約翰·洛克的教育思想(中英對照)-23: 德行

This is what I have thought, concerning the general method of educating a young gentleman; which, though I am apt to suppose may have some influence on the whole course of his education, yet I am far from imagining it contains all those particulars which his growing years, or peculiar temper, may require. But this being premised in general, we shall, in the next place, descend to a more particular consideration of the several parts of his education.

這是我能想到的關於教育一個年輕紳士的一般方法；雖然我認為這也許對他的整個教育過程有一些影響，但我遠不覺得它包括了對他的成長或特殊脾氣所需的所有事項。不過這隻是總的前提，接下來我們要轉而更仔細地考慮他的教育的幾個部分。

That which every gentleman (that takes any care of his education) desires for his son, besides the estate he leaves him, is contained (I suppose) in these four things, virtue, wisdom, breeding, and learning. I will not trouble myself whether these names do not some of them sometimes stand for the same thing, or really include one another. It serves my turn here to follow the popular use of these words, which I presume is clear enough to make me be understood, and I hope there will be no difficulty to comprehend my meaning.

每個紳士 (那些關心兒子的教育的紳士)為兒子期望的，除了他留給他的產業，包括(我推測)這四種東西，美德、智慧、教養與學識。我不會麻煩自己來區分這些名目中有的是不是有時代表同樣的事情，或者是不是一種真的包含另一種。這裏我用這些言辭的通常用法來達到我的目的，我假設這是足夠清楚能讓人理解我，我希望人們不難領會我的意思。

VIRTUE | I place virtue as the first and most necessary of those endowments that belong to a man or a gentleman, as absolutely requisite to make him valued and beloved by others, acceptable or tolerable to himself. Without that, I think, he will be happy neither in this, nor the other world.

美德 | 我把美德作為一個人或紳士所應有的品質中第一位的、最必要的，他為人所看重與喜愛，為自己所接受與容忍，這都是所絕對必須的。沒有美德，我認為他在今生或來世都不會幸福。

GOD | As the foundation of this, there ought very early to be imprinted on his mind a true notion of God, as of the independent Supreme Being, Author and Maker of all things, from Whom we receive all our good, Who loves us, and gives us all things. And consequent to this, instil into him a love and reverence of this Supreme Being. This is enough to begin with, without going to explain this matter any farther; for fear lest by talking too early to him of spirits, and being unseasonably forward to make him understand the incomprehensible nature of that Infinite Being, his head be either filled with false, or perplexed with unintelligible notions of Him. Let him only be told upon occasion, that God made and governs all things, hears and sees every thing, and does all manner of good to those that love and obey Him; you will find, that being told of such a God, other thoughts will be apt to rise up fast enough in his mind about Him; which, as you observe them to have any mistakes, you must set right. And I think it would be better if men generally rested in such an idea of God, without being too curious in their notions about a Being which all must acknowledge incomprehensible; whereby many, who have not strength and clearness of thought to distinguish between what they can, and what they cannot know, run themselves in superstitions or atheism, making God like themselves, or (because they cannot comprehend any thing else) none at all. And I am apt to think, the keeping children constantly morning and evening to acts of devotion to God, as to their Maker, Preserver and Benefactor, in some plain and short form of prayer, suitable to their age and capacity, will be of much more use to them in religion, knowledge, and virtue, than to distract their thoughts with curious enquiries into His inscrutable essence and being.

上帝 |  作為美德的基礎，應該在他心中及早銘刻上上帝的真實概念，知道上帝是獨立的至高存在，是一切事情的主宰和造物主，從神那裏我們得到所有的良善，神愛我們，給我們一切；因此向他灌輸對這至高存在的愛與敬畏。開始這就足夠了，不必對此作進一步的解釋；因為怕過早地告訴他神靈的事，不合理地超前讓他理解這難以領會的無限存在的性質，反而使他腦中充滿錯誤，或者被神費解的觀念所迷惑。隻在必要時告訴他上帝創造與掌管萬物，聽到與看見一切，給那些愛神和遵從神的人各種益處；你會發現告訴他這樣一個上帝，他的心中會湧起對神的其他想法；如果看到他的想法中有任何錯誤，你必須加以改正。我認為最好人們普遍對上帝有這樣一個認識，不要對大家認為不可理解的存在的概念太好奇；而很多人沒有力量與清醒的認識來區分什麽是他們能了解的，什麽是他們不能了解的，因此他們自己沉迷於迷信或無神論，認為上帝就與他們自己一樣，或(因為他們不能理解別的)認為沒有上帝。我認為，與其讓他們分心去探究上帝神妙莫測的本質與存在，不如讓他們能經常早晚不斷地用淺顯簡短的、適合他們年紀與能力的話語向上帝，他們的創造者、保守者和恩主來禱告，這在宗教、知識和美德上對他們更有益處。

SPIRITS | Having by gentle degrees, as you find him capable of it, settled such an idea of God in his mind, and taught him to pray to Him, and praise Him as the Author of his being, and of all the good he does or can enjoy; forbear any discourse of other spirits, till the mention of them coming in his way, upon occasion hereafter to be set down, and his reading the scripture-history, put him upon that enquiry.

神靈 |  當你發現他能夠理解，你要逐漸在他心裏奠定上帝的觀念，教他向上帝禱告，讚美上帝作他本身的主宰，作他所行或所享的善的主宰；不可向他談論任何別的神靈，除非他先提及，需要日後記下來，或者他在讀聖經史的時候產生那樣的疑問。

GOBLINS | But even then, and always whilst he is young, be sure to preserve his tender mind from all impressions and notions of spirits and goblins, or any fearful apprehensions in the dark. This he will be in danger of from the indiscretion of servants, whose usual method is to awe children, and keep them in subjection, by telling them of Raw-Head and Bloody-Bones, and such other names as carry with them the ideas of something terrible and hurtful, which they have reason to be afraid of when alone, especially in the dark. This must be carefully prevented: for though by this foolish way, they may keep them from little faults, yet the remedy is much worse than the disease; and there are stamped upon their imaginations ideas that follow them with terror and affrightment. Such bugbear thoughts once got into the tender minds of children, and being set on with a strong impression from the dread that accompanies such apprehensions, sink deep, and fasten themselves so as not easily, if ever, to be got out again; and whilst they are there, frequently haunt them with strange visions, making children dastards when alone, and afraid of their shadows and darkness all their lives after. I have had those complain to me, when men, who had been thus used when young; that though their reason corrected the wrong ideas they had taken in, and they were satisfied that there was no cause to fear invisible beings more in the dark than in the light, yet that these notions were apt still upon any occasion to start up first in their prepossessed fancies, and not to be removed without some pains. And to let you see how lasting and frightful images are, that take place in the mind early, I shall here tell you a pretty remarkable but true story. There was in a town in the west a man of a disturbed brain, whom the boys used to tease when he came in their way: this fellow one day seeing in the street one of those lads, that used to vex him, stepped into a cutler's shop he was near, and there seizing on a naked sword, made after the boy; who seeing him coming so armed, betook himself to his feet, and ran for his life, and by good luck had strength and heels enough to reach his father's house before the mad-man could get up to him. The door was only latched; and when he had the latch in his hand, he turned about his head, to see how near his pursuer was, who was at the entrance of the porch, with his sword up ready to strike; and he had just time to get in, and clap to the door to avoid the blow, which, though his body escaped, his mind did not. This frightening idea made so deep an impression there, that it lasted many years, if not all his life after. For, telling this story when he was a man, he said, that after that time till then, he never went in at that door (that he could remember) at any time without looking back, whatever business he had in his head, or how little soever before he came thither he thought of this mad-man.

鬼怪 |  但是盡管那樣，當他年輕時，你一定要保護他幼稚的心靈不受一切神靈鬼怪的印象與想法所侵，使他在黑暗中也沒有一點可怕的疑慮。這方麵他會受到仆人們輕率行為的危害，他們總是用"骷髏頭"與"血骨架"等等帶有恐怖害人意味的名目來嚇唬小孩，使他們服從，而小孩孤單一人，特別是在黑暗中，當然很容易害怕。這必須小心防範：因為雖然用這種愚蠢的方法，他們可能防止孩子的小錯，但是這醫藥比毛病更糟糕；這給他們的想象加上恐怖懼怕的印記。這種惱人的念頭一旦進入小孩幼稚的心靈，由擔憂而來的懼怕使小孩產生強烈的印象，由此根深蒂固，即使想清除也不容易；而且當這種念頭盤踞他們的頭腦中，經常會讓他們受到奇怪幻覺的困擾，他們單獨一人時就懦弱膽小，他們以後終其一生都害怕自己的影子和黑暗。我遇到過一些小時候受到這種恐嚇的人，他們抱怨雖然自己的理智糾正了他們曾有的錯誤觀念，他們也明白沒有理由比光明中更害怕黑暗中的看不見的東西，但是這些觀念還是一有機會就引起這種有過的幻想，不費一些力氣還難以清除。為使你了解這種心理早期產生的印象是何等的持久與可怕，我這裏告訴你一個不尋常而又真實的故事。從前在西邊的一個小鎮有一個神經錯亂的人，男孩們碰到他總愛戲弄他。一天這個人在街上看到一個曾經戲弄他的小孩，他就走進附近的一個刀具店，握住一把出鞘的劍，去追那個孩子；那個孩子看見他拿武器衝來，立刻拔腿就跑，趕快逃命，幸虧他力氣與腳力足夠強健，跑到他父親的房前，還沒有被這個瘋子追上。房門隻是扣上的；小孩手放在門扣上，回頭看看追他的人有多近時，那人已經到了門廊的入口，正舉劍要砍；他剛夠時間跑進去，關門才躲開劍砍，雖然他身體逃脫了，他的精神卻沒有。這個可怕的念頭給他極其深的印象，即使沒有持續一生，但也保持了許多年。因為當他長大成人，講述這個故事的時候，他說，那次以後直到說故事時，無論何時他走進那門(那是他記得的)，不管他頭腦中想著什麽事情，或者不管他一點也沒想到這瘋子，他總要回頭看看。

If children were let alone, they would be no more afraid in the dark, than in broad sun-shine; they would in their turns as much welcome the one for sleep as the other to play in. There should be no distinction made to them by any discourse of more danger or terrible things in the one than the other: but if the folly of any one about them should do them this harm, and make them think there is any difference between being in the dark and winking, you must get it out of their minds as soon as you can; and let them know, that God, who made all things good for them, made the night that they might sleep the better and the quieter; and that they being under his protection, there is nothing in the dark to hurt them. What is to be known more of God and good spirits, is to be deferred till the time we shall hereafter mention; and of evil spirits, it will be well if you can keep him from wrong fancies about them till he is ripe for that sort of knowledge.

假如小孩不受幹擾，他們在黑暗中不會比在白晝中更害怕；他們歡迎黑夜可以睡覺，正如歡迎白天可以遊戲一樣。他們應當不被那些關於黑夜比白天有更多危險或可怕東西的討論所左右：但是如果他們周圍的人愚蠢地使他們這樣受害，讓他們覺得在黑暗中與光亮中有區別，你必須盡快把這念頭從他們心中去除；並且讓他們知道，上帝為他們創造了一切的好東西，他創造了夜晚以便他們能有更好、更安靜的睡眠；他們是在上帝的保護下，黑暗中沒有什麽東西會傷害他們。至於更多的了解上帝與好的神靈，那要等到我們以後再說；而對於惡神，在他成熟能理解這種知識之前，你最好不讓他知道太多，以免產生錯誤的想象。

TRUTH | Having laid the foundations of virtue in a true notion of a God, such as the creed wisely teaches, as far as his age is capable, and by accustoming him to pray to Him; the next thing to be taken care of is to keep him exactly to speaking of truth, and by all the ways imaginable inclining him to be good-natured. Let him know that twenty faults are sooner to be forgiven than the straining of truth to cover any one by an excuse. And to teach him betimes to love and be good-natured to others, is to lay early the true foundation of an honest man; all injustice generally springing from too great love of ourselves and too little of others.

真實 |  就象教義明智教導的那樣，在他年紀許可的條件下，使他習慣地向上帝祈禱，那麽你就以一種關於上帝的真實觀念為他的德行奠定了基礎；接下來要注意的是讓他完全說實話，用一切可以想到的方法使他成為一個友善的人。讓他明白二十件過失都比歪曲真相、用借口掩蓋過犯更容易得到原諒。你及早教他愛別人與對人和善，也就是為他成為一個誠實的人奠定了真正的基礎；所有的不義一般都出於太多地愛自己，太少地愛別人。

This is all I shall say of this matter in general, and is enough for laying the first foundations of virtue in a child: as he grows up, the tendency of his natural inclination must be observed; which, as it inclines him more than is convenient on one or the other side from the right path of virtue, ought to have proper remedies applied. For few of Adam's children are so happy, as not to be born with some byass in their natural temper, which it is the business of education either to take off, or counterbalance. But to enter into particulars of this, would be beyond the design of this short treatise of education. I intend not a discourse of all the virtues and vices, how each virtue is to be attained, and every particular vice by its peculiar remedies cured: though I have mentioned some of the most ordinary faults, and the ways to be used in correcting them.

這是我就此問題大體上要說的，這足夠在小孩身上打下德行的最初基礎：隨著他的成長，必須要注意他本性的傾向；當他的本性使他偏離了德行的正道，就應該用合適的方法加以矯治。因為沒有多少亞當(Adam)的子孫會如此幸運，他們的天性生來沒有一點偏差，這些偏差應該是教育的任務去消除或加以平衡的。但是要詳細地討論這一點，是超出了這篇短短的教育論文的計劃範圍。我並不打算討論所有的美德與邪惡，每件美德怎樣去獲得，每個特別的邪惡怎樣用特有方法醫治；不過我已經提到一些最常見的錯誤，以及用來矯治它們的方法。

 

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