读书系列（⼀）：培根美⽂《论读书》原⽂及三种译⽂
培根美⽂《论读书》原⽂及三种译⽂
培根美⽂《论读书》原⽂及三种译⽂
  阅读是我们获取知识的重要⼿段，下⾯是培根著名的关于读书的⼀篇美⽂——论读书，并奉上另外两个
版本的译⽂。对于好的书，可以多加研读，对于普通书籍，知其⼤意即可，就像在快速阅读中，阅读是弹性
的，你可以选择对内容把握程度的深浅。“有些书可以浅尝辄⽌，有些书可以⽣吞，⽽有少数书应该细嚼慢
咽，融会贯通”——
谈读书
——王佐良译
  读书⾜以怡情，⾜以，⾜以长才。其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；其也，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。
  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，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
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。
【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 lik
e.
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.
论读书
——廖运范译
  读书能给⼈乐趣、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；判断和处理事务的时候，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
sort of的意思的
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。
  耗费过多的时间去读书便是迟滞，过分⽤学问⾃炫便是矫揉造作，⽽全凭学理判断⼀切，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，更不是去寻谈话的资料，⽽是要去权衡和思考。
  有些书只需浅尝，有些书可以狼吞，有些书要细嚼慢咽，漫漫消化。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。有些书不必去读原本，读读它们的节本就够了，但这仅限于内容不⼤重要的⼆流书籍：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，论辩使⼈机敏，写作使⼈精细。如果⼀个⼈很少写作，他就需要有很强的记忆⼒；如
果他很少辩论，就需要有机智；如果他很少读书，就需要很狡猾，对于⾃⼰不懂的事情，假装知道。
  历史使⼈聪明，诗歌使⼈富于想象，数学使⼈精确，⾃然哲学使⼈深刻，伦理学使⼈庄重，逻辑学和修辞学使⼈善辩。
  总之，读书能陶冶个性。不仅如此，读书并且可以铲除⼀切⼼理上的障碍，正如适当的运动能够矫治⾝体上的某些疾病⼀般。例如，滚球有益于肾脏；射箭有益于胸肺；散步有益于肠胃；骑马有益于头脑等等。因此，假若⼀个⼈⼼神散乱，最好让他学习数学，因为在演算数学题⽬的时候，⼀定得全神贯注，如果注意⼒稍⼀分散，就必须得再从头做起。假若⼀个⼈拙于辨别差异，就让他去请教那些演绎派的⼤师们，因为他们正是剖析毫发的⼈。假若⼀个⼈⼼灵迟滞，不能举⼀反三，最好让他去研究律师的案件。所以每⼀种⼼理缺陷，都有⼀种特殊的补救良⽅。
论学习
——孙有中译
  学习可以作为消遣，作为装点，也可以增进才能。其为消遣之⽤，主在独处、归休之时；为装点，则在⾼谈阔论之中；为才能，则在明辨是⾮、深谋远虑之间；因为专于⼀技者可以操持甚或判断⼀事⼀物，⽽唯有博学之⼠⽅能纵观全局，通权达变。
  过度沉溺于学习是怠惰；过度炫耀学问是华⽽不实；⾷书不化乃书⽣之⼤疾。学习可以完善天性，并通过经验得以完善⾃⾝；因为天⽣之才犹如天然之草⽊，尚需通过学习加以修整；⽽纸上学问未免空谈，除⾮由经验加以约束。
  聪颖者鄙视学习，愚鲁者羡慕学习，明智者利⽤学习；学习本⾝并不教⼈如何运⽤；唯有观察可以带来超越学习的智慧。读书不为争论长短，不为轻信盲从，也不为⾼谈阔论，⽽旨在衡情度理。
  有些书可以浅尝辄⽌，有些书可以⽣吞，⽽有少数书应该细嚼慢咽，融会贯通；换⾔之，有些书可以阅读，但不必谨⼩慎微；⽽有少数书应该悉⼼通读，刻苦研习。有些书可以请⼈代读，也可以读其节选；但这只限于那些不够重要的论述和粗制滥造的书籍；否则，经过提炼的书犹如经过提炼的⽔⼀样，淡⽽⽆味。  读书使⼈充实，讨论使⼈机智，笔记使⼈严谨；因此，假若⼀个⼈很少做笔记，那他需要有超⼈的记忆；假若他很少讨论，那他需要天资聪颖；⽽假若他很少读书，那他需要有充分的狡诈掩饰⾃⼰的⽆知。  读史使⼈明智，读诗使⼈聪颖，算数使⼈缜密，⾃然哲学使⼈深刻，伦理使⼈庄重，逻辑与修辞使⼈善辩。
  总之，学习造就性格；不尽如此，⼼智中任何障碍可以通过恰当的学习来疏通。这正如⾝体尚的疾病可以通过恰当的锻炼来消除：滚球有益于腰肾，射箭有益于胸肺，慢步有益于肠胃，骑马有益于⼤脑，等等。因此，假若有⼈甚⾄懒散，那就让他学习算术，因为在演算中，注意⼒稍有分散，他就必须从头
做起；假若他的智慧不⾜以辨别差异，那就让他学习经院哲学家，因为他们善于吹⽑求疵；⽽假若他不擅处理事务，不能触类旁通，那就让他学习律师的案例。因此，⼼智上的每⼀种缺陷都可能有专门的药⽅。
  三个译本中，王佐良先⽣的译本简练，廖运范先⽣的译本准确，孙有中先⽣的译本明⽩，阅读时可对照欣赏，挑选适合⾃⼰的版本。

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