288、⒄它们旨在原谅缺点，因而避免声名狼藉。使夫妻害怕丢人的缺点有很多，有的严重，有的不严重。它们是心智和身体的缺点，但不如前一章所列举（252，253节）的导致分离的那些严重。所以，此处所说的缺点是指一方配偶因害怕丢人而保持沉默的缺点。除了这些之外，在有些情况下，还包括过去所犯的罪，如若泄露出去，就会受到法律制裁；更不用说性能力的减退了，因为这是男人们惯常吹嘘的。为避免声名狼藉而对这类缺点的原谅就是一方配偶伪装爱情和友谊的一个因素。这一点显而易见，无需进一步证明。
288、（17）它们被接受以便能使一方或另一方的过错得到原谅进而避免不光彩。
婚姻中令双方感到难堪的各方面的缺陷有很多，有些比较严重，有些不严重。这里所说的缺陷是头脑或身体上的缺陷，252和253节中所提到的那些原因。因为这些缺陷会令人难堪，夫妇双方都保守着秘密。同时还有相关法律保护着个人的一些隐私是不能被轻意泄露的。这方面的缺陷还有男人引以为荣的性能力。
显然，在以上情节中，会为了避免难堪而产生虚假的爱或友谊。
288. (xvii) They are intended to excuse faults and so to avoid ill-repute.
The faults which make couples fear ill-repute are many, some serious, and some not. There are the faults of mind and body less serious than those listed in the last chapter (252-253) as reasons for separation. So here we mean the faults which the other partner keeps quiet about for fear of ill-repute. As well as these there is also in some cases the possibility of charges which, if made public, would incur legal penalties. Not to mention the failure of virility, which men are so prone to boast about. It is obvious without further proof that excusing such faults to avoid ill-repute is a reason for pretending love and friendship with one's partner.
288. 17. They are adopted in order to have one's flaws excused, and thus to avoid disgrace. Flaws which cause married partners to fear disgrace are of many kinds, some serious, some not so serious. By flaws we mean flaws of the mind and flaws of the body of less consequence than the impairments listed as reasons for separation in the previous chapter (nos. 252, 253). What we mean, therefore, are flaws which, because of their disgraceful nature, are kept quiet by the other partner. Besides these, in some cases there are inadvertent violations of the law, which would be subject to legal penalties if they were divulged. Also the loss of a man's sexual readiness, which is something men ordinarily pride themselves on.
It is apparent without need of further substantiation that to have flaws of this kind excused in order to avoid disgrace is reason for a person's simulating love and friendship in his relations with his partner.
288. 17. Pretenses help the partners excuse faults that might damage one's reputation. Married partners fear a bad reputation for various faults, some serious and some not. There are flaws of the mind and of the body that are less serious than the ones listed in the previous chapter (nos. 252,253) as the causes of separation. Here we mean flaws that the other married partner bears in silence to avoid disgrace. Besides these, some people have committed crimes that would be punishable by law if everyone knew. Not to mention lack of the potency that men ordinarily take pride in. There is no need to explain that people pretend love and friendship with a married partner in order to be excused flaws like these and avoid disgrace.
288. XVII. THAT THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF THE EXCUSING OF BLEMISHES AND THE AVOIDING OF ILL-REPUTE THEREFROM. The blemishes on account of which married partners fear ill-repute are numerous, some serious and some not serious. They are blemishes of the mind and blemishes of the body less grievous than those enumerated in a former chapter (nos. 252, 253) as causes of separation. Therefore the blemishes here meant are blemishes which are suppressed in silence by the other partner in order to avoid ill-repute. Besides these, with some there are past crimes which, if divulged, would be subject to legal punishment; not to speak of a lack in that abundance of which men are wont to boast. That the excusing of such blemishes for the avoidance of ill-repute is a reason for simulating love and friendship with a married partner, is manifest without further confirmation.
288. (xvii) They are for the sake of excusing blemishes and so to avoid ill-repute. There are numerous blemishes, some serious, and some not serious, on account of which partners fear ill-repute. Among them are blemishes of mind and body less serious than those causes of separation enumerated in an earlier chapter (nn. 252, 253). These blemishes, meant here, are such as are suffered in silence by the other partner to avoid ill-repute. Besides these, there are occasional offenses which, if divulged, would be subject to legal penalties; to say nothing of the lack of that ability in which men ordinarily glory. It is manifest without further confirmation that the overlooking of such faults in order to avoid ill-repute involves a partner in simulation of love and friendship.
288. (17) That they are for the sake of having blemishes excused, and thus for avoidance of disrepute. The blemishes on account of which married partners fear disrepute are numerous, some serious, and some not serious. There are blemishes of the mind and blemishes of the body less grievous than those enumerated in a former chapter (n. 252, 253), which are causes of separation. The blemishes meant here, therefore, are those that are borne in silence by the other married partner, to avoid disgrace. Besides with some there are incidental offences which would be subject to penalties of the law if divulged, not to speak of defect of the ability in which men are wont to glory. That excusings of such blemishes, for the avoidance of disgrace, are causes of simulation of love and friendship with a married partner, is manifest without further confirmation.
288. XVII: Quod sint propter excusationes naevorum, et inde evitationes infamiae. Naevi, propter quos conjuges timent infamiam, sunt plures, quidam sontici, et quidam non sontici; sunt naevi mentis, et naevi corporis leviores enumeratis in Capite priori,252 et 253, quae causae separationis sunt; quare intelliguntur naevi, qui propter infamiam ab altero conjuge silentio premuntur: praeter hos, apud aliquos sunt contingentia crimina, quae poenis legis, si evulgarentur, subjecta sunt; ut taceatur defectus copiae, ex qua viri ex solito gloriantur. Quod talium excusationes ad evitandum infamiam, sint causae simulationis amoris et amicitiae cum conjuge, absque ulteriore confirmatione, patet.