COMPANY | I mentioned above one great mischief that came by servants to children, when by their flatteries they take off the edge and force of the parents' rebukes, and so lessen their authority: and here is another great inconvenience which children receive from the ill examples which they meet with amongst the meaner servants.
伙伴 | 我在前面说过，仆人们对于小孩有一个很大的害处，是当他们讨好小孩，就减低了父母呵斥的尖锐与力量，因此损害了父母的威信。这里还有另一个大的麻烦，就是小孩常从卑下的仆人那里学到许多不良的榜样。
They are wholly, if possible, to be kept from such conversation; for the contagion of these ill precedents, both in civility and virtue, horribly infects children, as often as they come within reach of it. They frequently learn from unbred or debauched servants such language, untowardly tricks and vices, as otherwise they possibly would be ignorant of all their lives.
如果可能的话，最好完全不要让他们与这种人交往；因为小孩只要接触到坏的榜样，在礼仪和德行上都常常会受到可怕地传染。他们常常从没有教养的或者堕落的仆人那里学到这样的言语、诡计与恶习，否则他们可能一生也不会知道那些的。
It is a hard matter wholly to prevent this mischief. You will have very good luck, if you never have a clownish or vicious servant, and if from them your children never get any infection: but yet as much must be done towards it as can be, and the children kept as much as may be in the company of their parents, and those to whose care they are committed. To this purpose, their being in their presence should be made easy to them; they should be allowed the liberties and freedoms suitable to their ages, and not be held under unnecessary restraints, when in their parents' or governor's sight. If it be a prison to them, it is no wonder they should not like it. They must not be hindered from being children, or from playing, or doing as children, but from doing ill; all other liberty is to be allowed them. Next, to make them in love with the company of their parents, they should receive all their good things there, and from their hands. The servants should be hindered from making court to them by giving them strong drink, wine, fruit, playthings, and other such matters, which may make them in love with their conversation.
要完全防止这种危害是很难的。假若你从来没有一个小丑似的或邪恶的仆人，假若你的孩子一点也没有从仆人那里沾染恶习，那你太幸运了；但是我们还是要尽力去防止这种危害，小孩要尽量多接近他们的父母以及受托照料他们的人。为此目的，小孩在场的时候要让他们感到安逸自如；在父母或导师的看顾下，他们应该被允许有与他们年龄相称的自由，不要受到不必要的限制。如果与父母导师相处就像坐监狱似的，就怪不得他们不喜欢了。他们的孩子气、游戏、或孩子行为，只要不是干坏事，都不应该被阻扰；他们应当也有其余的自由。此外，为让小孩乐于与父母相伴，凡是他们心爱的东西都应从父母那里得到，并且应由父母亲手给予。要防止仆人们把烈性的饮料、酒、水果、玩具、以及别的类似东西给小孩，去取得小孩的欢心，使小孩喜欢与他们交往。
摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)
