1、Of StudiesFran cis Bac on论学习弗朗西斯培根王佐良译Studies serve for delight, for orn ame nt, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in private ness and retiri ng; for orn ame nt, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgme nt and dispositi on of bus in ess.For expert and execute, and perhaps ju
2、dge of particulars, one by one; but the gen eral coun sels, and the plots and marshalli ng of affairs, come best form those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for orn ame nt, is affectati on; to make judgme nt wholly by their rules, is the humour of a
3、scholar.They perfect n ature, and are perfected by experie nee: for n atural abilities are like n atural pla nts, that n eed proyning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directi ons too much at large, except they be boun ded in by experie nee.Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire
4、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 observatio n.Read not to con tradict and con fute; nor to believe and take for gran ted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and con sider.Some books are to be tasted, ot
5、hers to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed an( digested; that is, some books are to be reac only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligenee and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that
6、 would be only in the less importa nt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 技之长者鄙读书，无知者羡读书， 唯明智之士用读书，然书并不以用处告 人，用书之智不在书中，而在书外，全 凭观
7、察得之。读书时不可存心诘难读者，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 1咀嚼消化。换言之，有只需读其部分 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，淡而无味。argume nts, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like com mon distilled waters, flashy thi ngs.Reading maketh a full ma
8、n; conference a ready man; and writ ing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had n eed have a prese nt wit; and if he read little, he had n eed have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.Histories make men wise; poets w
9、itty; the mathematics subtile; n atural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in morse.Nay there is no stand or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies: like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowli ng is good for th
10、e stone and reins; shoot ing for the lungs and breast; gen tle walk ing for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a mans wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in dem on strati on s, if his wit be called away n ever so little, he must beg in aga in. If his wit be not ap
11、t to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are cymini sectors. If he be not apt to beat over 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力特 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，伦理学使人庄 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 题需全神贯注，稍有分散即须重演；如 不能辩异，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，皆有特效可医。matters, and to call up one thi ng to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers cases. So every defect of the mi nd
