on study-王左良.doc

Bacon On Studies
王佐良译《论读书》
水天同《论学问》
STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.
读书足以怡情,足以傅彩,足以长才。
读书为学的用途是娱乐、装饰和增长才识。
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.
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。
在娱乐上学问的主要的用处是幽居养静;在装饰上学问的用处是辞令;在长才上学问的用处是对于事务的判断和处理。
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.
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。
因为富于经验的人善于实行,也许能够对个别的事情一件一件地加以判断;但是最好的有关大体的议论和对事务的计划与布置,乃是从有学问的人来的。
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.
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。
在学问上费时过多是偷懒;把学问过于用作装饰是虚假;完全依学问上的规则而断事是书生的怪癖。
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.
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。
学问锻炼天性,而其本身又受经验的锻炼;盖人的天赋有如野生的花草,他们需要学问的修剪;而学问的本身,若不受经验的限制,则其所指示的未免过于笼统。
Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use