作者
弗朗西斯·培根(1561----1626),英國哲學家、作家。着有《随筆》《新工具》等。
原文·
FrancisBacon
Studiesservefordelight,forornament,andforability.Theirchiefusefordelight,isinprivatenessandretiring;forornament,isindiscourse;andforability,isinthejudgmentanddispositionofbusiness.
Forexpertandexecute,andperhapsjudgeofparticulars,onebyone;butthegeneralcounsels,andtheplotsandmarshallingofaffairs,comebestformthosethatarelearned.Tospendtoomuchtimeinstudiesissloth;tousethemtoomuchforornament,isaffectation;tomakejudgementwhollybytheirrules,isthehumourofascholar.
Theyperfectnature,andareperfectedbyexperience:fornaturalabilitiesarelikenaturalplants,thatneedproyningbystudy;andstudiesthemselvesdogiveforthdirectionstoomuchatlarge,excepttheybeboundedinbyexperience.
Craftymencontemnstudies,simplemenadmirethem,andwisemenusethem;fortheyteachnottheirownuse;butthatisawisdomwithoutthem,andabovethem,wonbyobservation.
Readnottocontradictandconfute;nortobelieveandtakeforgranted;nortofindtalkanddiscourse;buttoweighandconsider.
Somebooksaretobetasted,otherstobeswallowed,andsomefewtobechewedanddigested;thatis,somebooksaretobereadonlyinparts;otherstoberead,butnotcuriously;andsomefewtobereadwholly,andwithdiligenceandattention.Somebooksalsomaybereadbydeputy,andextractsmadeofthembyothers;butthatwouldbeonlyinthelessimportantarguments,andthemeanersortofbooks;elsedistilledbooksare,likecommondistilledwaters,flashythings.
Readingmakethafullman;conferenceareadyman;andwritinganexactman.Andtherefore,ifamanwritelittle,hehadneedhaveagreatmemory;ifheconferlittle,hehadneedhaveapresentwit;andifhereadlittle,hehadneedhavemuchcunning,toseemtoknowthathedothnot.
Historiesmakemenwise;poetswitty;themathematicssubtile;naturalphilosophydeep;moralgrave;logicandrhetoricabletocontend.Abeuntstudiainmorse.
Naythereisnostandorimpedimentinthewit,butmaybewroughtoutbyfitstudies:likeasdiseasesofthebodymayhaveappropriateexercises.Bowlingisgoodforthestoneandreins;shootingforthelungsandbreast;gentlewalkingforthestomach;ridingforthehead;andthelike.Soifaman'switbewandering,lethimstudythemathematics;forindemonstrations,ifhiswitbecalledawayneversolittle,hemustbeginagain.Ifhiswitbenotapttodistinguishorfinddifferences,lethimstudytheschoolmen;fortheyarecyminisectores.Ifhebenotapttobeatovermatters,andtocalluponethingtoproveandillustrateanother,lethimstudythelawyers'cases.Soeverydefectofthemindmayhaveaspecialreceipt.
譯文
王佐良譯
讀書足以怡情,足以傅彩,足以長才。其怡情也,最見于獨處幽居之時;其傅彩也,最見于高談闊論之中;其長才也,最見于處世判事之際。練達之士雖能分别處理細事或一一判别枝節,然縱觀統籌,全局策劃,則舍好學深思者莫屬。讀書費時過多易惰,文采藻飾太盛則矯,全憑條文斷事乃學究故态。讀書補天然之不足,經驗又補讀書之不足,蓋天生才幹猶如自然花草,讀書然後知如何修剪移接,而書中所示,如不以經驗範之,則又大而無當。有一技之長者鄙讀書,無知者羨讀書,唯明智之士用讀書,然書并不以用處告人,用書之智不在書中,而在書外,全憑觀察得之。
讀書時不可存心诘難讀者,不可盡信書上所言,亦不可隻為尋章摘句,而應推敲細思。書有可淺嘗者,有可吞食者,少數則須咀嚼消化。換言之,有隻需讀其部分者,有隻須大體涉獵者,少數則須全讀,讀時須全神貫注,孜孜不倦。書亦可請人代讀,取其所作摘要,但隻限題材較次或價值不高者,否則書經提煉猶如水經蒸餾,淡而無味。讀書使人充實,讨論使人機智,筆記使人準确。因此不常做筆記者須記憶力特強,不常讨論者須天生聰穎,不常讀書者須欺世有術,始能無知而顯有知。
讀史使人明智,讀詩使人靈秀,數學使人周密,科學使人深刻,倫理學使人莊重,邏輯修辭之學使人善辯;凡有所學,皆成性格。人之才智但有滞礙,無不可讀适當之書使之順暢,一如身體百病,皆可借相宜之運動除之。滾球利睾腎,射箭利胸肺,慢步利腸胃,騎術利頭腦,諸如此類。如智力不集中,可令讀數學,蓋演題需全神貫注,稍有分散即須重演;如不能辯異,可令讀經院哲學,蓋是輩皆吹毛求疵之人;如不善求同,不善以一物闡證另一物,可令讀律師之案卷。如此頭腦中凡有缺陷,皆有特效可醫。