任何以“说实话……”开始说话的人

Anyone who begins a sentence with, “In all honesty ... ”

都将要撒谎。任何人说“这只是我的感觉”，

is about to tell a lie. Anyone who says, “This is how I feel”

更爱形式而不是披露的内容。这对谁都一样，

had better love form more than disclosure. Same for anyone

假若他自以为有一个想法就是考虑得很周全。

who thinks he thinks well because he had athought.

对一个长相丑怪的人说“你很丑”，你不会

If  you say, “You’re ugly” to an ugly person — no credit

因为诚实而人品加分，这是始终该有的认识，

for honesty, which must always be a discovery, an act

这行为算得上是一项成就。假若你铁了心那样做，

that qualifies as an achievement. If you persist

你就是个没心肝的混蛋，一头不照镜子的猪，

you’re just a cruel bastard, a pig without a mirror,

算是一个太缺少自我审视的人。

somebody who hasn’t examined himself enough.

想要诚实时觉得犹豫，这是暗示

A hesitation hints at an attempt to be honest, suggests

这里有难处。说好一句话需要

a difficulty is present. A good sentence needs

一两个从句，要打断，用逗号隔开，

a clause or two, interruptions, set off  by commas,

这是证据，说明在放缓，在重新思考。

evidence of a slowing down, a rethinking.

我向妻子求婚之前，我告诉她

Before I asked my wife to marry me, I told her

我永远不会完全坦诚。她说，从没有人

I’d never be fully honest. No one, she said,

对她说过这样的话。我对她讲，

had ever said that to her. I was trying

我在尝试极端诚实，但事实上我还有

to be radically honest, I said, but in fact

另一个动机。任何不带“但是”的声索

had another motive. A claim without a “but” in it

充其量只有一半真实。说实话，

is, at best, only half  true. In all honesty,

我那是在事先就要求获得原谅。

I was asking in advance to be forgiven.

[按]题目Proposition的意思包含“命题”、“提议”、“求婚”等都适合本诗的意思。