宋译 【求知论。培根】

宋译 【求知论。培根】


Of Studies by Francis Bacon

【求知论。培根】

宋德利 译


求知，可从中取乐，可用以装饰，可增长才智。

求知的妙用要旨：离群索居，退隐归山时，可供自娱自乐，开心解颐；高谈阔论，夸夸其谈时，可供华辞丽藻，美化包装；审时度势，待人接物时，可供充电补习，增长才智。行家里手，仅凭一己之经验，对具体事物逐一判断，或许尚能小有成就，然纵观全局，运筹帷幄，终成大器者，非学富五车者莫属。

研习求知，经年累月，费时过多，未免慵懒怠惰；装饰效应，着眼过多，难免哗众取宠；分析判断，墨守成规，纯属学究滑稽之举。

学识才智，令人性臻于白璧无瑕，而经验体会，亦令学识本身趋于完美无缺：所以然者何？与生俱来之才智，宛如天然草木，需经研习求知，加以修枝剪叶；诚然，此类才智，确能指引方向，但太过笼统之弊，显而易见，若不结合经验，恐会误导，贻害匪浅。

心灵手巧者鄙视知识，头脑简单者尊崇知识，博学聪颖者运用知识；知识不能就自身用途而言传身教；除非无需知识，或超越知识的天才，否则，欲获成功，必以敏锐的观察力，研习求知，孜孜不倦。

读书，既不为抵牾他人，进而口诛笔伐；亦不为偏听偏信，全凭想当然；也不为挖掘话题，继而口若悬河；唯读书之妙谛，存乎权衡自重，慎思慎行，除此之外，岂有它哉！

就书籍而言，其中一些只需浅尝辄止，另一些不妨囫囵吞枣，只有少数一些，方需细细咀嚼，慢慢消化；有鉴于此，一些书籍，选读部分足矣，另一些书籍，读则读矣，只是无需精而细之；唯有少数书籍，则需通读，且要全神贯注，勤勉至极。

一些书籍，寻人代读也未尝不可，由他人取其精华，摘而录之；然而如此之举，只适于选题纯属次要之书，至于一些等而下之者，乃至其它经过“蒸馏”之书，则与蒸馏水一般无二，华而不实，读之味同嚼蜡。


读书造就完美无缺之人；研讨造就才思敏捷之人；写作造就严谨精确之人。因此，一个人如果动笔无多，他就需要具备极强的记忆力；如果动口颇少，他就需要具备天赋才智；如果读书甚少，他就需要机警睿智，虚实互掩，看似有知，实却无知。

史学令人足智多谋，诗学令人睿智机警；数学令人缜密敏锐；自然哲学令人城府幽深；伦理学令人学养敦厚；逻辑修辞学令人娴于辞令。

推而广之，大凡智慧领域，并无发愤求知亦不可清除的障碍；犹如肌体染疾，经适当锻炼就可治愈。保龄球利于腰肾；射击利于胸肺；慢走利于肠胃；骑术利于头脑；凡此种种，不一而足。

如此看来，一个人如果精神涣散，就让他研习数学；因为在演算论证过程中，稍微心不在焉，就会因出错而推翻重来。 如果他智力低下，不善于分门别类或发现差异之处，就让他研究经院哲学家；因为他们都是连头发丝都能劈开的高人。如果他不善于在攻克难题之后，由此及彼，举一反三，择一例而证其它，那就让他研究律师案例。由是观之，大凡涉及心智者，皆瑕瑜互现，终归有一种特殊方法，对瑕疵所致损失加以补偿。此所谓“失之东隅，收之桑榆”是也。


注释：

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.

求知，可从中取乐，可用以装饰，可增长才智。

注释：
serve for：是“充当”的意思。不是“为了”的意思。如：The book will serve for a pillow. 这本书可当个枕头。

for delight：译成“消遣”略显欠妥。“消遣”有消极意味，大凡做“消遣”之物，档次一般较低，而读书求知是积极进取，属于上等圣事，只能引以为乐，从中取乐，不可作为消遣。如果把知识当成消遣，恐有糟蹋亵渎圣物之嫌。

serve for ability：没有“为了”之义，也没有“增长”之意，这一词组的意思是“充当”的意思，“充当”和“等于”有一丝一毫的相似之处，活译成“视为”、“代表”、“象征”之类似乎比较接近原意。

ability：才智。翻译成“才干”略显片面。“才干”，大多指手工技艺，办事能力，“智”则指精神范畴的智慧。再者读书求知，大多为的是提升智商，并非提高手工操作的技艺。手工技艺多通过手工操作的熟练程度来提高。因此将ability翻译成“才智”是一把“双刃剑”。


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.

求知的妙用要旨：离群索居，退隐归山时，可供自娱自乐，开心解颐；高谈阔论，夸夸其谈时，可供华辞丽藻，美化包装；审时度势，待人接物时，可供充电补习，增长才智。行家里手，仅凭一己之经验，对具体事物逐一判断，或许尚能小有成就，然纵观全局，运筹帷幄，终成大器者，非学富五车者莫属。

注释：
in privateness and retiring：没有“寂寞孤独”的意思。Privateness，私处独居。Retiring，避世隐居。做这两件事的人是心甘情愿，不会有寂寞孤独之感。再者，在这样的环境下，有书可读，有知可求，更不会感到寂寞孤独。只会因为读书过多，求知过累而感到疲乏，但这也只是属于肉体疲乏，而非精神痛苦。所以我将

delight：译成“开心解颐”。 “解颐”，即笑逐颜开，颐，脸面。

learned：有学问的。我译成“学富五车”，即知识渊博。



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.

研习求知，经年累月，费时过多，未免慵懒怠惰；装饰效应，着眼过多，难免哗众取宠；分析判断，墨守成规，纯属学究滑稽之举。


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.

学识才智，令人性臻于白璧无瑕，而经验体会，亦令学识本身趋于完美无缺：所以然者何？与生俱来之才智，宛如天然草木，需经研习求知，加以修枝剪叶；诚然，此类才智，确能指引方向，但太过笼统之弊，显而易见，若不结合经验，恐会误导，贻害匪浅。


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.

心灵手巧者鄙视知识，头脑简单者尊崇知识，博学聪颖者运用知识；知识不能就自身用途而言传身教；除非无需知识，或超越知识的天才，否则，欲获成功，必以敏锐的观察力，研习求知，孜孜不倦。

注释：
Crafty men：不是“狡诈者”，是“心灵手巧者”。Crafty，既可做“狡诈”解，亦可作“心灵手巧”解。应该选择后者，因为从逻辑讲，只有心灵手巧才可做为一些人鄙视知识的资本。而狡诈者，他拿什么做鄙视知识的资本呢？显然人品狡诈与鄙视知识风马牛不相及。



Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.

读书，既不为抵牾他人，进而口诛笔伐；亦不为偏听偏信，全凭想当然；也不为挖掘话题，继而口若悬河；唯读书之妙谛，存乎权衡自重，慎思慎行，除此之外，岂有它哉！


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.

就书籍而言，其中一些只需浅尝辄止，另一些不妨囫囵吞枣，只有少数一些，方需细细咀嚼，慢慢消化；有鉴于此，一些书籍，选读部分足矣，另一些书籍，读则读矣，只是无需精而细之；唯有少数书籍，则需通读，且要全神贯注，勤勉至极。


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.

一些书籍，寻人代读也未尝不可，由他人取其精华，摘而录之；然而如此之举，只适于选题纯属次要之书，至于一些等而下之者，乃至其它经过“蒸馏”之书，则与蒸馏水一般无二，华而不实，读之味同嚼蜡。


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.

读书造就完美无缺之人；研讨造就才思敏捷之人；写作造就严谨精确之人。因此，一个人如果动笔无多，他就需要具备极强的记忆力；如果动口颇少，他就需要具备天赋才智；如果读书甚少，他就需要机警睿智，虚实互掩，看似有知，实却无知。


Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores.

史学令人足智多谋，诗学令人睿智机警；数学令人缜密敏锐；自然哲学令人城府幽深；伦理学令人学养敦厚；逻辑修辞学令人娴于辞令。


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. 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.

推而广之，大凡智慧领域，并无发愤求知亦不可清除的障碍；犹如肌体染疾，经适当锻炼就可治愈。保龄球利于腰肾；射击利于胸肺；慢走利于肠胃；骑术利于头脑；凡此种种，不一而足。

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.

如此看来，一个人如果精神涣散，就让他研习数学；因为在演算论证过程中，稍微心不在焉，就会因出错而推翻重来。 如果他智力低下，不善于分门别类或发现差异之处，就让他研究经院哲学家；因为他们都是连头发丝都能劈开的高人。如果他不善于在攻克难题之后，由此及彼，举一反三，择一例而证其它，那就让他研究律师案例。由是观之，大凡涉及心智者，皆瑕瑜互现，终归有一种特殊方法，对瑕疵所致损失加以补偿。此所谓“失之东隅，收之桑榆”是也。

注释：
Cymini：hair splitter. Split, 劈开。指这些经院哲学家办事就像能劈开头发丝那样极其细致入微。