The Art of Worldly Wisdom (2)

The Art of Worldly Wisdom (2) 27. Prize intensity more than extent Prize intensity more than extent. Excellence resides in quality not in quantity. The best is always few and rare: much lowers value. Even among men giants are commonly the real dwarfs. Some reckon books by the thickness, as if they were written to try the brawn more than the brain. Extent alone never rises above mediocrity: it is the misfortune of universal geniuses that in attempting to be at home everywhere, are so nowhere. Intensity gives eminence, and rises to the heroic in matters sublime. 48. So much depends on being a person of depth So much depends on being a person of depth. The interior must be at least as impressive as the exterior. Some people's character is all facade, like houses that, due to lack of means, have the portico of a palace leading to the rooms of a cottage. It is no use boring into such people — although they will bore you — because conversation flags after the first salutation. They prance through the first compliments like Sicilian stallions, but silence quickly follows, for the flow of words soon ceases where there is no spring of thoughts. Others may be taken in by them because they themselves have superficial views, but not the prudent, who look within them and find nothing there except material for scorn.  prize[praɪz] vt. 珍视；高度重视 intensity[ɪnˈtensəti] n. 强度；紧张（《背诵营1》第67课学过intense） extent [ɪkˈstent] n. 程度；范围；面积 reside[rɪˈzaɪd] vi. 住，居住；属于 quantity[ˈkwɒntəti; ˈkwɑːntəti] n. 数量；大量 giant[ˈdʒaɪənt] n. 巨人（《背诵营1》第43课学过） dwarf[dwɔːf; dwɔːrf] n. 侏儒；小矮人（《背诵营1》第39课学过） reckon [ˈrekən] v. 想；认为；料想；估算 brawn[brɔːn] n. 体力 mediocrity[ˌmiːdiˈɒkrəti; ˌmiːdiˈɑːkrəti] n. 平庸 eminence[ˈemɪnəns] n.（尤指在某专业中）卓越，著名，显赫 sublime [səˈblaɪm] adj. 崇高的；壮丽的；宏伟的 interior[ɪnˈtɪəriə(r); ɪnˈtɪriər] n. 内部 adj. 内部的 exterior[ɪkˈstɪəriə(r); ɪkˈstɪriər] n. 外部 adj. 外部的 facade[fəˈsɑːd; fəˈsɑːd] n. 正面；外观 portico[ˈpɔːtɪkəʊ; ˈpɔːrtɪkoʊ] n. 柱廊 cottage[ˈkɒtɪdʒ; ˈkɑːtɪdʒ] n. 小屋；村舍；小别墅 bore [bɔː(r); bɔːr] v. 钻孔；使烦扰 flag[flæɡ] n. 旗帜 v. 标识；疲乏，减弱；热情衰退 salutation[ˌsæljuˈteɪʃn] n. 招呼；问候 prance[prɑːns; præns] vi. 昂首阔步 compliment [ˈkɒmplɪmənt; ˈkɑːmplɪmənt] n. 赞扬；称赞 vt. 赞扬；恭维 Sicilian [si'siljən] adj. 西西里的 stallion[ˈstæliən] n. 种马；成年公马 cease[siːs] v. 停止；终止（《背诵营1》第99课学过ceaseless） superficial [ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃl; ˌsuːpərˈfɪʃl] adj. 表面的；肤浅的 prudent[ˈpruːdnt] adj. 谨慎的；精明的 scorn[skɔːn; skɔːrn] n. 轻蔑；藐视 vt. 轻蔑；藐视