Of Studies(译文对比)

对比

Of Studies

的四种译文。哪种译 文在风格上与原文更“切近”？你最喜

欢哪一种？为什么？

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

judgement,

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

affectation;

to

make

judgement wholly by their rules, is the humour 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 condemn 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

book;

else

distilled

books

are

like

common

distilled

waters,

flashy

things.

Reading

maketh 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 d

efect of the mind may have a special receipt.

1 < /p>

谈读书（译文

1

）

读书可以怡情养性，

可以摭拾文 采，

可以增长才干。在幽居独处的时候，最能体现其怡

情养性的 作用；

在友朋交谈中，

最能体现其摭拾文采的作用；

增长才干的作用。阅历丰富的人虽能逐一判断 或处理具体问题，但出谋划策，统筹全局，唯

有博学之士最能胜任。

读书费时过多则懒散；

过于追求文采显得矫揉造作；

全凭书 中条条框

框论事，未免书生气过重。须知读书固可补天然之不足，

而经验又补读书之不足。

因为天生

才干犹如天然花木，

需靠读书修枝剪叶。

而书本知识如不以经验相制约，

< br>其教导也难免过于

笼统。

有实际才干的人鄙薄书本；头脑 简单的人羡慕书本；只有聪明人才会运用书本。

因为

书籍本身并 不教人如何运用，运用之道，乃在书外，且高于书本，唯有通过观察才能学到。

读书时不 可存心与作者辩难，不可以轻信盲从，也不可寻章摘句，

作为谈助，而须权衡与琢

磨。有的书浅尝即可，有的书可以狼吞虎咽，少数书籍则需咀嚼消化。换言之，有的书只须

阅读一部分，另一些读时可不求甚解，但少数则须通读，

且须勤勉而 专心。

有的书也可以请

人代读，

然后读 其所作摘要；

但仅限于题材比较次要以及比较寻常的书。

否则书 经提炼犹如

水经蒸馏，成为淡而无味的东西。读书使人充实，讨论使人机敏，作笔记使人 精确。不常作

笔记的人须有很强的记忆力，

不常讨论的人须有急 智，

不常读书的人则须十分乖巧，

方能不

知而佯作知之。读历史使人明智，读诗使人机灵，数学使人周密，自然科学使人深刻，伦理

学使人庄重，

逻辑与修辞使人能言善辩。

专心致学者，

性格也受陶冶。

心智方面的种种障碍，

无不 可读适当之书加以排除，正如身体百病，

皆可以适当的运动治疗。

滚球利睾肾，射箭利

胸肺，慢步利肠胃，骑术利头脑，诸如此类。如若思想不能集中， 可让他学数学；因为在演

算时思想少有旁骛，

就须重新做起。< /p>

如若不善于析难辨异，可让他学经院哲学，因为那些哲

学家无不讲 究细节。

如若他粗枝大叶，

不善于以一事论证和阐述另一事，< /p>

可让他读律师的案

卷。由此可见心智方面的任何缺陷都有良方可治 。

谈读 书（译文

2

）

读书给人乐趣、

文雅和能力。人们独 居或退隐的时候，最能体会到读书的乐趣；谈话的

时候，

最能表 现出读书的文雅；

判断和处理事物的时候，

最能发挥由读书而获 得的能力。那

些有实际经验而没有学识的人，

也许能够一一实行 或判断某些事物的细微末节，

但对于事业

的一般指导、筹划与处 理，还是真正有学问的人才能胜任。耗费过多时间去读便是迟滞，过

分用学问自炫便是矫 揉造作，二全凭学理判断一切，则是书呆子的癖好。学问能美化人性，

经验又能充实学问 。

天生的植物需要人工修剪，

人类的本性也需要学问诱导，

而学问本身又

必须以经验来规范，

否则便太 迂阔了。技巧的人轻视学问，浅薄的人惊服学问，聪明的人却

能利用学问。

因为学问本身并不曾把它的用途教给人，

至于如何去应用它，

那是在学问之外，

超越学问之上、

由观察而获得的一种 聪明呢！

读书不是为着要辩驳，也不是要盲目信从，更

不是去找 寻谈话的资料，

而是要去权衡和思考。有的书只需浅尝，

有的书 可以狼吞，有的书

要细嚼烂咽，慢慢消化。也就是说，有的书只需选读，有的书只需浏览 ，有的书却必须全部

精读。

有的书不必去读原本，

读读它们的节本就够了，

但这仅限于内容不太重要的二流书籍；

否则，删节过的往往就像蒸馏水一样，淡而无味。读书使人渊博，辩论使人机敏，写作使人