The world is a den of thieves, and night is falling. Soon it will be the hour for robbers and murderers… Therefore let us be happy while we are happy, let us be kind, generious, affectionate and good. Therefore it is necessary…to take pleasures in the little world: good food, gentle similes, fruit trees in bloom, and waltzes.

出自英瑪褒曼(Ingmar Bergman)的名片《芬尼與亞力山大》(Fanny and Alexander)。據說吳靄儀在她的信箋上用上了這段文字。

人間是匪窟賊窩,夜色漸漸深沉。強盜兇手轉眼就要來了‧‧‧所以,開心的時候且盡情開心。我們都要寬容,要慷慨,要體貼,要好心。在這沾親帶故的小世界裡,樂趣當然是有的:可口的飲食,溫柔的微笑,茂盛的果樹,還有那翩翩躚躚的幾曲圓舞。

董橋的翻譯,見《英華沉浮錄第三卷:蕩漾著優越感的語文》(1996)〈吳靄儀的信箋〉一文。董橋解說,原文的「little world」是指電影中戲班圈子裡的親朋戚友。「吳靄儀從政兼做大律師,感觸自然不少,便箋上印上這段,也風雅,也深刻,也傷感。」