张冲注译的《道德情操论/大学生英语文库》是亚当·斯密的代表作之一（另一个代表作就是大名鼎鼎的《国富论》），《道德情操论》从人的基本天性出发，详尽阐述了人的道德、情感等现象的来源，从这一点上，这本书与中国古代的"性善论"的观点是基本一致的，只不过其内容更全面，逻辑更为严谨。想要初步了解本书内容的朋友，可以看看易中天老师的《先秦诸子百家争鸣》视频，其中部分渗透了本书思想。

亚当·斯密(1723—1790)是英国著名的哲学家和经济学家，出生于苏格兰，并且在格拉斯哥和牛津大学接受教育。1759年，斯密的第一本重要著作《道德情操论》发表。1776年，斯密最享有盛名的代表作《国富论》(The Wealth of Nations)诞生，使他成为了西方经济学领域第一个从严肃而系统的理论角度来研究资本的本质，以及分析欧洲国家的工业和商业发展的人。1787年，斯密被任命为格拉斯哥大学的校长。

张冲注译的《道德情操论/大学生英语文库》一书是亚当·斯密在担任格拉斯哥大学逻辑学教授和道德哲学教授时，根据其讲稿进行总结、提炼与改编而成的作品。该著作为普通的道德体系奠定了基础，并且在此后的道德伦理和政治思想的历史发展中占据了中心地位。本书在一定程度上是对大卫·休谟(David Hume)(1711—1776)的哲学体系的一种继承和发展。在书中，斯密通过分析与阐述一个公正的旁观者的同情心与思维构造，形成了自身独具特色的道德情操、道德判断，以及美德等的理论体系。此著作经久不衰的生命力在于：它重构了启蒙运动时期对道德、社会、科学等影响政治经济学、法律，以及政府理论的观点。

Part One Of the PROPRIETY of ACTION

 SECTION I Of the SENSE of PROPRIETY

 CHAPTER I Of SYMPATHY

 CHAPTER 2 Of the Pleasure of mutual Sympathy

 CHAPTER 3 Of the manner in which we judge of the

 propriety or impropriety of the Affections of

 other Men, by their concord or dissonance

 with our own

 CHAPTER 4 The same subject continued

 CHAPTER 5 Of the amiable and respectable virtues

 SECTION II Of the Degrees of the differeat Passions which

 are consistent with Propriety

 CHAPTER 1 Of the Passions which take their origin

 from the body

 CHAPTER 2 Of those Passions which take their origin

 from a particular turn or habit of the

 Imagination

 CHAPTER 3 Of the unsocial Passions

 CHAPTER 4 Of the social Passions

 CHAPTER 5 Of the selfish Passions

 SECTION III Of the Effects of Prosperity and Adversity

 upon the Judgement of Mankind with regard

 to the Propriety of Action; and why it is

 more easy to obtain their Approbation in the

 one state than in the other

 CHAPTER 1 That though our sympathy with sorrow is

 generally a more lively sensation than our

 sympathy with joy, it commonly falls much

 more short of the violence of what is natu-

 rally felt by the person principally concerned

 CHAPTER 2 Of the origin of Ambition, and of the dis-

 tinction of Ranks

 CHAPTER 3 Of the corruption of our moral sentiments,

 which is occasioned by this disposition to

 admire the rich and the great, and to de-

 spise or neglect persons of poor and mean

 condition

Part Two Of MERIT and DEMERIT; or of the Objects

 of REWARD and PUNISHMENT

 SECTION I Of the SENSE of MERIT and DEMERIT

 CHAPTER 1 That whatever appears to be the proper ob-

 ject of gratitude appears to deserve reward;

 and that, in the same manner, whatever ap-

 pears to be the proper object of resentment,

 appears to deserve punishment

 CHAPTER 2 Of the proper objects of gratitude and resentment

 CHAPTER 3 That where there is no approbation of the con-

Part Three of the Foundation of Our Judgments Concerning Our Own Sentiments and Conduct, and of the Sense of Duty

Part Four of the Effect of Utility Upon the Sentiment of Approbation

Part Six Of the Character of Virtue

Part Seven Of Systems of Moral Philosophy