If there be nothing new, but that which is

　　Hath been before, how are our brains beguil'd,

　　Which laboring for invention bear amiss

　　The second burthen of a former child.

　　Oh that record could with a backward look,

　　Even of five hundred courses of the sun,

　　Show me your image in some antique book,

　　Since mind at first in character was done,

　　That I might see what the old world could say

　　To this composed wonder of your frame;

　　Whether we are mended, or where better they,

　　Or whether revolution be the same.

　　Oh sure I am the wits of former days,

　　To subjects worse have given admiring praise.

　　翻译：
　　如果学问不再更新，一如从前，

　　那我们的头脑，定被浆糊灌满；

　　含辛茹苦地，想要创造点奇迹，

　　到头来却发现，什么都没改变；

　　哦！纵使太阳运行了五百万年，

　　但依然还有，回溯青史的竹简；

　　自从在古书里看到，你的肖像，

　　心里就首次有了，文字的概念；

　　让我通晓，古人曾经怎样评价，

　　关于组成你那些，诗体的灵感；

　　是我们高明，还是他们更优秀，

　　或者二者相同，其实并无绎演；

　　喔！我敢肯定前代已经有智贤；

　　对这烂主题，作过颂扬和称赞。

　　推荐理由：这首十四行情诗精选（五十九）是莎士比亚笔下的Sonnet59《治学》，如果你是莎翁的忠实读者怎能错过呢？