弗兰西斯·培根（Francis Bacon，1561—1626），大哲学家，是“英国唯物主义的真正始祖”（马克思）。他又是一个出色的文章家，所写《随笔》（Essays, 1625）是英国文学史上著名的散文作品之一。
《随笔》共收短文58篇，谈的是处世的道理，成功的秘诀，读书、旅行、娱乐等事的实际经验，也探讨哲理，议论人生。文字写得十分紧凑简约，有时似乎枯燥，实则充满了独到之见，诛心之论。
今天为大家分享其中一篇散文《谈读书》（Of Studies）的精彩选段，并附王佐良先生的译文和注释。
Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness① and retiring②; for ornament, is in discourse③; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business. For expert men④ can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots⑤ and marshalling of affairs⑥, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth⑦; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation⑧; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humour⑨ of a scholar.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。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。① privateness: 独处。
② retiring: = retirement，隐居。③ discourse: 议论。④ expert man: 有经验的人。⑤ plots: = plans，计划，非今日“阴谋”之意。⑥ marshalling of affairs: 安排事务。⑦ sloth: 懒情。⑧ affectation: 装腔作势。⑨ humour: 脾气（古义），此处指怪僻。
They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning① by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large②, except they be③ bounded in by experience④. Crafty men⑤ contemn studies, simple men⑥ admire⑦ them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them⑧, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted⑨; nor to find talk and discourse⑩; but to weigh and consider.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。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。读书时不可存心诘难作者，不可尽信书上所言，亦不可只为寻章摘句，而应推敲细思。① proyning:= pruning，修剪枝叶。 ② too much at large: 不着边际。③ except they be: = except they should be.④ bounded in by experience: 受经验的限制。⑤ crafty men: = men of craft；有一技之长的人，非今日“狡黠者流”之意。⑥ simple men: 头脑简单、易于受欺的人；simple 在此不作单纯解。⑦ admire: 古义为“惊奇不已”，强调远过于今之“赞美”。⑧ without them, and above them: 在书本之外，在书本之上；without= outside.⑨ to take for granted: 不加疑问地接受，认为当然。⑩ nor to find talk and discourse: 也不是寻找谈话的材料。
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 curiously①; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention Some books also may be read by deputy②, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be③ only in the less important arguments④, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things.书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则须咀嚼消化。换言之，有只须读其部分者，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。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，淡而无味矣。① curiously: with care，仔细地（古义）。② by deputy: 请人代理。③ that would be: 意为 that ought to be.④ arguments: 书的内容，题材。
原文和注释摘自《英国文学名篇选注》，译文摘自《英国文学史》。
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