試譯：〈關於讀書〉【Of Studies－Francis Bacon】 江離

試譯：〈關於讀書〉－法蘭西斯·培根　　江離

關於讀書

 

讀書是為了愉悅、修飾和應用。愉悅，是指在私人自處之時；修飾，是指在言談論辯之上；而應用，是指在判事和處世之中。一些特定或煩瑣的項目，固能由專業的人士分門執掌或判斷；但統籌全局，策劃分派的擔子，則最好都是由讀過書的知識分子來承擔。讀書時間太長，是怠惰之徵；引用或裝點太過，是賣弄才具；而全憑書上的法則斷事，則是學究們的常態。讀書是對自然的完善，而它本身又為經驗所補足：正如天賦才能無異於自然花草，需要後天的修整，亦即讀書之用。而讀書本身，雖能予人大體上的方向或指引，只是這些仍必為自身的經驗所束約，並需以此為本。匠人對讀書多存鄙視，淳樸者則多尚讀書，但唯有聰明人會懂得應用讀書，因書不會教人如何應用自己，而真正應用的智慧亦不在書中，而是來自於觀察。閱讀不是用來辯難和反詰，不是意味可盡信書中所有為理所當然，也不是為了尋摘章句，而是應用來衡量和考慮。有些書只合淺嘗，有些是應該整本吞嚥的，而有些少數的則需要細細咀嚼和消化；換言之，有些書只需讀其部分；有些是要讀的，但讀時亦無需過份尋根究底；而有些少數的則需要用功凝神，讀至終卷。有些書亦可請人代讀或單取其摘要，但這只限於題材較次或價值不高者，不然書經摘要就如水經蒸餾，寡而無味。閱讀使人充實，討論使人有備，筆記使人準確。故不常作筆記者須記憶力特強，不常討論者須具現成的機敏，而不常讀書者須欺世有術，始能無知而顯有知。讀史使人明智，讀詩使人聰慧，數學使人奧妙，自然哲學使人深刻，倫理學使人莊重，邏輯修辭之學使人善辯；凡有所學，皆成性格。人之才智但有滯礙，無不可讀適當之書使之舒暢，一如身體百病，皆有相宜之運動除之。打保齡球有利睾腎，射箭有利胸肺，慢步有利腸胃，騎術利頭腦，諸如此類。故若有人精神不集中，可令其讀數學，蓋演題需全神貫注，稍有分散即須重演；又若不能辨異，可令讀經院哲學，蓋是輩皆吹毛求疵之人；又若不善剖陳利弊，不善以一物闡證另一物，可令讀律師之案卷。故每一性情之短處，皆有閱讀上之處方可補。

6/2/2020

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 affectation; 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 proyning, 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 confute; 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 read 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 maketh 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 subtile; 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 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.