HE THAT hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are?impediments?to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief. Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried or childless men; which both in affection and means, have married and endowed the public. Yet it were great reason that those that have children, should have greatest care of future times; unto which they know they must transmit their dearest pledges.
成了家的人，可以說對命運之神付出了抵押品。因為家庭難免拖累事業(yè)，而無論這種事業(yè)的性質(zhì)如何。所以是能為公眾獻身人，應當是不被家室所累的人。因為只有這種人，才能夠把他的全部愛情和財產(chǎn)，都奉獻給唯一的情人——公眾。而那種有家室的人，恐怕寧愿把最好的東西留給自己的后代。

Some there are, who though they lead a single life, yet their thoughts do end with themselves, and account future times impertinences. Nay, there are some other, that account wife and children, but as bills of charges. Nay more, there are some foolish rich covetous men, that take a pride, in having no children, because they may be thought so much the richer. For perhaps they have heard some talk, Such an one is a great rich man, and another except to it, Yea, but he hath a great charge of children; as if it were an abatement to his riches. But the most ordinary cause of a single life, is liberty, especially in certain self-pleasing and humorous minds, which are so sensible of every restraint, as they will go near to think their girdles and garters, to be bonds and shackles.
有的人在結(jié)婚后仍然愿意過獨身生活。因為他們不喜歡家庭，把妻子兒女看作經(jīng)濟上的累贅。還有一些富人甚至以無子嗣為自豪。也許他們是擔心，一旦有了子女就瓜分現(xiàn)有的財產(chǎn)吧。有一種人過獨身生活是為了保持自由，以避免受約束于對家庭承擔的義務和責任。但這種人，可能會認為腰帶和鞋帶，也難免是一種束縛呢！

Unmarried men are best friends, best masters, best servants; but not always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives, are of that condition.
實際上，獨身者也許可以成為最好的朋友，最好的主人，最好的仆人，但很難成為最好的公民。因為他們隨時可以遷逃，所以差不多一切流竄犯都是無家者。

A single life doth well with churchmen; for charity will hardly water the ground, where it must first fill a pool. It is indifferent for judges and magistrates; for if they be facile and corrupt, you shall have a servant, five times worse than a wife. For soldiers, I find the generals commonly in their hortatives, put men in mind of their wives and children; and I think the despising of marriage amongst the Turks, maketh the vulgar soldier more base.
作為獻身宗教的，是有理由保持獨身的。否則他們的慈悲就先布施于家人而不是供奉于上帝了。作為法官與師，是否獨身關(guān)系并不大。因為只要他們身邊有一個壞的幕僚，其進讒言的能力就足以抵上五個妻子。作為軍人，有家室則是好事，這正可以在戰(zhàn)場上激發(fā)他們的責任感和勇氣。這一點可以從土耳其的事例中得到反證——那里的風俗不重視婚姻和家庭，結(jié)果他們士兵的斗志很差。

Certainly wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity; and single men, though they may be many times more charitable, because their means are less exhaust, yet, on the other side, they are more cruel and hardhearted (good to make severe inquisitors), because their tenderness is not so oft called upon. Grave natures, led by custom, and therefore constant, are commonly loving husbands, as was said of Ulysses, vetulam suam praetulit immortalitati.
對家庭的責任心不僅是人類的一種約束，也是一種訓練。那種獨身的人，雖然在用起來似很慷慨，但實際上往往是心腸很硬的，因為他們不懂得對他人的愛。 一種好的風俗，能教化出情感堅貞的男子漢，例如像優(yōu)里西斯（Ulysses)那樣，他曾抵制美麗女神的誘惑，而保持了對妻子的忠貞。

Chaste women are often proud and froward, as presuming upon the merit of their chastity. It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and obedience, in the wife, if she think her husband wise; which she will never do, if she find him jealous. Wives are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men's nurses. So as a man may have a quarrel to marry, when he will.
一個獨身的女人常常是驕橫的。因為她需要顯示，她的貞節(jié)似乎是自愿保持的。如果一個女人為丈夫的聰明優(yōu)秀而自豪，那么這就是使她忠貞不渝的最好保證。但如果一個女人發(fā)現(xiàn)她的丈夫是妒忌多疑的，那么她將絕不會認為他是聰明的。在人生中，妻子是青年時代的情人，中年時代的伴 ，暮年時代的守護。所以在人的一生中，只要有合適的對象，任何時候結(jié)婚都是有道理的。

But yet he was reputed one of the wise men, that made answer to the question, when a man should marry, - A young man not yet, an elder man not at all. It is often seen that bad husbands, have very good wives; whether it be, that it raiseth the price of their husband's kindness, when it comes; or that the wives take a pride in their patience. But this never fails, if the bad husbands were of their own choosing, against their friends consent; for then they will be sure to make good their own folly.
但也有一位古代哲人，對于人應當在何時結(jié)婚這個問題是這樣說的：“年紀少時還不應當，年紀大時已不必要。”美滿的婚姻是難得一遇的。?？梢姷皆S多不出色的丈夫卻有一位美麗的妻子。這莫非是因為這種丈夫由于具有不多的優(yōu)點而更值得被珍視嗎？也許因為伴隨這種丈夫，將可以考驗一個婦人的忍耐精神吧？如果這種婚姻出自一個女人的自愿選擇，甚至是不顧親友的勸告而選擇的，那么就讓她自己去品嘗這枚果實的滋味吧！

王佐良譯本：《談結(jié)婚與獨身》

夫人之有妻兒也不啻已向命運典質(zhì)，從此難成大事，無論善惡。興大業(yè)，立大功，往往系未婚無兒者所為，彼輩似已與公眾結(jié)親，故愛情產(chǎn)業(yè)并以付之。按理而論，有子女者應對未來歲月最為關(guān)切，因已將至親骨肉托付之矣。獨身者往往思慮僅及己身，以為未來與己無關(guān)。

有人則視妻兒為負債。更有貪而愚者，以無兒女為榮，以為如此更可夸其富足。此輩或曾聞人議論，一云此人為大富，另一則云否也，其人有多子負擔，其財必損。然獨身之原因，最常見者為喜自由，尤其自娛任性之人不耐任何束縛，身上褡帶亦視為桎梏。

未婚者為最好之友、最好之主、最好之仆，然非最好之臣，因其身輕易遁也，故亡命徒幾全未婚。

未婚適合教會中人，因如先須注水于家池則無余澤以惠人矣。然對法官行政官等則無足輕重，彼輩如收禮貪財，劣仆之害五倍于妻。至于士兵，余嘗見將軍以渠等妻兒所望激勵之，而土耳其人鄙視婚姻，故其士兵更為卑劣。

妻兒對人確為一種鍛煉。單身者本可心慈過人，因其資財少耗也，實則由于不常觸其心腸，反而更為嚴酷(因而適為審判異端之官)。莊重之人守規(guī)不渝，為夫常能愛妻，是故人云優(yōu)利息斯“愛老妻勝過不朽也”。

貞節(jié)之婦自恃節(jié)操，不免驕縱。欲使妻子守貞從夫，夫須有智；如妻疑夫猜忌，則斷難聽命矣。妻子者，青年之情婦，中年之伴侶，老年之護士也，故如決心結(jié)婚，須善擇時。

昔有智者答人問何時可婚，曾云：“青年未到時，老年不必矣?！背Ｒ姁悍蛴辛计蓿欠裼捎诖溯呎煞蚺紶柡蜕?，更見其可貴，抑或此類妻子以忍耐為美德歟？可確言者，如妻子不顧友朋勸告而自擇惡夫，則必盡力彌補前失。