評論
打印
Of Studies
論讀書
Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.
讀書足以怡情，足以傅彩，足以長才。
Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring;
其怡情也，最見于獨(dú)處幽居之時(shí)；
for ornament, is in discourse;
其傅彩也，最見于高談闊論之中；
and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business.
其長才也，最見于處世判事之際。
Read not to contradict and confute;
讀書時(shí)不可存心詰難作者，
nor to believe and take for granted;
不可盡信書上所言，
nor to find talk and discourse;
亦不可職位尋章摘句；
but to weigh and consider.
而應(yīng)推敲細(xì)思。
Some books are to be tasted,
書有可淺嘗者，
others to be swallowed,
有可吞食者，
and some few to be chewed and digested;
少數(shù)則須咀嚼消化。
that is, some books are to be read only in parts;
換言之，有只需讀其部分者，
others to be read, but not curiously;
有只須大體涉獵者，
and some few to be read wholly,
少數(shù)則須全讀，
and with diligence and attention.
讀時(shí)須全神貫注，孜孜不倦。
Some books also may be read by deputy,
書亦可請人代讀，
and extracts made of them by others;
取其所作摘要，
but that would be only in the less important arguments,
但只限題材較次或價(jià)值不高者，
and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things.
否則書經(jīng)提煉猶如水經(jīng)蒸餾，淡而無味。
Reading maketh a full man;
讀書使人充實(shí)，
conference a ready man;
討論使人機(jī)智，
and writing an exact man.
筆記使人準(zhǔn)確。
And therefore, if a man write little,he had need have a great memory;
因此不常做筆記者須記憶力特強(qiáng)，
if he confer little, he had need have a present wit;
不常討論者須天生聰穎，
and if he read little, he had need have much cunning,
不常讀書者須欺世有術(shù)，
to seem to know that he doth not.
始能無知而顯有知。
Histories make men wise;
讀史使人明智，
poets witty;
讀詩使人靈秀，
the mathematics subtile;
數(shù)學(xué)使人周密，
natural philosophy deep; moral grave;
科學(xué)使人深刻，倫理學(xué)使人莊重，
logic and rhetoric able to contend.
邏輯修辭之學(xué)使人善辯；
Abeunt studia in mores.
凡有所學(xué)，皆成性格。
Nay there is no stand or impediment in the wit,but may be wrought out by fit studies:
人之才智但有滯礙，無不可讀適當(dāng)之書使之順暢，
like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises.
一如身體百病，皆可借相宜之運(yùn)動(dòng)除之。
Bowling is good for the stone and reins;
滾球利睪腎，
shooting for the lungs and breast;
射箭利胸肺，
gentle walking for the stomach;
慢步利腸胃，
riding for the head; and the like.
騎術(shù)利頭腦，諸如此類。
So if a man's wit be wandering,
如智力不集中，
let him study the mathematics;
可令讀數(shù)學(xué)，
for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little,he must begin again.
蓋演題需全神貫注，稍有分散即須重演；
If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences,let him study the schoolmen;
如不能辯異，可令讀經(jīng)院哲學(xué)，
for they are cymini sectores.
蓋是輩皆吹毛求疵之人；
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.
如不善求同，不善以一物闡證另一物，可令讀律師之案卷。
So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.
如此頭腦中凡有缺陷，皆有特效可醫(yī)。
