译作赏析培根论婚姻

2021年3月3日发(作者：pigeon)

Of Marriage and Single Life

Francis Bacon

He

that

hath

wife

and

children

hath

given

hostages

to

fortune;

for

they

are

impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief.

Certainly

the

best

works,

and

of

greatest

merit

for

the

public,

have

proceeded

from

the

unmarried

or

childless

men;

which

both

in

affection

and

means,

have

married

and

endowed the public. Yet it were great reason that those that have children, should have

greatest care of future times; unto which they know they must transmit their dearest

pledges.

Some

there

are,

who

though

they

lead

a

single

life,

yet

their

thoughts

do

end

with

themselves, and account future times impertinences. Nay, there are some other, that

account wife and children, but as bills of charges. Nay more, there are some foolish

rich

covetous

men

that

take

a

pride,

in

having

no

children,

because

they

may

be

thought so much the richer. For perhaps they have heard some talk,

“

Such an one is a

great rich man

”

, and another except to it,

“

Yea, but he hath a great charge of children

”

;

as if it were an abatement to his riches. But the most ordinary cause of a single life, is

liberty, especially in certain self-pleasing and humorous minds, which are so sensible

of every restraint, as they will go near to think their girdles and garters, to be bonds

and

shackles.

Unmarried

men

are

best

friends,

best

masters,

best

servants;

but

not

always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives, are of

that condition.

A

single

life

doth

well

with

churchmen;

for

charity

will

hardly

water

the

ground,

where it must first fill a pool.

It is indifferent for judges and magistrates; for if they

be

facile

and

corrupt,

you

shall

have

a

servant,

five

times

worse

than

a

wife.

For

soldiers,

I

find the generals

commonly in

their hortatives, put

men in

mind of their

wives and children; and I think the despising of marriage amongst the Turks, maketh

the vulgar soldier more base.

Certainly

wife

and

children

are

a

kind

of

discipline

of

humanity;

and

single

men,

though they may be many times more charitable, because their means are less exhaust,

yet,

on

the

other

side,

they

are

more

cruel

and

hardhearted

(good

to

make

severe

inquisitors), because their tenderness is not so oft called upon.

Grave natures, led by

custom,

and

therefore

constant,

are

commonly

loving

husbands,

as

was

said

of

Ulysses,

vetulam suam praetulit immortalitati

.

Chaste

women

are

often

proud

and

froward,

as

presuming

upon

the

merit

of

their

chastity.

It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and obedience, in the wife, if

she think her husband wise; which she will never do, if she find him jealous. Wives

are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men's nurses. So as a

man may have a quarrel to marry, when he will.

But yet he was reputed one of the wise men, that made answer to the question, when a

man should marry, - A young man not yet, an elder man not at all.

It is often seen

that

bad

husbands,

have

very

good

wives;

whether

it

be,

that

it

raiseth

the

price

of

their

husband's

kindness,

when

it

comes;

or

that

the

wives

take

a

pride

in

their

patience.

But

this

never

fails,

if

the

bad

husbands

were

of

their

own

choosing,

against their friends consent; for then they will be sure to make good their own folly.

论结婚与独身（水天同译）

有妻与子的人已经向命运之神交了抵押品了；因为妻与子是大 事底阻挠物，

无论是大善举或大恶行。

无疑地，

最好，

最有功于公众的事业是出自无妻或无子

的人的；

这些人在情感和金钱两方面都可说是娶了公众并给以奁资了。

然 而依理

似乎有子嗣的人应当最关心将来，

他们知道他们一定得把 自己最贵重的保证交代

给将来的。

有 些人虽然过的是独身生活，

他们的思想却仅限于自身，

把将来认 为无关紧

要。

并且有些人把妻与子认为仅仅是几项开销。

尤有甚者，

有些愚而富的悭吝人

竟以无子嗣自 豪，

以为如此则他们在别人眼中更显得富有了。

也许他们听过这 样

的话：一人说，

“某某人是个大富翁”

，而另一人不同意地说，

“是的，可是他有

很大的儿女之累”

，好象儿女是那人底财富底削减似的。然而独身生活底最普通

的 原因则是自由，

尤其在某种自喜而且任性的人们方面为然，

这些 人对于各种的

约束都很敏感，

所以差不多连腰带袜带都觉得是锁 链似的。

独身的人是最好的朋

友，最好的主人，最好的仆人，但 是并非最好的臣民；因为他们很容易逃跑，差

不多所有的逃人都是独身的。

独身生活适于僧侣之流，

因为慈善之举若先须注满一池，

则难于灌溉地面也。

独身于法 官和知事则无甚关系，

因为假如他们是易欺而贪污的，

则一个仆 人之恶

将五倍于一位夫人之恶也。

至于军人，

< br>窃见将帅激厉士卒时，

多使他们忆及他们

底妻子儿女；又 窃以为土耳其人之不尊重婚姻使一般士兵更为卑贱也。

妻子和儿女对于人类确是一种训练；

而独身的人，

< br>虽然他们往往很慷慨好施，

因为他们底钱财不易消耗，

然 而在另一方面他们较为残酷狠心

（作审问官甚好）

，

< p>
因为他们不常有用仁慈之处也。庄重的人，常受风俗引导，因而心志不移，所以

多是情爱甚笃的丈夫；如古人谓攸立西斯：

“他宁要他底老妻而不要长生”者是

也。

贞节的妇 人往往骄傲不逊，

一若她们是自恃贞节也者。

假如一个妇人相信 她

底丈夫是聪慧的，

那就是最好的使她保持贞操及柔顺的维系；

然而假如这妇人发

现丈夫妒忌心重，

她 就永不会以为他是聪慧的了。

妻子是青年人底情人，

中年人

底伴侣，老年人底看护。所以一个人只要他愿意，任何时候都有娶妻底理由。

然而有一个人，人家问他，人应当 在什么时候结婚？他答道：

“年青的人还