Of-Study.docx

Of Study
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 humour 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 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 makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing and 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 head need have much cunning, to seem to know that he does 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 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.
译文
论 读书

文:弗郎西斯.培根
译:王佐良

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。

有一技之长者鄙读书，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。

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。

比较另外一篇译文

读书可以陶冶情操，修养身心，可以敷彩，可以长智。读书的主要用途就怡情而言，体现在独处幽居的时候；就敷彩而言，体现在交谈的时候；就长智而言，体现在判断处理事务的时候。

专家学者能有条不紊的处理事情，辨析事务的微妙之处；而深思好学者能统筹策划，全盘考虑大小事务的计划安排。读书耗时过多是懒散；文采太过浮躁华丽是矫情；完全循规蹈矩是学究怪癖。

读书可以使人的性格趋于完美，而亲自体验可以不愁完善书本知识：因为自身的自制犹如自然生长的植物，需要借助书本知识得以修正；要想把这种修正做得尽善尽美，就必须把书本知识与实践相结合。

手艺人鄙视读书，无知的人羡慕读书，明智的人学以致用；因为书本不会叫人如何运用；学以致用的智慧不在书中，而在其外，全凭经历体验才能获得。

不要为了吹毛求疵才去读书；不要尽信书中所言，不要只是从书中摘文引句，而应该思量斟酌。有些书浅尝即可，有些书吞噬即可，只有少数的书需要细嚼慢咽的消化掉。也就是说，有些书只需摘选其部分内容来读，有些书只需粗略浏览，只有少数的书必须仔细认真地阅读。有些书可以请人代读，并取其所作的摘要，但只有那些题材不太重要或价值不高的书籍才适合这样做；否则从这类书中提炼的就像蒸馏水一样，寡淡无味。

阅读使人充实，交谈使人敏捷，写作使人严谨。因此很少写作的人必须有很好的记性，很少与人交谈的人必须天生灵敏，读书不多的人必须非常狡猾，得看起来没有知识也像有知识一样。

历史使人明智，诗歌使人聪颖，数学使人精细，自然科学使人深沉，伦理学使人庄重，逻辑与修辞学教人雄辩。

读书可以陶冶性情。正如运动可以治疗生理疾病一样，适宜的读书可以治疗心理上的弊病。打保龄球有益于睾肾，射箭有益于胸肺，慢走有益于肠胃，骑马有益于大脑，如此等等。倘若精神不集中的人，就让他学数学，因为在演算时稍一走神，就得重做；倘若不善辨别异同的人，就让他学经院哲学，因为那些哲学家都喜欢条分缕析；倘若不善洞察事物、不善推理的人，就让他研究律师的案卷。所以，智力上的种种暇疵都有专门的处方来弥补。