第四册第2篇：论读书

2. of study 论读书
By Francis Bacon 培根

Studies serve for delight, for ornament¹, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse²; and for ability, is in the judgment³ and disposition⁴ of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshaling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth⁵; to use them too much for ornament is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience; for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning⁶ by study; and studies themselves do give forth⁷ directions too much at large, except they the bounded in by experience. Crafty⁸ men contemn⁹ 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. Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. 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 curiously¹⁰; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy and extracts made of them by others, but that would be only in the less important arguments and the meaner sort of books; else distilled¹¹ books are like common distilled waters, flashy tings. Reading maketh a full man, conferences a ready man, and writing an exact man. 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 more cunning, to seem to know that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets, witty¹²; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep, moral, grave; logic¹³ and rhetoric¹⁴, able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores¹⁵. Nay¹⁶, there is no stond or impediment in the wit but may be wrought¹⁷ out by fit studies, like as disease of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling¹⁸ is good for the stone and reins¹⁹, shooting for the lungs and breast, gentle walking for the stomach, riding for the head, and the like. So if a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations²⁰, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen, for they are cymini sectores. If he be not apt to beat over matters and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate²¹ another, let him study the lawyer's cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.

中文译文：
读书可以得到乐趣，获得文采，学会本领。乐趣的主要用处在于私人独处的生活；文采的主要用处在于和人谈话；本领的用处主要在于判断是非和处理事务。有经验的人能够办事，或许也能够判断个别的问题；但是有学问的人才能最能提供有普遍意义的忠告，并擘划和调度众多的事务。花太多的时间去读书是懒惰的做法；过多地注意文采会地做作；纯粹按书中的教条去评断则是读书人的毛病。读书可以完善天性，而经验可以使读书人完善。因为天性就像自然成长的树，需要由学问去剪修，而单靠书本指出的方向又太无边际，除非由经验加以范围和约束。自以为聪明的人看不起学问，幼稚的人崇拜学问；而明智的人则利用学问，因为学问本身并不教会运用学问的方法，而学问之外和之上存在着一种智慧，要靠注意观察去赢得。读书的目的不应是为了反对和驳倒对方，不应是为了深信不疑，也不应是为了寻找谈话资料和词藻，而应是为了权衡和考虑。有些书是供浅尝的，有些书可供吞咽的，而有少数的书则需咀嚼和消化；换言之，有些书只需择其部分去阅读，有些书不需细读，而有少数的书则需全读，而且专心细读。有些书还可以由人代读，即读旁人作的节录，但这只适用于次要的论点和较平庸的书；否则压缩本像通俗的蒸馏饮料一样，华而不实。读书使人充实，交谈使人能应对，写作使人确切。因此，一个人如果不写，他就需要记住很多东西；如果不和人交谈，他就需要天笺机智；如果不读书，他就需要更狡猾，能够假装知道他所不知道的东西。历史书使人明智；诗歌使人富于想象；数学使人精细；自然哲学使人深沉、有道德、严肃；逻辑和修辞学命名人善于辩论。读书增进礼貌。才智方面的困难和障碍无不可以通过适当的读书加以解决，正像身体的疾病可以通过适当的运动加以治疗。保龄球可治胆囊和肾结石，射击有益于肺和胸，散步有益于胃，骑马有益于头部，如此等等。所以如果一个人的智力芜漫，让他学习数学；因为在演算过程中只要他的心神稍有走失，他就必须从头来过。如果他的智力不能区别或找到差异，让他学习神学家，因为他们善于分辨毫厘之差。如果他不能研讨问题，举出一事来例证另一事，让他学习律师的案例。这样，心智的每一种毛病都可以有特别的疗法。

作者简介：
培根（1561－1626）是英国文艺复兴后期一个多方面的学者。他出生贵族之家，毕业于剑桥大学，入选议员，从事法律，受封男爵，荣任大法官。但他趋炎附势，政治态度多变，执法不公，最后被黜。他喜爱科学，提出“知识本身就是权力”的论点和新的求知方法，主张从实验结果中归纳真理。这一点对英国乃至世界科学发展均有贡献。他用英语写短篇散文起初系受法国蒙田（Montaigne)的影响，后深受读者欢迎，遂继续写作，于1597年、1612年和1625年出版过三集。他的散文多论述性，思路清晰，修辞讲究，多警句，通人情世故。

1 ornament   

v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
• She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。

2 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

3 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

4 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

5 sloth   

n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散

参考例句：

• Absence of competition makes for sloth.没有竞争会导致懒惰。
• The sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down from the branches.大部分时间里树懒都是倒挂在树枝上。

6 pruning   

n.修枝，剪枝，修剪v.修剪（树木等）( prune的现在分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分

参考例句：

• In writing an essay one must do a lot of pruning. 写文章要下一番剪裁的工夫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A sapling needs pruning, a child discipline. 小树要砍，小孩要管。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 crafty   

adj.狡猾的，诡诈的

参考例句：

• He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。
• He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

9 contemn   

v.蔑视

参考例句：

• The wicked contemn God.恶人轻侮上帝。
• I contemn the people who treat children so cruelly.我蔑视如此虐待孩子的人。

10 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

11 distilled   

adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华

参考例句：

• The televised interview was distilled from 16 hours of film. 那次电视采访是从16个小时的影片中选出的精华。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gasoline is distilled from crude oil. 汽油是从原油中提炼出来的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

13 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

14 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

15 mores   

n.风俗，习惯，民德，道德观念

参考例句：

• The mores of that village are hard to believe.那村子的习俗让人难以置信。
• We advocate a harmonious society where corruption is swept away,and social mores are cleared.我们提倡弊绝风清，建设一个和谐社会。

16 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

17 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

18 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

19 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

20 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

21 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。