培根經典散文

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，希望大家喜歡!

　培根經典散文：論結婚與獨身

He that hath wife and children, hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediment to great enterprises, either of virtue, or mischief. Certainly, the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried or childless men; which both in affection, and means, have married and endowed the public. Yet it were great reason, that those that have children, should have greatest care of future times; unto which, they know, they must transmit their dearest pledges. Some there are, who though they lead a single life, yet their thoughts do end with themselves, and account future times impertinences. Nay, there are some other, that account wife and children but as bills of charges. Nay more, there are some foolish rich covetous men, that take a pride in having no children, because they may be thought so much the richer.

有妻與子的人已經向命運之神交了抵押品了;因爲妻與子是大事底阻撓物，無論是大善舉或大惡行。無疑地，最好，最有功於公衆的事業是出自無妻或無子的人的;這些人在情感和金錢兩方面都可說是娶了公衆並給以奩資了。然而依理似乎有子嗣的人應當最關心將來，他們知道他們一定得把自己最貴重的保證交代給將來的。有些人雖然過的是獨身生活，他們的思想卻僅限於自身，把將來認爲無關緊要。並且有些人把妻與子認爲僅僅是幾項開銷。尤有甚者，有些愚而富的慳吝人竟以無子嗣自豪，以爲如此則他們在別人眼中更顯得富有了。

For perhaps, they have heard some talk; Such an one is a great rich man; and another except to it; Yea, but he hath a great charge of children: as if it were an abatement to his riches. But the most ordinary cause of a single life is liberty; especially in certain self-pleasing and humorous minds, which are so sensible of every restraint, as they will go near to think their girdles and garters to be bonds and shackles.

也許他們聽過這樣的話：一人說，“某某人是個大富翁”，而另一人不同意地說，“是的，可是他有很大的兒女之累”，好象兒女是那人底財富底削減似的。然而獨身生活底最普通的原因則是自由，尤其在某種自喜而且任性的人們方面爲然，這些人對於各種的約束都很敏感，所以差不多連腰帶襪帶都覺得是鎖鏈似的。

Unmarried men are best friends; best masters; best servants; but not always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives are of that condition. A single life doth well with church men: for charity will hardly water the ground, where it must first fill a pool. It is indifferent for judges and magistrates: for if they be facile, and corrupt, you shall have a servant five times worse than a wife. For soldiers, I find the generals commonly in their hortatives, put men in mind of their wives and children: and I think the despising of marriage amongst the Turks, maketh the vulgar soldier more base. Certainly, wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity: and single men though they be many times more charitable, because their means are less exhaust; yet, on the other side, they are more cruel, and hard hearted (good to make severe inquisitors), because their tenderness is not so oft called upon. Grave natures, led by custom, and therefore constant, are commonly loving husbands; as was said of Ulysses; vetulam suam praetulit immortalitati.

獨身的人是最好的朋友，最好的主人，最好的僕人，但是並非最好的臣民;因爲他們很容易逃跑，差不多所有的逃人都是獨身的。獨身生活適於僧侶之流，因爲慈善之舉若先須注滿一池，則難於灌溉地面也。獨身於法官和知事則無甚關係，因爲假如他們是易欺而貪污的，則一個僕人之惡將五倍於一位夫人之惡也。至於軍人，竊見將帥激厲士卒時，多使他們憶及他們底妻子兒女;又竊以爲土耳其人之不尊重婚姻使一般士兵更爲卑賤也。妻子和兒女對於人類確是一種訓練;而獨身的人，雖然他們往往很慷慨好施，因爲他們底錢財不易消耗，然而在另一方面他們較爲殘酷狠心(作審問官甚好)，因爲他們不常有用仁慈之處也。莊重的人，常受風俗引導，因而心志不移，所以多是情愛甚篤的丈夫;如古人謂攸立西斯：“他寧要他底老妻而不要長生”者是也。

Chaste women are often proud and forward, as presuming upon the merit of their chastity. It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and obedience, in the wife, if she think her husband wise; which she will never do, if she find him jealous. Wives are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men's nurses. So as a man may have a quarrel to many, when he will. But yet, he was reputed one of the wise men, mat made answer to the question, when a man should marry? A young man not yet, an elder man not at all. It is often seen, that bad husbands have very good wives; whether it be, that it raiseth the price of their husband's kindness, when it comes; or that the wives take a pride in their patience. But this never fails, if the bad husbands were of their own choosing, against their friends' consent; for then, they will be sure to make good their own folly.

貞節的婦人往往驕傲不遜，一若她們是自恃貞節也者。假如一個婦人相信她底丈夫是聰慧的，那就是最好的使她保持貞操及柔順的維繫;然而假如這婦人發現丈夫妒忌心重，她就永不會以爲他是聰慧的了。妻子是青年人底情人，中年人底伴侶，老年人底看護。所以一個人只要他願意，任何時候都有娶妻底理由。然而有一個人，人家問他，人應當在什麼時候結婚?他答道：“年青的人還不應當，年老的人全不應當”。這位也被人稱爲智者之一。常見不良的丈夫多有很好的妻子;其原因也許是因爲這種丈夫底好處在偶爾出現的時候更顯得可貴，也許是因爲做妻子的以自己底耐心自豪。但是這一點是永遠不錯的，就是這些不良的丈夫必須是做妻子的不顧親友之可否而自己選擇的，因爲如此她們就一定非補救自己底失策不可也。

　培根經典散文：論父母與子嗣

The joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs, and fears: they cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other. Children sweeten labours; but they make misfortunes more bitter they increase the cares of life; but they mitigate the

remembrance of death. The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works, are proper to men: and surely a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men; which have sought to express the images of their minds where those of their bodies have failed: so the care of posterity is most in them that have no posterity. They that are the first raisers of then-houses, are most indulgent towards their children; beholding them, as the continuance, not only of their kind, but of their work; and so both children and creatures.

父母底歡欣是祕而不宣的，他們底憂愁與畏懼亦是如此。他們底歡欣他們不能說，他們底憂懼他們也不肯說。子嗣使勞苦變甜，但是也使不幸更苦。他們增加人生底憂慮，但是他們減輕關於死亡的記憶。由生殖而傳種是動物同有的;但是名聲、德行與功業則是人類特有的;而最偉大的事業是從無後嗣的人來的這種事實也是確實可見的;這些人是在他們底軀體底影象無從表現之後努力想表現他們精神底影象的。所以，無後代的人倒是最關心後代的人了。首先樹立家業的人們是對於他們底子嗣最爲縱容的;他們把子嗣看做不但是本族底繼嗣，而且也是自己事業底繼續;因此，他們對自己底子嗣與自己所造的事物都是一樣的看法。

The difference in affection of parents towards their several children is many times unequal; and sometimes unworthy; especially in the mother, as Solomon saith; A wise son rejoiceth the father, but an ungracious son shames the mother.

父母對子嗣之間的慈愛往往是不平均的，而且有時是不合理的。尤其以母親底愛爲然;如所羅門所說：“智慧之子使父親歡樂，愚昧之子使母親蒙羞”。

A man shall see, where there is a house full of children, one or two of the eldest respected, and the youngest made wantons; but in the midst, some mat are, as it were forgotten, who many times, nevertheless, prove the best The illiberality of parents, in allowance towards their children, is an harmful error, makes them base; acquaints them with shifts; makes them sort with mean company; and makes them surfeit more, when they come to plenty: and therefore, the proof is best, when men keep their authority towards their children, but not their purse. Men have a foolish manner (both parents, and schoolmasters, and servants) in creating and breeding an emulation between brothers, during childhood, which many times sorted to discord, when they are men; and disturbed! families. The Italians make little difference between children, and nephews, or near kinsfolk; but so they be of the lump, they care not, though they passe not through

their own body. And, to say truth, in nature it is much a like matter, in so much,

that we see a nephew sometimes resembleth an uncle, or a kinsman, more then his own parent; as the blood happens. Let parents choose betimes the vocations and courses they mean their children should take; for then they are most flexible; and let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition of their children, as thinking they will take best to mat, which they have most mind to. It is true, that if the affection or aptness of the children be extraordinary, then it is good not to cross it; but generally, the precept is good; optimum eli ge, suave et facile illud faciet consuetude). Younger brothers are commonly fortunate, but seldom or never where the elder are disinherited.

常見在一子嗣滿堂的家中，有一兩個最長的受尊重，還有最幼的受過度的縱容;但是居中的幾個則好象被人忘卻了似的，而他們卻往往成爲最好的子嗣。父母在對兒子應給的銀錢上吝嗇，是一種有害的錯誤;這使得他們卑賤;使他們學會取巧;使他們與下流人爲伍;使他們到了富饒的時候容易貪慾無度。因此爲父母者若對他們底子嗣在管理上嚴密，而在錢包上寬鬆，則其結果是最好的。人們(父母，師傅，僕役皆然)有一種不智的習慣，就是當弟兄們在童年的時候，在他們之間養成一種的爭競。其結果往往在他們成人的時候，弟兄不和，並且擾亂家庭。意大利人在自己底子女及侄甥或近親之間無所分別;只要他們是本族，即令非己身所出，亦不介意。說真的，在自然界亦大類此;我們看見有時侄子象伯父或叔父或某位近親而不甚象自己底父親，這是血氣使然。由此可見以上所言之不謬也。爲父母者當及時選擇在他們意中他們底子嗣所當從事的職業及訓練;因爲在那個時候他們最易訓導;同時爲父母者亦不可過於注意子嗣底傾向，以爲他們心中所最好的他們會最爲樂就。如果子嗣底所好和能力是超羣的，那末最好不要拂逆他，這是真的;但是就一般而言，下面這句話是很好的：就是“選擇最好的(職業或訓練)，習慣會使它成爲合適而且容易的”。兄弟中爲幼弟者多半結局良好，但假如長兄輩被剝奪或削除繼承權，則鮮有或永無如是者矣。