ESSAYS OF MONTAIGNE, a collection of short writings on diverse subjects by Michel de Montaigne, statesman, scholar, and traveler of the late Renaissance. First published in 1580, with additions in 1582, 1588, and—posthumously—1595, the Essais were begun as an annotated commonplace book in 1571, when Montaigne withdrew to his chateau to read and meditate. They grew into a remarkable study in autobiography and on the human condition. The essays propos a practical wisdom: man should be true to his own nature, avoid extremes and seek the moderation of the golden mean, accept his limits and aim at self-reliance when faced with the vicissitudes of fate or history, accept life, and accept death.

蒙田的随笔，由文艺复兴晚期政治家、学者和旅行家米歇尔·德·蒙田撰写的不同主题的短篇文集。首次出版于1580年，增加的部分于1582年，1588年，并在死后---于1595年出版，1571年，《随笔集》开始是一本有注释的札记，当时蒙田退回到他的城堡读书和思考。

Montaigne lived in an age when the enthusiastic optimism of the Renaissance was seriously undermined by political troubles and especially by the wars of religion. Convinced of the importance of the individual, he attempted to reveal himself in all his contradictions to show his weaknesses as well as his strengths, to trace how he changed with age. This awareness of change---his sense of history---which led him to see everything as in a state of flux, produced, despite his strong conservative leanings, a remarkable relativism in his attitudes on morals and institutions.

蒙田生活在一个文艺复兴时期的热情乐观主义被政治动荡，尤其是宗教战争严重破坏的时代。他深信个人的重要性，试图在所有矛盾中揭示自身来展示他的弱点以及他的优势，记述他是如何随时代变化的。这种对变化的意识---他的历史感---导致他将每件事都视为不断变化、产生的一种状态，尽管他有强烈的保守主义倾向，但他对道德和制度的态度却是一位非凡的相对主义者。

Written in a natural, almost conversational style, the essays do not try to convince by logic or rhetoric, but rather use illustrative anecdotes, verbal or situational comedy, imagery, and a loose sentence structure. But the goal remains that of persuading the reader to accept the author’s practical wisdom. See also ESSAY; MONTAIGNE, MICHEL EYQUEM DE.

随笔用一种自然的，几乎是谈话的方式写成，并不打算通过逻辑或修辞，而是用说明性的轶事、口头或情景喜剧、形象化描述，以及松散的句子结构使人相信。但是，本文的目标仍然是劝说读者接受作者的实践智慧。也可参阅随笔；米歇尔·埃康·德·蒙田词条。

                                        FRANK PAUL BOWMAN

                                     Author of “Montaigne, Essays”

                                        弗兰克·保罗·鲍曼

                                      “蒙田，随笔”的作者

                                          2022年8月14日译

（译者注：该词条位列《大美百科全书》1985年版，第10卷，第593页）