Of Studies

STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. (讀書(shū)可以作為消遣，可以作為裝飾，也可以增長(zhǎng)才干。) Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business. (孤獨(dú)寂寞時(shí)，閱讀可以消遣。高談闊論時(shí)，知識(shí)可供裝飾。處世行事時(shí)，知識(shí)意味著才干。)
   For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best, from those that are learned. (有實(shí)際經(jīng)驗(yàn)的人雖能夠處理個(gè)別性的事務(wù)，但若要綜觀整體，運(yùn)籌全局，卻唯有學(xué)識(shí)淵博的人方能辦到。)

 To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar.( 讀書(shū)太慢的人易惰，為裝潢而讀書(shū)是做作，完全按照書(shū)本斷事則是學(xué)究故態(tài)。) They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning, by study; (求知可以改進(jìn)人性，而經(jīng)驗(yàn)又可以改進(jìn)知識(shí)本身。人的天性猶如野生的花草，求知學(xué)習(xí)好比修剪移栽。) and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. (學(xué)問(wèn)雖能指引方向，但往往流于淺泛，必須依靠經(jīng)驗(yàn)才能扎下根基。) Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. (有一技之長(zhǎng)者輕鄙學(xué)問(wèn)，愚魯者羨慕學(xué)問(wèn)，聰明者則運(yùn)用學(xué)問(wèn)。知識(shí)本身并沒(méi)有告訴人怎樣運(yùn)用它，運(yùn)用的智慧在于書(shū)本之外。這是技藝，不體驗(yàn)就學(xué)不到。)   Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. (讀書(shū)時(shí)不可存心詰難作者，不可盡信書(shū)上所言，亦不可只為尋章摘句，而應(yīng)推敲細(xì)思。)  Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; (書(shū)籍好比食品。有些只須淺嘗，有些可以吞咽，只有少數(shù)需要仔細(xì)咀嚼，慢慢品味。) that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. (所以，有的書(shū)只要讀其中一部分，有的書(shū)只須知其梗概，而對(duì)于少數(shù)好書(shū)，則應(yīng)當(dāng)通讀，細(xì)讀，反復(fù)讀。) Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them bothers; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things. (有的書(shū)可以請(qǐng)人代讀，然后看他的筆記摘要就行了。但這只應(yīng)限于不太重要的議論和質(zhì)量粗劣的書(shū)。否則一本書(shū)將像已被蒸餾過(guò)的水，變得淡而無(wú)味了。 )

 

  Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. (讀書(shū)使人充實(shí)，討論使人機(jī)敏，寫(xiě)作則能使人精確。) And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory;(因此，如果一個(gè)人懶于動(dòng)筆，他的記憶力就必須強(qiáng)而可靠。)if he confer little, he had need have a present wit； (如果一個(gè)人要孤獨(dú)探索，他的頭腦就必須格外銳利。) And if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not.(如果有人不讀書(shū)又想冒充博學(xué)多知，他就必須很狡黠，才能掩人耳目。)

 

 

Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. In one word, knowledge can mould one’s character. (讀史使人明智，讀詩(shī)使人聰慧，學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)使人精密，自然哲學(xué)使人深刻，倫理學(xué)使人莊重，邏輯修辭使人善辯?？傊爸R(shí)能塑造人的性格”。)

 

 

（培根是16-17世紀(jì)的人，所以他的英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法有些不符合現(xiàn)代標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的語(yǔ)法，如if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not.）

 

 

培根的《論讀書(shū)》主要談?wù)摿俗x書(shū)的益處。圍繞這一中心話題，又談了讀書(shū)要與經(jīng)驗(yàn)相補(bǔ)，要講究讀書(shū)的方法，要根據(jù)不同的性格和需要做不同的選擇等相關(guān)的問(wèn)題。

 

 

讀書(shū)方法：some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. (所以，有的書(shū)只要讀其中一部分，有的書(shū)只須知其梗概，而對(duì)于少數(shù)好書(shū)，則應(yīng)當(dāng)通讀，細(xì)讀，反復(fù)讀。)

 

 

讀書(shū)的三種功用：Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. (讀書(shū)足以怡情，足以矯飾，足以長(zhǎng)才。)

怡情——使人即使獨(dú)處幽居也可不失生活的情趣。

矯飾——使人善于言辯或烘托氣氛。

長(zhǎng)才——?jiǎng)t使人圓觀周覽，于待人接物、進(jìn)業(yè)更加精熟完滿。

 

 

   英國(guó)文學(xué)史魯賓斯坦評(píng)說(shuō)道：“培根是寫(xiě)作隨筆的高手。他的文章不受個(gè)人感情支配，具有公正超脫的格調(diào)。他與讀者的思想建立直接聯(lián)系，超過(guò)了他以前的十五代人。他的思想從來(lái)都不是抽象的（即不難理解，但不是靠看字面意思），而且永遠(yuǎn)是具體鮮活的東西。他的隨筆，篇篇言簡(jiǎn)意賅，富于變化，每次捧讀，都使人不由自主地被吸引。文章中充滿靈感的常理，迄今仍然是經(jīng)得起時(shí)間考驗(yàn)的現(xiàn)代人實(shí)用智慧的豐碑之一，理解了它可以用來(lái)改選世界。

 

 

總之，《論讀書(shū)》宛如一個(gè)睿智的世故老人對(duì)自己晚輩的諄諄教誨，平易近人而不故弄玄虛。

培根的文字是一種優(yōu)美而莊嚴(yán)的韻律，給感情以動(dòng)人的美感。如本文中的“Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. (讀書(shū)使人充實(shí)，討論使人機(jī)敏，寫(xiě)作則能使人精確。)”；“ Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. (讀史使人明智，讀詩(shī)使人聰慧，學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)使人精密，自然哲學(xué)使人深刻，倫理學(xué)使人莊重，邏輯修辭使人善辯。)”他的論述中有超人的智慧和哲學(xué)，給人以深刻的啟迪。