Of Studies

　　读读书

　　Francis Bacon

　　弗朗西斯·培根

　　Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is inprivateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgmentand 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 fromthose that are learned.

　　读书足以冶情，足以博彩，足以长才。其冶情也，最见于独处幽居之时;其博彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中;其长才也，最见于处世判事之际。练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节，然纵观统筹、全局策划，则非好学深思者莫属。

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

　　读书费时过多易惰，文采藻饰太盛则矫，全凭条文断事乃学究故态。

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

　　读书补天然之不足，经验又补读书之不足;因为天生才干犹如自然花草，读书之后方知如何修剪移接，而书中所示，如不以经验范之，则又大而无当。

　　Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teachnot their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.

　　有手艺者鄙读书，无知者羡读书，唯明智之士用读书，然书并不以用处告人，用书之智不在书中，而在书外，全凭观察得之。