萨克雷《名利场》：
A good housewife is of necessity a humbug.
一个贤慧的妻子哪能不耍手段呢?
原文：
丈夫太蠢，做妻子的会想法子遮盖他的糊涂；丈夫太凶横，做妻子的会甜言蜜语捺住他的怒气；这些都是常见的情形。我们男人看见她们低头伏小得招人疼爱，反而夸奖她们，把这种粉饰过的诈伪称做忠诚。一个贤慧的妻子哪能不耍手段呢?康耐丽亚的丈夫和波提乏一样受骗，不过方式不同罢了。
Who has not seen a woman hide the dulness of a stupid husband, or coax the fury of a savage one? We accept this amiable slavishness,and praise a woman for it: we call this pretty treachery truth. A good housewife is of necessity a humbug; and Cornelia's husband was hoodwinked, as Potiphar was—only in a different way.