英语名篇诵读 智者的忠告（在线收听）

The Counsel of the Wise

智者的忠告

Thomas Carlyle(托马斯·卡莱尔)

As to the books which you — whom I know so little of — should read, there is hardly

anything definite that can be said. For one thing, you may be strenuously advised to keep

reading. Any good book, any book that is wiser than yourself, will teach you something — a great

many things, indirectly and directly, if your mind be open to learn. This old counsel of Johnson's

is also good, and universally applicable: “Read the book you do honestly feel a wish and

curiosity to read.” The very wish and curiosity indicates that you, then and there, are the person

likely to get good of it. “Our wishes are presentiments of our capabilities;” that is a noble

saying, of deep encouragement to all true men; applicable to our wishes and efforts in regard to

reading as to other things. Among all the objects that look wonderful or beautiful to you, follow

with fresh hope the one which looks wonderfullest, beautifullest. You will gradually find, by

various trials, what is for you the wonderfullest, beautifullest — what is your true element and

province, and be able to profit by that.

Another thing, and only one other, I will say. All books are properly the record of the history

of past men — what thoughts past men had in them — what actions past men did: the summary

of all books whatsoever lies there. It is on this ground that the class of books specifically named

History can be safely recommended as the basis of all study of books — the preliminary to all

right and full understanding of anything we can expect to find in books. Past history, and

especially the past history of one's own native country, everybody may be advised to begin with

that. Let him study that faithfully; innumerable inquiries will branch out from it; he has a

broad-beaten highway, from which all the country is more or less visible; there travelling, let him

choose where he will dwell.

Neither let mistakes and wrong directions — of which every man, in his studies and

elsewhere, falls into many — discourage you. There is precious instruction to be got by finding

that we are wrong. Let a man try faithfully, manfully , to be right, he will grow daily more and

more right. It is, at bottom, the condition which all men have to cultivate themselves. Our very

walking is an incessant falling — a falling and a catching of ourselves before we come actually

to the pavement!  — it is emblematic of all things a man does.

In conclusion, I will remind you that it is not by books alone, or by books chiefly, that a man

becomes in all points a man. Study to do faithfully whatsoever thing in your actual situation, there

and now, you find either expressly or tacitly laid to your charge; that is your post; stand in it like

a true soldier. Silently devour the many chagrins of it, as all human situations have many; and

see your aim, not to quit it without doing all that it, at least, required of you. A man perfects

himself by work much more than by reading. They are a growing kind of men that can wisely

combine the two things — wisely, valiantly, can do what is laid to their hand in their present

sphere, and prepare themselves withal for doing other wider things, if such lie before them.

至于那些你应该读的书，因为对你知之甚少，我几乎没有什么肯定的话可以说。首

先，建议你坚持不懈地读书。任何好书，任何一本由比你更聪明的人写的书，都会教给你

一些东西——许多东西，或直接，或间接，如果你虚怀若谷的话。约翰逊的这条古老忠告

依然有用，放之四海皆准：“读你确定觉得想读并感到好奇的书。”那强烈的愿望和好奇心

表明，彼时彼地，你可能就是从书中受益的人。“我们的愿望是我们能力的预感。”这是一

句名言，对所有真正的人都是个巨大的鼓励，也适用于我们在读书和其他事情上的愿望和

努力。在那些在你看来奇妙美丽的事物中，满怀希望地去追求看上去最奇妙最美丽的那一

个。经过多次尝试，你会渐渐发现什么对你来说才是最奇妙的、最美好的——你的强项和

领域，从而从中受益。

其次，也是我唯一要说的另一点。所有的书都是过去人类的历史记录——先人的思想

——先人的所作所为：所有书的要义都在那里。正是基于这个原因，称为历史的那类书，

大可以推荐为对书籍进行各种研究的基础——所有正确并充分理解我们期望在书中找到的

任何东西的前提。过往的历史，尤其是本国的历史，建议每个人可以先开始读起来。认真

研读，无数探索将从中展开；读历史的人会有一条康庄大道，在那里，无边景色或多或少

都可收入眼前，在那里漫游，可随意栖居。

不要为误入歧途和迷失方向——在研究中和在其他方面，每个人都会多次犯错——而

灰心丧气。发现我们错了，就能汲取宝贵的教益。一个人如能忠实而勇敢地追求正确，他

就会日益正确起来。实际上，对每一个自修的人来说都是如此。走路就是不断跌倒的过

程，跌倒了却能在身体着地前及时救起自己，这就是人们一切作为的象征。

最后，我要提醒你，不是仅靠书，或者主要靠书，一个人才成为一个完整的人。现实

生活中的任何事情，不管是明确的或是不言明的，同属责有攸归，都应脚踏实地地去做；

那是你的岗位，要像真正的战士那样坚守它。默默地吞下生活中的苦果，因为所有的人都

苦恼多多，在为你的本职尽力之前，万勿心存放弃之念。一个人要完善自己，工作的作用

大于读书。越来越多的人能够明智地把读书和工作结合起来——明智而果敢，能够做好手

头上的事务，而且又为做更加宏伟的事业——如果前面有的话——做好准备。