培根散文隨筆集第50章:Of Studies 論學問(中英對照)
Of Studies 論學問|論讀書
STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.
讀書足以怡情,足以傅彩,足以長才。
讀書為學的用途是娛樂、裝飾和增長才識。
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。
在娛樂上學問的主要的用處是幽居養靜;在裝飾上學問的用處是辭令;在長才上學問的用處是對于事務的判斷和處理。
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.
練達之士雖能分別處理細事或一一判別枝節,然縱觀統籌、全局策劃,則舍好學深思者莫屬。
因為富于經驗的人善于實行,也許能夠對個別的事情一件一件地加以判斷;但是最好的有關大體的議論和對事務的計劃與布置,乃是從有學問的人來的。
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.
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態。
在學問上費時過多是偷懶;把學問過于用作裝飾是虛假;完全依學問上的規則而斷事是書生的怪癖。
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.
讀書補天然之不足,經驗又補讀書之不足,蓋天生才干猶如自然花草,讀書然后知如何修剪移接;而書中所示,如不以經驗范之,則又大而無當。
學問鍛煉天性,而其本身又受經驗的鍛煉;蓋人的天賦有如野生的花草,他們需要學問的修剪;而學問的本身,若不受經驗的限制,則其所指示的未免過于籠統。
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。
多詐的人渺視學問,愚魯的人羨慕學問,聰明的人運用學問;因為學問的本身并不教人如何用它們;這種運用之道乃是學問以外,學問以上的一種智能,是由觀察體會才能得到的。
Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.
讀書時不可存心詰難作者,不可盡信書上所言,亦不可只為尋章摘句,而應推敲細思。
不要為了辯駁而讀書,也不要為了信仰與盲從;也不要為了言談與議論;要以能權衡輕重、審察事理為目的。
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.
書有可淺嘗者,有可吞食者,少數則須咀嚼消化。換言之,有只須讀其部分者,有只須大體涉獵者,少數則須全讀,讀時須全神貫注,孜孜不倦。
有些書可供一嘗,有些書可以吞下,有不多的幾部書則應當咀嚼消化;這就是說,有些書只要讀讀他們的一部分就夠了,有些書可以全讀,但是不必過于細心地讀;還有不多的幾部書則應當全讀,勤讀,而且用心地讀。
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.
書亦可請人代讀,取其所作摘要,但只限題材較次或價值不高者,否則書經提煉猶如水經蒸餾、淡而無味矣。
有些書也可以請代表去讀,并且由別人替我作出摘要來;但是這種辦法只適于次要的議論和次要的書籍;否則錄要的書就和蒸餾的水一樣,都是無味的東西。
Reading make a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.
讀書使人充實,討論使人機智,筆記使人準確。
閱讀使人充實,會談使人敏捷,寫作與筆記使人精確。
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.
因此不常作筆記者須記憶特強,不常討論者須天生聰穎,不常讀書者須欺世有術,始能無知而顯有知。
因此,如果一個人寫得很少,那末他就必須有很好的記性;如果他很少與人會談,那么他就必須有很敏捷的機智;并且假如他讀書讀得很少的話,那么他就必須要有很大的狡黠之才,才可以強不知以為知。
Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtitle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores.
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。
史鑒使人明智;詩歌使人巧慧;數學使人精細;博物使人深沉;倫理之學使人莊重;邏輯與修辭使人善辯。“學問變化氣質”。
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.
人之才智但有滯礙,無不可讀適當之書使之順暢,一如身體百病,皆可借相宜之運動除之。
不特如此,精神上的缺陷沒有一種是不能由相當的學問來補救的:就如同肉體上各種的病患都有適當的運動來治療似的。
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.
滾球利睪腎,射箭利胸肺,慢步利腸胃,騎術利頭腦,諸如此類。
踢球有益于結石和腎臟;射箭有益于胸肺;緩步有益于胃;騎馬有益于頭腦;諸如此類。
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,可令讀數學,蓋演題須全神貫注,稍有分散即須重演;
同此,如果一個人心志不專,他頂好研究數學;因為在數學的證理之中,如果他的精神稍有不專,他就非從頭再做不可。
If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectors.
如不能辨異,可令讀經院哲學,蓋是輩皆吹毛求疵之人;
如果他的精神不善于辨別異同,那么他最好研究經院學派的著作,因為這一派的學者是條分縷析的人;
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,不善以一物闡證另一物,可令讀律師之案卷。
如果他不善于推此知彼,旁征博引,他頂好研究律師們的案卷。
So every defect of the mind, may have a special receipt.
如此頭腦中凡有缺陷,皆有特藥可醫。
如此看來,精神上各種的缺陷都可以有一種專門的補救之方了。
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