Of Bacon’s 58 essays, Of Studies is one of the shortest, but also one of the better known and more widely read. In the essay Bacon attempts to discuss rather analytically the use and abuse of studies, the proper and improper ways to pursue one’s studies, and also the effect of the different kinds of studies upon human character. Though the essay was written more than THREE centuries ago and parts of it are therefore outdated and of little interest to us, a number of the remarks in it were based on the author’s own wide experience as a scholar and as a practical man of affairs and consequently they still deserve our attention today. Conciseness of EXPRESSION and simplicity of diction are the two chief distinguishing features of the prose style of Bacon who was among the earliest of English essayists.

在培根的58篇随笔中，《论读书》是最短的一篇，但也是更知名，阅读更广泛的一篇随笔。在这篇随笔中，培根试图以分析的方式对读书的使用和滥用、追求适当和不适当的读书方式，以及不同种类的读书对人的性格的影响等进行讨论。尽管该随笔写于三个多世纪以前，而且，对我们来说其部分内容已过时，也少了兴趣，但其中的一些评述都是基于作者自己作为学者和各种事务亲历者的广泛阅历，因此，它们今天依然值得我们关注。在最早的英国随笔家中，培根散文风格的两个主要特征是表达简洁，措词简明。

                                             2023年3月20日译

该文译自（SELECTED READINGS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, Volume 1, THE Commercial Press, 1984）《英国文学作品选读》第一册，商务印书馆，1984年。

（一点说明：之所以选择何新先生的译文（《培根人生随笔》，人民日报出版社，2007年），首先是笔者对各种版本的译文进行了对比，认为何新先生的译文较好。其次是既然已有了较好的译文，那就没有再译的必要。第三，中英文对照的目的在于，读者除了从译文中获得知识以外，还可对照原文来学习英语知识，提高阅读兴趣以及翻译的能力。最后，中外文的对照可以使有外语能力和兴趣的读者对译文是否更准确、更顺畅地表达了原文的本义和风格做出自己的判断）。

OF STUDIES

FRANCIS BACON

论读书

弗朗西斯·培根

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 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 wallowed, 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, of 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.

读书可以作为消遣，可以作为装饰，也可以增长才干。

孤独寂寞时，阅读可以消遣。高谈阔论时，知识可供装饰。处世行事时，正确运用知识意味着才干。懂得事务因果的人是幸运的。有实际经验的人虽能够处理个别性的事务，但若要综观整体，运筹全局，却唯有学识方能办到。

读书太慢会驰惰，为装潢而读书是欺人，只按照书本办事是呆子。

求知可以改进人性，而经验又可以改进知识本身。人的性犹如野生的花草，求知学习好比修剪移裁。学问虽能推引方向，但往往流于浅泛，必须依靠经验才能扎下根基。

狡诈者轻鄙学问，愚鲁者羡慕学问，聪明者则运用学问。知识本身并没有告诉人怎样运用它，运用的智慧在于书本之外。这是技艺，不体验就学不到。

读书的目的是为了认识事物原理。为挑剔辩驳去读培是无聊的。但也不可过于迷信书本。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。

书籍好比食品。有些只须浅尝，有些可以吞咽，只有少数需要仔细咀嚼，慢慢品味。所以，有的书只要读其中一部分，有的书只须知其中梗概，而对于少数好书，则要通读，细读，反复读。

有的书可以请人代读，然后看他的笔记摘要就行了。但这只应限于不太重要的议论和质量粗劣的书。否则一本书将像已被蒸馏过的水，变得淡而无味了!

读书使人充实，讨论使人机敏，写作则能使人精确。

因此，如果有人不读书又想冒充博学多知，他就必须很狡黠，才能掩饰无知。如果一个人懒于动笔，他的记忆力就必须强而可靠。如果一个人要孤独探索，他的头脑就必须格外锐利。

读史使人明智，读诗使人聪慧，演算使人精密，哲理使人深刻，道德使人高尚，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，可以通过适当的运动来改善一样。例如打球有利于腰背，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，因为数学稍不仔细就会出错。缺乏分析判断力的人，他可以研习形而上学，因为这门学问最讲究繁琐辩证。不善于推理的人，可以研习法律案例，如此等等。这种种心灵上的缺陷，都可以通过求知来治疗。

注：《OFF STUDIES》选自（SELECTED READINGS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, Volume 1, THE Commercial Press, 1984）《英国文学作品选读》第一册，商务印书馆，1984年。

                                                  2023年3月20日