塞缪尔·约翰生《王子出游记》：

every one was pleased to hear the genius or knowledge of another depreciated.

每个人都以听到别人的知识或天才受到贬抑为乐。

原文：

Rasselas went often to an assembly of learned men, who met at stated times to unbend their minds and compare their opinions.  Their manners were somewhat coarse, but their conversation was instructive, and their disputations acute, though sometimes too violent, and often continued till neither controvertist remembered upon what question he began.  Some faults were almost general among them: every one was pleased to hear the genius or knowledge of another depreciated.

王子此后就经常参加一个许多学者们常在一起的聚会。这些学者常定期在这里畅叙所怀，交换意见。他们的谈风有时不免粗俗，但是他们的所言却颇有教益，他们的争论不免尖锐，有时甚至激烈，激烈到双方忘乎所以。他们的毛病几乎是人所共有的：每个人都想教训别人，每个人都以听到别人的知识或天才受到贬抑为乐。