277．展示你自己

展示你自己。这能让你的才干更耀眼：每个人都有展示自己的时机，你要善加利用，并不是每天都有成功的机会。即便是小小的才干，踊跃者也会把它展示一番；如果他们有更多的东西，便可举办一场大型展览。一个人若多才多艺又善于展示，则被认为是奇迹。有的国家全民都惯于展示，西班牙人为最。万物要想有光彩，必须要有光线(1)。展示让事物得到补充，获得供给，且被赋予新生——如果真的卓越，则更是如此。上天赋予完美之物，也提供展示之道，因为二者缺一则不会有结果。然而展示也需要高超的技巧。即便非凡之才也有赖于环境，并非总是那么适宜。不合时宜的卖弄是不恰当的。展示之道，比其他任何素养更要避免任何故作。否则，它便让人憎恶，又因为流于虚荣而招致轻蔑。展示自己的才华要适当，以免流俗。任何过分之举皆为智者所不屑。有时，要的就是一种无声的雄辩，不经意的展示。明智的隐藏是最有效的夸耀，正是因为避开视线，反而将他人的好奇心激发至极点。不一次将长处全盘托出也是高明的；只让别人略知一二，随着时间推移，别人会发现你的长处越来越多。你的每项业绩，都是更多业绩的誓言，当别人对更多业绩产生期望之时，起初的掌声便会渐渐消失。

277．Display yourself

Display yourself. It is the illumination of talents: for each there comes an appropriate moment; use it, for not every day comes a triumph. There are some dashing men who make much show with a little, a whole exhibition with much. If ability to display them is joined to versatile gifts, they are regarded as miraculous. There are whole nations given to display: the Spanish people take the highest rank in this. Light was the first thing to cause Creation to shine forth. Display fills up much, supplies much, and gives a second existence to things, especially when combined with real excellence. Heaven that grants perfection, provides also the means of display; for one without the other were abortive. Skill is however needed for display. Even excellence depends on circumstances and is not always opportune. Ostentation is out of place when it is out of time. More than any other quality it should be free of any affectation. This is its rock of offence, for it then borders on vanity and so on contempt: it must be moderate to avoid being vulgar, and any excess is despised by the wise. At times it consists in a sort of mute eloquence, a careless display of excellence, for a wise concealment is often the most effective boast, since the very withdrawal from view piques curiosity to the highest. It is a fine subtlety too not to display one's excellence all at one time, but to grant stolen glances at it, more and more as time goes on. Each exploit should be the pledge of a greater, and applause at the first should only die away in expectation of its sequel.