视频 | 崔永元最新幽默演讲：读书的目的是不糊涂（附 培根《论读书》双语）

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Of Study

论读书

培根

王佐良译

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. 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 and execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best form those that are learned.

读书足以怡情，足以傅彩，足以长才。其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；其傅彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中；其长才也，最见于处世判事之际。练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节，然纵观统筹，全局策划，则舍好学深思者莫属。

To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar.

读书费时过多易惰，文采藻饰太盛则矫，全凭条文断事乃学究故态。

They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning (pruning) by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.

读书补天然之不足，经验又补读书之不足，盖天生才干犹如自然花草，读书然后知如何修剪移接，而书中所示，如不以经验范之，则又大而无当。

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.

有一技之长者鄙读书，无知者羡读书，唯明智之士用读书，然书并不以用处告人，用书之智不在书中，而在书外，全凭观察得之。

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

读书时不可存心诘难读者，不可尽信书上所言，亦不可只为寻章摘句，而应推敲细思。

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.

书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则须咀嚼消化。换言之，有只需读其部分者，有只须大体涉猎者，少数则须全读，读时须全神贯注，孜孜不倦。

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.

书亦可请人代读，取其所作摘要，但只限题材较次或价值不高者，否则书经提炼犹如水经蒸馏，淡而无味。

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.

读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，笔记使人准确。因此不常做笔记者须记忆力特强，不常讨论者须天生聪颖，不常读书者须欺世有术，始能无知而显有知。

Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in morse. (Studies pass into the character.)

读史使人明智，读诗使人灵秀，数学使人周密，科学使人深刻，伦理学使人庄重，逻辑修辞之学使人善辩；凡有所学，皆成性格。

Nay there is no stand 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.

人之才智但有滞碍，无不可读适当之书使之顺畅，一如身体百病，皆可借相宜之运动除之。滚球利睾肾，射箭利胸肺，慢步利肠胃，骑术利头脑，诸如此类。

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 cyminisectores. 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.

如智力不集中，可令读数学，盖演题需全神贯注，稍有分散即须重演；如不能辩异，可令读经院哲学，盖是辈皆吹毛求疵之人；如不善求同，不善以一物阐证另一物，可令读律师之案卷。如此头脑中凡有缺陷，皆有特效可医。

给大家讲个好笑的段子：

那是我很小很小的时候了，有一天，爸爸铿锵有力地给我念了一句名言：“知识就是力量，法国就是醃肉。”（Knowledge is power. Francis Bacon”）

之后的十多年中，这句话一直困扰着我，产生了无数的谜团 。这句话的后半部分到底是什么意思？为什么能够和前半部分联系到一起？知识与力量、法国与醃肉之间，难道冥冥之中有着某种难以言喻的联系吗！？

我，无法理解。

更让我恐惧的是，每当我向大人们提起“知识就是力量，法国就是醃肉。” 的时候，他们都毫无惊讶的神色，而只是默默的点头赞同，甚至有几分欣喜的目光含在眼中。

或者当有人说到“知识就是力量。”的时候，我总会紧接着强调“法国就是醃肉！” 可从来没有人以怪异的神色盯着我或想要纠正什么怪异的事情，有的只是微微一笑，点头赞同。

某一天，深陷困惑的我终于鼓起了勇气 ，找到一位老师请教：“‘知识就是力量，法国就是醃肉。’这句话到底是什么意思？”可没想到换来的却只是整整十分钟关于“知识就是力量”的解释，完全没有触及到“法国就是醃肉”。当老师讲解完毕，我怯生生地试探道：“法国就是醃肉？”老师轻描淡写地答道：“没错。”年仅12岁的我根本没有勇气和信心再继续追问下去了。

我，绝望了。

从那一刻起，我再也没有去追问过这句话的真意，我坚信自己永远不可能弄明白这句话，它就是一个解不开的谜团，我能做的只是当这句话被提及的时候假装和所有人一样明白它的意思。我彻底放弃了追寻。

直到多年以后的某一天，我不经意在书本上看到了这句话 ：

Knowledge is power.

—– Francis Bacon”

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