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宋譯 【求知論。培根】

(2008-04-28 20:23:20) 下一個
宋譯 【求知論。培根】


Of Studies by Francis Bacon

【求知論。培根】

宋德利 譯


求知,可從中取樂,可用以裝飾,可增長才智。

求知的妙用要旨:離群索居,退隱歸山時,可供自娛自樂,開心解頤;高談闊論,誇誇其談時,可供華辭麗藻,美化包裝;審時度勢,待人接物時,可供充電補習,增長才智。行家裏手,僅憑一己之經驗,對具體事物逐一判斷,或許尚能小有成就,然縱觀全局,運籌帷幄,終成大器者,非學富五車者莫屬。

研習求知,經年累月,費時過多,未免慵懶怠惰;裝飾效應,著眼過多,難免嘩眾取寵;分析判斷,墨守成規,純屬學究滑稽之舉。

學識才智,令人性臻於白璧無瑕,而經驗體會,亦令學識本身趨於完美無缺:所以然者何?與生俱來之才智,宛如天然草木,需經研習求知,加以修枝剪葉;誠然,此類才智,確能指引方向,但太過籠統之弊,顯而易見,若不結合經驗,恐會誤導,貽害匪淺。

心靈手巧者鄙視知識,頭腦簡單者尊崇知識,博學聰穎者運用知識;知識不能就自身用途而言傳身教;除非無需知識,或超越知識的天才,否則,欲獲成功,必以敏銳的觀察力,研習求知,孜孜不倦。

讀書,既不為抵牾他人,進而口誅筆伐;亦不為偏聽偏信,全憑想當然;也不為挖掘話題,繼而口若懸河;唯讀書之妙諦,存乎權衡自重,慎思慎行,除此之外,豈有它哉!

就書籍而言,其中一些隻需淺嚐輒止,另一些不妨囫圇吞棗,隻有少數一些,方需細細咀嚼,慢慢消化;有鑒於此,一些書籍,選讀部分足矣,另一些書籍,讀則讀矣,隻是無需精而細之;唯有少數書籍,則需通讀,且要全神貫注,勤勉至極。

一些書籍,尋人代讀也未嚐不可,由他人取其精華,摘而錄之;然而如此之舉,隻適於選題純屬次要之書,至於一些等而下之者,乃至其它經過“蒸餾”之書,則與蒸餾水一般無二,華而不實,讀之味同嚼蠟。


讀書造就完美無缺之人;研討造就才思敏捷之人;寫作造就嚴謹精確之人。因此,一個人如果動筆無多,他就需要具備極強的記憶力;如果動口頗少,他就需要具備天賦才智;如果讀書甚少,他就需要機警睿智,虛實互掩,看似有知,實卻無知。

史學令人足智多謀,詩學令人睿智機警;數學令人縝密敏銳;自然哲學令人城府幽深;倫理學令人學養敦厚;邏輯修辭學令人嫻於辭令。

推而廣之,大凡智慧領域,並無發憤求知亦不可清除的障礙;猶如肌體染疾,經適當鍛煉就可治愈。保齡球利於腰腎;射擊利於胸肺;慢走利於腸胃;騎術利於頭腦;凡此種種,不一而足。

如此看來,一個人如果精神渙散,就讓他研習數學;因為在演算論證過程中,稍微心不在焉,就會因出錯而推翻重來。 如果他智力低下,不善於分門別類或發現差異之處,就讓他研究經院哲學家;因為他們都是連頭發絲都能劈開的高人。如果他不善於在攻克難題之後,由此及彼,舉一反三,擇一例而證其它,那就讓他研究律師案例。由是觀之,大凡涉及心智者,皆瑕瑜互現,終歸有一種特殊方法,對瑕疵所致損失加以補償。此所謂“失之東隅,收之桑榆”是也。


注釋:

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.

求知,可從中取樂,可用以裝飾,可增長才智。

注釋:
serve for:是“充當”的意思。不是“為了”的意思。如:The book will serve for a pillow. 這本書可當個枕頭。

for delight:譯成“消遣”略顯欠妥。“消遣”有消極意味,大凡做“消遣”之物,檔次一般較低,而讀書求知是積極進取,屬於上等聖事,隻能引以為樂,從中取樂,不可作為消遣。如果把知識當成消遣,恐有糟蹋褻瀆聖物之嫌。

serve for ability:沒有“為了”之義,也沒有“增長”之意,這一詞組的意思是“充當”的意思,“充當”和“等於”有一絲一毫的相似之處,活譯成“視為”、“代表”、“象征”之類似乎比較接近原意。

ability:才智。翻譯成“才幹”略顯片麵。“才幹”,大多指手工技藝,辦事能力,“智”則指精神範疇的智慧。再者讀書求知,大多為的是提升智商,並非提高手工操作的技藝。手工技藝多通過手工操作的熟練程度來提高。因此將ability翻譯成“才智”是一把“雙刃劍”。


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 men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best, from those that are learned.

求知的妙用要旨:離群索居,退隱歸山時,可供自娛自樂,開心解頤;高談闊論,誇誇其談時,可供華辭麗藻,美化包裝;審時度勢,待人接物時,可供充電補習,增長才智。行家裏手,僅憑一己之經驗,對具體事物逐一判斷,或許尚能小有成就,然縱觀全局,運籌帷幄,終成大器者,非學富五車者莫屬。

注釋:
in privateness and retiring:沒有“寂寞孤獨”的意思。Privateness,私處獨居。Retiring,避世隱居。做這兩件事的人是心甘情願,不會有寂寞孤獨之感。再者,在這樣的環境下,有書可讀,有知可求,更不會感到寂寞孤獨。隻會因為讀書過多,求知過累而感到疲乏,但這也隻是屬於肉體疲乏,而非精神痛苦。所以我將

delight:譯成“開心解頤”。 “解頤”,即笑逐顏開,頤,臉麵。

learned:有學問的。我譯成“學富五車”,即知識淵博。



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

研習求知,經年累月,費時過多,未免慵懶怠惰;裝飾效應,著眼過多,難免嘩眾取寵;分析判斷,墨守成規,純屬學究滑稽之舉。


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

學識才智,令人性臻於白璧無瑕,而經驗體會,亦令學識本身趨於完美無缺:所以然者何?與生俱來之才智,宛如天然草木,需經研習求知,加以修枝剪葉;誠然,此類才智,確能指引方向,但太過籠統之弊,顯而易見,若不結合經驗,恐會誤導,貽害匪淺。


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.

心靈手巧者鄙視知識,頭腦簡單者尊崇知識,博學聰穎者運用知識;知識不能就自身用途而言傳身教;除非無需知識,或超越知識的天才,否則,欲獲成功,必以敏銳的觀察力,研習求知,孜孜不倦。

注釋:
Crafty men:不是“狡詐者”,是“心靈手巧者”。Crafty,既可做“狡詐”解,亦可作“心靈手巧”解。應該選擇後者,因為從邏輯講,隻有心靈手巧才可做為一些人鄙視知識的資本。而狡詐者,他拿什麽做鄙視知識的資本呢?顯然人品狡詐與鄙視知識風馬牛不相及。



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

讀書,既不為抵牾他人,進而口誅筆伐;亦不為偏聽偏信,全憑想當然;也不為挖掘話題,繼而口若懸河;唯讀書之妙諦,存乎權衡自重,慎思慎行,除此之外,豈有它哉!


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.

就書籍而言,其中一些隻需淺嚐輒止,另一些不妨囫圇吞棗,隻有少數一些,方需細細咀嚼,慢慢消化;有鑒於此,一些書籍,選讀部分足矣,另一些書籍,讀則讀矣,隻是無需精而細之;唯有少數書籍,則需通讀,且要全神貫注,勤勉至極。


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.

一些書籍,尋人代讀也未嚐不可,由他人取其精華,摘而錄之;然而如此之舉,隻適於選題純屬次要之書,至於一些等而下之者,乃至其它經過“蒸餾”之書,則與蒸餾水一般無二,華而不實,讀之味同嚼蠟。


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.

讀書造就完美無缺之人;研討造就才思敏捷之人;寫作造就嚴謹精確之人。因此,一個人如果動筆無多,他就需要具備極強的記憶力;如果動口頗少,他就需要具備天賦才智;如果讀書甚少,他就需要機警睿智,虛實互掩,看似有知,實卻無知。


Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores.

史學令人足智多謀,詩學令人睿智機警;數學令人縝密敏銳;自然哲學令人城府幽深;倫理學令人學養敦厚;邏輯修辭學令人嫻於辭令。


Nay, there is no stond 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.

推而廣之,大凡智慧領域,並無發憤求知亦不可清除的障礙;猶如肌體染疾,經適當鍛煉就可治愈。保齡球利於腰腎;射擊利於胸肺;慢走利於腸胃;騎術利於頭腦;凡此種種,不一而足。

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 cymini sectores. 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.

如此看來,一個人如果精神渙散,就讓他研習數學;因為在演算論證過程中,稍微心不在焉,就會因出錯而推翻重來。 如果他智力低下,不善於分門別類或發現差異之處,就讓他研究經院哲學家;因為他們都是連頭發絲都能劈開的高人。如果他不善於在攻克難題之後,由此及彼,舉一反三,擇一例而證其它,那就讓他研究律師案例。由是觀之,大凡涉及心智者,皆瑕瑜互現,終歸有一種特殊方法,對瑕疵所致損失加以補償。此所謂“失之東隅,收之桑榆”是也。

注釋:
Cymini:hair splitter. Split, 劈開。指這些經院哲學家辦事就像能劈開頭發絲那樣極其細致入微。
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閱讀 ()評論 (2)
評論
cockatoo 回複 悄悄話 回複john6969的評論:你這位同誌真是的,你以為宋先生不知前輩王先生的譯作,我看他背都背的下來。there are 59 Eassays or Counsels Civil and Moral from Francis Bacon,OF STUDIES is one of them.
john6969 回複 悄悄話 論讀書
弗朗西斯·培根


讀書足以怡情,足以傅彩,足以長才。其怡情也,最見於獨處幽居之時;其傅彩也,最見於高談闊論之中;其長才也,最見於處世判事之際。

練達之士雖能分別處理細事或一一判別枝節,然縱觀統籌,全局策劃,則舍好學深思者莫屬。讀書費時過多易惰,文采藻飾太盛則矯,全憑條文斷事乃學究故態。

讀書補天然之不足,經驗又補讀書之不足,蓋天生才幹猶如自然花草,讀書然後知如何修剪移接,而書中所示,如不以經驗範之,則又大而無當。

有一技之長者鄙讀書,無知者羨讀書,唯明智之士用讀書,然書並不以用處告人,用書之智不在書中,而在書外,全憑觀察得之。

讀書時不可存心詰難讀者,不可盡信書上所言,亦不可隻為尋章摘句,而應推敲細思。

書有可淺嚐者,有可吞食者,少數則須咀嚼消化。換言之,有隻需讀其部分者,有隻須大體涉獵者,少數則須全讀,讀時須全神貫注,孜孜不倦。書亦可請人代讀,取其所作摘要,但隻限題材較次或價值不高者,否則書經提煉猶如水經蒸餾,淡而無味。

讀書使人充實,討論使人機智,筆記使人準確。因此不常做筆記者須記憶力特強,不常討論者須天生聰穎,不常讀書者須欺世有術,始能無知而顯有知。

讀史使人明智,讀詩使人靈秀,數學使人周密,科學使人深刻,倫理學使人莊重,邏輯修辭之學使人善辯;凡有所學,皆成性格。

人之才智但有滯礙,無不可讀適當之書使之順暢,一如身體百病,皆可借相宜之運動除之。滾球利睾腎,射箭利胸肺,慢步利腸胃,騎術利頭腦,諸如此類。如智力不集中,可令讀數學,蓋演題需全神貫注,稍有分散即須重演;如不能辯異,可令讀經院哲學,蓋是輩皆吹毛求疵之人;如不善求同,不善以一物闡證另一物,可令讀律師之案卷。如此頭腦中凡有缺陷,皆有特效可醫。
(王佐良先生譯)
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