英国散文选读之欧阳化创编.docx
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英国散文选读之欧阳化创编
1OFSTUDIES
时间:
2021.02.06
创作:
欧阳化
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,for