培根《论读书》三种译文及英文原文

2021年1月25日发(作者：在线译)
【原文】

Of Studies

——
Francis Bacon
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
marshalling 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 affection; 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 be 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 confuse; 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 ready 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 things.


Reading makes a full man; conference 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 much 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 diseases
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 lawyers’ cases. So every defect
of the mind may have a special receipt.




谈读书

——王佐良译



读书足以 怡情，足以博彩，足以长才。其怡情也，最见于独
处幽居之时；其博彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中；其长才 也，最见于
处世判事之际。练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节，然纵
观统筹、全局策划 ，则舍好学深思者莫属。



读书费时过多易惰，文采藻饰太盛则矫，全凭 条文断事乃学究
故态。读书补天然之不足，经验又补读书之不足，盖天生才干犹如
自然花草，读 书然后知如何修剪移接；而书中所示，如不以经验范
之，则又大而无当。



有一技之长鄙读书，无知者慕读书，唯明智之士用读书，然读
书并不以用处告人，用书之智不在 书中，而在书外，全凭观察得之。
读书时不可存心诘难作者，不可尽信书上所言，亦不可只为寻章摘句，而应推敲细思。



书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则须咀嚼消 化。换言之，有
只须读其部分者，有只须大体涉猎者，少数则须全读，读时须全神
贯注，孜孜不 倦。书亦可请人代读，取其所作摘要，但只限题材较
次或价值不高者，否则书经提炼犹如水经蒸馏，淡而 五味矣。