There are people who observe the rules of honor as one observes the stars, from a great distance.
[Il y a des gens qui observent les règles de l’honneur comme on observe les étoiles, de très loin.]
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) French writer
Les Misérables, Part 5 “Jean Valjean,” Book 1 “The War Between Four Walls,” ch. 21 (5.1.21) (1862) [tr. Hapgood (1887)]
(Source)
Combeferre, on those leaders who had promised on their honor to support the barricades but were nowhere to be seen when the government troops attacked.
(Source (French)). Alternate translations:There are people who observe the rules of honour as we observe the stars, from afar off.
[tr. Wilbour (1862)]They are people who observe the rules of honor as they do the stars, a long distance off.
[tr. Wraxall (1862)]There are people who observe the rules of honour as we do the stars, from a very long way off.
[tr. Denny (1976)]There are people who observe the rules of honour as we observe the stars, from far off.
[tr. Wilbour/Fahnestock/MacAfee (1987)]
Quotations about:
play it safe
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
If we establish a standard of safe thinking, we will end up with no thinking at all. That is the only “safe” way, and that is, needless to say, the most precarious, dangerous, of all ways.
It is when we all play safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity.
Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961) Swedish diplomat, author, UN Secretary-General (1953-61)
Speech, 180th Anniversary of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Williamsburg (15 May 1956)
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