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SONNET #4
Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend
Upon thyself they beauty's legacy?
Nature's bequest gives nothing but doth lend,
And being frank, she lends to those are free.
Then beateous niggard, why dost thou abuse
The bounteous largess given thee to give?
Profitless userer, why dost thou use
So great a sum of sums yet canst not live?
For having traffic with thyself alone,
Thou of thyself thy sweet self dost deceive.
Then how when nature calls thee to be gone,
What acceptable audit canst thou leave?
Thy unused beauty must be tombed with thee,
Which usèd lives th' executor to be.
此首承第首2、3小节，用了一连经济法律用语。
1、Unthrifty:thriftless,unprofitable(for posterity).
2、beauty's legacy:inheritance of beauty；beauty's语法形式上为所有格，逻辑意义上却是继承的内容或实体。
3、=造化的遗产不是白给的，而是出借的。
4、frank...free:generous...generous；注意此二字同义并押头韵（alliteration).those:those who.
5、beauteous niggard:beautiful miser；此后似可加一逗号。
6、largess:gift.given thee to give:which is given you in order that you may give (i.e.hand on to others).这里given,give为一对半谐音（assonance)，又见第8行 sum,sums.
7、Profitless usurer:不图利的放债人（an oxymoron）；注意usurer 当时无贬义，不象今天专指“高利贷者”。use:(1)invest,lend at interest(cf.usurer)；(2)use up ,spend(cf.profitless).
8、live:(1)make a living；(2)survive(in your children).
9、traffic:trade,business.having traffic with thyself alone:只同你自己交往，指抱独身。
10、=You defraud yourself of your suol.
11-12、how...What ...:此为两种句式的混合；似乎莎士比亚原来想说 When Nature calls you to go ,how will your audit stand?后又改口用了 What ...这一疑问式。
12、acceptable audit:agreeable statement of account，令人满意的清单。leave:leave behind.
13、ununsed:not inveated.tombed:buried.
14、=Which,being inveated,will live to be your executor.executor 系法律用语，指遗嘱执行人；此行换言之即：如果你生了儿子，他将继承你的美貌。
日期: 2006年11月05 周日
编辑: 2007年4月14 周六