英国散文选读.docx

英国散文选读.docx

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英国散文选读

1OFSTUDIES

FrancisBacon

Studiesservefordelight,forornament,andforability.

Theirchiefusefordelight,isinprivatenessandretiring;forornament,isindiscourse;andforability,isinthejudgmentanddispositionofbusiness;forexpertandexecute,andperhapsjudgeofparticulars,onebyone;butthegeneralcounsels,andtheplotsandmarshallingofaffairs,comebestformthosethatarelearned.

Tospendtoomuchtimeinstudiesissloth;tousethemtoomuchforornament,isaffectation;tomakejudgmentwhollybytheirrules,isthehumourofascholar.

Theyperfectnature,andareperfectedbyexperience:

fornaturalabilitiesarelikenaturalplants,thatneedproyning（pruning）bystudy;andstudiesthemselvesdogiveforthdirectionstoomuchatlarge,excepttheybeboundedinbyexperience.

Craftymencontemnstudies,simplemenadmirethem,andwisemenusethem;fortheyteachnottheirownuse;butthatisawisdomwithoutthem,andabovethem,wonbyobservation.

Readnottocontradictandconfute;nortobelieveandtakeforgranted;nortofindtalkanddiscourse;buttoweighandconsider.

Somebooksaretobetasted,otherstobeswallowed,andsomefewtobechewedanddigested;thatis,somebooksaretobereadonlyinparts;otherstoberead,butnotcuriously;andsomefewtobereadwholly,andwithdiligenceandattention.　

Somebooksalsomaybereadbydeputy,andextractsmadeofthembyothers;butthatwouldbeonlyinthelessimportantarguments,andthemeanersortofbooks;elsedistilledbooksare,likecommondistilledwaters,flashythings.

Readingmakethafullman;conferenceareadyman;andwritinganexactman.Andtherefore,ifamanwritelittle,hehadneedhaveagreatmemory;ifheconferlittle,hehadneedhaveapresentwit;andifhereadlittle,hehadneedhavemuchcunning,toseemtoknowthathedothnot.

Historiesmakemenwise;poetswitty;themathematicssubtile;naturalphilosophydeep;moralgrave;logicandrhetoricabletocontend.　Abeuntstudiainmorse.

Naythereisnostandorimpedimentinthewit,butmaybewroughtoutbyfitstudies:

likeasdiseasesofthebodymayhaveappropriateexercises.Bowlingisgoodforthestoneandreins;shootingforthelungsandbreast;gentlewalkingforthestomach;ridingforthehead;andthelike.　

Soifaman'switbewandering,lethimstudythemathematics;forindemonstrations,ifhiswitbecalledawayneversolittle,hemustbeginagain.　Ifhiswitbenotapttodistinguishorfinddifferences,lethimstudytheschoolmen;fortheyareCuminisectors.　Ifhebenotapttobeatovermatters,andtocalluponethingtoproveandillustrateanother,lethimstudythelawyers'cases.　Soeverydefectofthemindmayhaveaspecialreceipt.

2SundayintheCountry

SundayintheCountry

JosephAddison

IamalwayswellpleasedwithacountrySunday,andthink,ifkeepingholytheseventhdaywereonlyahumaninstitution,itwouldbethebestmethodthatcouldhavebeenthoughtofforthepolishingandcivilizingofmankind.Itiscertainthecountrypeoplewouldsoondegenerateintoakindofsavagesandbarbarians,weretherenotsuchfrequentreturnsofastatedtime,inwhichthewholevillagemeettogetherwiththeirbestfaces,andintheircleanliestsubjects,toconversewithoneanotherupondifferentsubjects,heartheirdutiesexplainedtothem,andjointogetherinadorationoftheSupremeBeing.Sundayclearsawaytherustofthewholeweek,notonlyasitrefreshesintheirmindsthenotionsofreligion,butasitputsboththesexesuponappearingintheirmostagreeableforms,andexertingallsuchqualitiesasareapttogivethemafigureintheeyeofthevillage.Acountryfellowdistinguisheshimselfasmuchinthechurchyard,asacitizendoesuponthechange,thewholeparish-politicsbeinggenerallydiscussedinthatplaceeitheraftersermonorbeforethebellrings.MyfriendSirRoger,beingagoodchurchman,hasbeautifiedtheinsideofhischurchwithseveraltextsofhisownchoosing.Hehaslikewisegivenahandsomepulpit-cloth,andrailedinthecommuniontableathisownexpense.Hehasoftentoldme,thatathiscomingtohisestatehefoundhisparishionersveryirregular,andthatinordertomakethemkneelandjoinintheresponses,hegaveeveryoneofthemahassockandacommon-prayerbook;andatthesametimeemployedanitinerantsinging2master,whogoesaboutthecountryforthatpurpose,toinstructthemrightlyinthetunesofthePsalms;uponwhichtheynowverymuchvaluethemselves,andindeedoutdomostofthecountrychurchesthatIhaveeverheard.AsSirRogerislandlordtothewholecongregation,hekeepstheminverygoodorderandwillsuffernobodytosleepinitbesidehimself;forifbychancehehasbeensurprisedintoashortnapatsermon,uponrecoveringoutofithestandsupandlooksabouthim,andifheseesanybodyelsenodding,eitherwakesthemhimselforsendshisservantstothem.Severalotheroftheoldknightsparticularitiesbreakoutupontheseoccasions.SometimeshewillbelengtheningoutaverseinthesingingPsalmshalfaminuteaftertherestofthecongregationhavedonewithit;sometimes,whenheispleasedwiththematterofhisdevotion,hepronounces'Amen'threeorfourtimestothesameprayer;andsometimesstandsupwheneverybodyelseisupontheirknees,tocountthecongregation,orseeifanyofhistenantsaremissing.Iwasyesterdayverymuchsurprisedtohearmyoldfriend,inthemidstoftheservice,callingouttooneJohnMatthewstomindwhathewasaboutandnotdisturbthecongregation.ThisJohnMatthewsitseemsisremarkableforbeinganidlefellow,andatthattimewaskickinghisheelsforhisdiversion.Thisauthorityoftheknight,thoughexertedinthatoddmannerwhichaccompanieshiminallthecircumstancesoflife,hasaverygoodeffectupontheparish,whoarenotpoliteenoughtoseeanythingridiculousinhisbehaviour;besidesthatthegeneralgoodsenseandworthinessofhischaractermakehisfriendsobservetheselittlesingularitiesasfoilsthatrathersetoffthanblemishhisgoodqualities.Assoonasthesermonisfinished,nobodypresumestostirtillSirRogerisgoneoutofthechurch.Theknightwalksdownfromhisseatinthechancelbetweenadoublerowofhistenants,thatstandbowingtohimoneachside,andeverynowand3

theninquireshowsuchaoneswife,ormother,orson,orfatherdo,whomhedosenotseeatchurch;whichisunderstoodassecretreprimandtothepersonthatisabsent.Thechaplainhasoftentoldmethat,uponacatechizingday,whenSirRogerhasbeenpleasedwithaboythatanswerswell,hehasorderedaBibletobegiventohimnextdayforhisencouragement;andsometimesaccompaniesitwithaflitchofbacontohismother.SirRogerhaslikewiseaddedfivepoundsayeartotheclerksplace,andthathemayencouragetheyoungfellowstomakethemselvesperfectinthechurchservice,haspromiseduponthedeathofthepresentincumbent,whois4veryold,tobestowitaccordingtomerit.ThefairunderstandingbetweenSirRogerandhischaplain,andtheirmutualconcurrenceindoinggood,isthemoreremarkablebecausetheverynextvillageisfamousforthedifferencesandcontentionsthatarisebetweentheparsonandthesquire,wholiveinaperpetualstateofwar.Theparsonisalwayspreachingatthesquire;andthesquire,toberevengedontheparson,nevercomestochurch.Thesquirehasmadeallhistenantsatheistsandtithe-stealers;whiletheparsoninstructsthemeverySundayinthedignityofhisorder,andinsinuatestothem,inalmosteverysermon,thatheisabettermanthanhispatron.Inshort,mattershavecometosuchanextremity,thatthesquirehasnotsaidhisprayerseitherinpublicorprivatethishalfyear;andtheparsonthreatenshim,ifhedoesnotmendhismanners,toprayforhiminthefaceofthewholecongregation.Feudsofthisnature,thoughtoofrequentinthecountry,areveryfataltotheordinarypeople,whoaresousedtobedazzledwithriches,thattheypayasmuchdeferencetotheunderstandingofamanofanestate,asofamanoflearning;andareveryhardlybroughttoregardanytruth,howimportantsoeveritmaybe,thatispreachedtothem,whentheyknowthereareseveralmenoffivehundredayearwhodonotbelieveit.

3LettertoLordChesterfield

February7th,1755

MyLord，

Ihavebeenlatelyinformed, bytheproprietoroftheWord, thattwopapers, inwhichmy dictionaryisrecommendedtothepublickwerewrittenbyyourLordship.Tobesodistinguished,isanhonour,whichbeingverylittleaccustomedtofavoursfromthegreat,Iknownotwellhowtoreceive,orinwhattermstoacknowledge.

When,uponsomeslightencouragement,IfirstvisitedyourLordship,Iwasoverpowered,liketherestofmankind,bytheenchantmentofyouaddress,andcouldnotforbeartowishthatImightboastmyselfLevainqueurduvainqueurdilaterre.ThatImightobtainthatregardforwhichIsawtheworldcontending;butIfoundmyattendancesolittleencouraged,thatneitherpridenormodestywouldsuffermetocontinueit.WhenIhadonceaddressedyourLordshipinpublickIhadexhaustedalltheartofpleasingwhicharetiredanduncourtlyscholarcanpossess.IhaddoneallthatIcould;andnomaniswellpleasedtohavehisallneglected,beiteversolitter.

Sevenyears,myLord,havenowpast,sinceIwaitedinyourooutwardrooms,orwasrepulsedfromyourdoor,throughdifficulties,ofwhichitisuselesstocomplain,andwithoutoneactofassistance,onewordofencouragement,oronesmileoffavour.SuchtreatmentIdidnotexpect,forIneverhadaPatronbe