—By Oliver Goldsmith
Though Fond of many acquaintances，I desire an intimacy only with a few. The Man in black, whom I have often mentioned, is one whose friendship I could wish to acquire, because he possesses my esteem. His manners, it is true, are tinctured with some strange; and inconsistencies; and he may be justly termed a humorist in a nation of humorists.
Though he is generous even to profusion，he affects to be thought a prodigy of parsimony and prudence; though his conversation be replete with the most sordid and selfish maxims, his heart is deleted with the most unbounded love. I have known him profess himself a man-hater, while his cheek was glowing with compassion; and, while his looks were softened into pity, I have heard him use the languages; of the most unbounded ill-nature.
Some affect humanity and tenderness, others boast of having such dispositions from Nature; but he is the only man I ever know who seemed ashamed of his natural benevolence. He takes as much pains to hide his feelings, as any hypocrite would to conceal his indifference; but on every unguarded moment the mask drops off, and reveals him to the most superficial observer.
参考中文译文
作者：奥利弗·哥尔斯密
虽然我喜欢广交朋友，但只想跟几个人保持密切的往来。我经常提到的黑衣人是我想与其建立友谊的一个人，因为我敬重他。确实，他的举止带着矛盾的味道，在这样一个充满幽默家的国度里，他可以实实在在地被冠以“幽默大师”的称号。
他是慷慨大方以至到挥金如土的地步，却爱装出小气谨慎的样子。他的心中充满了无限的爱，可言语里充满了卑鄙自私的词句。他宣称自己厌恶人类，可脸上却闪现着同情的神情；他的表情是柔和以至充满同情的，可嘴里说的却是本性最恶毒的人才能说出的话。
有的人假装慈爱温柔，还有人吹嘘自己本性如此;但是他是我认识的唯一对自己天生的慈悲心肠感到惭愧的人。他尽力掩饰自己的仁慈之心，就像伪君子掩盖自己的冷漠一样，不过在不够警觉的时候面具就会掉下来，再粗心的观察者也能看出他的本来面目。