66. On study 培根-论学习

Studies serve for delight, forornament, and for ability. Their chief use for 

delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgmentand disposition of business. For expert men can 

execute, and perhaps judge ofparticulars, one by one; but the general 

counsels, and the plots andmarshalling 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 affection; to make judgment wholly by their rulesis the humor 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.

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。练达之士虽能分别吃力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；而书种所示，如不以经验范之，则又大而无当。

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 confuse; nor to 

believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.
有一技之长鄙读书，无知者慕读书，唯明智之士用读书，然读书并不以用处告人，用书之智不在书种，而在书外，全凭观察得之。读书时不可存心诘难作者，不可尽信书上所言，亦不可只为寻章摘句，而应推敲细思。

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be 

chewed and digested; that is some books are to beread only in parts; others 

to be read, but not curiously; and some few to beread wholly, and with 

diligence and attention. Some books also may be read bydeputy 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.
书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则须咀嚼消化。换言之，有只须读其部分者，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，淡而五味矣。

Reading makes a full man; conferencea ready man; and writing an exact 

man. And therefore, if a man write little, hehad need have a great memory; if 

he confer little, he had need have a presentwit; and if he read little, he had 

need have much cunning to seem to know thathe doth not.
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。

Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematicssubtle; natural 

philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt 

studia in mores. Nay there is nostond 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 thestone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for thestomach; 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 orfind differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are symini sectores. Ifhe 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.

读史使人明智，读诗使人灵秀，数学使人周密，科学使人深刻，论理学使人庄重，逻辑修辞之学使人善辨：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，盖演算须全神贯注，稍有分散即须重演；如不能辨异，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，皆有特药可医。