約翰·洛克的教育思想(中英對照)-7: 夥伴

COMPANY | I mentioned above one great mischief that came by servants to children, when by their flatteries they take off the edge and force of the parents' rebukes, and so lessen their authority: and here is another great inconvenience which children receive from the ill examples which they meet with amongst the meaner servants.

夥伴 |  我在前麵說過，仆人們對於小孩有一個很大的害處，是當他們討好小孩，就減低了父母嗬斥的尖銳與力量，因此損害了父母的威信。這裏還有另一個大的麻煩，就是小孩常從卑下的仆人那裏學到許多不良的榜樣。

They are wholly, if possible, to be kept from such conversation; for the contagion of these ill precedents, both in civility and virtue, horribly infects children, as often as they come within reach of it. They frequently learn from unbred or debauched servants such language, untowardly tricks and vices, as otherwise they possibly would be ignorant of all their lives.

如果可能的話，最好完全不要讓他們與這種人交往；因為小孩隻要接觸到壞的榜樣，在禮儀和德行上都常常會受到可怕地傳染。他們常常從沒有教養的或者墮落的仆人那裏學到這樣的言語、詭計與惡習，否則他們可能一生也不會知道那些的。

It is a hard matter wholly to prevent this mischief. You will have very good luck, if you never have a clownish or vicious servant, and if from them your children never get any infection: but yet as much must be done towards it as can be, and the children kept as much as may be in the company of their parents, and those to whose care they are committed. To this purpose, their being in their presence should be made easy to them; they should be allowed the liberties and freedoms suitable to their ages, and not be held under unnecessary restraints, when in their parents' or governor's sight. If it be a prison to them, it is no wonder they should not like it. They must not be hindered from being children, or from playing, or doing as children, but from doing ill; all other liberty is to be allowed them. Next, to make them in love with the company of their parents, they should receive all their good things there, and from their hands. The servants should be hindered from making court to them by giving them strong drink, wine, fruit, playthings, and other such matters, which may make them in love with their conversation.

要完全防止這種危害是很難的。假若你從來沒有一個小醜似的或邪惡的仆人，假若你的孩子一點也沒有從仆人那裏沾染惡習，那你太幸運了；但是我們還是要盡力去防止這種危害，小孩要盡量多接近他們的父母以及受托照料他們的人。為此目的，小孩在場的時候要讓他們感到安逸自如；在父母或導師的看顧下，他們應該被允許有與他們年齡相稱的自由，不要受到不必要的限製。如果與父母導師相處就像坐監獄似的，就怪不得他們不喜歡了。他們的孩子氣、遊戲、或孩子行為，隻要不是幹壞事，都不應該被阻擾；他們應當也有其餘的自由。此外，為讓小孩樂於與父母相伴，凡是他們心愛的東西都應從父母那裏得到，並且應由父母親手給予。要防止仆人們把烈性的飲料、酒、水果、玩具、以及別的類似東西給小孩，去取得小孩的歡心，使小孩喜歡與他們交往。

 

摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)