培根經典散文雙語閱讀

弗朗西斯·培根是英國文藝復興時期最重要的散文家、哲學家。他不但在文學、哲學上多有建樹，在自然科學領域裏，也取得了重大成就。他的第一部重要著作《隨筆》最初發表於1597年，以後又逐年增補。該書文筆言簡意賅、智睿奪目，它包含許多洞察秋毫的經驗之談，其中不僅論及政治而且還探討許多人生哲理。下面本站小編爲大家帶來培根經典散文雙語閱讀，希望大家喜歡!

培根經典散文雙語閱讀：論變更

As the births of living creatures, at first, are ill shapen: so are all innovations, which are the births of time. Yet notwithstanding, as those that first bring honour into their family, are commonly more worthy, than most that succeed: so the first precedent (if it be good) is seldom attained by mutation.

一切生物底幼兒在最初的時候都不好看，一切的變更也是如此，變更者時間之幼兒也。雖如此，有如初創家業者總比後嗣爲強，最初的先例(如果是好的)也是不常易以模仿及之的。

For ill, to man's nature, as it stands perverted, hath a natural motion, strongest in continuance: but good, as a forced motion, strongest at first Surely every medicine is an innovation; and he that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils: for time is the greatest innovator: and if time, of course, alter things to the worse, and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better, what shall be the end? It is true, that what is settled by custom, though it be not good, yet at least it is fit And those things, which have long gone together, are as it were confederate within themselves: whereas new things piece not so well; but though they help by their utility, yet they trouble by their inconformity. Besides, they are like strangers; more admired, and less favoured.

因爲在尚未歸正的人心上，“惡”是有一種自然的動力的，這種動力在繼續中最強;而“善”所有的卻是一種勉強的動力，那動力是在起始時最強的。每一種藥無疑地都是一種新創之事;不願用新藥的人就得預備着害新病;蓋時間乃是最大的革新家也。並且，假如時間會自然地使事物頹敗，而智謀與言論又不能使其改良，其結局將不堪設想了。

All this is true, if time stood still; which contrariwise moveth so round, that a froward retention of custom is as turbulent a thing as an innovation:and they that reverence too much old times, are but a scorn to the new. It were good therefore, that men in their innovations, would follow the example of time itself; which indeed innovated greatly, but quietly, and by degrees, scarce to be perceived: for otherwise, whatsoever is new, is unlocked for; and ever it mends some, and pairs other: and he that is holpen, takes it for a fortune, and thanks the time; and he that is hurt, for a wrong, and imputeth it to the author. It is good also, not to try experiments in states, except me necessity be urgent, or the utility evident: and well to beware, that it be the reformation, that draweth on the change; and not the desire of change, that pretendeth the reformation. And lastly, that the novelty, though it be not rejected, yet be held for a suspect: and, as the scripture saith; that we make a stand upon the ancient way, and then look about us, and discover what is the straight and right way, and so to walk in it.

習俗之所立，雖不優良，不失爲適合時世，這是真的;又長期並行的舉動好象是互有關連的，而新的事物則與舊者不甚契合;它們雖有用，可是因爲與舊的事物不融洽，所以會引起糾紛。再者，新的事物好象異邦人，很受人豔羨，可是不大得人歡心。這些話當然都對，假如時間是停留不動的;可是時間是動轉不停的，所以，固執舊習，其足以致亂與革新之舉無異;而過於尊崇古昔者將爲今世所僇笑也。因此，人們在更革之中最好能學時間底榜樣。時間確常大事更革，但是它是以安詳出之的，並且其來也漸，幾乎是不爲人所覺察的。如不然者，凡是新的事物都將被認爲出乎意料的事物;有所改進就必有所損壞得益的人將以之爲幸運，歸功於時間;受損失的人則將以此爲怨仇，而歸罪於行革新之事的人了。還有，除非是極爲必要而且顯然有益的時候，最好不要在國家中試行新政;並且應當注意，須是改革底必要引起變更而不是喜新厭故的心理矯飾出改革底必要來。並且，最後，應當注意者，革新底舉動雖不一定要拒絕，卻應當把它認爲是一種嫌疑犯，不可率爾置信;並且，如《聖經》上所說，我們應當立足於古道然後瞻顧四周，見有正直的大道，然後行於其上。

　培根經典散文雙語閱讀：論自謀

An ant is a wise creature for itself; but it is a shrewd thing, in an orchard, or garden. And certainly, men that are great lovers of themselves, waste the public.

螞蟻是一種爲自己打算起來很聰明的動物，但是在一座果園或花園裏它就是一種有害的動物了。那深愛自身的人的確是有害於公衆的。

Divide with reason between self-love, and society: and be so true to thy self, as thou be not false to others; specially to thy king, and country. It is a poor centre of a man's actions, himself. It is right earth. For that only stands fast upon his own centre; whereas all things that have affinity with the heavens, move upon the centre of another, which they benefit. The referring of all to a man's self, is more tolerable in a sovereign prince; because themselves are not only themselves; but their good and evil, is at the peril of the public fortune. But it is a desperate evil in a servant to a prince, or a citizen in a republic.

所以一個人應當把利己之心與爲人之心以理智分開，對自己忠實，要做到無欺於人的地步，尤其是對他底君主與國家爲然。把一個人底私利，作爲他底行動底中心，是很不好的。那就完全和地球一樣。因爲只有地球是固定在自己底中心上的;而一切與天體有關之物則是依他物底中心而行動的，並且對這些別的物體是有利的。對一切事物都拿自己做標準，這在一個君主方面是較爲可恕的，因爲君主們底自身並不就是個人而已，反之，他們底善惡乃是公衆底安危之所繫也。但是這種情形若在一位君主底臣僕身上或在一個共和國底公民身上有之，則是一件極壞的惡事。

For whatsoever affairs pass such a man's hands, he crooketh them to his own ends: which must needs be often eccentric to the ends of his master, or state. Therefore let princes, or states, choose such servants as have not this mark; except they mean their service should be made but the accessory. That which maketh the effect more pernicious, is that all proportion is lost It were disproportion enough, for the servant's good to be preferred before the master's; but yet it is a greater extreme, when a little good of the servant shall cany things against a great good of the master's.

因爲無論何事若經過這樣的一個人底手裏，他一定會把那些事爲自己底私利而拗曲的;而這種行爲一定常常是與他底主上或國家底利益違背的。因此，爲人君或主政者應當選擇沒有這種性情或習慣的臣僕，除非他們底用意是要這種人辦理細事，僅爲工具者，那末是可以有例外的。爲私底最大的弊害在使事務完全失宜。先顧臣僕之利，後及主上之利，這已經是很不合的了;然而有時竟以臣僕之小利而不顧主上之大利，這就是爲害最烈了。

And yet that is the case of bad officers, treasurers, ambassadors, generals, and other false and corrupt servants; which set a bias upon their bowl, of their own petty ends, and envies, to the overthrow of their master's great and important affairs. And for the most part, the good such servants receive is after the model of their own fortune;

but the hurt they sell for mat good is after the model of their master's fortune.

這種情形正即是不良的官員、財吏、使節、與將帥以及其他的奸臣污吏之所爲;這種善於自謀的情形使他們取徑不正;順循自己底小利與私怨，而破壞君主底重大事業。然而就最大多數言之，這般臣僕所得到的好處不過是與他們個人底幸運相當，但是他們爲那點好處付作代價的弊害卻就與他們的君主底禍福相當了。

And certainly, it is the nature of extreme self-lovers; as they will set an house on fire, and it were but to roast their eggs: and yet these men, many times, hold credit with their masters, because their study is but to please them, and profit themselves: and for either respect, they will abandon the good of their affairs.

又，“引火燒房但圖烤熟自己之雞卵”，極端的自私者，其天性確有如此者;然而這樣的人往往得主上底信任，因爲他們所注意揣摩者就在如何逢迎主人而肥己身也：爲了這兩者之中的任何一項，他們都會拋棄主人底事務之利益而不顧的。

Wisdom for a man's self, is in many branches thereof, a depraved thing. It is the wisdom of rats, that will be sure to leave a house, somewhat before it fall. It is the wisdom of the fox, that thrusts out the badger, who digged and made room for him.

善於謀身的聰明，在它底許多種類中，都是一種卑污的聰明。它是那房屋將倒以前定會離開的老鼠底聰明。它是那驅逐爲它掘穴造屋的穴熊的狐狸底聰明。

It is the wisdom of crocodiles, that shed tears, when they would devour. But that which is specially to be noted is that those which (as Cicero says of Pompey) are sui amantes sine rivali, are many times unfortunate. And whereas they have all their time sacrificed to themselves, they become in the end themselves sacrifices to the inconstancy of fortune; whose wings they thought, by their self-wisdom, to have pinioned.

它是那在要吞噬他物的時候落淚的鱷魚底聰明。但是尤可注意者，是那些“愛自己甚於任何旁人的人”(如西塞羅論龐拜之言)往往是不幸的。他們雖永遠爲自己而犧牲他人，結局他們卻變爲禍福之神底變化無常底犧牲品;而他們從前以爲是以自己底善於謀身就已經把禍福之神底翅翼困縛住了的。