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Sonnet #96
Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonness;
Some say thy grace is youth and gentle sport;
Both grace and faults are loved of more and less;
Thou makest faults graces that to thee resort.
As on the finger of a throned queen
The basest jewel will be well esteem'd,
So are those errors that in thee are seen
To truths translated and for true things deem'd.
How many lambs might the stern wolf betray,
If like a lamb he could his looks translate!
How many gazers mightst thou lead away,
If thou wouldst use the strength of all thy state!
But do not so; I love thee in such sort
As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.
本首似为76-95首的献诗。
1、some wantonness:(1)a kind of frivolity or lechery,放荡（为 youth 的同位语）；(2)some say thy fault is wantoness.
2、gentle:gentlemanly. sport:(1)amusement；(2)amorous dalliance(sport 实与 wantonness 同义，只是不带贬义）。thy grace is youth and gentle sport:youth and wantonness are your graces.
3、of:by.more and less:great and humble,high and low.
4、that to thee resort:that come your way；that 的先行词为 faults.
6-12、此处比喻与中心思想参见《新约圣经·马太福音》7章13，15节：“你们要进窄门，因为引到灭门，那门是宽的、路是大的....你们要防备假先知，他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼。”
6、basest:lowest in value，指低劣的或仿造的。注意此行中 jewel,will,well谐音。
8、translated:turned.for:as.
9、stern:grim-looking and malicious.betray:entrap.
10、= I the wolf could change its appearance and looks like a lamb.
11、gazers:admirers.away:astray.
12、wouldst:chose to. state:personality and position.
13-14、这两行完全重复36.13-14。一说原稿缺最后两行，出版者将36首偶句借用于此。但也可能莎士比亚故意重复此两行，经强调原意并表达一层新的意思。
日期: 2007年4月22 周日