培根_论读书(中英文).pdfVIP

论读书 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；其傅彩也， 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。 有一技之长者鄙读书， 无知者羡读书， 唯明智之士用读书， 然书并不以用处告人， 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、淡而无味矣。 读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，笔记使人准确。因此不常作笔记者须记忆特强，不常 讨论者须天生聪颖，不常读书者须欺世有术，始能无知而显有知。读史使人明智，读诗使 人灵秀，数学使人周密，科学使人深刻，伦理学使人庄重，逻辑修辞之学使人善辩：凡有 所学，皆成性格。人之才智但有滞碍，无不可读适当之书使之顺畅，一如身体百病，皆可 借相宜之运动除之。滚球利睾肾，射箭利胸肺，慢步利肠胃，骑术利头脑，诸如此类。如 智力不集中，可令读数学，盖演题须全神贯注，稍有分散即须重演；如不能辨异，可令读 经院哲学，盖是辈皆吹毛求疵之人；如不善求同，不善以一物阐证另一物，可令读律师之 案卷。如此头脑中凡有缺陷，皆有特药可医。 （ 译者：王佐良） Of Studies 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 exe-cute, 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 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 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 wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take