《林貝卡》
Rebecca Lin
Essay: Of Parents And Children
Author：Francis Bacon
The joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs and fears. They cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other. Children sweeten labors; but they make misfortunes more bitter. They increase the cares of life; but they mitigate the remembrance of death.
The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works, are proper to men. And surely a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men, which have sought to express the images of their minds, where those of their bodies have failed. So the care of posterity is most in them, that have no posterity. They that are the first raisers of their houses, are most indulgent towards their children; beholding them as the continuance, not only of their kind, but of their work; and so both children and creatures.
The difference in affection, of parents towards their several children, is many times unequal; and sometimes unworthy; especially in the mothers; as Solomon saith, A wise son rejoiceth the father, but an ungracious son shames the mother. A man shall see, where there is a house full of children, one or two of the eldest respected, and the youngest made wantons; but in the midst, some that are as it were forgotten, who many times, nevertheless, prove the best.
The illiberality of parents, in allowance towards their children, is an harmful error; makes them base; acquaints them with shifts; makes them sort with mean company; and makes them surfeit more when they come to plenty. And therefore the proof is best, when men keep their authority towards the children, but not their purse.
Men have a foolish manner (both parents and schoolmasters and servants) in creating and breeding an emulation between brothers, during childhood, which many times sorteth to discord when they are men, and disturbeth families.
The Italians make little difference between children, and nephews or near kinsfolks; but so they be of the lump, they care not though they pass not through their own body.
And, to say truth, in nature it is much a like matter; insomuch that we see a nephew sometimes resembleth an uncle, or a kinsman, more than his own parent; as the blood happens. Let parents choose betimes, the vocations and courses they mean their children should take; for then they are most flexible; and let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition of their children, as thinking they will take best to that, which they have most mind to. It is true, that if the affection or aptness of the children be extraordinary, then it is good not to cross it; but generally the precept is good, optimum elige, suave et facile illud faciet consuetudo. Younger brothers are commonly fortunate, but seldom or never where the elder are disinherited.
論家庭 作者：培根 翻譯：何新
在子女麵前。父母不得不隱藏他們的各種快樂、煩惱與恐懼。他們的快樂無須說，而他們的煩惱與恐懼則不能說。子女使他們的勞苦變甜，但也使他們的不幸更苦。子女增加了他們生活的負擔，但也減輕了他們對於死亡的憂懼。
雖然動物也能傳宗接代，綿綿不絕，但隻有人類才能有榮譽、功德和持續不斷的偉大工作。然而，為什麽有的沒有留下後代者卻留下了流芳百世的功業？因為他們雖然未能複製一種肉體，卻全力以赴地複製了一種精神。因此這種無後繼的人其實倒是最關心後事的人。創業者對子女期望最大，因為子女被他們看作不但是族類的繼承者，又是所創事業的一部分。
作為父母，特別是母親，對子女常常會有不合理的偏愛。所羅門曾告誡人們：“智慧之子使父親歡樂，愚昧之子使母親蒙羞。”①在家庭中，最大或最小的孩子都可能得到優遇。唯有居中的子女容易被忘卻，但他們卻往往是最有出息的。成了家的人，可以說對於命運之神付出了抵押品。因為家庭難免拖累於事業，使人的許多抱負難以實現。
在子女小時候不應對他們過於苛吝。否則會使他們變得卑賤，甚至投機取巧，以至墮入下流，即使後來有了財富時也不會正當利用。聰明的父母對子女在管理上是嚴格的，而在用錢上則不妨略為寬鬆，這常常是會有好效果的。
作為成年人，絕不應在一家的兄弟之間挑動競爭，以至積隙成仇，使兄弟間直到成年，依然不和。
意大利風俗對子女和侄甥一視同仁，親密無間。這是很可取的。因為這種風俗很合於自然的血統關係。許多侄子不是更像他的一位叔、伯，而不像父親嗎？
在子女還小時，父母就應當考慮他們將來的職業方向並加以培養，因為這時他們最易塑造。但在這點上要注意，並不是孩子小時所喜歡的，也就是他們終生所願從事的。如果孩子確有某種超群的天才，那當然應該扶植發展。但就一般情況說，下麵這句格言是很有用的：“長期的訓練會通過適應化難為易。”還應當注意，子女中那種得不到遺產繼承的幼子，常常會通過自身奮鬥獲得好的發展。而坐享其成者，卻很少能成大業。
Rebecca Lin 2008 Spring In USA
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, and essayist. He is also known as a proponent of the scientific revolution.
His works established and popularized an inductive methodology for scientific inquiry, often called the Baconian method or simply, the scientific method. He has been credited as the creator of the English essay.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
School/tradition
Empiricism
Influenced by
Democritus, Plato, Alhazen, Roger Bacon
Influenced
Diderot, Hobbes, Hume
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon