第四冊第2篇：論讀書

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By Francis Bacon 培根

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. 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. 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 sloth; 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 pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they the bounded in by experience. 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. 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 curiously; 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 distilled 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, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep, moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies, like as disease of the body may have appropriate exercises. 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. 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. 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 illustrate another, let him study the lawyer's cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.

中文譯文：

讀書可以得到樂趣，獲得文采，學會本領。樂趣的主要用處在于私人獨處的生活;文采的主要用處在于和人談話;本領的用處主要在于判斷是非和處理事務。有經(jīng)驗的人能夠辦事，或許也能夠判斷個別的問題;但是有學問的人才能最能提供有普遍意義的忠告，并擘劃和調(diào)度眾多的事務?；ㄌ嗟臅r間去讀書是懶惰的做法;過多地注意文采會地做作;純粹按書中的教條去評斷則是讀書人的毛病。讀書可以完善天性，而經(jīng)驗可以使讀書人完善。因為天性就像自然成長的樹，需要由學問去剪修，而單靠書本指出的方向又太無邊際，除非由經(jīng)驗加以范圍和約束。自以為聰明的人看不起學問，幼稚的人崇拜學問;而明智的人則利用學問，因為學問本身并不教會運用學問的方法，而學問之外和之上存在著一種智慧，要靠注意觀察去贏得。讀書的目的不應是為了反對和駁倒對方，不應是為了深信不疑，也不應是為了尋找談話資料和詞藻，而應是為了權衡和考慮。有些書是供淺嘗的，有些書可供吞咽的，而有少數(shù)的書則需咀嚼和消化;換言之，有些書只需擇其部分去閱讀，有些書不需細讀，而有少數(shù)的書則需全讀，而且專心細讀。有些書還可以由人代讀，即讀旁人作的節(jié)錄，但這只適用于次要的論點和較平庸的書;否則壓縮本像通俗的蒸餾飲料一樣，華而不實。讀書使人充實，交談使人能應對，寫作使人確切。因此，一個人如果不寫，他就需要記住很多東西;如果不和人交談，他就需要天箋機智;如果不讀書，他就需要更狡猾，能夠假裝知道他所不知道的東西。歷史書使人明智;詩歌使人富于想象;數(shù)學使人精細;自然哲學使人深沉、有道德、嚴肅;邏輯和修辭學命名人善于辯論。讀書增進禮貌。才智方面的困難和障礙無不可以通過適當?shù)淖x書加以解決，正像身體的疾病可以通過適當?shù)倪\動加以治療。保齡球可治膽囊和腎結(jié)石，射擊有益于肺和胸，散步有益于胃，騎馬有益于頭部，如此等等。所以如果一個人的智力蕪漫，讓他學習數(shù)學;因為在演算過程中只要他的心神稍有走失，他就必須從頭來過。如果他的智力不能區(qū)別或找到差異，讓他學習神學家，因為他們善于分辨毫厘之差。如果他不能研討問題，舉出一事來例證另一事，讓他學習律師的案例。這樣，心智的每一種毛病都可以有特別的療法。

作者簡介：

培根(1561-1626)是英國文藝復興后期一個多方面的學者。他出生貴族之家，畢業(yè)于劍橋大學，入選議員，從事法律，受封男爵，榮任大法官。但他趨炎附勢，政治態(tài)度多變，執(zhí)法不公，最后被黜。他喜愛科學，提出“知識本身就是權力”的論點和新的求知方法，主張從實驗結(jié)果中歸納真理。這一點對英國乃至世界科學發(fā)展均有貢獻。他用英語寫短篇散文起初系受法國蒙田(Montaigne)的影響，后深受讀者歡迎，遂繼續(xù)寫作，于1597年、1612年和1625年出版過三集。他的散文多論述性，思路清晰，修辭講究，多警句，通人情世故。