約翰·洛克的教育思想(中英對照)-19: 調皮與懶散

PERTNESS | Pertness, that appears sometimes so early, proceeds from a principle that seldom accompanies a strong constitution of body, or ripens into a strong judgment of mind. If it were desirable to have a child a more brisk talker, I believe there might be ways found to make him so; but, I suppose, a wise father had rather that his son should be able and useful, when a man, than pretty company, and a diversion to others, whilst a child; though, if that too were to be considered, I think I may say, there is not so much pleasure to have a child prattle agreeably, as to reason well. Encourage therefore his inquisitiveness all you can, by satisfying his demands, and informing his judgment, as far as it is capable. When his reasons are any way tolerable, let him find the credit and commendation of them; and when they are quite out of the way, let him, without being laughed at for his mistake, be gently put into the right; and, if he show a forwardness to be reasoning about things that come in his way, take care, as much as you can, that nobody check this inclination in him, or mislead it by captious or fallacious ways of talking with him: for, when all is done, this, as the highest and most important faculty of our minds, deserves the greatest care and attention in cultivating it: the right improvement and exercise of our reason being the highest perfection that a man can attain to in this life.

調皮 |  調皮有時出現得很早，是出於與強健體格和心理成熟、判斷力強無關的一種行為方式。如果想讓孩子成為一個談吐活躍的人，我相信總可能找到辦法的；但是我覺得一個明智的父親寧願讓他的兒子長大成為一個能幹有用的人，而不隻是讓他小的時候做一個英俊的夥伴，惹人喜歡；即使那值得考慮，我也覺得使小孩能令人愉快地閑扯，還不如讓他能善於推理更使人高興。所以要滿足他的要求、訓練他的判斷力，在可能的限度內盡力鼓勵他的求知欲。當他的理智還算過得去時，讓他自己找到認可與讚揚；當它們偏離正軌，不要譏笑他的錯誤，要輕輕地把他糾正過來；而且如果他對遇到的事情勇於去推理，你當竭力小心，不要讓人抑製他這種傾向，不要讓人用強詞奪理的或欺騙的談話將其誤導；因為說到底，這是我們心理上最高和最重要的能力，值得最好的關心與注意來培植它；對我們理智的正確改進與運用是一個人此生的最完美境界。

SAUNTERING | Contrary to this busy inquisitive temper, there is sometimes observable in children, a listless carelessness, a want of regard to any thing, and a sort of trifling even at their business. This sauntering humour I look on as one of the worst qualities can appear in a child, as well as one of the hardest to be cured, where it is natural. But it being liable to be mistaken in some cases, care must be taken to make a right judgment concerning than trifling at their books or business, which may sometimes be complained of in a child. Upon the first suspicion a father has, that his son is of a sauntering temper, he must carefully observe him, whether he be listless and indifferent in all in his actions, or whether in some things alone he be slow and sluggish, but in others vigorous and eager. For though we find that he does loiter at his book, and let a good deal of the time he spends in his chamber or study, run idly away; he must not presently conclude, that this is from a sauntering humour in his temper. It may be childishness, and a preferring something to his study, which his thoughts run on; and he dislikes his book, as is natural, because it is forced upon him as a task. To know this perfectly, you must watch him at play, when he is out of his place and time of study, following his own inclination; and see there whether he be stirring and active; whether he designs any thing, and with labour and eagerness pursues it, till he has accomplished what he aimed at, or whether he lazily and listlessly dreams away his time. If this sloth be only when he is about his book, I think it may be easily cured. If it be in his temper, it will require a little more pains and attention to remedy it.

懶散 |  與這種好問的脾氣相反，有時能看到小孩有一種懶洋洋的淡漠，對任何事情都漠不關心，甚至在他們功課上也是無聊懶散的。這種懶散的性情，我認為是小孩身上最壞的一種品質，如果它是天生的，那又是最難矯治的一種品質。但是某些事情有時容易搞錯，我們有時抱怨小孩在讀書或功課上懶散的時候，一定要小心地作出正確的判斷。父親剛開始懷疑兒子有懶散的性情，他必須仔細觀察小孩，看他是不是在他的所有活動中都懶散和冷漠，還是隻在某些事情上緩慢與遲緩，而在其它事情上活躍與急切。因為即使我們發現他讀書時磨蹭，把他在書房中或學習的時間都浪費掉了，我們還是不能立即下結論說這是因為他懶散的性情。那可能是孩子氣，或是相對於學習他更喜歡別的一些事情，思緒就在那些事情上去了；他很自然不喜歡他的書本，因為那是作為一個任務強加給他。要完全地了解這一點，你必須在他玩耍時觀察他，那時他離開了學習的地點和時間，跟從他本身的愛好；看他那時是否激動活潑；他是不是計劃做任何事情，並且熱情努力地去做，直到他達到他的目的，還是懶散和無精打采地虛度時間。假如他隻是在讀書的時候懶散，我想那還容易治好。如果那是他的性格，就需要更多的辛苦與關注來矯治它

If you are satisfied by his earnestness at play, or any thing else he sets his mind on, in the intervals between his hours of business, that he is not of himself inclined to laziness, but that only want of relish of his book makes him negligent and sluggish in his application to it; the first step is to try by talking to him kindly of the folly and inconvenience of it, whereby he loses a good part of his time, which he might have for his diversion: but be sure to talk calmly and kindly, and not much at first, but only these plain reasons in short. If this prevails, you have gained the point in the most desirable way, which is that of reason and kindness. If this softer application prevails not, try to shame him out of it, by laughing at him for it, asking every day, when he comes to table, if there be no strangers there, how long he was that day about his business: And if he has not done it in the time he might be well supposed to have dispatched it, expose and turn him into ridicule for it; but mix no chiding, only put on a pretty cold brow towards him, and keep it till he reform; and let his mother, tutor, and all about him do so too. If this work not the effect you desire, then tell him he shall be no longer troubled with a tutor to take care of his education, you will not be at the charge to have him spend his time idly with him; but since he prefers this or that [whatever play he delights in] to his book, that only he shall do; and so in earnest set him to work on his beloved play, and keep him steadily, and in earnest, to it morning and afternoon, till he be fully surfeited, and would, at any rate, change it for some hours at his book again. But when you thus set him his task of play, you must be sure to look after him your self, or set somebody else to do it, that may constantly see him employed in it, and that he be not permitted to be idle at that too. I say, your self look after him; for it is worth a father's while, whatever business he has, to bestow two or three days upon his son, to cure so great a mischief as his sauntring at his business.

如果你確信他在功課之間做遊戲、或做別的他感興趣的事情很急切認真，他自己並不想懶惰，隻是他的書本不有趣使他不認真、不用功讀書；第一步是試著誠懇地告訴他懶惰的愚蠢和不便，他因此失去好多可以用來娛樂的時間；不過說的時候一定要冷靜與溫和，開始不用說得很多，隻簡短地說一下明顯的道理。如果這個方法生效了，你就用最可取的方法，即理智與慈愛，達到目的了。如果這溫和的方法不起作用，試著以此取笑他，每天當他來到桌前，如果沒有外人在那兒，問他用多長時間做他的功課，使他羞愧難當而改過自新；假如他在應該完成的時間內沒有做完，你可以揭露他，並且使他為此成為笑柄；但是不要斥責，隻用給他一點冷淡的顏色，直到他改正為止；而且要他的母親、導師及周圍所有的人都這樣做。如果這樣還不能達到你的目的，告訴他不再需要導師教他了，你不會花錢請導師陪他無聊地消磨時間；既然他不愛書本，更愛這樣或那樣的遊戲(不管他喜歡什麽遊戲)，那他隻能做那遊戲了；而且極力促使他去做他喜愛的遊戲，讓他從早到晚一直認真地做，直到他玩得完全過度，寧願換成讀幾個小時書為止。但是當你把遊戲當作任務讓他做的時候，你一定要親自或派人看顧他，讓他不停地做，不許他在那上麵偷懶。我說你要親自看護他，因為無論父親做什麽事，他都值得花兩三天時間在他兒子身上，去糾正他在功課上懶散的大毛病。

This is what I propose, if it be idleness, not from his general temper, but a peculiar or acquired aversion to learning, which you must be careful to examine and distinguish. But though you have your eyes upon him, to watch what he does with the time which he has at his own disposal, yet you must not let him perceive that you or any body else do so; for that may hinder him from following his own inclination, which he being full of, and not daring, for fear of you, to prosecute what his head and heart are set upon, he may neglect all other things, which then he relishes not, and so may seem to be idle and listless, when in truth it is nothing but being intent on that, which the fear of your eye or knowledge keeps him from executing. To be clear in this point, the observation must be made when you are out of the way, and he not so much as under the restraint of a suspicion that any body has an eye upon him. In those seasons of perfect freedom, let some body you can trust mark how he spends his time, whether he unactively loiters it away, when without any check he is left to his own inclination. Thus, by his employing of such times of liberty, you will easily discern, whether it be listlessness in his temper, or aversion to his book, that makes him saunter away his time of study.

這就是我的建議，假如懶散不是出於他一般的性情，而是源於對學習的一種特殊的或習得的反感，這你必須仔細地檢查分辨。不過你雖然可以監視他，看他在他自己自由支配的時間裏做什麽，可是你不能讓他察覺你或別的任何人在監視他；因為那會妨礙他遵循自己的愛好行事，他心中充滿那愛好，隻是因為害怕你，他不敢去做他頭腦與心中所想的事情，他不理會別的一切他不感興趣的事情，所以他看起來懶散和百無聊賴，而實際上他一心想著他的愛好，隻是怕你看見或知道而不敢執行。為了弄清這一點，觀察必須是在你不在場，而且他不覺得有人在監視而受限製的時候。當他有完全的自由的時候，你可以安排一個你信賴的人記錄他怎樣使用時間，他不受妨礙可以放任自己的傾向時，是否還被動地消磨時間。因此，在他自由地運用時間的時候，你可以輕易區分他是由於懶散的性格，還是由於厭惡書本，使得他浪費掉他的學習時間。

If some defect in his constitution has cast a damp on his mind, and he be naturally listless and dreaming, this unpromising disposition is none of the easiest to be dealt with; because generally carrying with it an unconcernedness for the future, it wants the two great springs of action, foresight and desire; which, how to plant and increase, where nature has given a cold and contrary temper, will be the question. As soon as you are satisfied that this is the case, you must carefully inquire whether there be nothing he delights in; inform yourself, what it is he is most pleased with; and if you can find any particular tendency his mind hath, increase it all you can, and make use of that to set him on work, and to excite his industry. If he loves praise, or play, or fine clothes, etc. or, on the other side, dreads pain, disgrace, or your displeasure, etc. whatever it be that he loves most, except it be sloth, (for that will never set him on work) let that be made use of to quicken him, and make him bestir himself. For in this listless temper, you are not to fear an excess of appetite (as in all other cases) by cherishing it. It is that which you want, and therefore must labour to raise and increase; for, where there is no desire, there will be no industry.

如果是他性格的缺陷導致他精神沮喪，使他自然地懶散和虛度光陰，這種無望的性情是不容易對付的；因為這總是帶有對未來的漠不關心，缺乏行動的兩個重大動因，遠見與欲望；對於天生的冷漠性情，怎樣培植和提高遠見與欲望，這是一個問題。一旦你確定情況是如此，你必須立即調查他是否不喜歡任何東西；你要知道他最喜歡什麽；如果你發現他心裏有任何特別的傾向，你要竭力增強這傾向，利用這傾向使他工作，並激發他的努力。假如他喜歡恭維、遊戲、或華服等等，或者反之，他畏懼痛苦、羞辱、或你的不高興等等，無論他最喜歡什麽，隻要不是懶惰(因為懶惰決不會使他工作)，都要利用它去鼓舞他，讓他自己振作起來。因為在這種懶散的脾氣中，不象別的情況，你不怕因愛惜欲望而使其過多。欲望正是你所需要的，所以要努力培養與加強；因為沒有欲望就沒有努力。

If you have not hold enough upon him this way, to stir up vigour and activity in him, you must employ him in some constant bodily labour, whereby he may get an habit of doing something. The keeping him hard to some study were the better way to get him an habit of exercising and applying his mind. But because this is an invisible attention, and no body can tell when he is or is not idle at it, you must find bodily employments for him, which he must be constantly busied in, and kept to; and if they have some little hardship and shame in them, it may not be the worse, that they may the sooner weary him, and make him desire to return to his book. But be sure, when you exchange his book for his other labour, set him such a task, to be done in such a time as may allow him no opportunity to be idle. Only after you have by this way brought him to be attentive and industrious at his book, you may, upon his dispatching his study within the time set him, give him as a reward some respite from his other labour; which you may diminish as you find him grow more and more steady in his application, and at last wholly take off when his sauntering at his book is cured.

假如你不能用這種方法對他產生足夠影響，不能激發他的精神與活力，你必須讓他做一些經常的體力勞動，借此他可能養成做事的習慣。讓他努力學習本是使他養成鍛煉與運用心智習慣的更好方法。但是這是一種看不見的專注，沒有人能夠知道他是不是在偷懶，所以你要讓他做一些體力活，使他一直忙著去做；假如體力活有點困難、有點可羞，那也許並不太糟，那會令他更快地生厭，讓他願意回到他的書本那兒去。但是你把他的書本換成別的勞動的時候，要保證你安排的任務和時間能使他沒有機會偷懶。隻有你用這種方法使他專心和努力地讀書，他能夠在規定的時間完成他的學習，你才可以獎勵他少做一些別的勞動；當他勤勉用功愈來愈穩定塌實，你可以讓他做愈來愈少的勞動，直到他偷懶不讀書治好，最後完全停止。

 

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