People sometimes say of a man who lives alone: He does not like Society; but this is very often the same as saying that a man does not like walking because he will not willingly walk at evening in the forest of Bondy.
[tr. Mathers (1926)]

Sometimes it is said of a man who lives alone, “He does not like society.” Often it is as though one were to say that a man did not like walking because he would not willingly walk at night in the forest of Bondy.
[tr. Merwin (1969)]

One sometimes says of a man who lives alone: "He dislikes society." It is often as though people said of a man that he did not like walking, alleging that he is loth to walk of an evening in the Forest of Bondy.
[tr. Pearson (1973)]

It is sometimes said of a man who lives alone that he does not like society. This is like saying of a man he does not like going for walks because he is not fond of walking at night in the forêt de Bondy.
[tr. de Botton, Status Anxiety (2004)]

L’absence fait que les médiocres passions diminuent, et que les grandes croissent, comme le vent éteint les bougies et allume le feu.

Absence cools Moderate Passions, and Enflames Violent ones; Just as the Wind blows out Candles, but Kindles Fires.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶277; (1706), ¶276]

Absence destroys small passions, and increases great ones; as the wind extinguishes tapers, and kindles fires.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶334; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶257]

Absence destroys small passions, and increases great ones; the wind extinguishes tapers, and kindles fires.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶295]

Absence diminishes moderate passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes tapers and adds fury to fire.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶286]

Absence extinguishes small passions and increases great ones, as the wind will blow out a candle, and blow in a fire.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶276]

The same wind snuffs candles yet kindles fires; so, where absence kills a little love, it fans a great one.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶284]

Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶276]

Absence weakens lukewarm feelings but intensifies great ones, as wind snuffs out candles but feeds fire.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶276]

Absence lessens moderate passions and intensifies great ones, as the wind blows out a candle but fans up a fire.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶276]

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind blows out candles and fans fire.
Bartlett's (1980), ¶276; < 1973?)]

Absence diminishes moderate passions and magnifies great ones, as the wind blows out candles but kindles fire.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶276]