約翰·洛克的教育思想(中英對照)-18: 好奇心

CURIOSITY | Curiosity in children (which I had occasion just to mention, § 108) is but an appetite after knowledge, and therefore ought to be encouraged in them, not only as a good sign, but as the great instrument nature has provided, to remove that ignorance they were born with, and which without this busy inquisitiveness will make them dull and useless creatures. The ways to encourage it, and keep it active and busy, are, I suppose, these following:

好奇 | 小孩的好奇心 (我在第一百零八節曾提到過)隻是對知識的一種欲望，所以應該加以鼓勵，不僅作為好的跡象，而且作為"自然"提供的重要工具來消除他們生來的無知，免得他們不好奇求知就成為呆滯無用的動物。鼓勵好奇心，並讓它保持活躍，我認為有下列方法：

1. Not to check or discountenance any inquiries he shall make, nor suffer them to be laughed at; but to answer all his questions, and explain the matters he desires to know, so as to make them as much intelligible to him, as suits the capacity of his age and knowledge. But confound not his understanding with explications or notions that are above it, or with the variety or number of things that are not to his present purpose. Mark what it is his mind aims at in the question, and not what words he expresses it in: and when you have informed and satisfied him in that, you shall see how his thoughts will enlarge themselves, and how by fit answers he may be led on farther than perhaps you could imagine. For knowledge is grateful to the understanding, as light to the eyes: children are pleased and delighted with it exceedingly, especially if they see that their inquiries are regarded, and that their desire of knowing is encouraged and commended. And I doubt not but one great reason, why many children abandon themselves wholly to silly sports, and trifle away all their time insipidly, is, because they have found their curiosity baulked, and their inquiries neglected. But had they been treated with more kindness and respect, and their questions answered, as they should, to their satisfaction, I doubt not but they would have taken more pleasure in learning, and improving their knowledge, wherein there would be still newness and variety, which is what they are delighted with, than in returning over and over to the same play and play-things.

1. 不要抑製或為難他的任何問題，也不要嘲笑它們；但要回答他的所有問題，向他解釋他想要知道的事情，照著適合他年齡與知識的限度盡量讓他理解明白。不過不要用超出他理解力之外的闡述或概念，也不要講與他現在目的無關的種種事情，以免使他糊塗困惑。注意他問問題的目的是什麽，而不是他表達問題的言語；一旦你讓他知曉和滿足於你告訴他的信息，你會發現他的思緒怎樣自己擴展，合適的答複怎樣引導他到達超出你想象的地步。因為知識為理解所欣賞，就如同光線為眼睛所欣賞一樣；孩子極其喜歡知識，特別是他們看到他們的疑問受人注意，他們求知欲得到鼓勵與讚揚。許多小孩之所以自我放棄去玩無聊的運動遊戲，把他們所有的時間乏味無趣地消磨掉，我相信一個重要的原因是他們的好奇心受到阻礙，他們的疑問被人忽視。但凡他們受到更多友善與尊重的對待，他們的問題得到應有的滿意回答，我相信他們會從學習與增加知識中得到更多的快樂，因為其中總有他們喜愛的新鮮與變化，就不會一再回到同樣的遊戲與玩具去了。

2. To this serious answering their questions, and informing their understandings in what they desire, as if it were a matter that needed it, should be added some peculiar ways of commendation. Let others, whom they esteem, be told before their faces of the knowledge they have in such and such things; and since we are all, even from our cradles, vain and proud creatures, let their vanity be flattered with things that will do them good; and let their pride set them on work on something which may turn to their advantage. Upon this ground you shall find, that there cannot be a greater spur to the attaining what you would have the elder learn and know himself, than to set him upon teaching it his younger brothers and sisters.

2. 除了認真回答他們的問題和告訴他們想要了解的事情，需要的話還應當加上一些特別的讚揚方式。可以當著他們的麵，告訴他們敬重的人，說他們懂得某件事情；因為我們都從小就是自負驕傲的動物，所以要讓他們的虛榮心在對他們有好處的事情上得到誇讚；讓他們的自滿促使他們做對他們有益的事情。因此你會發現，沒有比讓年長的孩子教他的弟弟妹妹更能促使他自己去掌握他應該學習領會的知識。

3. As children's inquiries are not to be slighted, so also great care is to be taken, that they never receive deceitful and illuding answers. They easily perceive when they are slighted or deceived, and quickly learn the trick of neglect, dissimulation, and falsehood, which they observe others to make use of. We are not to intrench upon truth in any conversation, but least of all with children; since, if we play false with them, we not only deceive their expectation, and hinder their knowledge, but corrupt their innocence, and teach them the worst of vices. They are travellers newly arrived in a strange country, of which they know nothing: we should therefore make conscience not to mislead them. And though their questions seem sometimes not very material, yet they should be seriously answered; for however they may appear to us (to whom they are long since known) inquiries not worth the making, they are of moment to those who are wholly ignorant. Children are strangers to all we are acquainted with; and all the things they meet with are at first unknown to them, as they once were to us; and happy are they who meet with civil people, that will comply with their ignorance, and help them to get out of it.

3. 正如孩子的問詢不容忽視，同樣要倍加小心，不讓他們收到不實與誆騙的回答。他們很輕易地察覺他們被忽視或被欺騙，他們很快會照著別人的樣子學會疏忽、虛偽和撒謊等等伎倆。我們在交往中不能違反事實，特別是與小孩交往中更不能違反；因為如果我們與他們弄虛作假，我們不但辜負他們的期望，妨礙他們的理解，而且敗壞他們的純潔，教給他們最壞的惡習。他們就像剛到一個陌生國度的旅行者，他們對其一無所知；因此我們要有良心，不要誤導他們。雖然他們的問題有時不切實際，也應當嚴肅地回答；因為無論它們在我們看來不值一問(我們對這些問題早已知曉)，對那些完全不懂的人還是值得的。小孩對我們熟知的一切感到陌生；他們遇到的所有事情對他們最初都是未知的，就如我們剛遇到一樣；他們若遇到彬彬有禮的人能夠容忍他們的無知，並且幫助他們克服這無知，他們一定是很高興的。

If you or I now should be set down in Japan, with all our prudence and knowledge about us, a conceit whereof makes us perhaps so apt to slight the thoughts and inquiries of children; should we, I say, be set down in Japan, we should, no doubt, (if we would inform ourselves of what is there to be known,) ask a thousand questions, which to a supercilious or inconsiderate Japanese, would seem very idle and impertinent; though to us they would be very material, and of importance to be resolved; and we should be glad to find a man so complaisant and courteous, as to satisfy our demands, and instruct our ignorance.

假如你我踏足日本，帶著我們所有的精明與知識，也是使我們輕視孩子的想法和疑問的一種自負；我說，假如我們到了日本，(如果我們想了解當地的情形)我們無疑會問上千的問題，而這些問題對一個高傲或不體諒別人的日本人來說，是很沒意思、很冒昧的；對我們卻是很實際、很重要而需要解決的；倘若我們能找到一個很殷勤、很有禮貌的人來滿足我們的要求，教導消除我們的無知，我們一定會很高興。

When any new thing comes in their way, children usually ask the common question of a stranger: What is it? Whereby they ordinarily mean nothing but the name; and therefore to tell them how it is called, is usually the proper answer to that demand. And the next question usually is, What is it for? And to this it should be answered truly and directly. The use of the thing should be told, and the way explained, how it serves to such a purpose, as far as their capacities can comprehend it. And so of any other circumstances they shall ask about it; not turning them going, till you have given them all the satisfaction they are capable of; and so leading them by your answers into farther questions. And perhaps to a grown man, such conversation will not be altogether so idle and insignificant as we are apt to imagine. The native and untaught suggestions of inquisitive children do often offer things, that may set a considering man's thoughts on work. And I think there is frequently more to be learned from the unexpected questions of a child, than the discourses of men, who talk in a road, according to the notions they have borrowed, and the prejudices of their education.

當小孩遇到新的東西，他們慣常用陌生人的口吻問：它是什麽？他們通常的意思是它的名稱；所以告訴他們那叫什麽，一般就算是正確的回答。他們接下來的問題通常是，它有什麽用處？對此應該真實而直接地答複。在他們能夠理解的範圍內，應該告訴他們這東西的用途，以及怎樣使用它。當他們問到關於它的其他詳情，也應如此辦理；你要在他們能理解的範圍內給出滿意的答案，在此之前不要把他們打發走；這樣他們能從你的回答中引申出新的問題。對於一個成年人，這樣的交談也許不象我們想象的那樣無聊與沒有意義。好問的孩子天真的、沒有教導過的意見，可能會讓一個認真的人陷入思考。我認為常常能從小孩出乎意料的問題中學到比成人談話中更多的東西，因為成人說話是根據他們獲得的觀念與他們教育上的偏見。

4. Perhaps it may not sometimes be amiss to excite their curiosity, by bringing strange and new things in their way, on purpose to engage their enquiry, and give them occasion to inform themselves about them; and if by chance their curiosity leads them to ask what they should not know, it is a great deal better to tell them plainly, that it is a thing that belongs not to them to know, than to pop them off with a falsehood, or a frivolous answer.

4. 有時我們可以帶給他們一些新奇的東西，有意引發他們的疑問，讓他們有機會自己去了解，以激發他們的好奇心；萬一他們的好奇心導致他們問一些他們不該知道的問題，最好是明白地告訴他們那是他們不該知道的事情，而不是用假話或敷衍的回答來搪塞他們。

 

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