"To err is human, to forgive divine" (犯錯是人,原諒是神)這個成語源自亞歷山大·波普(Alexander Pope)於1711年創作的詩作《論批評》(An Essay on Criticism)。原著完整的對句為 “To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
波普表達的理念是犯錯乃人之常情(making mistakes is natural to human nature),但寬恕這些錯誤的能力則體現更高尚、如神般的美德(while the ability to forgive those mistakes reflects a higher, godlike virtue)。
這個成語(idiom)承襲古典和基督教傳統,強調人性的不完美(human fallibility)和神聖的慈悲(divine mercy),但波普優雅的措辭使其成為關於寬恕美德的流行表達而流傳至今。

圖片生成:Copilot AI
以下是此片語在不同情境造句:
① 親子教育(Parenting):
When your teenager makes a mistake, remember that to err is human, to forgive divine—harsh punishment won't teach them as much as understanding and guidance will. (當你的青少年孩子犯錯時,請記住人非聖賢,孰能無過,寬恕乃神聖之舉——嚴厲的懲罰不如理解和引導更能教導他們。)
② 自我反省(Self-reflection):
I've been too hard on myself for past mistakes, but I need to remember that to err is human, to forgive divine—including forgiving myself. (我對過去的錯誤太苛責自己了,但我需要記住人非聖賢,孰能無過,寬恕乃神聖之舉——包括寬恕自己。)
③ 衝突調解(Conflict resolution):
Both sides made errors in judgment during the negotiation, but to err is human, to forgive divine. Perhaps we can start fresh with better communication. (雙方在談判過程中都有判斷失誤,但人非聖賢,孰能無過,寬恕乃神聖之舉。也許我們可以通過更好的溝通重新開始。)
④ 職場環境(Professional settings):
The team missed the deadline due to poor planning, but to err is human, to forgive divine. Let's focus on what we can learn from this experience moving forward. (團隊因為規劃不當而錯過了截止日期,但人非聖賢,孰能無過,寬恕乃神聖之舉。讓我們專注於從這次經驗中可以學到什麼。)
此成語最適合用於承認錯誤的同時,提倡慈悲和寬恕,而非嚴厲的批判或懲罰。此諺語提醒我們:犯錯本是人性的一部分,而寬恕他人則是一種超越性的美德——唯有當我們超越本能、選擇原諒,能讓自己心性修煉到更高的境界。
圖像創作:Copilot AI