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世界经典文学精选 · 6
Of Studies《论读书》
作者：Francis Bacon 弗朗西斯·培根
选自培根《Essays》（《随笔集》）——1625年出版
英文原文
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 maketh a full man;
conference a ready man;
and writing an 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 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.
So 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
读书足以怡情，
足以博彩，足以长才。
其怡情也，
最见于独处幽居之时；
其博彩也，
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，
或是一一判别枝节；
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。
狡黠者鄙读书，
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。
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，
淡而无味矣。
读书使人充实，
讨论使人机智，笔记使人准确。
因此不常作笔记者须记忆特强，
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。
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。
🔍长难句赏析与拆解
原句：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.
句式解读：
本句由分号分割前后两层逻辑，
前半句使用三组并列主谓短句构成排比，句式工整对称。
for引导原因状语从句，
解释三种人对待读书不同态度背后的深层道理；
not…but…形成正反对照结构，
won by observation是过去分词短语作后置定语修饰wisdom。
前半句并列短句属于平行结构，
短促有力，是培根随笔标志性的警句写法。
句子主干：
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.
文学赏析：
短短三句勾勒三类人的境界差异，对比鲜明。
点明核心：读书本身不会教会人如何用书，
运用知识的智慧，需要在书本之外，依靠现实观察习得。
跳出“读书=获取知识”的浅层认知，思辨层次深刻凝练。
写作迁移点拨：
适合论述阅读、求知、知行合一、思辨认知类主题。
仿写：Lazy men avoid reflection,
hasty men fear it,
and wise men embrace it;
for reflection provides not ready answers,
but insight beyond plain facts,
gained from constant practice.
原句：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.
句式解读：
采用省略式平行排比结构，省略重复的谓语are，
只保留核心动词短语，行文简洁凝练。
分号之后that is引导同位语，对前面比喻进行阐释说明；
整句运用隐喻修辞，把读书比作进食，
生动区分不同阅读方法。
属于经典省略并列句，
省去冗余成分，层层递进，节奏感极强。
句子主干：
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed and digested.
文学赏析：
以饮食喻读书，化抽象的阅读方法论为具象行为。
将书籍划分层次，提出精读、泛读、选读三种阅读策略，
比喻通俗却立意高远，流传千古。
写作迁移点拨：
适合阅读方法、学习策略主题段落。
仿写：Some dreams are to be glimpsed,
others to be pursued briefly,
and some few to be sustained and nurtured.
📝全篇句式特点
本文为培根经典论说文，文风简约古朴，警句密集。
大量使用并列排比、省略句、平行对称短句，
多使用not…but…正反对比结构。
古英语句式凝练，善用比喻、类比论证，
以身体运动类比心智训练，由读书延伸至性格塑造。
段落逻辑层层推进：
读书的功用 → 读书的误区 → 读书的方法 → 读书对心智的塑造。
句式长短交替，短句铿锵有力，适合提炼观点；长句承载思辨。
大量省略谓语的平行结构，减少文字冗余，
言简意赅，是议论文绝佳范本。
文中拉丁警句“Abeunt studia in mores（凡有所学，皆成性格）”
嵌入文本，提升文本厚重感。
核心词汇
1. ornament
/ˈɔːnəmənt/
装饰，文采
名词 (n.)
2. disposition
/ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃn/
处置，安排
名词 (n.)
3. sloth
/sləʊθ/
懒惰，怠惰
名词 (n.)
4. affectation
/ˌæfekˈteɪʃn/
矫揉造作，虚饰
名词 (n.)
5. contemn
/kənˈtem/
蔑视，鄙弃
动词 (v.)
6. confute
/kənˈfjuːt/
驳斥，驳倒
动词 (v.)
7. digest
/daɪˈdʒest/
消化，领会
动词 (v.)
8. deputy
/ˈdepjuti/
代理人，代替
名词 (n.)
9. extract
/ˈekstrækt/
摘录，选段
名词 (n.)
10. flashy
/ˈflæʃi/
华而不实的，淡而无味的
形容词 (adj.)
11. conference
/ˈkɒnfərəns/
交谈，探讨
名词 (n.)
12. wit
/wɪt/
才智，悟性
名词 (n.)
13. rhetoric
/ˈretərɪk/
修辞学
名词 (n.)
14. impediment
/ɪmˈpedɪmənt/
障碍，阻滞
名词 (n.)
15. demonstrate
/ˈdemənstreɪt/
论证，证明
动词 (v.)
16. illustrate
/ˈɪləstreɪt/
阐释，说明
动词 (v.)
17. defect
/dɪˈfekt/
缺陷，瑕疵
名词 (n.)
18. receipt
/rɪˈsiːt/
药方，对策
名词 (n.)
💡主旨品读
培根这篇随笔，系统探讨读书的价值、误区与方法。
很多人将读书等同于文字的识记积累，
而培根提出更高维度的认知：
读书不是为了炫耀，不是为了盲从，
而是锤炼心智、完善天性。
读书有层次之分，不必对所有书籍一概精读，
要学会取舍，按需选择阅读方式。
更进一步，不同门类的书籍，
能够针对性弥补心智上的各类缺陷，塑造人的性格。
全文充满理性思辨，
适合求知、学习、阅读、知行合一、完善自我等主题写作。
排比警句可以直接摘抄放在议论文开头或者结尾，
极大提升文章思辨深度与文采。
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