's anchor waver, and do not let your vessel drift away before you realize it.

20. 宁可让儿童一个字也不识，也不要使他为了学到这一些学问而把其他有用的东西都牺牲了。

20. It is better for a child to be unable to read a single character than to sacrifice other useful things for the sake of acquiring these studies.

21. 只有高贵的思想，而无高贵的血统。

21. Only noble thoughts, without noble lineage.

22. 不要转让自己的孩子。孩子们生来就是人，并且是自由的；他们的自由属于他们自己。除了他们而外。任何别人都无权加以处置。

22. Do not transfer your own children. Children are born as human beings, and they are free; their freedom belongs to them. No one else has the right to dispose of them except for themselves.

23. 智与愚，犹如美与恶的食物，言语的巧拙，不过如杯盘的精粗，不论杯盘精粗，都能盛这两类食物。

23. Wisdom and foolishness are like the food of beauty and evil. The skillfulness or clumsiness of speech is no different from the fine or coarse quality of cups and plates. Whether cups and plates are fine or coarse, they can both hold these two types of food.

24. 国王远不能供养他的臣民，反而只能是从臣民那里取得他自身的生活供养；用拉伯雷的话来说，国王一无所有也是活不成的。难道臣民在奉送自己人身的同时，又以国王也攫取他们的财产为条件吗？

24. The king is far from being able to support his subjects; instead, he can only obtain the sustenance for his own life from them; in Rabelais' words, a king cannot survive without anything. Does this mean that while the subjects are offering their own bodies, they are also making it a condition that the king will seize their property as well?

25. 野蛮人所以不是恶的，正因为他们不知道什么是善。因为阻止他们作恶的，不是智慧的发展，也不是法律的约束，而是情感的平静和对邪恶的无知。

25. The savages are not evil because they do not know what is good. What prevents them from doing evil is not the development of wisdom or the constraint of laws, but the tranquility of emotions and the ignorance of evil.

26. 我不愿意死，但我现在已经到了垂死的境地，我希望为了你而活下去，但恰恰是你在剥夺我的生命。

26. I do not want to die, but I am now at the brink of death. I hope to live on for you, but it is you who are taking away my life.

27. 我们可以说野蛮人并不是邪恶的，正因为他们不知道什么是善；因为防止他们作恶的既不是知识的发达，也不是法律的限制，而只是感情的平静与对罪恶的无知。

27. We can say that savages are not evil, precisely because they do not know what is good; for what prevents them from doing evil is neither the advancement of knowledge nor the restriction of laws, but rather the tranquility of emotions and the ignorance of sin.

28. 人性的首要法则，是要维护自身的生存，人性的首要关怀，是对于其自身所应有的关怀；而且，一个人一旦达到有理智的年龄，可以自行判断维护自己生存的适当方法时，他就从这时候起成为自己的主人。

28. The primary law of human nature is to maintain its own survival, and the primary concern of human nature is the care that one should have for oneself; and once a person reaches the age of reason and can judge for themselves the appropriate methods to maintain their own survival, they become their own master from that moment on.

29. 当我看到天生自由的动物，由于天生对束缚的憎恨，将自己的头撞向牢笼的铁栏，当我看到无数蔑视欧洲淫逸生活的原始人，赤裸着身体，忍受着饥饿、战火、刀剑和死亡来保卫他们的自由和独立的时候，我深深地感到，奴隶是不配谈论自由的。

29. When I see animals that are naturally free, due to their natural hatred of being confined, smashing their heads against the iron bars of their cages, and when I see countless primitives who disdain the European licentious life, bare-bodied and enduring hunger, war, swords, and death to defend their freedom and independence, I deeply feel that slaves are unworthy to speak of freedom.

30. 人之所以合群，是由于他的身体柔弱；我们之所以心爱人类，是由于我们有共同的苦难；如果我们不是人，我们对人类便没有任何责任了。对人的依赖，就是力量不足的表征：如果每一个人都不需要别人的帮助，我们就根本不想同人联合了。

30. People are social because they are physically weak; we love humanity because we share common sufferings; if we were not human, we would have no responsibility towards humanity. Dependence on others is a sign of weakness: if everyone did not need help from others, we would have no desire to unite with others.

31. 家庭生活的乐趣是抵抗坏风气的毒害的最好良剂。

31. The joys of family life are the best elixir to resist the poisons of bad influences.

32. 每个人对所遭受的轻蔑所施的报复与个人对自己尊重的程度成正比，因而，报复成为一种可怕的行为，而人也变得冷酷残忍。

32. The revenge that each person seeks for the humiliation they have suffered is proportional to the level of self-respect they possess. Therefore, revenge becomes a terrifying act, and people become cold and cruel.

33. 首先必须承认，欲望越强烈，越需要法律的限制。然而，且不说欲望每天给社会带来的混乱和邪恶已经证明法律在这方面的无力，我们还必须认真研究一下，这些罪恶是否是伴随着法律一起产生的。

33. First and foremost, it must be acknowledged that the stronger the desire, the more it requires legal restrictions. However, not to mention that the chaos and evil brought about by desire every day have already proven the powerlessness of law in this regard, we also need to seriously investigate whether these vices are produced along with the law.

34. 邪恶进攻正直的心灵，从来不是那么大张旗鼓的，它总是想法子来偷袭，总戴着某种诡辩的面具，还时常披着某道德的外衣。

34. The evil attacks the righteous heart not with grand fanfare, but always in stealth, wearing the mask of some sophistry, and often cloaked in the guise of some moral attire.

35. 我给你们的最后一个忠告是，你们要特别提防不怀好意的曲解和恶毒的谣言，因为这种险恶的用心往往比在它支配下的行动更可怕。一个值得信赖的看门狗，只在强盗来临的时候才会叫喊，使全家人惊醒，并及时戒备；然而我们讨厌乱叫的狗，它狂吠不止，使人们不得安宁，它不合时宜的叫声往往导致我们在需要时听不到任何警报。

35. My last piece of advice to you is to be particularly wary of malicious misinterpretations and venomous rumors, as such sinister intentions are often more terrifying than the actions they control. A trustworthy watchdog only barks when the robbers arrive, waking up the entire family and preparing them in time; however, we dislike a dog that barks without reason, continuously, disrupting people's peace. Its inappropriate barking often leads to the situation where we do not hear any alarm when we need it.

36. 立法的力量就应该总是倾向于维持平等，因为事物的力量总是倾向于摧毁平等的。

36. The power of legislation should always tend to maintain equality, because the power of things always tends to destroy equality.

37. 上帝是公正的；他要我受苦受难；然而他知道我是清白的。我的信心正是由此而产生；我的心和我的理智向我高呼，告诉我：我的信心决不我欺。因此，让人们和命运去做这做那吧，我要学会无怨无艾地忍受；一切都将恢复正常秩序，轮到我的那一天也迟早要来临的。

37. God is just; He makes me suffer and endure hardships; yet He knows that I am innocent. My faith arises from this; my heart and my reason shout to me, telling me: My faith will not deceive me. Therefore, let people and fate do what they do, I will learn to endure without complaint and resentment; everything will eventually return to normal order, and my turn will come sooner or later.

38. 一旦人们开始相互品评，尊重的观念便在人的心底扎根，每个人都要求别人尊重他，再也没有人在不尊重他人的时候还能安然无恙。由此，原始人当中产生了最初的礼貌要求，每一种故意的伤害都成为一种侮辱，因为不仅伤痛产生了，每个人还会将受到的伤害当做一种对他个人的侮辱，这往往比伤害本身更难忍受。

38. Once people begin to judge each other, the concept of respect takes root in the hearts of individuals, with everyone demanding respect from others, and no one can remain unscathed while failing to show respect to others. From this, the earliest demands for etiquette emerged among primitives, with every deliberate harm becoming an insult. This is because not only does pain arise, but each person also considers the harm they have suffered as an affront to their personal dignity, which is often more intolerable than the harm itself.

39. 如果世间真的有这么一种状态：心灵十分充实与宁静，既不怀念过去也不奢望将来，放任时光流逝而紧紧掌握现在，不论它持续的长短都不留下前后接续的痕迹，无匮乏之感也无享受之感，不快乐也不忧愁，既无所求也无所惧，而只感受到自己的存在，单单这一感受就足以充实我们整个心灵；只要这种状态继续存在，处于这种状态的人就可以说自己得到了幸福不是残缺的，贫乏的和相对的幸福，而是圆满的，充实的，使心灵无空虚欠缺之感的幸福。

39. If there truly were such a state in the world: the mind is fully filled and tranquil, neither yearning for the past nor longing for the future, allowing time to pass while firmly grasping the present, leaving no trace of continuity regardless of its duration, neither a sense of lack nor enjoyment, neither happiness nor sorrow, neither seeking nor fearing, but only feeling one's own existence; this single feeling is enough to fill our entire soul. As long as this state continues to exist, those who are in it can say that they have achieved happiness, not a flawed, impoverished, or relative happiness, but a complete, full, happiness that leaves no sense of emptiness or deficiency in the soul.

40. 一个人所拥有的金钱是获得自由的手段，而我们急切地追求的金钱却是是我们受奴役的工具。因此，我对自己所有的金钱抓得很紧，而对没到手的却无所谓。

40. The money one possesses is a means to achieve freedom, whereas the money we eagerly pursue is the tool of our bondage. Therefore, I hold onto all the money I have tightly, while I don't care about the money that has not yet been in my possession.

41. 任何东西，只要涉及到我感觉的需要，就会让我沉静，只有完全丢开了自己的身体利益，这样的精神快乐，我才品得出其中真正的滋味。

41. Anything that involves my sense of need makes me serene; only when I have completely let go of my own bodily interests can I truly savor the true taste of this spiritual joy.

42. 总之，我可以断言：他让我走的道路是，生死与穷困或变成一个无懒。然而他所看到的决不是这个方面，他只看到把一个灵魂从一个异教中抢救过来，把他交还给天主教会。只要我去参加弥散，至于做个正直的人或是做个无懒汉，那算得了什么呢？再说，不要认为这种想法是天主教徒所独有的，凡是只讲教义的宗教都有这种想法，那儿最根本的是信仰而不是行为。

42. In summary, I can assert that the path he has led me to is one of either life and death or becoming a good-for-nothing. However, what he saw was not this aspect at all; he saw only the rescue of a soul from paganism, and its return to the Catholic Church. As long as I attend Mass, what does it matter whether I am a virtuous person or a good-for-nothing? Moreover, do not think that this way of thinking is unique to Catholics; any religion that emphasizes doctrine has this mindset, where the most fundamental thing is faith rather than action.

43. 对于一个善于理解幸福的人，旁人无论如何也不能让他真正潦倒。

43. For someone who is skilled at understanding happiness, no one can truly bring them down, no matter what.

44. 你什么也舍不舍牺牲，结果你什么也得不到，由于你一心追逐你的欲念，结果你是永远也不能够满足你的欲念的。

44. You are willing to sacrifice nothing, and as a result, you get nothing. Because you are constantly chasing after your desires, you will never be able to satisfy them.

45. 我们可以让那些同我们不相干的人爱怎样说就怎样说，可是，让一个朋友认为我们具有我们本来没有的美德，是犯罪的。

45. We can let those who have nothing to do with us say whatever they want, but it is a crime to make a friend believe that we possess virtues we do not actually have.

46. 做老师的只要有一次向学生撒谎撒漏了底，就可能使他的全部教育成果从此为之毁灭。

46. A teacher, if he lies or reveals secrets to his students even once, may destroy all his educational achievements from then on.

47. 把真理用在那些其存在对谁都不重要的，认识它又一无用处，无谓事情上，那就是对真理这个神圣的名词的亵渎。真理，如果毫无用处，就不是一件必须具有的东西。

47. To apply the truth to matters that are unimportant to anyone, which knowing them serves no purpose, and are trivialities, is an affront to the sacred name of truth. If the truth is of no use, it is not something that is necessary to possess.

48. 真正自由的人只想他能够得到的东西，只做他喜欢做的事情，我就是我的第一基本原理。

48. A truly free person only desires what he can obtain, only does what he likes, and I am my first principle.

49. 世上并没有纯粹的无意识行动，只要我们善于去寻找，都能从内心找出行动原因。

49. There is no purely unconscious action in the world; as long as we are good at searching, we can always find the reasons for our actions from within.

50. 法律是**体的唯一动力，**体只能是由于法律而行动并为人所感到；没有法律，已经形成的国家就只不过是一个没有灵魂的躯壳，它虽然存在但不能行动。因为每个人都顺从公意，这还不够；为了遵遁公意，就必须认识公意。于是就出现了法律的必要性。

50. Law is the sole driving force of the State; the State can only act and be perceived through law; without law, the already formed state is merely a soulless shell, which exists but cannot act. For everyone to be in obedience to the general will is not enough; in order to comply with the general will, one must recognize the general will. Hence, the necessity of law arises.