《Of Studies》论读书读书笔记

《Of Studies》论读书读书笔记

　　在复活节假期中，忙着当空中飞人到处玩耍的我也在空余时间看了几篇英国散文。《论读书》，我之所以写它是因为让我惊奇地发现“为什么读书”这件事是任何时代每个国家的哲学家，思想家都在思考的问题。《论语》，《荀子》，《毛泽东选集》等等这些书，其中都有提到读书的重要性。今儿，让我们来看看西方的文人对这个问题的阐述, 在其中你会有所共鸣，会有所思考，会对中西方文人思维特点有个对比。

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　　关于《论读书》

　　古罗马诗人奥维德在《女英雄书信集》中 早说过“Abeunt studia in mores”意为一切学问都对性格有所影响。在我们的生活中，每件事每个经历甚至偶然间读过的某本书，这样的事情反复积累沉淀，造就了不同的我们。

　　《论读书》是弗兰西斯.培根的一篇散文作品，仅仅数百来字就把读书的妙用和读书的方法这两个问题说得非常透彻。培根在说到读书的用处时，既强调了其对立身行事，自我修养的帮助，又指出了书本知识的局限性，认为学问应当受到经验的规范。作者还对不同书籍提出了不同的读书方法：有些书浅尝即可，有些只须囫囵吞枣，少数须要细细咀嚼消化。这种对自我完善的渴求似乎反映出文艺复兴时代的“人文主义精神“——相信人的力量和人无限的潜力。

　　节选

　　Studies serve for delight, for ornament,and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring (独处和幽居之时); for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in thejudgement and disposition of business; for expert men can execute, and perhapsjudge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots (plan) and marshalling of affairs (处理事务)come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time instudies, is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to makejudgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of scholar(学者的癖性); they perfect nature, and are perfected by experience; for naturalabilities are like plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselvesdo give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in byexperience(若不以经验约束的知识则会不着边际 ).

　　Read not to contradict (否定) and confute (驳斥), nor to believe and takefor granted(想当然), nor to find talk and discourse, butto weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, andsome few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only inparts; others to be read but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, andwith diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy(由人代读), and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in theless important arguments and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books arelike common distilled waters, flashy things (平淡无味的东西).

　　Histories make men wise, poets, witty; themathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric(修辞学), able to contend: Abeunt studia in mores……

　　关于培根

　　弗兰西斯.培根 (FrancisBacon, 1561-1626), 英国哲学家，散文家，生于伦敦，受教于剑桥大学三一学院。此后仕途一帆风顺，历任副检察长，检察总长， 掌玺大臣等职位，但在1621年被指控犯有贿赂罪而削官为民。余生在文学和哲学创作中度过。蒲柏说他是“人中之俊杰，亦是人中之败类”。

　　其作品主要分为三类：哲学作品《Advancement of Learning》，法律职业的作品， 文学类作品《Essays》， 《History ofHenry the Seventh， 1622》。

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　　本文作者： Eleen

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