評論
打印
Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted,
讀書不是為了反駁和駁倒對方，也不是為了盲信與想當然，
nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
也不要為了談資與切議而著眼于權(quán)衡輕重和勘察事物。有些書可以淺嘗輒止，有些書則要生吞活剝，
and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts;
需要認真咀嚼消化的則很少。也就是說，有些書只要讀一部分就可以窺一斑豹；
others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
有些書讀來不必過于細心；為數(shù)不多的幾本書不但要全讀，而且還要勤讀，投入全部身心。
Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others;
有些書也可以請人代讀，并且由其他人摘選綱要；
but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books;
但是，這只適合于不那么重要的議論，以及無甚價值的書籍；
else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things.
否則，提煉過的書如同蒸餾水，恬淡無味。
Reading making a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man;
閱讀使人充實，交談令人才思敏捷，寫作則可以使人準確地闡述自己的思想；
and, therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory;
因此，倘若一個人懶于動筆，那么他就必須有驚人的記憶力；
if he confer little, he had need have a present wit;
假若他很少與人交流，就必須有現(xiàn)成的機智；
and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.
如果很少讀書，那么他就必須極盡狡猾，讓別人看不出他所知甚少。
Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle;
讀史使人明鑒；詩歌教人言辭曼妙；數(shù)學(xué)令人精細；
natural philosophy, deep; moral philosophy, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend.
博物使人深邃；倫理學(xué)使人靜肅；邏輯與修辭使人在論辯中立于不敗之地。
