By Francis Bacon 培根
Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshaling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience; for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they the bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them, for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy and extracts made of them by others, but that would be only in the less important arguments and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy tings. Reading maketh a full man, conferences a ready man, and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have more cunning, to seem to know that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep, moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies, like as disease of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins, shooting for the lungs and breast, gentle walking for the stomach, riding for the head, and the like. So if a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen, for they are cymini sectores. If he be not apt to beat over matters and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyer's cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.
中文译文：
读书可以得到乐趣，获得文采，学会本领。乐趣的主要用处在于私人独处的生活;文采的主要用处在于和人谈话;本领的用处主要在于判断是非和处理事务。有经验的人能够办事，或许也能够判断个别的问题;但是有学问的人才能最能提供有普遍意义的忠告，并擘划和调度众多的事务。花太多的时间去读书是懒惰的做法;过多地注意文采会地做作;纯粹按书中的教条去评断则是读书人的毛病。读书可以完善天性，而经验可以使读书人完善。因为天性就像自然成长的树，需要由学问去剪修，而单靠书本指出的方向又太无边际，除非由经验加以范围和约束。自以为聪明的人看不起学问，幼稚的人崇拜学问;而明智的人则利用学问，因为学问本身并不教会运用学问的方法，而学问之外和之上存在着一种智慧，要靠注意观察去赢得。读书的目的不应是为了反对和驳倒对方，不应是为了深信不疑，也不应是为了寻找谈话资料和词藻，而应是为了权衡和考虑。有些书是供浅尝的，有些书可供吞咽的，而有少数的书则需咀嚼和消化;换言之，有些书只需择其部分去阅读，有些书不需细读，而有少数的书则需全读，而且专心细读。有些书还可以由人代读，即读旁人作的节录，但这只适用于次要的论点和较平庸的书;否则压缩本像通俗的蒸馏饮料一样，华而不实。读书使人充实，交谈使人能应对，写作使人确切。因此，一个人如果不写，他就需要记住很多东西;如果不和人交谈，他就需要天笺机智;如果不读书，他就需要更狡猾，能够假装知道他所不知道的东西。历史书使人明智;诗歌使人富于想象;数学使人精细;自然哲学使人深沉、有道德、严肃;逻辑和修辞学命名人善于辩论。读书增进礼貌。才智方面的困难和障碍无不可以通过适当的读书加以解决，正像身体的疾病可以通过适当的运动加以治疗。保龄球可治胆囊和肾结石，射击有益于肺和胸，散步有益于胃，骑马有益于头部，如此等等。所以如果一个人的智力芜漫，让他学习数学;因为在演算过程中只要他的心神稍有走失，他就必须从头来过。如果他的智力不能区别或找到差异，让他学习神学家，因为他们善于分辨毫厘之差。如果他不能研讨问题，举出一事来例证另一事，让他学习律师的案例。这样，心智的每一种毛病都可以有特别的疗法。
作者简介：
培根(1561-1626)是英国文艺复兴后期一个多方面的学者。他出生贵族之家，毕业于剑桥大学，入选议员，从事法律，受封男爵，荣任大法官。但他趋炎附势，政治态度多变，执法不公，最后被黜。他喜爱科学，提出“知识本身就是权力”的论点和新的求知方法，主张从实验结果中归纳真理。这一点对英国乃至世界科学发展均有贡献。他用英语写短篇散文起初系受法国蒙田(Montaigne)的影响，后深受读者欢迎，遂继续写作，于1597年、1612年和1625年出版过三集。他的散文多论述性，思路清晰，修辞讲究，多警句，通人情世故。
