第 17 条 · 用财产和债务理解正负

The manner in which we generally calculate a person's property, is an apt illustration of what has just been said.

我们平常计算一个人的财产，就是刚才所说内容的恰当例子。

For we denote what a man really possesses by positive numbers, using, or understanding the sign +; whereas his debts are represented by negative numbers, or by using the sign -.

一个人真正拥有的东西，我们用正数表示，也就是使用或默认 + 号；他的债务则用负数表示，也就是使用 - 号。

Thus, when it is said of any one that he has 100 crowns, but owes 50, this means that his real possession amounts to 100 - 50; or, which is the same thing, +100 - 50, that is to say, 50.

所以，如果说某人有 100 克朗，却欠 50 克朗，这表示他的实际财产是 100 - 50；也就是 +100 - 50，结果为 50。