精美英文欣赏:论读书(在线收听

Of Studies

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。

Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring;

其怡情也,最见于独处幽居之时;

for ornament, is in discourse;

其傅彩也,最见于高谈阔论之中;

and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business.

其长才也,最见于处世判事之际。

Read not to contradict and confute;

读书时不可存心诘难作者,

nor to believe and take for granted;

不可尽信书上所言,

nor to find talk and discourse;

亦不可职位寻章摘句;

but to weigh and consider.

而应推敲细思。

Some books are to be tasted,

书有可浅尝者,

others to be swallowed,

有可吞食者,

and some few to be chewed and digested;

少数则须咀嚼消化。

that is, some books are to be read only in parts;

换言之,有只需读其部分者,

others to be read, but not curiously;

有只须大体涉猎者,

and some few to be read wholly,

少数则须全读,

and with diligence and attention.

读时须全神贯注,孜孜不倦。

Some books also may be read by deputy,

书亦可请人代读,

and extracts made of them by others;

取其所作摘要,

but that would be only in the less important arguments,

但只限题材较次或价值不高者,

and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things.

否则书经提炼犹如水经蒸馏,淡而无味。

Reading maketh a full man;

读书使人充实,

conference a ready man;

讨论使人机智,

and writing an exact man.

笔记使人准确。

And therefore, if a man write little,he had need have a great memory;

因此不常做笔记者须记忆力特强,

if he confer little, he had need have a present wit;

不常讨论者须天生聪颖,

and if he read little, he had need have much cunning,

不常读书者须欺世有术,

to seem to know that he doth not.

始能无知而显有知。

Histories make men wise;

读史使人明智,

poets witty;

读诗使人灵秀,

the mathematics subtile;

数学使人周密,

natural philosophy deep; moral grave;

科学使人深刻,伦理学使人庄重,

logic and rhetoric able to contend.

逻辑修辞之学使人善辩;

Abeunt studia in mores.

凡有所学,皆成性格。

Nay there is no stand or impediment in the wit,but may be wrought out by fit studies:

人之才智但有滞碍,无不可读适当之书使之顺畅,

like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises.

一如身体百病,皆可借相宜之运动除之。

Bowling is good for the stone and reins;

滚球利睾肾,

shooting for the lungs and breast;

射箭利胸肺,

gentle walking for the stomach;

慢步利肠胃,

riding for the head; and the like.

骑术利头脑,诸如此类。

So if a man's wit be wandering,

如智力不集中,

let him study the mathematics;

可令读数学,

for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little,he must begin again.

盖演题需全神贯注,稍有分散即须重演;

If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences,let him study the schoolmen;

如不能辩异,可令读经院哲学,

for they are cymini sectores.

盖是辈皆吹毛求疵之人;

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。

So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.

如此头脑中凡有缺陷,皆有特效可医。

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