Áåçóñëîâíî, î ïðè÷èíàõ îñòåðâåíåíèÿ, ñ êîòîðûì âñå ïåðåâîä÷èêè ìèðà èñêàæàþò âåëè÷àéøèé è ãëóáî÷àéøèé ñìûñë ñîíåòà 26 Â.Øåêñïèðà, íàäî áûëî áû ñïðîñèòü ó ñàìèõ ýòèõ ïåðåâîä÷èêîâ. Íî, óâû, «îäíèõ óæ íåò, à òå äàëå÷å». Ïîýòîìó î ïðè÷èíàõ ýòèõ ïðèõîäèòñÿ òîëüêî äîãàäûâàòüñÿ. Ïðè ýòîì, åñòåñòâåííî, ó óñîïøèõ ïåðåâîä÷èêîâ — «Î ìåðòâûõ èëè õîðîøî, èëè íè÷åãî» — ñëåäóåò ñðàçó æå èñêëþ÷èòü çëîé óìûñåë.
È â òàêîì ñëó÷àå íå îñòàåòñÿ íè÷åãî èíîãî, êàê ïîèñêàòü âîçìîæíóþ ïðè÷èíó îòìå÷åííîãî îñòåðâåíåíèÿ â òåêñòå ñàìîãî ñîíåòà.
Ïåðâûå âîñåìü ñòðîê åãî íàïèñàíû Â.Øåêñïèðîì òàê:
Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage
Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit,
To thee I send this written embassage,
To witness duty, not to show my wit:
Duty so great, which wit so poor as mine
May make seem bare, in wanting words to show it,
But that I hope some good conceit of thine
In thy soul's thought, all naked, will bestow it…