CONCLUSION | Though I am now come to a conclusion of what obvious remarks have suggested to me concerning education, I would not have it thought that I look on it as a just treatise on this subject. There are a thousand other things that may need consideration, especially if one should take in the various tempers, different inclinations, and particular defaults, that are to be found in children, and prescribe proper remedies. The variety is so great, that it would require a volume; nor would that reach it. Each man's mind has some peculiarity, as well as his face, that distinguishes him from all others; and there are possibly scarce two children, who can be conducted by exactly the same method. Besides that, I think a prince, a nobleman, and an ordinary gentleman's son, should have different ways of breeding. But having had here only some general views in reference to the main end and aims in education, and those designed for a gentleman's son, who being then very little, I considered only as white paper, or wax, to be moulded and fashioned as one pleases; I have touched little more than those heads, which I judged necessary for the breeding of a young gentleman of his condition in general; and have now published these my occasional thoughts, with this hope, that though this be far from being a complete treatise on this subject, or such as that every one may find what will just fit his child in it; yet it may give some small light to those, whose concern for their dear little ones makes them so irregularly bold, that they dare venture to consult their own reason, in the education of their children, rather than wholly to rely upon old custom.
结语 | 虽然我关于教育的评论现在到总结的时候，我不想让人以为我把它作为有关教育议题的一篇恰当的论文。还有成千的其它事情要考虑，特别是考量小孩的各种脾性、不同爱好、各自的缺点，还要给出合适的矫治方法。这种类变化如此之大，需要写一卷书；也许一卷书还不够呢。每个人的心理就如同他的面孔一样，也是特别的，可以将他与所有其他人区分开来；而且很难找到两个小孩，可以用完全一样的方法教导。此外，我觉得一个王子、一个贵族，及一个普通绅士的儿子，应该用不同的方法来养育。但是我在这里所提到的只是针对教育的主要结果、目的，提出一些一般的参考意见，这些议论原是为一位绅士的儿子而发的，他当时年龄尚小，我把他看成只是一张白纸或一块蜡，可以随心所欲地铸就或塑造成时髦的式样；我所提到的差不多全是这种年轻绅士的教养所必需的项目，我现在将这些偶然的想法公诸于世，同时希望，即使本文谈不上是一篇完全的教育论文，不能使每个人都从中找到正好适合于其孩子的方法，但是它可以给那些关怀自己珍爱的小孩的人以启示，使他们在教育子女问题上，格外勇敢，宁愿冒险服从自己的理智，而不是完全地依靠古老的习俗。
摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)
