Of Studies

STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. (讀書可以作為消遣，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.( 讀書太慢的人易惰，為裝潢而讀書是做作，完全按照書本斷事則是學(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，愚魯者羨慕學(xué)問，聰明者則運(yùn)用學(xué)問。知識(shí)本身并沒有告訴人怎樣運(yùn)用它，運(yùn)用的智慧在于書本之外。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. (讀書時(shí)不可存心詰難作者，不可盡信書上所言，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，有的書只要讀其中一部分，有的書只須知其梗概，而對(duì)于少數(shù)好書，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。否則一本書將像已被蒸餾過的水，變得淡而無味了。 )

 

  Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. (讀書使人充實(shí)，討論使人機(jī)敏，寫作則能使人精確。) 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。總之，“知識(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》主要談?wù)摿俗x書的益處。圍繞這一中心話題，又談了讀書要與經(jīng)驗(yàn)相補(bǔ)，要講究讀書的方法，要根據(jù)不同的性格和需要做不同的選擇等相關(guān)的問題。

 

 

讀書方法：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，有的書只要讀其中一部分，有的書只須知其梗概，而對(duì)于少數(shù)好書，則應(yīng)當(dāng)通讀，細(xì)讀，反復(fù)讀。)

 

 

讀書的三種功用：Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. (讀書足以怡情，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)說道：“培根是寫作隨筆的高手。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，超過了他以前的十五代人。他的思想從來都不是抽象的（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，理解了它可以用來改選世界。

 

 

總之，《論讀書》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. (讀書使人充實(shí)，討論使人機(jī)敏，寫作則能使人精確。)”；“ 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。