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 （ 弗兰西斯·培根（Francis Bacon,1561年1月22日-1626年4月9日）英国著名的思想家、唯物主义哲学家和科学家。他在文艺复兴时期的巨人中被尊称为哲学史和科学史上划时代的人物。马克思称他是英国唯物主义和整个现代实验科学的真正始祖。他是第一个提出“知识就是力量”的人。） Of Studies STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. (读书可以作为消遣，可以作为装饰，也可以增长才干。) 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. (孤独寂寞时，阅读可以消遣。高谈阔论时，知识可供装饰。处世行事时，知识意味着才干。)  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.( 读书太慢的人易惰，为装潢而读书是做作，完全按照书本断事则是学究故态。) They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning, by study; (求知可以改进人性，而经验又可以改进知识本身。人的天性犹如野生的花草，求知学习好比修剪移栽。) and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. (学问虽能指引方向，但往往流于浅泛，必须依靠经验才能扎下根基。) 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. (有一技之长者轻鄙学问，愚鲁者羡慕学问，聪明者则运用学问。知识本身并没有告诉人怎样运用它，运用的智慧在于书本之外。这是技艺，不体验就学不到。) Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. (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。) Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; (书籍好比食品。有些只须浅尝，有些可以吞咽，只有少数需要仔细咀嚼，慢慢品味。) 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. (所以，有的书只要读其中一部分，有的书只须知其梗概，而对于少数好书，则应当通读，细读，反复读。) Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them bothers; 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. (有的书可以请人代读，然后看他的笔记摘要就行了。但这只应限于不太重要的议论和质量粗劣的书。否则一本书将像已被蒸馏过的水，变得淡而无味了。 )  Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. (读书使人充实，讨论使人机敏，写作则能使人精确。) And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory;(因此，如果一个人懒于动笔，他的记忆力就必须强而可靠。)if he confer little, he had need have a present wit； (如果一个人要孤独探索，他的头脑就必须格外锐利。) And if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not.(如果有人不读书又想冒充博学多知，他就必须很狡黠，才能掩人耳目。)
 Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. In one word, knowledge can mould one’s character. (读史使人明智，读诗使人聪慧，学习数学使人精密，自然哲学使人深刻，伦理学使人庄重，逻辑修辞使人善辩。总之，“知识能塑造人的性格”。)  （培根是16-17世纪的人，所以他的英语语法有些不符合现代标准的语法，如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.）  培根的《论读书》主要谈论了读书的益处。围绕这一中心话题，又谈了读书要与经验相补，要讲究读书的方法，要根据不同的性格和需要做不同的选择等相关的问题。  读书方法：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. (所以，有的书只要读其中一部分，有的书只须知其梗概，而对于少数好书，则应当通读，细读，反复读。)  读书的三种功用：Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. (读书足以怡情，足以矫饰，足以长才。) 怡情——使人即使独处幽居也可不失生活的情趣。 矫饰——使人善于言辩或烘托气氛。 长才——则使人圆观周览，于待人接物、进业更加精熟完满。  英国文学史鲁宾斯坦评说道：“培根是写作随笔的高手。他的文章不受个人感情支配，具有公正超脱的格调。他与读者的思想建立直接联系，超过了他以前的十五代人。他的思想从来都不是抽象的（即不难理解，但不是靠看字面意思），而且永远是具体鲜活的东西。他的随笔，篇篇言简意赅，富于变化，每次捧读，都使人不由自主地被吸引。文章中充满灵感的常理，迄今仍然是经得起时间考验的现代人实用智慧的丰碑之一，理解了它可以用来改选世界。  总之，《论读书》宛如一个睿智的世故老人对自己晚辈的谆谆教诲，平易近人而不故弄玄虚。 培根的文字是一种优美而庄严的韵律，给感情以动人的美感。如本文中的“Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. (读书使人充实，讨论使人机敏，写作则能使人精确。)”；“ Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. (读史使人明智，读诗使人聪慧，学习数学使人精密，自然哲学使人深刻，伦理学使人庄重，逻辑修辞使人善辩。)”他的论述中有超人的智慧和哲学，给人以深刻的启迪。  |
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