培根散文随笔集第50章:Of Studies 论学问(中英对照)
Of Studies 论学问|论读书
STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.
读书足以怡情,足以傅彩,足以长才。
读书为学的用途是娱乐、装饰和增长才识。
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.
其怡情也,最见于独处幽居之时;其傅彩也,最见于高谈阔论之中;其长才也,最见于处世判事之际。
在娱乐上学问的主要的用处是幽居养静;在装饰上学问的用处是辞令;在长才上学问的用处是对于事务的判断和处理。
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.
练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节,然纵观统筹、全局策划,则舍好学深思者莫属。
因为富于经验的人善于实行,也许能够对个别的事情一件一件地加以判断;但是最好的有关大体的议论和对事务的计划与布置,乃是从有学问的人来的。
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.
读书费时过多易惰,文采藻饰太盛则矫,全凭条文断事乃学究故态。
在学问上费时过多是偷懒;把学问过于用作装饰是虚假;完全依学问上的规则而断事是书生的怪癖。
They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning, by study; and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.
读书补天然之不足,经验又补读书之不足,盖天生才干犹如自然花草,读书然后知如何修剪移接;而书中所示,如不以经验范之,则又大而无当。
学问锻炼天性,而其本身又受经验的锻炼;盖人的天赋有如野生的花草,他们需要学问的修剪;而学问的本身,若不受经验的限制,则其所指示的未免过于笼统。
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.
有一技之长者鄙读书,无知者羡读书,唯明智之士用读书,然书并不以用处告人,用书之智不在书中,而在书外,全凭观察得之。
多诈的人渺视学问,愚鲁的人羡慕学问,聪明的人运用学问;因为学问的本身并不教人如何用它们;这种运用之道乃是学问以外,学问以上的一种智能,是由观察体会才能得到的。
Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.
读书时不可存心诘难作者,不可尽信书上所言,亦不可只为寻章摘句,而应推敲细思。
不要为了辩驳而读书,也不要为了信仰与盲从;也不要为了言谈与议论;要以能权衡轻重、审察事理为目的。
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; 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.
书有可浅尝者,有可吞食者,少数则须咀嚼消化。换言之,有只须读其部分者,有只须大体涉猎者,少数则须全读,读时须全神贯注,孜孜不倦。
有些书可供一尝,有些书可以吞下,有不多的几部书则应当咀嚼消化;这就是说,有些书只要读读他们的一部分就够了,有些书可以全读,但是不必过于细心地读;还有不多的几部书则应当全读,勤读,而且用心地读。
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.
书亦可请人代读,取其所作摘要,但只限题材较次或价值不高者,否则书经提炼犹如水经蒸馏、淡而无味矣。
有些书也可以请代表去读,并且由别人替我作出摘要来;但是这种办法只适于次要的议论和次要的书籍;否则录要的书就和蒸馏的水一样,都是无味的东西。
Reading make a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.
读书使人充实,讨论使人机智,笔记使人准确。
阅读使人充实,会谈使人敏捷,写作与笔记使人精确。
And therefore, 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.
因此不常作笔记者须记忆特强,不常讨论者须天生聪颖,不常读书者须欺世有术,始能无知而显有知。
因此,如果一个人写得很少,那末他就必须有很好的记性;如果他很少与人会谈,那么他就必须有很敏捷的机智;并且假如他读书读得很少的话,那么他就必须要有很大的狡黠之才,才可以强不知以为知。
Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtitle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores.
读史使人明智,读诗使人灵秀,数学使人周密,科学使人深刻,伦理学使人庄重,逻辑修辞之学使人善辩:凡有所学,皆成性格。
史鉴使人明智;诗歌使人巧慧;数学使人精细;博物使人深沉;伦理之学使人庄重;逻辑与修辞使人善辩。“学问变化气质”。
Nay, there is no stand or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may have appropriate exercises.
人之才智但有滞碍,无不可读适当之书使之顺畅,一如身体百病,皆可借相宜之运动除之。
不特如此,精神上的缺陷没有一种是不能由相当的学问来补救的:就如同肉体上各种的病患都有适当的运动来治疗似的。
Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like.
滚球利睾肾,射箭利胸肺,慢步利肠胃,骑术利头脑,诸如此类。
踢球有益于结石和肾脏;射箭有益于胸肺;缓步有益于胃;骑马有益于头脑;诸如此类。
So if a man/'s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again.
如智力不集中,可令读数学,盖演题须全神贯注,稍有分散即须重演;
同此,如果一个人心志不专,他顶好研究数学;因为在数学的证理之中,如果他的精神稍有不专,他就非从头再做不可。
If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectors.
如不能辨异,可令读经院哲学,盖是辈皆吹毛求疵之人;
如果他的精神不善于辨别异同,那么他最好研究经院学派的著作,因为这一派的学者是条分缕析的人;
If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers/' cases.
如不善求同,不善以一物阐证另一物,可令读律师之案卷。
如果他不善于推此知彼,旁征博引,他顶好研究律师们的案卷。
So every defect of the mind, may have a special receipt.
如此头脑中凡有缺陷,皆有特药可医。
如此看来,精神上各种的缺陷都可以有一种专门的补救之方了。
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