of studies 王佐良 翻译评论

2021年2月8日发(作者：你懂吗)

王佐良译本对培根《谈读书》中思想性与艺术性的还原与再造

引言：

作为文艺复兴时期重要的散文 家和哲学家，

弗朗斯科培根在英国文学史上占有

重要位置。在他 的一系列人生论，如论高位，论美等散文随笔以其独到的视角，

流畅的语言为大家熟知。 而其中的《谈读书》（《

Of studies

》）则在学生以 及

各类学者中得到了广泛共鸣，

也深受欢迎。

< br>因此选择这篇美文，

和最受推崇的王

佐良版本翻译，对英 语散文的中文翻译进行进一步剖析。

原文：

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

symini 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.

译文：

谈读书

读书足以怡情，足以傅彩，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

吃力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；

而书种所示，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，

用书之智不在书种，

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，

< br>有只须大体涉猎者，

少数则须全读，

读时须全神贯注，< /p>

孜孜不倦。

书亦可请人代

读，

< p>
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。因此不常做笔 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，

< br>读诗使人灵秀，

数学使人周密，

科学使人深刻，

论理学使人庄重，

逻辑修辞之学使人善辨：

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，

< br>皆可借相宜之运动除之。

滚球利睾肾，

射箭利

< p>
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

算须全神贯注，

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。

培根的随笔显现出了培根在文学上和哲学上的造诣。

从思想性来说，

这篇

《谈

读书》，见解独到，分析透彻，引人深思，富含哲理。从文学性来说，这篇随笔

文笔紧 凑，老练，准确，有力，警句迭出；语言平易流畅，加之以比喻，排比，

类比等修辞，< /p>

自然不失为英国文学史上的一篇佳作。

培根在书中说，

< p>
他的随笔是

对世家子弟

“社会与道德的劝言”

。

所以在这片文章中也可以看出一个通晓人情