考研英语翻译讲词析句（36）

　　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 judgement and disposition of business.

　　For ecpert and execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best form those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar.

　　They perfect nature, and are perfectec 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 morse.

　　Nay there is no stand or impendiment 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 mans 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.

　　译文：

　　求知可以作为消遣，可以作为装潢，也可以增长才干。

　　当你孤独寂寞时，知识可以消遣。当你高谈阔论时，知识可供装潢。当你处世行事时，正确运用知识意味着力量。

　　懂得事物因果的人是幸福的。有实践经验的人虽然能够办理个别性的事务，但若要综观整体，运筹全局，却惟有掌握知识方能办到。

　　求知太慢会弛惰，为装潢而求知是自欺欺人，完全照书本条条办事会变成偏执的书呆子。

　　求知可以改进人的天性，而实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。学习尝试则可检验修正知识本身的真伪。

　　狡诈者轻鄙学问，愚鲁者羡慕学问。知识本身并没有告诉人怎样运用它，运用的发法乃在书本之外。这时一门技艺，不经实验就不能学到。不可专为挑剔辩驳去读书，但也不可轻易相信书本。求知的目的不是为了吹嘘炫耀，而应该是为了寻找真理，启迪智慧。

　　有的知识只须浅尝，有的知识只要粗知。只有少数专门知识需要深入钻研，仔细揣摩。所以，有的书只要知其中梗概即可，而对于少数好书，则要精读，细读，反复地读。

　　有的书可以请人代读，然后看他的笔记就行了。但这只限于质量粗略的书。否则一本好书将象已被蒸溜过的水，变得淡而无味了!

　　读书使人的头脑充实，讨论使人明辨是非，作笔记则能使知识精确。

　　因此，如果一个人不愿做笔记，他的记忆力就必须强而可靠。如果一个人只愿孤独探索，他的头脑就必须格外锐利。如果有人不读书有想冒充博学多知，他就必定很狡诈，才能掩饰他的无知。

　　读史使人明智，读诗使人聪慧，演算使人精密，哲理使人深刻，伦理使人有修养，逻辑修辞使人善辩。总之，知识能塑造人的性格。

　　不仅如此，精神上的各种缺陷，都可以通过求知来改善正如身体上的缺陷，可以通过运动来改善一样。例如打球有利于腰肾，射箭可扩胸利肺，散步则有助于消化，骑术使人反应敏捷，等等。同样，一个思维不集中的人，他可以研习数学，因为稍不仔细就会出错。缺乏分析判断能力的人，他可以研习经院哲学，因为这门学问最讲究繁琐辨证。不善于推理的人，可以研习法律学，如此等等。这种头脑上的缺陷，都可以通过求知来治疗。